Opinions on IT Cosmetics CC Cream with SPF?

[ellex0]

Hello! I am looking for opinions on IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Full Coverage Color Correcting Foundation with SPF 50+ Medium . I used this a couple years ago and I wasn’t super impressed by it, but this could be because I wasn’t very experienced at all with makeup back then. I’m still no expert but I’ve learned a lot since then and I have a million different foundations that I use right now because I’m trying to find the perfect one. I have been told I need to start incorporating SPF daily due to my constant problem with random redness in my face. I ordered a SPF cream online that was recently recommended to me by someone in the Skincare Aware group but it hasn’t arrived yet, and I have since received a sample of CLARINS - Multi-Active Day Cream SPF 20 - All Skin Types. I started using that daily while I wait for the other to arrive, but I’m finding that it doesn’t mix well with my usual daily Moisturizing cream. That cream doesn’t have SPF in it, but I love it so much because of what it has done for my skin I don’t want to stop using it and I don’t believe that the brand actually has moisturizer with SPF in it. Anyway, in the event that the new SPF cream I ordered also doesn’t mix well with my moisturizer, I was thinking of trying a foundation with SPF instead but I can’t seem to find one that has enough in it. This brand has the SPF that I need, I just don’t know how I feel about it as a foundation. Reviews seem pretty mixed. What’s the coverage like? Does it last all day? Is this more of a tinted moisturizer or is it actually foundation? Thank you!!

[mmmiu]

After seeing makeupbytiffanyd talk about it on YouTube for a while, I finally caved and bought the original one earlier this year and absolutely loved it. I was very skeptical at first because I don’t like the heavy textures of B.B. creams but I was very impressed by this. It’s creamy and spreads/blends very well. I only powder on my tzone (as suggested by Tiffany D) and it lasts the entire day Without looking blotchy. I do get oily on my nose but I blot it with tissue. The coverage on this is very good without looking or feeling heavy. When they released the oil free version, I also bought that and found it was a bit better at oil control compared to the original (I’m gonna be using the original one again when it starts to get even dryer outside because it’s more hydrating). A little goes a long way and I like that I can do a second thin layer without my face looking like I put a lot of product on.

i feel like it’s closer to a foundation in terms of coverage but feels like a moisturizer. I also use another dedicated sunscreen underneath (the Coola matte tinted B.B.) and apply with fingers and use a beauty blender to bounce away any potential streaks

[alexasteph]

@ellex0 IT’s CC Cream is my favorite full coverage complexion product, and have been using it a long time. I do agree it can be slightly tricky to work with though. A little goes a long way, but too little and it sits weird on your skin. It’s not particularly buildable and you can’t really sheer it out. For me, that perfect amount is about 3/4s of a pump. Another thing that can be tough about it is it’s not great for greasy or sweaty days, and definitely needs to be set with powder. I also either use my fingers or a freshly cleaned brush to apply it. That all sounds like it’s a pretty high maintenance product but the SPF and coverage can’t be beat in my opinion. Admittingly, I’ve been opting for lighter coverage lately though. LAURA MERCIER - Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20has been my go-to for lighter coverage, but that does have a lower SPF. Since it’s not as thick it should play better with other SPF products for you. 

[ellex0]

@alexasteph Thank you!! Yeah, this product for sure sounds high maintenance...but like you said for the amount of SPF, it may be worth it for me. I am willing to work with it if it's really as good as you say. I just had to ask, because it almost seemed too good to be true and since SPF is so important I was surprised that it hadn't already been recommended to me. When you say that it's easiest to apply with fingers or a freshly cleaned brush, are you saying it just looks better when applied that way? Or is the application process itself just easier? I have never been able to apply any foundation with a brush or my fingers...no matter what, it seems like I just can't blend with either of those methods. Like it always looks terrible lol... I cant use anything but a beauty blender. Is it really difficult to apply with a beauty blender? I mean I am definitely open to trying it with a brush... I just hate getting makeup on my hands so I most likely wont try it with my fingers. As far as it not being good for greasy/sweaty days, surprisingly even living in Arizona I don't sweat much... at all unless i'm doing a really intense workout and I don't wear makeup when I work out. But if I set it with powder I should be good regardless? I always set with powder, I don't feel complete without it!

[alexasteph]

@ellex0 I have just found since it’s such a thick product, it tends to get the brush dirtier a lot faster than other products and it doesn’t blend out as smoothly. Doesn’t matter what type of brush! Because it was fresh on my mind I did decide to wear to today, and I definitely do prefer using my fingers. I apply it the exact same way as I would any skin care product, and then smooth it out. If you don’t like using your fingers, I’m not really sure what to tell you! It’s a nice product though, so if you are willing to figure out your best application method it’s worth it. 

[ellex0]

@alexasteph So I ended up getting to try this product out this morning. I was over at my best friend's house last night and she's really into makeup. No lie, this girl has a walk in closet that she uses JUST for makeup. I normally go to her for a lot of makeup advice, but with her new career she's constantly traveling for work and is super busy so I don't get to go to her as often. Anyway, I noticed the CC cream sitting on her desk. It was the silver one... "natural finish" with SPF 50+. Knowing that I had just been asking about this product and considering using it as my foundation, I asked her opinion on it. Surprisingly she had just bought it last weekend and only used it once - she didn't know how she felt about it but she was going to return it because the shade she bought was too light for her. She gave it to me to try and I used it this morning. It is very thick, as I remember and as you said. Fortunately I was able to blend it pretty easily with my beauty blender and I was not expecting that. Definitely not as easy as other foundations I use, but it was easier than I thought it would be. It covered my redness very easily...but because it's so thick, at first even after blending for a while it looked pretty caked on. I have a lot of foundations... illuminating ones, dewey ones, matte ones... some of them look awful and some are fine but with the primer I've started using over the past month, every foundation I use with it looks beautiful and not cakey. It's like magic...but this CC cream looked cakey even with that primer. I blended it out a little more and it ended up looking quite a bit better....I guess I just needed to spend more time blending. I then set it with my usual setting powder, which is #BECCA Hydra-Mist Set & Refresh Powder. At that point it looked a lot better and I was LOVING it. I finished up the rest of my usual routine and I was happy with the final results before I left my house. I didn't get a lot of time to really look closely in the mirror at work today, but I just used my phone camera as my mirror a few minutes ago and I was SHOCKED at how terrible my face looked. I'm so upset that I've been walking around like this all day...I hope my phone camera is not an actual reflection of what it really looks like. The bathroom at my work has terrible lighting so I can't really use that to judge what it looks like. I'm going to have to wait until I get home to really see... but as of right now, it looks super cakey, melted off my face, and its as if my bronzer, highlighter, and blush became unblended or something. Literally it looks like I just carelessly took blobs of bronzer, blush and highlighter and threw it on wherever without blending it out. That never happens... and the foundation is the only thing that changed in my routine. My Becca setting powder always does such a great job with my other foundations as far as making it stay put all day. Not with this cream. I wonder if I just need to try the illuminating version in the pink tube? Idk... at this point I don't think it has to do with how I applied and blended it in, I think the product itself just decided to do what it wanted. Keep in mind, I sit at a desk all day and do computer work, so it's not like I'm doing anything strenuous to cause me to sweat or cause my makeup to melt. I'm really disappointed because I was hoping that I could knock out two birds with one stone with this product. Anyway, just thought I'd let ya know I tried it and the experience wasn't awesome.

[faeriegirl]

@ellex0 I have tried the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Full Coverage Color Correcting Foundation with SPF 50+ Medium . It does have good coverage for redness but without powder on top it did not last all day and my skin would look oily. I like the matte version with spf 40 better. It seems like it lasts longer and I don’t have use powder.

[ellex0]

@faeriegirl thank you! I typically do use a setting powder with my foundations, especially because I have recently switched from matte foundations to illuminating/Dewey ones. I find that those just look better on me now and I can still get a semi matte finish with setting powder... and I’m realizing that I love the semi matte finish way better! So do you think I’d still be fine with the one that’s not matte as long as I use my setting powder?

[faeriegirl]

@ellex0 As long as I used powder with it, it worked great. 

[TrysBeautyItems]

@ellex0 Since you have a moisturizer you like, add standalone spf on top. Clarins is a moisturizer, probably too much for you skin by layering it on top of another. 

IT is a CC, more coverage than a tinted moisturizer but not like a full coverage foundation.  It can be too slick for some. What's your skin type?

I prefer a standalone spf, rather than relying on it combined in a product.  You don't know the ratio nor would probably  apply enough product to get sufficient spf protection. The general rule is a shot glass worth for all exposed skin.

[ShortErica]

Wanted to echo @TrysBeautyItems that you should have a separate stand alone SPF product.

As far as IT Cosmetics CC cream, it wasn't for me. I found it too thick and the shade range too limited. But others rave so if you find it works for you than that's great. Everyone's skin and preferences are different so try it again now that you are a little more familiar with your makeup preferences and see what you think. Good luck @ellex0Unidentified

Edit: Just saw your reply to another comment. Sorry it didn't work out for you but so nice your friend could let you try it.

[ellex0]

@TrysBeautyItemsThank you! Honestly you pretty much confirmed my original suspicion... I was wondering if the two moisturizers were just too much for me. I didn't know weather to use it before my regular daily cream or after. I tried it both ways, on back to back days and I made sure to allow whatever I applied first to soak in really well before putting the other on top of it. After both soaked in, it seemed fine until I started to apply my primer... it would ball up and not really stick to my skin as to when I just use my regular moisturizer alone, that doesn't happen at all. So I ended up having to wash everything off and apply just my main moisturizer to be able to do my foundation. I figured it was either just too much moisturizer, or the SPF but now i'm definitely thinking it's just too much moisturizer. For your question about my skin type, I'm more on the dry side. I have been able to go from EXTREMELY dry to pretty normal/slightly dry within about a month of consistent skincare routines day and night. My complexion in general has also improved A LOT to where I don't really feel like I need a super full coverage foundation anymore. The redness in my face comes and goes, (hence the reason I need SPF) so I would really like something that at the very least covers the redness. Other than that, my skin tone has evened out a lot and I don't have any dark spots that stand out anymore (thank you #Olehenriksen C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème). So based on what you just said I think that maybe this might be okay for me... I might try to get a sample of it before purchasing it.