It’s safe to say I’m a bit of a skin care junkie. I’ll happily splurge on a pricey cream if it gives me the skin results I’m hoping for. I’ve been a longtime fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream, a luxurious daily moisturizer with a huge celebrity customer base. That’s why I was super excited to try the brand’s new iteration of the cult-favorite cream, the Magic Water Cream.
After trying the new moisturizer, I’m pleased to report it’s just as incredible as its predecessor and definitely deserves a front-row spot on my vanity.
Shop this article: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Serum Crystal Elixer
Charlotte Tilbury’s original Magic Cream launched approximately 10 years ago, and it has been a cult-favorite and celebrity-loved skin care product ever since. The new iteration, the Magic Water Cream, has a few key differences from its predecessor.
The hero ingredient for the original Magic Cream is hyaluronic acid, which can bind over 1,000 times its weight in water, according to Harvard Health, and in skin care products, it can help increase hydration in the skin. The product is also packed with vitamins C and E, which help to brighten and even skin tone while combatting dullness. There is also a BioNymph peptide complex that works to diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and improve the skin's smoothness.
The new Magic Water Cream is formulated with niacinamide, which is said to help brighten and balance the appearance of skin tone and refine the look of pores. It also has Waterlocking Fusion Technology, which the brand claims traps moisture immediately and retains it over time for up to 100 hours of hydration. (Wow!) Finally, a biopeptide complex helps improve skin tone and texture.
While the original Magic Cream has a light scent, the new Magic Water Cream is fragrance-free, which may be preferred for people with sensitive or easily irritated skin.
Though the original cream could be used on all skin types, many people found it was best suited for dry and normal skin types. Meanwhile, the new Magic Water Cream works well on normal, dry, combination and oily skin types.
The most noticeable difference between the original product and the new product comes down to the texture. While the Magic Cream had a rich, thick texture that is reminiscent of a traditional thick moisturizer, the Magic Water Cream has a much lighter and gel-like texture.
Personally, I enjoy the feeling of slathering on a super-thick cream, especially in the winter when my skin can get extra dry, so I had no complaints about the texture of the original cream. However, I know this is preference-based, and some people prefer a lighter feel (this can be especially true for people with oilier skin types). If you prefer a lighter-feeling cream, you’ll probably enjoy the Magic Water Cream over the original.
Though dubbed the Magic Water Cream, this product does feel different than many other customer-favorite water creams. It’s noticeably thicker in texture and less watery-feeling than the Tatcha Water Cream or the Laneige Water Sleeping Mask. The Magic Water Cream texture is somewhere between these products and the original Magic Cream.
In my experience, although water creams feel super hydrating on skin immediately, they can sometimes sink into my skin too quickly, leaving it feeling dry again within an hour. The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream felt deeply hydrating immediately after use, and it kept my skin feeling supple and quenched for hours following application.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Water Cream
The new gel-cream moisturizer delivers a surge of hydration and keeps skin feeling moisturized long after use. The fragrance-free product is packed with niacinamide to help brighten and balance the appearance of skin tone and refine the look of pores.
The thick-feeling cream uses hyaluronic acid to deeply moisturize skin and help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It also contains vitamins C and E, which help to brighten and even skin tone while combatting dullness.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Serum Crystal Elixer
This luxe serum layers perfectly under the brand’s moisturizers. It’s formulated with vitamin C to help promote a brighter-looking complexion, and polyglutamic acid, which is a supercharged skin care ingredient that’s over four times more hydrating than hyaluronic acid.
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Body Cream
Replenish dry skin on your body with this hyaluronic acid-packed body cream. It’s also formulated with caffeine, which can help brighten and de-puff skin.
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Talia Ergas writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
