Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream Dupe
I haven’t truly given Glossier’s Priming Moisturizer Rich a chance until recently. As in, I’ve tried it as a sample, but it never made me want to finish the foil packet. I also have SO many moisturizers, so I never felt the need to purchase a jar of the stuff. As soon as I tried it this time around, the texture and finish immediately reminded me of Charlotte’s Magic Cream.
I have the Magic Cream in the mini size, and I use it as a primer under makeup on days I want my makeup to look flawless, but don’t need extra long-wear power. It creates a wonderful canvas for anything you might want to put on top. I prefer it over a primer because it just juices up my skin a little more than a typical primer would. I have some shallow acne scars that make it easy to visually see if a moisturizer is working or not. When my skin is hydrated, they are far less noticeable.
Otherwise, texture and performance-wise, they are virtually the same for my purposes. They are a dense, balmy texture, that’s definitely on the richer side, but not at all greasy. A little goes a long way. Both products make your skin very soft, probably due to the dimethicone.
The biggest noticeable difference is the scent. Glossier’s has a lavender scent and Charlotte’s has a rose scent. I find that the lavender scent sticks around a little longer, which might bother people.
One thing that stands out to me is that the Magic Cream includes peptides and the Priming Rich includes ceramides. Those two are “hot” ingredients for moisturizers. Generally a more expensive moisturizer doesn’t mean it’s “better”. It usually does mean that the formula will likely feel “nice”at a superficial level when you put it on.
Pricing is where the products differ by a lot. For 50mL of product, Glossier’s goes for $35, whereas Charlotte’s goes for $100.
UPDATE: I published this in May 2020. It’s December 2020 now and I’m still finding myself reaching for the Glossier moisturizer on a regular basis. Even over my beloved Youth to the People moisturizer… 😱
Below I have highlighted all the ingredients that they have in common.
