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If you want that “your skin but better” look, get a CC cream. They typically offer more coverage than BB creams and tinted moisturizers, but they’re still very lightweight and especially helpful if you’re trying to conceal redness or unevenness in your skin tone. 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 to choose from, picking the right one for your skin type is tricky. To help, I spoke to six makeup artists and beauty writers for their recommendations on the very best CC creams, from drugstore picks to radiant and matte finishes.
Best CC cream overall
IT Cosmetics’s CC cream hits the nail with coverage and skin benefits. It offers medium to full coverage with a shine-free natural finish and is formulated with high SPF content, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and antioxidants for extra moisture and anti-aging benefits. With SPF 50 (one of the highest on the list), this could double as a makeup base and sunscreen, which is what beauty columnist Rio Viera-Newton sometimes does. And on top of its sun protection and hydrating ingredients, it’s made with soothing vitamin E and colloidal oatmeal. Four experts brought it up for its impressive ingredient lineup and that it works with all skin types. While full coverage, the formula is still lightweight, according to makeup artist Anabelle LaGuardia. It comes in a wide range of 24 shades.
Best less expensive CC cream
E.l.f.’s Camo CC Cream is less than a third of the IT Cosmetics’ price and was also praised by four makeup artists I spoke to. Like the above, it offers full coverage with a natural finish. The main difference is that it’s made with a lower SPF content (so you may want to wear sunscreen with this formula), and its benefits are focused on extra skin hydration. Its active ingredients are vitamin B5, tremella mushroom, and hyaluronic acid. For the price, though, this is still an excellent natural-looking, moisturizing formula. It comes in an even wider range of 60 shades.
Best for oily skin and acne-prone skin
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 from wearing this formula. It’s full coverage, so you only need a little bit to cover dark spots, redness, or unevenness, but it never feels cakey. It contains antioxidants like baicalin, niacinamide, vitamin E, and caffeine to defend against free radical damage and aging. Similar to the It Cosmetics formula, this has SPF 50, but it only comes in 13 shades.
Best CC cream for mature skin
For mature skin, celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg recommends Thrive Causemetics’ CC cream. He likes its patented Blur Effect technology for smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. It’s also formulated with SPF 40 for UV protection and vitamin C for evening out skin tone over time, and it comes in 28 shade options.
Best radiant finish CC cream
Celebrity makeup artist T. Cooper likes Toty’s CC cream because it’s made with the patented PLE FernBoost Technology, green tea, and vitamin E, which all help to prevent photoaging. The buildable medium-coverage formula has a radiant finish versus the more natural finishes you’ll find with most of the CC creams listed. It’s formulated with SPF 50 and available in 15 shades.
This CC cream is a favorite of Strategist contributor Garrett Munce, who’s tried dozens of tinted moisturizers and says this blends in the most effortlessly. Its encapsulated formula comes out white and blends to match with your skin tone, and it is made with calming centella asiatica. Like the above, it offers a more radiant finish and comes in three shades.
Best matte finish CC cream
On the other side of the spectrum is a matte finish. Rudolfo prefers IT Cosmetics’s matte CC cream, because it’s shine-free without feeling or appearing dry or cakey (a common problem with matte foundations). Instead, the formula offers moisturizing and full coverage. Air Licium and lentil-seed extract work to blur, reduce shine, and minimize pores, while hyaluronic acid hydrates and prevents dry patches. It’s made with SPF 40 (slightly less than the best overall pick from IT Cosmetics) and comes in a wide range of 30 shades.
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