This $39 CC cream is essentially a tinted moisturizer with SPF, and it leaves my skin looking naturally dewy all day

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IT Cosmetics / Facebook

Finding face makeup that makes your skin look smooth, supple, and even —but still like your skin— can be difficult.
That’s why I’m in love with the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream ($39).
This color-correcting cream provides full coverage, but has a lightweight, smooth consistency, leaving your skin looking naturally even and dewy.
If you only have time to put on one makeup product each morning, this is a great choice.

I was cautiously excited when I came across the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream. Most foundations, tinted moisturizers, and BB or CC creams either pack on way too much coverage to the point where my skin looks unnaturally matte, or can’t even muster up enough coverage to hide a red spot. The idea that this CC cream would even out my skin tone and hide blemishes but still look like my real skin was exciting, and enough to push me to buy a tube.

Now I’m on my second tube of this product, and when I finish this one I’ll be quick to grab another. It makes my skin look and feel too good to go without.

The IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream is a color-correcting cream that provides full coverage and SPF 50. Evening out skin tone, concealing dark spots, brightening skin, and adding moisture are just some of the things the cream promises. While these might seem like hefty assurances, IT Cosmetics delivers with a formula that’s super pigmented but still so lightweight.

A one-ounce tube costs $39. While that may sound really small, it’s really potent, so a little goes a long way — a single tube has lasted me months, so $39 has actually provided a surprisingly good value. There are 12 different shades offered. I use light, which I find works for me in both winter and summer. But, if you can’t find the right shade, you can always try mixing two together.

Using the product is so simple. I squeeze a thick drop of the formula onto my pointer finger, then dab it on my cheeks, forehead, chin, and blend with my fingertips. The warmth of your fingers helps it melt right into your skin, making for a smooth application. You don’t need a brush, makeup sponge, or any other fancy tool to blend it, and the creamy consistency ensures there will be no stark or streaky lines left over. Sometimes, I’ll follow up with a quick flick of mascara, sweep of blush, and a little under-eye concealer for a natural, but just a little "done up" look. But most mornings I’ll just rub a little of this on and call it a day.

IT Cosmetics / Facebook

Bottom line

When I’m wearing this CC cream, my skin always looks naturally radiant. The redness around my nose and cheeks is totally disguised and my skin tone looks even without visible blemishes, but there are still freckles, birthmarks, and some shiny spots on my forehead that make my skin look like just that — skin.

After a long day, the product doesn’t crack or crease, but the coverage endures. It makes sense, since this CC Cream is loaded with hydrating, skin-smoothing ingredients you’d find in your favorite moisturizers like hyaluronic acid, peptides, and collagen. An added mineral sunscreen (SPF 50) is a bonus. While most sunscreens have a thick, almost goopy consistency, the added SPF doesn’t change the consistency of this product at all. I even use the It Cosmetics CC Cream in place of a foundation at nighttime, when there is no sun in sight, as I love the even, glowy coverage it gives. If I’ll be spending time outside, I’m always sure to layer a real sunscreen underneath this cream, but the added SPF feels like a nice safety net.

This is how I want my skin to look when I wake up, but for now I’ll just have to be happy with the fact that it’s how my skin looks after applying the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream.

Bottom line

Get the IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream for $39 at Ulta and Sephora