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Charlotte Tilbury has reinvented its cult-classic pillow talk lipstick – here's what we thought

The new shades are giving us serious Nineties-gloss vibes

Ellie Fry
Monday 13 January 2020 17:54 GMT
The new launch features two new lipstick-gloss hybrid shades inspired by the best-seller
The new launch features two new lipstick-gloss hybrid shades inspired by the best-seller

Charlotte Tilbury has launched two new versions of its cult-favourite pillow talk lipstick, re-vamping the award-winning shade with diamond-like sparkles that we never knew we needed.

The best-seller has been famed as a desert-island lipstick choice by many and admired for being universally flattering on all skin tones and ages.

One of Charlotte Tilbury's pillow talk matte revolution lipsticks sells every two minutes globally, while celebrities like Gweneth Paltrow, Amal Clooney, Alexa Chung and Kate Moss have shared their obsession with the nude-pink shade.

MBE-award winning make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury was originally inspired to make this creation by the nude-pink, suits-all shade that she used to mix by hand when working on the faces of celebrities and supermodels in the Nineties.

And she's certainly thrown us back to that era with these new shades, which are injected with iridescent glitter that reminds us of the glossy lip we all know and love.

Last year, the brand launched eye shadow and blusher palettes inspired by the pillow talk shade, which also proved to be a hit.

The new pillow talk diamond shades combine the staying power of a lipstick with the added shimmer of a gloss that promises to amplify your lip look.

Featuring ingredients such as sunflower seed oil and hops extract to nourish and condition your lips, microcrystalline wax that adds bounce and a "soft, pillow-y feeling" to your pout, and emollient oil to create a wet-look shine, the new diamonds lipsticks sound pretty promising.

We've put both shades to the test to see if they live up to the hype.

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Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk diamonds: £24, Charlotte Tilbury

This is an opaque, rose-pink shade with gold sparkles running through it. We were quite sceptical when it first arrived as glittery lipsticks can be quite hit and miss, but the glitter particles are fine enough to give an iridescent shimmer without looking too chunky (as much as we love a Nineties-inspired gloss, we don't want to look like a disco ball).

The shade is a far cry from the original pillow talk's rosey mauve tone, but we like the pale pinkness of this one, combined with the golden hue of the glitter, giving a celestial, highlighter feel to the lips. The formula isn't sticky like a gloss and it seems like it would stay put. You can feel the nourishing benefits of the sunflower seed oil too. It's comfortable to wear and the shimmer is a fun addition that we think will appeal to many. Our only fault with it is that the glitter remains on your lips after you take it off, so you may need an oil-based make-up remover to fully wave goodbye to this glitter moment.

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Charlotte Tilbury lucky diamonds: £24, Charlotte Tilbury

If pillow talk had a love-child with a Nineties brown-nude, this would be it. Chuck a load of gold glitter in and you're left with lucky diamonds. The bronze-coral shade has the pink undertones of the brand's best-seller, but the warmth of the gold shimmer adds another dimension to the new shade, making lips appear fuller and glossier.

Again, the formula feels comfortable on the lips and the colour payoff is impressive considering it's a lipstick-gloss hybrid and the angled shape of the lipstick makes it easy to apply, as it works with the natural curves of your lips. We love the classic packaging of the brands lipsticks and are glad to see it featured in this new launch. This shade is more reminiscent of pillow talk and we'd definitely recommend if you're looking to live your best Nineties life. The glitter stayed put after we took the lipstick off, but we love the effect it gives enough to let it slide.

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The verdict: Charlotte Tilbury pillow talk diamonds lipsticks

Although we were slightly worried about the addition of glitter to one of our favourite matte lipsticks, Charlotte Tilbury's new launch is a fun take on a classic and the level of shimmer is just right. Out of the two, we'd recommend investing in lucky diamonds; the pink-brown nude laced with golden glitter gave our lips a fuller appearance which we loved, while staying true to the universal appeal of the pink-nude shade.

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