Iconic celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury has a makeup line by the same name, and I am a huge fan of the line. Every year around Black Friday the brand tends to offer a mystery box, and this year they actually offered two- the 7-piece Day to Disco Mystery Bag for $13o and the 9-piece Charlotte's Icon Mystery Bag for $210. I grabbed the "Day to Disco" mystery box this year after lusting after one the past few years, and I couldn't be more excited.
FYI- this Limited Edition Mystery Bag is still available while stocks last.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out the editorial guidelines to learn more about how we review boxes.)
First Impressions
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All of the mystery box products came packaged in a box in Charlotte's signature maroon and gold colors, and the products were nestled into the maroon tissue paper inside. All of the products came in their original packaging- if you plan on breaking this mystery box up for gifts, I won't tell anyone.
The Breakdown – What’s Inside This Limited Edition Mystery Box From Charlotte Tilbury
Filmstar Bronze & Glow in Light To Medium, 0.79 oz- Retail Value $68
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This was one of the spoiled items from the mystery box, and while I wasn't dreading trying it I wasn't super interested in it- highlighting and contouring just doesn't excite me as much as eyeshadow and lipstick, y'know? That being said, I love how easy this palette is to use. The pigment is definitely light so it's going to be hard to overdo it and if you want a super noticeable look, you're going to need to apply a lot of product. Some people may be disappointed in that considering the quality this brand is known for, but I actually find that makes this a lot easier to use because I don't have to worry as much about messing up. I applied the contour shade underneath my cheekbones and around the perimeter of my hairline and jawline, and the difference was slight. I applied the highlighter to the high points of my cheekbones, my nose, and over the arch of my eyebrows, and that brightened up those areas without making me look like a disco ball. When I was completely done with my makeup, though, I truly loved the finished look, and I think this palette is one of the reasons why. It's certainly pricey, and I am not so sure I will repurchase it once empty, but I love that this product alone is worth about half the cost of the entire mystery box.
Hollywood Flawless Eye Filter Palette in Diva Lights, 2.8 g - Retail Value $53
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This limited-edition eyeshadow palette is absolutely stunning. It features three shimmery shades (a champagne, rose, and taupe) and one matte black shade, and I found it really intuitive to use to get an easy smokey eye look. I've used it a few different times- I either applied the shimmery rose shade or shimmery taupe shade all over my lid before smoking out the outer corner with the matte black shade and then using my finger to apply the shimmery champagne shade to the inner corner of my eyes. The formula is buttery smooth and blends beautifully, and I have already gotten more use out of this palette than I initially expected just because I can't stop reaching for it.
Colour Chameleon Eye Shadow Stick in Champagne Diamonds, 1.6 g - Retail Value $27
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This is the one product in the mystery box I already owned- it came in a previous Sephora Favorites kit I reviewed a while back. I'm happy to have a new one, though, since that one is almost done. I love this shimmery gold shade and how it makes my blue eyes absolutely pop, and the formula is creamy and glides across my skin smoothly. I love this both as an all-over lid color or as a thick eyeliner lining both my top and bottom lashes. I don't have issues with smudging when I wear this on my bottom lash line the way I frequently do with other shadows, either. If you're a fan of one-and-done eyeshadow sticks (like the Laura Mercier caviar sticks), this one by Charlotte Tilbury is just as lovely (I think I actually reach for it even more than my caviar sticks).
Charlotte's Jewel Lips Lip Gloss in Pillow Talk, 0.13 oz - Retail Value $32
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I love, love, love that we received something in the Pillow Talk colorway in this mystery box. This limited-edition lip gloss made with hyaluronic acid is designed to hydrate and plump your lips, and the shade Pillow Talk is a pretty neutral pink with rose gold shimmer. This definitely gives my lips a punch of glossy shine, but I love how pretty it is without being too bold of a color. I didn't find the formula to be especially sticky, either, and I do think this did slightly fill in the lines on my lips to make them look like they were plumper.
Matte Revolution Lipstick in M.I. Kiss, 0.12 oz - Retail Value $34
This shade was previously known as "Bond Girl."
This was the other spoiled item from the mystery box, and I was looking forward to trying it out since I know I already love the matte revolution formula (I'm on my second tube of Pillow Talk and also own Walk of No Shame). This is definitely one of (if not the most) comfortable matte lipsticks I've ever worn, and it has great staying power without making my lips too dry. The shade M.I. Kiss is described as a berry red shade, but it has pink undertones in it that make it really pretty for my skin tone.
Charlotte's Magic Cream Moisturizer, 15 mL - Retail Value $29
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This is definitely one of the prettiest jars of moisturizer I have ever seen- but I expect nothing less from Charlotte. As a lover of skincare, this isn't going to replace my favorite moisturizers, but there's something luxurious and special about reaching for this when I am going to be doing my makeup later on. It's formulated with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil, shea butter, and aloe vera, but there are also quite a few filler ingredients in the formula that I don't personally think is necessary for a moisturizer of this price. It's still fun, though, and it leaves my skin feeling soft and prepped for makeup.
The Seventh Item
If you're keeping track, you probably noticed that my 7-piece mystery box actually only came with six items. Charlotte Tilbury promised a value of $261 in this mystery box, and my six items add up to $243. I'm not sure what missing product Charlotte Tilbury has that retails for $18- someone commented on an unboxing video I made that their box was missing an item as well and it was the Pillow Talk Mascara, but that mascara retails for $15 for the travel-sized or $29 for the full-sized. I reached out to customer service, and I didn't get a seventh item sent to me. Instead, I was given a partial refund of $20. Honestly, I am okay with that outcome because if the missing item is the mascara, I already have it and I don't love it. The mascara gives me some amazing length and lift in my lashes, but it also smudges pretty badly on me. I also have been applying mascara for more than half of my life, and something about the unevenly shaded wand on the Pillow Talk mascara makes me poke myself in the eye, multiple times, every time I use this mascara.
Here are some swatches. At the top we have the lip gloss, then the shadow stick, then the eyeshadow palette, then the filmstar palette. Now let's get into the different looks I did using the products from this mystery box!
Here I am wearing the Filmstar highlight and contour palette, the champagne, taupe, and black shades from the eyeshadow palette, and the matte revolution lipstick. I was getting ready at a friends house, and they had a baby who got very angry that the adults were going to dinner instead of staying home, so I actually had to rush out of the house gushing apologies to the babysitter and applying the lipstick in the car (hence the nighttime car selfie lighting). I loved the finished look though!
I loved the look so much I did the same makeup look the next night for a Christmas party, only I switched out the lipstick for a nude shade that went better with my dress.
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Here I am wearing the color chameleon shadow stick, the pillow talk mascara I already owned, and the lip gloss from the box as well.
Value – Was This Box Worth It?
The Cost: $130
Cost Breakdown:
- Filmstar Bronze & Glow Palette: $68 → $31.96
- Hollywood Flawless Eye Filter Palette: $53 → $23.99
- Colour Chamleon Shadow Stick: $27 → $12.22
- Jewel Lips Lip Gloss: $32 → $14.48
- Matte Revolution Lipstick: : $34 → $15.39
- Magic Cream Moistuizer: $29 → $13.13
This set promises a $261 value for 7 items, and my 6 items added up to $243. Since I was given a partial refund for that missing item, I still think this is a really good value for beautiful and nice-quality makeup products- you're saving more than 50% off of the retail price.
(Note- I did the cost breakdown assuming a cost of $110 due to the missing item and the partial refund)
Key Takeaways
I have been a big fan of Charlotte Tilbury products for a long time (both my boyfriend and my best friend got me the same Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palette for Christmas this year), and I am so glad I finally bit the bullet on getting one of their mystery boxes. Mystery boxes can feel like a risk, so I really appreciate that two of the items were spoiled beforehand so you could feel more comfortable with your purchase while the majority of the box remained a true mystery. This absolutely did not feel like an attempt for the brand to clear out old inventory, either- all of the products are still available for sale, and most of them are a part of the core makeup collection while a few are limited edition. This is definitely a pricier mystery box, but I think the value is there considering the overall price point of the brand. I definitely am a little bummed the box just didn't come with the 7 items it was supposed to have, but at the end of the day it is what it is and I love the rest of the items in the box.
Other Things You Should Know
Can you still get this box today? Yes, this limited edition box is still available while stocks last.
What do you think of this Charlotte Tilbury Mystery box? Did you grab the 9-piece box? I would love to know what you received!
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