I have always felt that full coverage, matte face makeup accentuated my skin concerns – pores look bigger, texture exaggerated and my skin aged. Plus, when it comes to my base, I hate looking like I have makeup on. Although for everyday use I prefer a natural look, I still would like enough coverage that it is actually effective, which is exactly what the IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40 aims to do.
Table of Contents
What I enjoyed about it
- Natural-looking, non-cakey medium coverage foundation which provides a healthy glow
- Lower coverage makes it perfect for no-makeup makeup looks
- Effective at evening out skin tone
- Added skincare ingredients, which help hydrate skin, reduce texture, increase brightness and prevent wrinkles
- Added sunscreen filters
What I disliked about it
- Not suitable for people with really oily skin as it can be too moisturizing and thus not last long on the skin
What is a CC cream?
In recent years (and possibly influenced by Korean beauty trends) we have seen an upswing in the popularity of the low-coverage, fresh-faced makeup look. With how generally available good skincare information has become, it means that more and more people are starting to address their skin concerns instead of trying to cover them up. The healthy-looking, natural base is a look more easily achieved by applying products with lower pigment concentration. These are mixed in a moisturizer base with various skincare ingredients or sunscreen filters added. Such low-coverage products usually fall under the umbrella of “tinted moisturizer” and include BB and CC creams. Because they are so low-coverage, it also makes them easier to use if you are an inexperienced makeup wearer.
The term CC cream comes from an abbreviation for color correcting cream, and they were originally meant to neutralize skin tone concerns by using colors on the opposite sides of the color wheel. For example, redness can be neutralized using something with a green undertone and dark undereyes are best tackled using yellowish or peachy products (same principle as, for example, under eye correctors or banana colored under eye powder).
Let’s get to know Nude Glow a little better
Let’s first talk about what this product claims to be. IT cosmetics presents this new product as a medium-buildable color-correcting foundation suitable for a “no-makeup makeup look”. Just to be clear, if you are looking for mattifying or fuller coverage products, this will not be suitable. IT cosmetics does however have other types of CC cream in their range, some of which have more coverage and are more matte.
Because it is composed of 90% skincare ingredients, the Nude Glow CC cream is supposed to improve your skin’s hydration, making it more glowy. Kind of like a no compromise makeup product – you use it, you look good with it on and you reap benefits in the long term by continuing to do so.
The beneficial skincare ingredients in this foundation would be:
- hyaluronic acid (very commonly used humectant);
- green tea extract (which is soothing and antioxidant-rich);
- 2% niacinamide (an ingredient found in a multitude of skincare products nowadays, beneficial among others in smoothing skin texture and providing anti-aging benefits).
It also has an SPF value of 40, although as we all know we should not rely on makeup products to provide adequate SPF protection.
About my skin type
- Acne prone
- Combination skin type – oily around nose and normal to dry everywhere else
- Sensitive
- First signs of aging starting to appear
How does the Nude Glow CC cream look on my skin?
This foundation has the texture of a gel-cream, being kind of thick for the level of coverage it provides. It spreads out nicely and applies evenly with a sponge, brush or even with the hands. With this order I also purchased the IT cosmetics double-ended foundation brush which is really high quality, very soft and has survived numerous washes until now. However lately I have been mostly using my hands to avoid washing my brushes all the time and I find that with this product it works perfectly for me.
Most times I use around one and a half pumps because I try to build up the coverage on my acne scarring. Despite me adding it on progressively, I find that it is not very buildable, as the coverage stays pretty much the same. Keep in mind however that this is not supposed to be a full coverage foundation. With the amount I apply it never looks cakey and I use minimal product on the areas where coverage is not really needed (such as the forehead and chin area). The relative lack of coverage is not a disadvantage, because I feel it allows my skin to look more natural, kind of like it shines from within. My skin does not look makeup-y at all when I wear it.
How glowy is this product actually? Well, it’s not too much, it´s more of a natural glow. And that might very well be a perfect description of it. It is glowy in a healthy looking way. I have actually mixed it with Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter many times and found that it works, but for my skin type it requires powdering. Not very much and not everywhere, but if I don´t powder my T-zone it starts to become downright slippery because it is so hydrating. Otherwise everything is looking pretty good even after 8 hours, especially if paired with powder cheek products. Slowly during the day it starts rubbing off my nose, but I find that happens to me with all tinted moisturizer-type base makeup.
Conclusion
This product is exactly what it claims to be: a naturally glowy medium-coverage foundation. It’s best perhaps for people with normal to dry skin and most likely unsuitable for oily skin types. I don’t think it’s appropriate however for long wear situations where you need your makeup to stay put for a long amount of time, but it is perfect for the day-to-day. I wear it a lot to work, when going out during the day and even wore it when I was traveling and walking about for long stretches and it looked amazing. The added skincare ingredients and sunscreen filters are also a bonus, although it should not replace either a skincare routine or actual sunscreen application.
