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If you want the “your skin, but better” look, get a CC cream. They usually offer more coverage than BB creams, but are still very lightweight and especially helpful if you want to hide redness or unevenness in your skin tone. (We go into more detail about the differences between BB and CC creams here.) Another plus is that most CC creams are formulated with SPF, hydrating ingredients like squalene and hyaluronic acid, and sometimes anti-aging and protective ingredients like niacinamide, vitamin C, and retinol. With so many options, it’s hard to choose the right one for your skin type. To help you out, I spoke to six makeup artists and beauty writers to get their recommendations for the very best CC creams, from drugstore products to radiant and matte finishes.
Update, August 26, 2024: Updated prices and verified stock for all products.
IT Cosmetics’ CC Cream is a winner when it comes to coverage and skin benefits. It offers medium to full coverage with a shine-free, natural finish and contains high SPF, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants for added hydration and anti-aging benefits. With SPF 50 (one of the highest on the list), it can also be used as a makeup base and sunscreen, which beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton sometimes does. And in addition to its sun protection and hydrating ingredients, it contains soothing vitamin E and colloidal oatmeal. Four experts have praised it for its impressive ingredient mix and the fact that it’s suitable for all skin types. Although it offers full coverage, the formula is still lightweight, according to makeup artist Anabelle LaGuardia. It comes in a wide range of 24 shades.
Elf’s Camo CC Cream is less than a third of the price of IT Cosmetics and also received praise from four makeup artists I spoke to. Like the cream above, it offers full coverage with a natural finish. The main difference is that it’s made with a lower SPF (so you’ll want to use sunscreen with this formula) and its benefits are geared towards extra skin hydration. Its active ingredients are vitamin B5, tremella mushroom and hyaluronic acid. However, for the price, this is still an excellent, natural-looking, hydrating formula. It comes in an even wider range of 60 shades.
Dermablend’s Oil-Free CC Cream is a favorite of beauty writer and consultant Kristina Rodulfo, who has acne-prone skin and has never broken out while using this formula. It’s full coverage, so you only need a little to cover dark spots, redness, or bumps, but it never feels cakey. It contains antioxidants like baicalin, niacinamide, vitamin E, and caffeine to protect against free radical damage and aging. Similar to It Cosmetics’ formula, this one has SPF 50, but only comes in 13 shades.
Celebrity makeup artist T. Cooper likes Toty’s CC cream for mature skin because it’s made with patented PLE FernBoost technology, green tea and vitamin E, all of which help prevent photoaging. Plus, it has an impressive SPF of 50 for plenty of sun protection and comes in 12 shades. “The formula evens out skin tone beautifully and lasts all day,” says Cooper.
This CC cream is a favorite of Strategist contributor Garrett Munce, who has tried dozens of tinted moisturizers and says this one blends in the most effortlessly. The encapsulated formula is white and can be customized to match your skin tone. It contains soothing Centella Asiatica for a brighter finish and comes in three shades.
I’ve been testing this CC cream from Finnish drugstore beauty brand Lumene for a few weeks and was really impressed with the quality, especially considering the affordable price. It’s incredibly lightweight and smooths out my pores and has a slightly dewy, radiant finish. I’ve worn it alone and over a moisturizer, which gives an even more dewy look. It’s made with antioxidant-rich cranberries and hydrating Arctic spring water, and is now available in ten shades. The only possible downside is that it has an SPF of 20—lower than most of the other CC creams here—but it’s still a great moisturizing formula at a reasonable price.
On the other side of the spectrum is a matte finish. Rudolfo prefers IT Cosmetics’ Matte CC Cream because it’s non-shiny, but doesn’t feel or look dry or cakey (a common problem with matte foundations). Instead, the formula offers hydration and full coverage. Air Licium and Lentil Seed Extract blur, reduce shine, and minimize pores, while Hyaluronic Acid hydrates and prevents dry patches. It has an SPF of 40 (slightly less than IT Cosmetics’ best overall pick) and comes in a wide range of 30 shades.
Tarte’s Blurring CC Cream also has a matte finish. Although it’s lightweight, Cooper says it offers impressive coverage. It contains hydrating prickly pear, brightening licorice and soothing vitamin E. It does have an SPF of 15, but you may need to use sunscreen on sunnier days.
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