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Nail the natural make-up look with these tried and tested colour correcting heroes
A CC cream stands for a colour-correcting cream. These are either an absolute necessity or an unwanted extra step in any beauty lover’s daily routine. While beauty balms (aka BB creams) act as a "skincare and make-up hybrid with added sun protection" – as expertly described by one of our reviewers – its sister product, CC cream, provides more coverage and really targets uneven skin tone.
Our tester is a CC cream lover, falling in love with the product after pairing back her everyday make-up from a full face of foundation to just a light touch of coverage to even out skin tone and texture. And CC creams do exactly that, blurring imperfections and correcting colour through clever skin-adapting pigments that contrast on the colour wheel – green pigments combat redness, for example.
Simple to use either as an everyday base under foundation for a smoother finish, with concealer or on its own for a very subtle layer of coverage, CC cream is a must-have for nailing for the “no make-up, make-up” look.
With options from It Cosmetics, Chanel, Erborian and more, take a look below to see what really was the best of the bunch.
CC creams are one of the easiest products to use and, depending on the thickness of the cream, can either be applied with the fingers, as you would a moisturiser or a make-up sponge – we used the EcoTools bioblender sponge (£7, Boots.com). Our tester applied each one in the morning and considered how they glided onto the skin, the coverage, staying power and any skincare benefits too.
CC cream stands for colour correcting cream, it helps skin battle imperfections- particularly skin tone issues such as redness or hyperpigmentation. It is also closer to a skincare product than other makeups, usually hosting a whole bunch of moisturising, blemish-fighting and sun-protecting properties. These properties, and the fact that they are usually more lightweight and have less coverage than regular foundations, make CC creams a great summertime makeup swap.
Many people looking for a lighter alternative to foundation may want to use CC cream as a replacement. If you prefer more coverage, you may choose to use CC cream as a primer before applying foundation. While many CC creams come with built-in SPFs and moisturising benefits, we would advise still using additional moisturiser and an SPF spray over the top as many do not have a very high level of the sun-battling ingredient.
We’re truly in love with the It Cosmetics CC cream, and while there were a great number of steady rivals, none quite gave the same illuminated, flawless finish. But, if we had to pick a very close second, then Chanel or Clinique would win a silver medal.
For those looking to add a base for foundation, Kiko Milano is hard to beat, and anyone on a tight budget won’t be disappointed with Essence.
To stay hydrated and glowing, read our review of the best foundations for mature skin