TikTok Can't Stop Talking About This Very Popular $42 Makeup Product, So We Tested Its $9 Dupe To See Which One Is Actually The Best
If you're on the makeup side of TikTok, there's probably a very strong chance that you've heard of the Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand blush. I've seen one too many videos of people putting dots on their cheeks and blending to reveal a beautiful wash of color that makes me want to whip out my credit card and purchase this blush as quickly as an Olympic track and field athlete competing for the gold medal.
Since we're trying to have a financially savvy girl summer, the only thing that I have heard many complain about is the blush's $42 price tag. Luckily, the girly pops on TikTok did the work and discovered several dupes of this blush by brands Wet N' Wild, Makeup Revolution, and E.l.f. Cosmetics.
When a good dupe of a product comes along, it's like finding gold. However, sometimes it's worth spending the extra money on certain beauty products for several reasons. Knowing this, I recruited some of my fellow makeup-loving BuzzFeeders with different skin tones and types to do a blind test of the Charlotte Tilbury “Pinkgasm” Beauty Highlighter Blush Wand ($42) and the E.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Blush Wand in Rose You Slay ($9).
The testers:
Natasha described her skin as being more oily.
Claudia expressed that her skin tends to be dry.
Greta said her skin is a combination of oily and dry in certain areas.
Christy said she has combination skin.
Jocelyn described her skin as being oily and very sensitive.
Peggy said she has normal to dry skin.
APPLICATION:
When applying the E.l.f. Cosmetics dupe most of the testers applied the sponge applicator straight to their cheek and blended with a blush brush. Christy found that "It was easy to blend," while Natasha had other thoughts on this way of applying the blush. "I didn't love this method — I found that [instead] directly applying the blush to the brush made blending far easier, but it still didn't blend too well (maybe once I got the hang of it, it would look better?). This was [a little easier] to control how much product was going onto my skin and build it up."
Others opted to use their fingers to blend, but they all agreed that the E.l.f. Cosmetics dupe took some effort to blend it into the skin fully.
After experimenting with the E.l.f. Cosmetics dupe application, some of the testers were a bit more strategic when applying the Charlotte Tilbury blush. Jocelyn and Peggy kept with the same application of the E.l.f. blush: using their fingers or applying it directly to the cheek and then blending it out. Christy put some blush on her hand and then applied it to her cheek, blending it out using the blush. Natasha put the blush onto her brush before applying it: "I accidentally put on WAY too much, but it was incredibly easy to blend — easier than the E.l.f. dupe."
Everyone agreed it was easier to blend out than the E.l.f. Cosmetics dupe, but Greta and Christy feared overblending it. "It was easier to blend and felt more sheer than the first blush," wrote Greta, while Christy felt that if she blended it [the blush] too much, she was taking product away.
FINISH:
Once the dupe was applied, each tester closely examined it in the mirror, and everyone agreed that it left a glowy finish on the skin. "It definitely has a glowy finish and almost looked TOO glittery at first. But the longer you have it on, the more the glitter kind of tones down (or maybe that's just my super dry skin drinking it)," Claudia noted. Peggy agreed, saying, "Once it blended out, I felt like it just gave a nice sheen but was super natural looking."
There were many strong opinions on the Charlotte Tilbury blush extremely glowy finish. Nataha's thoughts on this blush: "Far too glowy. I feel like my pores have big arrows next to them (this may also be partly down to the not-so-stellar lighting in the BuzzFeed office). My skin is already very shiny, so I feel like the finish brings more attention to the shine of my nose. Call me a millennial hag, but I prefer things to be a little more matte."
Claudia also wasn't a fan of just how glowy the Charlotte Tilbury blush was: "It definitely isn't the dewiest blush I've ever used (I feel like there's a difference between glittery and dewy, if that makes sense), but if you want to look like one of the Cullen siblings, boy, is this for you." The rest of the testers all felt like the blush actually did give a glow from within look: "Glowy finish with a highlight, which I loved," Jocelyn noted.
PIGMENT:
Regarding the color, Claudia thought the E.l.f. dupe was a bit paler than she normally likes and said, "It looked almost like I just gave my cheeks a quick lil' pinch." Jocelyn liked the color of blush #1 more than she thought she would. "I did like the color on me! Initially, I didn't because I thought it was a little bright, but after a few minutes and blending it a little deeper, it came out really pretty." Natasha wasn't a fan of E.l.f.'s color: "My coworkers have been very nice about it, but I honestly just feel like I look like I have a rash on my face. I might feel differently if I had a full face of makeup on (I don't usually wear foundation)."
Greta and Christy both liked it and thought the shade of pink complimented their skin tone well. Peggy also discovered by trying the E.l.f. dupe that she can experiment more with pink blushes: "I really liked the color! I honestly have no idea whether cool or warm-toned blushes look better on me. I'm enticed by the cool baby pink trend, and this shade made me feel more confident that I should try it out. Once it blended out, I felt like it gave a nice sheen but was super natural looking."
However, there was a little more hope for Natasha and the Charlotte Tilbury color: "Because this has a little more orange, I feel like it's more flattering for my skin tone. That's comparatively speaking — I don't feel like it looks too great."
Claudia said she doesn't usually gravitate towards peach or coral blush colors because of her cool undertones "but this is honestly lovely. Even as I'm looking at it about 20 minutes after applying, the pigment is still so strong, whereas the other blush (the E.l.f. dupe) has died down already."
Jocelyn, Christy, and Greta all loved the color of the Charlotte Tilbury blush thinking it complimented each of their skin tones. Peggy liked the color on her, but she thought it made her look a "little too burnt/toasty."
CONCLUSIONS:
Drumroll please, for the final thoughts on which blush the BuzzFeed testers preferred:
Natasha: "Charlotte Tilbury blush takes the edge for me because it is easier to blend and more flattering on my skin tone."
Claudia: "Charlotte Tilbury blush is getting my vote! The longer the dupe sat on my face, the more it felt drier than the Charlotte Tilbury blush, and the pigment of CT just can't be beaten."
Greta: "The E.l.f. Cometics dupe. It had a nice applicator, and my hand's swatch stayed on longer than the Charlotte Tilbury blush. I love staying power!"
Jocelyn: "I preferred the Charlotte Tilbury blush because of the highlight component."
Christy: "I prefer the E.l.f dupe for ease of application and Charlotte Tilbury for how it looks on me."
Peggy: "I preferred the E.l.f dupe. It was so much easier to blend and much more natural-looking."
Considering it was pretty much an even tie for both blushes indicates that both products are great, and it depends on your budget, what you're looking for in a blush, and how you plan to wear it.
Have you tried either one of these blushes? Do you have a favorite dupe for an expensive beauty product or a product that you'd love to find a dupe for? Share all your thoughts with us in the comments below!
