Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Filter Setting Spray Review

As a professional MUA who’s been behind the scenes of TV shows, movies, bustling sets, and even glamming up real-life beauties, I’ve used my share of setting sprays. When I first discovered the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Filter Setting Spray, I wondered if it would hold up to the promises of a high-performing setting spray. Will it extend your makeup’s wear time and help provide a smooth and seamless finish? 

After dedicating three months testing this product, on myself and my many clients, I’m ready to share my firsthand experience here with you all! Dive into this Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Filter Setting Spray Review as I break down this product’s pros, cons, and features to see if this is right for you! 

Is Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray Worth It?

Yes! 

Here’s why: 

After three months of consistent use, this setting spray is a winner for the natural and radiant finish it provides to all of my clients and myself. I think it’s best for those whose skin is a normal/dry type; however, I have used this on oily skin clients who need a bit of spray to melt down the powder I use on them. In this way, it works for oily skin types. 

If you’re searching for a luxury brand setting spray to help set your makeup, make it look seamless, and hydrate the skin, this spray is a great choice. There are many options that I’d consider to be close dupes and are more affordable than the Charlotte Tilbury, such as the Milani Make It Last Setting Spray (Original). 

Key Features of Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray

This spray has a few stand-out ingredients that are skin-loving and safe for all skin types. Here are a few and why they’re beneficial:

Alcohol-Free

Alcohol can be harmful to the skin. It destroys the skin’s natural protective barrier and can make matters worse for those with very oily skin. 

Oil Free

Oil-Free products tend to be gentler on the skin and don’t add excess shine to the face. It’s essential for a setting spray to be oil-free if the main claim it makes is time extension. Oil-free is also very beneficial for all skin types because oil-free products are least likely to clog your pores.

Hydrating Japanese Green Tea & Aloe Vera

Japanese green tea is one of the key ingredients in this spray. It’s known for having a high amount of antioxidants and being anti-inflammatory. This ingredient, paired with hydrating and soothing aloe vera, helps not only calm the skin from any redness or inflammation but also helps to protect the skin from any free radicals that can damage your skin in the long run. 

Aromatic Resin

When you hear resin, you may freak out and think about plastic resin or resin molds (Hey there, Craft Girlies!). But this kind is derived from plants and safe for the skin. Aromatic resin is used in this spray to act as a blurring agent. It helps to blur and smooth out the pores, minimizing their appearance for a blur-like filtered effect. It’s like makeup magic! 

Pros and Cons

Like any product, there are pros and cons. There aren’t many cons, but I’ve listed out a few to help you distinguish between the good and the bad of this setting spray. 

Pros

• Holds up to it’s claim of extending the wear time of your makeup. 
• It gives a pretty, soft, blur-like natural finish to makeup.
• It helps the makeup melt into the skin, meaning it can quickly eliminate any cakiness or dryness resulting from the initial makeup application.
• It has unique skincare ingredients that are protective and preventative for all skin types.

Cons

• If sprayed after you’ve applied mascara, sometimes your mascara will not be able to dry completely. If your mascara can’t fully dry, it will begin to smudge and run under your eyes. 

My Pro Tip: Always apply any setting spray before you apply mascara and lipstick/gloss. Also, be sure to cover your eyes when using a setting spray to prevent your eyeshadow from creasing or separating.

• Spraying too closely will cause this product to leave droplets on the face, and when they dry, they will show up on the skin. 

My Pro Tip: Immediately blend any droplets using a beauty blender or sponge by lightly pressing into the skin where the droplet is. 

• Sometimes, this spray can feel a bit tacky on the skin. It’s not a heaviness, but it can be annoying to feel something settling onto your face if you’re looking for a lightweight & breathable feel.

My Pro Tip: Only spritz 2-3 times. Don’t overdo it. One spritz each on the left and right sides of your face and one spritz down the middle should do. Applying too much setting spray will create a tacky feeling. 

Buying Criteria

Charlotte Tilbury is a luxury household beauty brand. Her products are known for being high-performing, glamorous, and inclusive. The Airbrush Flawless Filter Setting Spray retails for $38 for a 3.3oz or 100mL bottle.

For a luxury brand, that price is about average. She also offers it in a mini travel size at $23 for a 1.1oz or 34mL bottle and a jumbo size at $51 for a 6.7oz or 200 mL bottle. I personally have the mini 1.1oz size. I got it as a Sephora Rewards 500-point perk. I obtained the bottle in June and am about halfway through as of the date of writing this article (September 2023). 

If you want to try it, I’d recommend seeing if your local Sephora still carries it for VIB members. You will have to have enough points redeemable to get it for ‘free,’ but if you cannot snag the trial size, I’d encourage you to purchase the 3.3oz bottle. A lot of times, the travel size is half the product amount of the standard size but not half the cost.

Therefore, you often come out better purchasing the standard full size. In this case, you would get less than half of the product for only $15 cheaper. 

If you don’t overuse it, you can have it for a decent amount of time. I recommend purchasing from somewhere like Ulta or Sephora due to their lenient return policy, in case you don’t like it.

Alternatives to Try & How They Compare

Now, I understand that this product is pricey, especially if you’re looking to get into setting sprays for the first time. No worries, I’ve got some slightly cheaper and affordable alternatives that will give you a similar result.

MAC Fix + Setting Spray ($33)

The Mac Fix + Spray is not a newer version of setting sprays. It has been around for quite some time and is very popular amongst makeup and beauty lovers/professionals. Its stand-out ingredient is Cucumber Fruit Extract, which is extremely hydrating. It also is known for soothing the skin, setting makeup for up to 12 hours, and refreshing the skin throughout the day. If you have dry skin, this is going to be a great alternative! 

Milani Make It Last Original Natural Finish Setting Spray ($10)

A drugstore dupe worth more than it costs. I love this one because it’s the most precise dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury and the MAC Fix+ Spray. It claims to help makeup last the same length of time as Charlotte’s, 16 hours.

It also has the skincare ingredient Niacinamide, which is known for boosting hydrating, calming/soothing the skin, and reducing the appearance of pores. All the same things Charlotte Tilbury’s spray does as well. If you are looking for a seriously great dupe that extends your makeup longevity and doesn’t break the bank, this is the one I would choose! 

E.L.F. Stay All Night Micro Fine Setting Mist ($10)

Similar to MAC Fix + Spray, this setting spray has Cucumber extract, Green Tea extract, AND Aloe. Making this a great dupe to Charlotte’s spray. It holds the same wear time, at 16 hours, and is also non-comedogenic. I have yet to use this one personally, but I will try it myself! It’s always great to save a buck or two. 

FAQs

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Filter Setting Spray Review Conclusion:

As I stated earlier, the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Filter Setting Spray is an excellent fit if you want to splurge and treat yourself to a lovely luxury setting spray. It creates an invisible shield and keeps your makeup from melting away as you go about your day! I love setting sprays, and this is one that has a permanent place in my makeup kit. It works with a lot of different skin tones and is easy to reapply as the day continues. 

But, with the equally comparable dupes out there, it may be hard to justify the price. The best feature is this spray’s ability to blur and truly minimize pores. Having texture on the face can be annoying, so anything that effectively smooths or minimizes it is a winner in my book!

If your skin tends to be on the oily side, I’d stay away from this spray as it’s better for people with a drier skin type. It will hydrate the skin and is excellent to use during skin prep if you’re oily, but if it were me, I’d check out a mattifying or oil-controlling setting spray.

If you’ve tried this setting spray, let me know if this has become a staple in your makeup routine! 

Recommended Reads:

• Guide to Makeup: How to Find The Right One for Your Skin