According to various recent sales reports, the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream is the number 1 CC cream in the US. Its popularity comes as no surprise when you consider the array of delectable ingredients it boasts: Hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid and vitamins. One ingredient that has been a talking point for all the wrong reasons is snail secretion filtrate, yes that is what you are probably hoping it is not…snail slime. Although this will ward off many, I am content to try any ingredient to give me the elusive glowing skin that I am in pursuit of.

In a nutshell, this is a colour-correcting cream which promises to brighten and protect skin from ageing and the sun. It is marketed as full coverage and as a moisturiser, primer, serum and foundation all in one. Talk about killing multiple birds with one stone.

Description

• It is available in 7 shades, ranging from Fair to Deep.
• The CC cream provides SPF 50+ UVA/UVB broad-spectrum physical sunscreen.
• It minimizes pores and provides a radiant, hydrated finish.
• It retails for a reasonable £30 for 32ml; and is available here on Selfridges website.

Ingredients

An extremely long list…

Active: Titanium Dioxide 9.0%, Zinc Oxide 6.3%. Inactive: Water, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Magnesium Sulfate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Hexyl Laurate, Stearic Acid, Calcium Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Oil, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Pinus Sylvestris Leaf Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Niacinamide, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Oil, Cholesterol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, Lactobacillus/Honeysuckle Flower/Licorice Root/Morus Alba Root/Pueraria Lobata Root/Schizandra Chinensis Fruit/Scutellaria Baicalensis Root/Sophora Japonica Flower Extract Ferment Filtrate, Perfluorohexane, Olea Europaea (Olive) Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Perfluorodecalin, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Magnolia Kobus Bark Extract, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Sprout Extract, Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Pentafluoropropane, Curcuma Longa (Turmeric) Root Extract, Steareth-20, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Colloidal Oatmeal, Hydrolyzed Silk, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Tocopherol, Thiamine Hcl, Riboflavin, Retinyl Palmitate, Pantothenic Acid, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Niacin, Folic Acid, Chrysin, Carnitine HCl, Biotin, Ascorbic Acid, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chlorhexidine Digluconate. May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499).

How I Use

I use this as I would a foundation—applying it over my usual prepped face of serums, moisturiser, SPF and sunscreen. I then dust over it lightly with a setting powder. It works well directly applied onto a clean face too.

I use the Medium shade for my NC25-30 complexion and can get away with Medium Tan. Pav (pictured below) is NC 35 and wears Medium Tan, with the Medium a little too light.

Flashback

As to be expected given the high SPF, this CC cream is not good for flash photography. It photographs a lot better in natural lighting without the flash. Flash photography does not do this foundation any justice for how it actually appears in real life; a natural and radiant finish. Therefore, although this CC cream is an impressive option for every day, it is not recommended for special occasions where flash photography will be rife.

Verdict

I am a real fan of this product. Face base products tend to either fall into the ‘meh’ category or are noticeably extraordinary. This product falls into the latter category. It does not live up to its claims of being full coverage in my opinion; it is not a substitute for a full coverage foundation. But it does offer impressive coverage alongside a host of skin-improving ingredients. Moreover, it really does smooth the skin and blur out the pores; that claim is in no way exaggerated. I used it on my inflamed, spotty skin which was healing in the aftermath of a reaction and it made that skin look presentable which is a huge testimony to this product. It did not highlight any texture or bumps, which would have been easy with such an uneven surface. I have tried the illuminating version of this CC cream which was not as forgiving on textured skin and if anything, seemed to exacerbate texture.

It offers a dewy, glowy finish on my oily skin and it lasted well throughout the day. It does not seem to crack and separate throughout the day.

At £30, for a product which combines an effective serum with a beautiful daily foundation, it is an undeniable steal and no wonder that it is so sought after across the pond.