Is Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Foundation the Game-Changer Your Skincare Routine Has Been Waiting For?

Ever wonder why some foundations feel like armor while others just become your skin? As someone who’s been in the beauty trenches for decades, with a makeup stash that might just rival a mini Sephora, I can tell you—it’s not just about coverage, it’s about feeling unstoppable in your own skin at any age. Let’s face it: a perfectly blended blush and two coats of mascara aren’t just optional; they’re survival tools in the daily battle against looking tired and washed out. Now, imagine a foundation that doesn’t just hide your flaws but feels so light you forget you’re wearing anything at all. Intrigued? When I heard Charlotte Tilbury revamped her legendary Airbrush Flawless Foundation, my curiosity hit redline. Could this be the game-changer my 46-year-old skin has been waiting for? Buckle up—here’s the inside scoop on a foundation that promises full coverage without the cakey aftermath, promising a real glow-up for your complexion and your confidence. LEARN MORE

I’m a die-hard makeup girl at heart, with a soft spot for perfectly blended blush, at least two coats of my favorite mascara, and layering on some sort of lip product. It’s not a choice; I need it—otherwise, I could pass as a character from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot. As a beauty writer for many years, you might think I’d be bored by it all, but I still get a thrill out of trying new makeup, especially products that make my 46-year-old skin look perfect when it’s far from that.

My bathroom drawers overflow with foundations, concealers, highlighters, eyeshadow palettes, and lipsticks and my teenage daughter often likens my collection to a mini-Sephora. Sure, my makeup routine has evolved over the years—that’s inevitable as your skin changes. These days, I wear far less than I did in my thirties, when my routine consisted of shuffling through editorial meetings and desk sides followed by evening events as a full-time beauty editor. While I don’t go completely bare-faced—never—I’m now perfectly satisfied to use tinted sunscreen or a skin tint to even out my complexion. And when I need more coverage (I always wear foundation if I’m going out at night), I usually reach for Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin or Airbrush Flawless foundations.

So when I heard that the British makeup artist, best known for her famous Tilbury glow and drama-filled cat eye looks, had reformulated the latter, I had to give the new version a try. The formula originally launched in 2019, and has always been my definition of the perfect full-coverage foundation, the one I always reach for when I want to camouflage my acne scars and dark spots.

As soon as the 2.0 version landed on my desk, I was thrilled (let’s just say I ripped open the box faster than a dog can sniff out a treat). In my book, Charlotte Tilbury rarely misses (there are a handful of discontinued products I wish she’d bring back). Every time the brand drops something new, no matter what it is, I have to buy it and add it to my collection, even if don’t need it (recently, I was super-impressed with their dark spot serum). Knowing all of this, I suspected that the revamped version of Airbrush Flawless wouldn’t disappoint.

Here’s what I uncovered.

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The deal with the revamped Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation.

Unlike the OG, the updated version of Airbrush Flawless foundation features a new cream-to-air texture (the brand calls it ‘Stretchwear’), which allows the makeup to seamlessly blend into the skin while delivering full coverage and a matte finish. In true Charlotte Tilbury fashion, the foundation gives the skin a smooth, blurred, natural-looking effect, thanks to special diffusing powders. It comes in 44 shades to match virtually every skin tone and the weightless, waterproof, and transfer-proof formula promises not to settle into fine lines, crack, cake, dry out the skin, or clog pores.

But that’s not all.

In my seasoned opinion, what sets this liquid foundation apart from others is the technology that powers it. While most full-coverage foundations coat the skin with heavy pigments, giving it a thick, almost mask-like appearance, this one relies on elastomer gels for a light-as-air feeling. You’ll forget you’re wearing anything—a true feat with a full-coverage formula. The foundation also harnesses the power of unique morphing pigments wrapped in a water-resistant, biomimetic coating that mimics the structure of ceramides, creating makeup that acts like a second skin.

Aside from providing natural-looking coverage that doesn’t quit (it lasts up to 24 hours), it also helps to improve the skin’s tone and texture, reduce redness, and hydrate over time thanks to an exclusive moss extract that reinforces skin’s protective barrier. Think of the modernized Airbrush Foundation as your dream full-coverage liquid foundation, offering a natural finish and skin that looks like it is filtered and will last through workdays, workouts, and nights out.

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How I used the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation.

Since I don’t wear foundation every day (let alone a full-coverage one), I wore the Airbrush Flawless foundation mostly at night (although I had to take it for a spin during the day too). After prepping my skin with moisturizer and makeup primer, I warmed up a couple of pumps of the makeup on the back of my hand before applying it with a large foundation brush. The first time I used it, I applied way too much, and it wasn’t exactly easy to sheer out. Lesson learned: Less is more with this formula. Moving forward, I stuck to two pumps, which was plenty to cover my face, jawline, and neck.

With the foundation on my face, I used the same brush to buff it into my skin. Usually, liquid foundations with a matte finish take a decent amount of ‘elbow grease’ to blend. Not this one. It seamlessly melted into my skin after about thirty seconds. The best part is that it didn’t leave behind any of the tell-tale signs of wearing full-coverage, matte foundation: thick, cakey-looking makeup that accentuates pores, and, worse yet, leaves behind a dry, tight feeling.

Instead, the foundation felt light and super comfortable. I finished off my makeup with some concealer, contour, and blush (plus a little bit of eye makeup). Each product layered smoothly over the foundation and didn’t cause it to shift out of place. Bonus points for the fact that Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless foundation plays well with other makeup I wear often.

On the two occasions I tested the foundation on my face during the day, I did my full skincare routine, which, of course, includes sunscreen, followed by the same pre-makeup protocol. Sometimes, the oh-so-very necessary combination of wearing sunscreen under foundation causes my makeup to pill up, but I was scot-free when I wore SPF under Airbrush Flawless—a major plus.

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My honest thoughts on the new Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation.

As someone who’s tested hundreds of foundations throughout my career, full-coverage matte foundations are usually the ones that send me into a bit of a tizzy simply because some can look heavy, dry, and unnatural on my skin.

While I instantly fell in love with this one, I couldn’t get over the fact that nothing—and I mean nothing—peeked through the foundation. My dark spots, acne scars, and even the annoying red broken capillaries above my upper lip all disappeared. When I went to apply concealer, I couldn’t find them. The fact that I can forgo wearing as much concealer as I normally do with foundation makes this one a win-win.

charlotte tilbury airbrush flawless foundation, tested by a women's health writer

Elise Tabin

Despite the natural-looking coverage, the formula never felt heavy on my skin or like I was wearing a face full of thick makeup. It blurred away my pores, evened out my skin tone (even if it is temporary), and covered up everything that I wanted to hide, yet still looked like my skin—just better. Best of all, the foundation didn’t oxidize, fade, budge, or shift. The longer I wore it, the better it looked, taking on a more luminous appearance without any greasiness. It’s almost as if the foundation slowly settles into a pretty glow, all while still providing the same amount of coverage, despite the number of hours it has been on my skin.

Let’s just say that my skin absolutely glows and appears perfectly blurred when wearing this foundation.

Shop the new Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

Bottom line: Is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation worth it?

Finding the ‘perfect’ foundation is no easy feat. But if there is one foundation I would recommend everyone add to their makeup routine—even minimal makeup girlies—it’s this one. Its $49 price tag is on par with other full-coverage, matte foundations, yet few deliver the same skincare benefits (if any at all) without compromising coverage, efficacy, or finish. That makes the Airbrush Flawless foundation a true makeup-meets-skincare product.

Another reason the foundation is an immediate add-to-cart and has earned a permanent spot in my makeup rotation is that it doesn’t require the skillset of a celebrity makeup artist to look good. It blends in like a dream, so there’s no need to worry about demarcation lines or thick, cakey, overdone makeup. Plus, it stays in place and won’t transfer or budge, even after hours of wear.

At the end of the day, the foundation lives up to the Charlotte Tilbury name, delivering natural-looking coverage and a pretty glow for skin that beams with confidence.

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Elise Minton Tabin is an award-winning beauty journalist, editor, and expert with 20 years of experience. She started her career in public relations before shifting to editorial. Elise rose the ranks at NewBeauty magazine from an editorial assistant to Executive Beauty Editor, overseeing and reporting on all things beauty, plastic surgery, anti-aging, health, and wellness. A prolific content creator and trendspotter, Elise always knows what’s new, what works, and who’s the best to go to for treatments and procedures. She contributes to media outlets including InStyle, NewBeauty, The Zoe Report, Byrdie, Beauty Independent, The Aesthetic Guide, Bazaar, and more. Elise has also been featured on Extra TV, WPTV, and WPLG, on satellite tours, and as a featured expert in Perricone MD infomercials. When she’s not unearthing the newest beauty trend, Elise spends her time consulting with beauty brands, writing, and creating Instagram and TikTok content for herself and beauty and wellness brands.