The Charlotte Tilbury sun-kissed glow bronzer is the stuff of make-up legends, so to hear along the grapevine that a product almost £40 cheaper might be offering similar (or better) results, well, I was understandably intrigued.

For the uninitiated, Charlotte Tilbury’s cream bronzer has a thick, peanut butter-like texture that applies evenly for an all-over glowy finish. What’s more, you’ve got a fair bit of time to blend it in before it dries down too.

But Makeup Revolution’s ultra cream bronzer (£6, Lookfantastic.com) could serve as a pocket-friendly alternative to the best-selling sun-kissed bronzer, with a whopping £39 financial reprieve.

There’s only one way to see if this money-saving claim holds true, and that’s to put the products under the microscope in a side-by-side test. Keep reading to see how I got on when I put the two formulas against each other.

How I tested

I applied each of the bronzers on a different side of my face (Lucy Smith)

Putting each of the creams on a different side of my face, I paid attention to the initial feel of the creams upon application; how evenly the products distributed across the skin; the wear throughout the day; and how they looked overall. I kept the products on all day with no other intervening foundations, powders or blushes in order to get a fully accurate representation of how the creams sat. I also compared the packaging, quantity and ingredients. Here’s what I thought.

Makeup Revolution ultra cream bronzer

Size: 12g

Key ingredients: Bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2 for hydration, conditioning pentaerythrityl tetraisostearate and skin-softening ethylhexyl palmitate

Shades: Four: light, medium, deep, dark

Cruelty-free: Yes

Fragranced: Yes

Why we love it

Good pigmentation

Even finish

Smells lovely

Take note

Cheap packaging, not very sturd

While the product’s packaging is undeniably underwhelming (and looks the type to crack if crammed into a suitcase), that’s where my criticism ends.

When applying the Charlotte Tilbury bronzer, I immediately noticed some patchiness appearing around my T-zone. It’s worth noting that I use the cream bronzer as part of my everyday make-up routine, so no bias was being held towards the Revolution product (and if anything, it was probably the other way around).

I was impressed with how smooth the Revolution ultra cream bronzer seemed to even out my skin. While it required a tad more stretching across the skin (perhaps owing to its thickness), it seemed more pigmented than its Charlotte Tilbury counterpart.

Looking at the results of both formulas, Revolution’s left a more natural sun-kissed finish, while Charlotte Tilbury’s provided a more heavy, evening-style make-up. Naturally, this is to be expected from Charlotte Tilbury’s penchant for a dramatic smoky eye.

Throughout the day, the patchiness of the Charlotte Tilbury formula appeared to increase, while the £6 alternative remained even and seamless.

One thing I will add is that the ingredients base for the Charlotte Tilbury cream has more skin-loving ingredients – think hyaluronic acid and a combination of glycerin and fatty acids (glyceryl dioleate).

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The verdict: Makeup Revolution ultra cream bronzer

Overall, I was blown away by the performance of Makeup Revolution’s budget beauty bronzer. While I acknowledge that the ingredients of the Makeup Revolution and Charlotte Tilbury creams don’t actually compare, I found that the texture of the budget-friendly buy ultimately had the superior feel and finish.

The Charlotte Tilbury bronzer is, of course, still a cult classic and one that will remain in my make-up bag, but with £39 of savings to be had, you can’t help but pit the two against one another. And, to that, I might add that the Makeup Revolution formula is certainly more impressive in terms of value for money. Don’t knock it until you try it.

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This bronzer beats Charlotte Tilbury’s £45 cult favourite - and it’s just £6

The Charlotte Tilbury cream bronzer has a cult fan base

How I tested

Makeup Revolution ultra cream bronzer

The verdict: Makeup Revolution ultra cream bronzer

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