Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Away Concealer Is Aptly Named—Here's Photo Evidence

My pores are gone.

before / after

Fact: I am a devout worshipper at the makeup altar of Charlotte Tilbury. All her products—from her Matte Revolution Lipsticks to her hard-to-explain-yet-completely-necessary Hollywood Flawless Filter—are just so good. And by good, I mean they’re easy to use, have amazing textures, and generally help me look more like I am a respectable adult who has her life together.

But even so, I was a little less excited than I’d normally be when I found out her newest launch was the Magic Away Liquid Concealer ($32). Then I tried it, and everything changed.

Pros + Cons

Pros:

  • Blurs and minimizes pores
  • Free of parabens
  • Two finishes available: natural and matte
  • Byrdie Clean

Cons:

  • Shade range could be greater
  • Not for heavy concealing
  • Applicator can be challenging to use

The Bottom Line: Flawless full coverage

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer brightens and evens skin and erases pores, undereye circles, acne breakouts, and more. While it's not ideal for covering heavy discoloration—and the sponge-tipped applicator can be difficult to work with—the actual product is an ideal full-coverage, liquid concealer for everyday wear.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer

Best for: Covering dark circles and color-correcting skin

Star Rating: 4/5

Active ingredients: Persian silk tree bark extract, palmitoyl glycine

Clean?: Yes

Potential allergens: Talc

Price: $32

Shade Range: 21 shades from deep to fair

What's Included: Built-in sponge applicator

About the brand: The British makeup artist launched her namesake brand with an old Hollywood aesthetic in 2013. Its glamorous, ultra-feminine product line is highly influential with beauty bloggers and vloggers to models and celebrities.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer $32.00
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About My Concealer Preferences

I test and hoard every tinted moisturizer and foundation known to humankind but regard concealer as something I reach for occasionally when I’m breaking out or when I accidentally stayed up all night rewatching the entire first season of Laguna Beach. Of course, now that I’m getting older and notice bags, lines, and dark spots creeping up that never existed before (ugh), I find myself relying on concealer to cover my sins more and more—but still. It's boring.

How to Apply

I apply it generously around my nose, on the inner parts of my cheeks, forehead area between my brows, and chin. The wand makes it super easy to swipe on wherever, and then you simply blend the formula in with your fingers. The final effect would be like using Snapchat's blurring filter IRL.

The brand says to apply after your foundation, to see where you need more coverage. It also suggests using one shade lighter than your skin tone for a brightening effect under the eyes.

The Formula: Stretchy and satiny

The extraordinary thing about this particular concealer, however, is the formula. It’s just the right amount of matte and creamy where it won’t appear chalky or cakey even if you apply multiple layers. It’s made with Persian silk tree bark extract, which has a gummy texture that gives this concealer the crazy stretch ability it has. I've always thought the idea of a concealer "stretching" was weird and more marketing talk than anything. What is my concealer, an '80s Jazzercise model? Why would I need my concealer to stretch on my face?

Ever since I’ve started using this concealer, I’ve tossed my tinted moisturizers and foundations to the wayside. As the temperatures in New York reach sauna status, my sweaty face wants less and less product piled onto it but also gets oilier and, thus, more annoying. I love this concealer because I can use less of it than I would with a blurring foundation or tinted moisturizer. Because of its "stretch" ability, the final effect is more fresh-faced and natural, and less “I wore too much makeup and now resemble a melted wax figure.”

The Shades: A few different options

Along with shades for brightening and concealing, you'll find a few made specifically for color correcting peppered in. The brand notes its shade Deep can be used to color correct with its red undertones, and Deep Tan has peach undertones. However, you won't find extensive options beyond those two shades, like a green shade for canceling out redness or lavender to brighten skin. Most of the other 18 shades contain warm, cool, or neutral undertones like most traditional concealers.

Application: Packaging could be better

This concealer comes in a sleek wand and features a sponge-tipped applicator with a pointed tip that makes it super easy to swipe in the crevices of your face.

However, the cap can be difficult to remove, and since the sponge is built-in, there isn't a great way to clean it. If you like to go heavy-handed with your concealer, you'll have to sit there twisting it for a while as only a little bit of product comes out at a time. In addition, the sponge absorbs the product, so some is wasted.

Coverage: Full, full, full

A little goes a long way—Magic Away perfects skin with a full-coverage, matte finish that later gets slightly dewy, depending on your skin type. While it's not meant for heavy concealing, it covers under-eye circles, redness, and breakouts quite well.

It doesn't look mask-like, though. It's more on the brightening side, depending on which shade you wear.

The Results: Like Spanx for your face

Here is a photo of me with a bare face. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Wand Liquid Concealer Before After
Faith Xue

Here is a photo of me after using the Magic Away Liquid Concealer, with absolutely zero photoshopping and taken in the same lighting five minutes after. 

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Wand Liquid Concealer Review

After using this product, I finally understand. Instead of settling into fine lines or sitting on top of your skin like a mask, this concealer acts more like a thin veil that tightens and blurs everything at once. The effect is sort of like Spanx or pantyhose, but for your face. (Do people still say pantyhose?) I watched Charlotte apply a copious amount of this concealer on one hand and couldn’t believe the difference. Suddenly, every wrinkle had vanished, every dark spot faded, and all that was left was light-reflecting skin that still looked like someone's actual skin.

Suddenly, every wrinkle had vanished, every dark spot faded, and all that was left was light-reflecting skin that still looked like someone's actual skin.

And on me, all my pores disappeared. I also stopped wearing foundation. And now I think I’m obsessed with concealer

If anything, I've found that it settles into your skin and looks better as the day goes on. It gives a more matte effect after you first use it, then gets a bit dewier a few hours later. I cannot sing enough praises about this concealer, and at $32, it’s one of Charlotte’s more affordable products—and in my opinion, worth every damn penny.

The Value: Well-priced

Magic Away Concealer retails for $32 for 0.13 oz.—not crazy-expensive when you compare to similar high-end concealers. If you are looking for a product you can take on the go, it's ideal with the built-in applicator, but not so much so if you like to have more control over how much product you apply.

Similar Products: You have options

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Under-Eye Concealer: Ideal for concealing and highlighting the high points of the face, Touche Eclat is a creamy, luxurious concealer that blends away imperfections like Magic Away. Just a touch more expensive at around $38 for 0.08 oz., it also comes with a built-in brush applicator.

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer: It's been named the most popular concealer more than once and a steal for $10 for 0.2 oz. Like Magic Away, the wand has a built-in sponge tip for dabbing and blending away dark circles.

Our Verdict: Poreless perfection

I should mention that if you’re looking for something to cover acne, severe redness, or melasma, you might be better opting for a heavier-duty concealer. Likewise, you might skip if you prefer applying concealer with your fingers or a brush. But if you’re looking to blur out large pores (me), brighten dark circles and spots (also me), and help your skin look naturally luminous and ageless (me me me!), this concealer might be your new holy grail.

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