After reading so many raves from other beauty bloggers about IT Cosmetics CC Cream, I figured I had to try it. I went to Ulta and tried a sample on. At that time, late September I think, when I still had a tan, the shade “light” was a perfect match. Since it is pricey, I waited to get an Ulta coupon to buy it. By the time I got the coupon, “light” was sold out. OK, I was not in a rush to buy more CC cream, so I waited some more. Next, I found out from someone on Facebook via the itcosmetics.com that they were having a 20% off sale with free shipping. Time to pounce! I bought the CC cream and a lovely eye shadow palette that I must review soon.
First things first, the perfect shade match in late September isn’t quite so perfect in January. In fact, I should have bought “fair” instead. Or I should buy “fair” and mix it with “light”, but I don’t want to spend more money on more CC cream. But IT Cosmetics CC Cream comes in 5 shades that should work well with all but maybe the very darkest skintones which is much better, more inclusive than most brands that carry only light and medium shades. Here are some swatches of Light taken in natural daylight:
See what I mean, not a good match 🙁
IT Cosmetics CC Cream has lots of good things about it. Here’s what Ulta’s website says:
“Your Skin But Better CC Cream with SPF 50+ is infused with cutting edge anti-aging technology and is clinically proven to improve skin texture, brightness and increase skin hydration by 79%. This highly pigmented multi-tasking beauty miracle truly covers everything, won’t crease or crack in fine lines, and gives you a healthy your skin but better glow. Paraben-free and SPF 50+ UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, Physical Only, Non-Chemical Sunscreen. The anti-aging hydrating formula is infused with peptides, niacin, algae, vitamins A, C, B, E, hyaluronic acid, and hydrolyzed collagen along with anti-oxidants and exotic natural botanicals for long-term brightening and color-correcting benefits.”
What do I think? IT Cosmetics CC Cream is a very good product. It goes on rather thick and feels a bit heavy initially. It takes a while to dry which is kind of a pain. On me, it doesn’t quite cover everything; I still have to apply concealer to my dark spots from skin damage, but I haven’t found anything yet that covers them completely other than mineral foundation. I love the fact that it has a 50+ SPF, physical/non-chemical sunscreen, and I love all the anti-aging additives. I think it’s a really good CC cream for women with dry skin and women over 40.
In terms of how it looks and feels on me, it’s not my absolute favorite. But I think the fact that the shade is off may be clouding my judgment (although it looks really good in the photo!). I do recommend this CC cream: it has good ingredients, high SPF, and provides good, almost but not quite full coverage (it might be full coverage on you, if you don’t have much sun damage).
The price is $38 for 1.08 fl. oz. that comes in a tube with a pump, and you can buy it at Ulta (I recommend going there to figure out your shade and go to the window to get more light when you’re doing it!!), on the it cosmetics.com, beauty.com, Amazon.com etc.
If you peruse the ingredient list, you may stop at the first inactive ingredient “snail secretion filtrate” and wonder what the heck is that. Here’s some info from “New Directions, Australia’s website”:
“Turning our attention to the snail extract we first must establish its origin. Snails have been used in cosmetic treatments for hundreds if not thousands of years with preparations varying from boiled whole snail to crushed up poultices to fermented extracts on offer. The snails Hepatopancreas or mucous producing organ is still used in some cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications today but as it involves sacrificing the snail it is no longer popular in mainstream cosmetics. Instead we and most other ingredient aficionados prefer to just purify the slime or snail trail!
This super-healing mucus is rich in Allantoin, Glycolic Acid, Glycosaminoglycans, Proteoglycans, Elastin, hyaluronic acid and Collagen. It works as in many ways providing moisturizing, anti-oxidant, protective and regenerate benefits.It has also been found to be beneficial in the treatment and management of scars, minor abrasions, acne and wrinkles.”
OK, so gross as it sounds, it turns out that lots of skincare products use snail secretion filtrate but don’t refer to it as such in their ingredient list. IT Cosmetics is just more upfront about it!
So what do you think about the snail secretion filtrate? Or about IT Cosmetics CC Cream? Have you tried CC cream yet? Let me know your faves!
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 9.015%, Zinc Oxide 6.305%. Inactive: Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, 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, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Medica Limonum (Lemon) Peel Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Fruit Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, 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, 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, Cholesteryl Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum Flower Extract, Cholesteryl Nonanoate, Cholesteryl Chloride, 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, Silica, BHT, 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: Red 7 Lake (CI 15850:1), Iron Oxides (CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499)
It does look pretty great in the photo! Sorry you did not absolutely love it, though.
Tina @ My Highest Self recently posted…Foodie Friday: 5 Ingredient or Less Meal – Ginger Soy Tilapia Recipe
Once I get my hands on “fair”, I’ll be happy! Ulta was still out of it last visit, but I’ve got plenty of others to use in the meantime lol
It would be nice if this brand could be available in stores because I wouldn’t risk buying this online. I have to feel the texture first. Still I don’t think I would like it much, it reminds me of the CC I use at the moment which is nice for winter but a little too rich for summer. I’ll probably go back to Estée Lauder’s BB when the weather warms up. The texture is thicker but once on skin it becomes unoticeable. 🙂
For some reason, I erroneously thought that Ulta was in Canada, but now I see that they are not. I agree that I wouldn’t buy any foundation-type product online without trying it first in person. And Helene, you’re right. IT’s CC is on the heavier side that makes it perfect for winter. EL BB cream is much lighter. I forgot that I’ve got the EL BB and she revisit it once the weather warms up.
It looks great on you! Too bad we don’t have this brand here.
gio recently posted…Sunday Random Ramblings, Vol.113
It’s a really nice, well made brand, Gio. I’m not sure where you are located, so I’m not sure whether they deliver via their website to where you are. The lucky thing is there are so many great brands, I’m sure you’ve got some brands where you are that we don’t have. 😉
I hear really great things about It cosmetics as a whole is a great brand. This sounds pretty promising. Thanks for sharing your review with us my dear.
shalunya recently posted…Sunday Scores and Steals 3/2
IT Cosmetics is a terrific brand. I do like this CC cream, I just need a different shade to make a better match with my winter skin, lol. And I adore the Naturally Pretty Matte Shadow palette. Thanks for commenting, Shalunya!
Hi Allison,
This is truly a very useful review!
I noticed that you said that mineral foundations have the best coverage for dark spots, am I right?
Well, I haven’t tried any CC creams yet, still most of these not available in the market here. I can still buy them online, but that would mean guessing the right color !
I was wondering if you ever tried Makeup forever HD ? One of my relatives argued me saying it is number one, and that all its ingredients are safe unlike much cheaper brands. I don’t agree since price does not mean it is safe, what do you think?
Dima Al Mahsiri recently posted…The Changing Face of Beauty and Cosmetics
Hi Dima, thank you for your comment. I still believe that mineral foundations provide the best coverage for dark spots. However, I don’t wear my minerals as much because they are more drying than cream foundations and BB/CC creams. I don’t blame you for not wanting to order a foundation/BB/CC cream online without trying the shade. It is just impossible to get it right without trying it on, and even then it’s tricky! I have used Makeup Forever eye shadow in the past but nothing lately. It is a good brand, but I wouldn’t say it is “the best”, there are so many ‘best’ brands! Below is a link to the Environmental Working Group post on Makeup Forever. I tried to paste the whole thing but the charts/ratings didn’t post. EWG rates the safety of most makeup brands/products. Check it out via the link below. Makeup Forever isn’t perfect 😉
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product.php?prod_id=487473
Other HIGH concerns: Endocrine disruption, Contamination concerns, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Miscellaneous, Occupational hazards, Persistence and bioaccumulation; Other MODERATE concerns: Biochemical or cellular level changes, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive); Other LOW concerns: Enhanced skin absorption, Cancer, Data gaps, Ecotoxicology, Neurotoxicity
Thank you Allison very much!
I checked the link for EWG, and even checked the rates for some other brands. The first thing I said was : What?! And I put that on my face ! I also noticed that they launched an App , a very useful app for ordinary consumers to check the risks of those products.
Thanks for sharing that link, is it trustworthy to use their data when reviewing beauty products?
Dima Al Mahsiri recently posted…The Changing Face of Beauty and Cosmetics
Yes! Very trustworthy, Dima! Thanks for telling me about the app 🙂
Allison recently posted…GIVEAWAY: $50 Gift Certificate to Midnight Velvet and My New Floral Satin Pumps
Great!
I didn’t download the app yet, but i think it is the one I saw once on TV, you just scan the bar-code via your smart phone, and it gives you the product’s score + details , very impressive !
Dima Al Mahsiri recently posted…The Changing Face of Beauty and Cosmetics
Sounds good, Dima! I hope it also works if you don’t have a product to scan in, and you can type in the name like with the website. I will look for it soon. Thanks again 🙂
I admit, this sounds fantastic. And if the fair shade is actually light enough for my pasty skin, I’ll call it a true winner! Will have to nab a bottle of this next time my BB cream runs out. Great review! xx
Thank you, Megan, for checking out my review & commenting! The lFair is quite light, and it’s what I’m wearing now that my tan has faded. I just ordered another tube of Light that I’ll put away till June lol. I think Fair would work for someone who is very light skinned, but you may want to look at Dior BB Cream because their lightest shade is very light. Also have you looked at CoverFX? They have a good shade range. What I love abt the IT CC is the 50 SPF & great coverage