IT Cosmetics CC Cream and the SPF Foundations to Compare

IT Cosmetics CC Cream and the SPF Foundations to Compare

The IT Cosmetics CC cream started as one founder's answer to makeup that could not cover her redness. I walk through the CC+ formulas, then other SPF foundations, concealers and powders that finish the face.

IT Cosmetics was founded in 2008 by Jamie Kern Lima, a TV news anchor with rosacea who could not find makeup that covered her redness and still looked like skin. In September 2010 she went on QVC and removed her makeup on air to show what the products did. Forbes reports that the brand rolled out its CC Cream in 2013, after years of reformulating. That history matters, because the IT Cosmetics CC cream is built to correct as well as cover.

The lead is the CC+ Cream Full Coverage Color Correcting Foundation with SPF 50+ in Light, a full-coverage cream with a natural finish and a physical mineral sunscreen. Its sibling, the CC+ Cream Illumination in Medium, keeps the coverage but goes radiant. The CC+ Cream Natural Matte in Fair Ivory is the matte one, made for oily skin and oil free. CC+ Nude Glow in Light Neutral is lighter, a medium-coverage skin tint with a glow serum, SPF 40 and niacinamide. Around them sit the Do It All Radiant Concealer in Medium Neutral 305, the Bye Bye Under Eye concealer in 10.5 Light, Confidence in a Cream moisturizer, and the Bye Bye Pores pressed powder, which is talc free.

A quick test: put a small dot on your jaw in daylight. A good match disappears into your neck, and cream formulas like these need only a thin layer.

Big numbers collage for IT Cosmetics CC Cream: six products from IT Cosmetics, ciele and Kosas, each set beside a large numeral
IT Cosmetics CC Cream

IT Cosmetics CC+ formulas and complexion

Foundations that carry their own SPF

Sunscreen in a foundation is convenient, but the number on the bottle varies a lot, so read it. ciele Tint and Protect in 07 Tan is a mineral SPF 50+ tinted serum with medium coverage. Estée Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue in 2W1 Dawn is SPF 45 with a radiant finish, and the Futurist Skin Tint in 5W2 Rich Caramel is a light coverage serum foundation at SPF 20. Hourglass Illusion Luminous Glow in 5 is SPF 30 with 12 hour wear, per the brand. Kosas Revealer Foundation in Medium Neutral 220 is SPF 25 with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Clinique Even Better in CN 20 Fair is SPF 15, while MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15 and Bobbi Brown Weightless Skin in Warm Natural are both SPF 15 and aimed at oil control.

Pairing tip: the lower numbers here are not a full sun plan, so I pair them with a separate sunscreen underneath on long outdoor days.

What I would skip: a matte SPF 15 foundation on very dry skin. Reach for the dewier Hourglass or Estée Lauder bottles instead, and keep the matte ones for shinier days.

Foundations with SPF

Concealers and powders to finish

Concealers and powders decide how the base ages through the afternoon. Kosas Revealer Concealer in 3.6 C is creamy, medium coverage and brightening. tarte maracuja concealer in 34H Medium Honey is full coverage and creaseless, and you need only one dot. Armani Luminous Silk Concealer in 6.5 is hydrating with a radiant finish, and MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Smooth and Blur in 2.5(N) Desert is a real-skin finish that the brand says can last up to 24 hours.

For setting, Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder is a longwear matte powder, and the brand's Secret Brightening powder in Soft Pink is a light color corrector for under the eyes. HUDA BEAUTY Easy Bake in Pound Cake has golden undertones to brighten, and ONE/SIZE Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder in Baby Pink is a matte blurring powder for fair to light skin.

Pairing tip: press powder on with a puff only under the eyes and on the T-zone, and leave the cheeks alone.

What I would skip: baking a full coverage concealer. A thick layer of loose powder under dry eyes tends to settle into lines, so use a whisper of the pink powders instead.

Concealers and finishing

Picking your coverage

Start with the coverage you actually want, not the one on the label. If you want skin to show, the CC+ Nude Glow or a serum foundation is your first stop, and if you want everything covered, the full coverage CC+ cream is the one. Choose a finish by skin type: matte and oil free for shine, radiant for dry days. Check the SPF number and keep sunscreen separate when the day is long. Then set only where you need to, with a concealer that matches the undertone. Shade notes help here: warm, neutral or cool decides more than depth. Build in thin layers, and stop when your skin still looks like yours.