With CC Creams now being the norm, it ought to come as no surprise when the big brands start releasing their own versions of what is popularly termed “colour correcting” creams. To be honest, with some products, there is scant difference between a BB Cream and a CC Cream. Both are tinted, both are used all over and while brands try their utmost to tell us that they’re different, lets face it, they’re basically the same thing.
So when Bobbi Brown released their CC Cream, I raised a sceptical brow. I do like the Bobbi Brown BB Cream. It’s one of the better versions I’ve tried out there (I don’t use Korean brands, it’s a personal quirk because I dislike that grey cast that makes me a relation to a decaying zombie) But CC Cream?!
Well Bobbi Brown takes great pains to tell us that their CC Cream, which comes in 3 shades globally and 2 shades locally, is more of a colour correcting PRIMER than a face base. Now, that sort of honesty I can live with. There are 3 shades available – 01 Pale Nude (pink for fairer skintones) 02 Warm Nude (yellow for medium-darker skintones) and 03 Golden Nude (brown for dark skintones). In Malaysia, we only get Pale Nude and Warm Nude.
The thing is, to be perfectly honest, unless you already are compelled to use a makeup primer daily, I don’t quite see the point of this product. There, said it 😛 I have found a use for it, but I can’t say in all honesty that it’s a must have.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t think this BB CC Cream to be a bad product at all. But being someone who just doesn’t use a primer at any time unless I absolutely need my makeup to stay fixed to my skin for hours and hours, I just can’t justify the use of this CC Cream. If you are a regular primer user then you may appreciate this more.
The shade I have is 01 Pale Nude, which is an interesting pink coming out of the tube.
The pink-lilac shade is a known skin illuminating and brightening shade. So if you have a fair skintone and feel like it’s looking a bit dull and you want to brighten it somewhat, this is the shade for you. It comes out of the tube a bright pink but once blended, as you can see in the picture, it blends out into nothing.
Can you tell if the area with the blended CC Cream looks better or brighter? I can’t. On the upside, unlike many primers out there, it doesn’t feel like you’re slathering a layer of heavy silicone on your skin and it actually feels pretty comfortable on.
I think Pale Nude CC Cream on its own for me (and for most people) would be considered a waste of time BUT what I like is to wear it under powder foundation. You see, I have all these lovely powder foundations, but because I have drier skin than most, I find powder foundations drying. This CC Cream therefore, keeps my skin feeling comfortable while allowing me to wear powder foundations or just general light powders for a very natural, translucent base.
Let me demonstrate. I have here a series of before/after images showing you how this Bobbi Brown CC Cream looks when I wear it.
In the bare skin picture, it’s just skincare and sunscreen. I have my pigmentation on view which I’m quite used to be now, as well as some uneven skintone around my nose and some spots. Texturally, I’m happy with how my skin looks generally.
With just a thin layer of the Bobbi Brown CC Cream in Pale Nude all over there is a little bit of brightening effect which you may notice, but there is no coverage. There isn’t meant to be any. What the CC Cream does is to trick the eye to colour correct your complexion. In this case, it makes it look brighter.
I then buffed over the CC Cream the RMK Kaleidoscope Nuance Color Powder that I told you about earlier this week. That isn’t a powder foundation. It isn’t even much of a powder, but over the CC Cream base, it works for me to even out my skintone and behaves like a very light, sheer base. If I feel the need for more coverage, I dab some concealer where I need it. Otherwise, I’ve been using this combination for weekends and lazy days and it’s been serving me well because I’m happy with how my skin looks.
For me therefore, the Bobbi Brown CC Cream works best as a hydrating primer that isn’t heavy, doesn’t feel like it’s suffocating my skin and gives me a good base over which to wear powders and powder foundation that might otherwise feel drying on my skin. When I use liquid products however, I skip this because I just don’t see the point.
I have been told by people who use Warm Nude, which is more tinted and can therefore serve as a very translucent base worn on its own, that it can stand alone. So, if you have slightly tanned skin and have fairly good skin and just want something to even out redness in your skin without heavy coverage, then it can be worn alone.
Do you NEED this then? I’d say no. But if you already use a primer then I’d say this is one to consider only because it doesn’t make my skin feel suffocated and if you have drier skin, you may like it because it gives you a slightly more hydrating barrier between your skin and makeup products which may feel drying on your skin. But if primers aren’t your thing, you’ll survive without this.
In a nutshell
The Bobbi Brown CC Cream is a colour correcting primer that comes in 2 shades locally. Pale Nude offers a skin brightening shade for fair skintones while Warm Nude offers a warmer toned illuminating shade for medium skintones. Warm Nude can potentially be worn alone but Pale Nude is decidedly a transparent primer. I like how it feels hydrating against skin and doesn’t make my skin feel suffocated with silicones. I also like using the CC Cream under powder foundation or powders that may otherwise feel a bit drying on my skin after a while. However, as someone who doesn’t use primer as a matter of course, I wouldn’t call this one a must have. It’s one to note, but not necessarily one to own unless you are a primer user.
Pros: Hydrating, Does not feel heavy on skin, Serves as a good base for drying powder products, Helps even out skintone or brighten skin depending on which colour is chosen
Cons: Pricey, No coverage, Not for everyone
Who will like this: Anyone who already uses primer and wants a product that doesn’t feel too silicone-y and feels hydrating, Anyone who wants a base that offers some illuminating effects without shimmer
Here is the ingredient list for the BB CC Cream for your reference.
Do you use CC Creams or have a favourite one? Have you tried either of the Bobbi Brown CC Creams and have thoughts to share?
I can’t get my head around the CC Creams that are meant to be worn alone like BB Creams or light foundations. I’m generally a foundation gal so I prefer to wear foundations but I’ve learned to get my head around using BB Creams especially now that my skin is at a stage where I’m happy to wear little base product. But then along comes CC Creams and I have to relearn everything again! I don’t think I’m ready to bother 😛
Paris B
Bobbi Brown CC Cream SPF35 PA+++ comes in 2 shades 01 Pale Nude and 02 Warm Nude Price: RM160 Availability: Bobbi Brown counters
Weeeee~ that bright pink is lovely!
I am going to forgo this though, thanks to your honesty. LOL! The sheer coverage is not helping. I would prefer to opt for tinted sunblock and finish off with loose powder. Hehehe.
Haha the bright pink shocked me the first time I saw it but thank goodness it turns translucent or I’d be walking around with a pink face 😀 This is definitely just a primer. A good one, I might add, under powder foundation but in the end, just a primer 🙂
The Bobbi Brown bb cream is surprisingly good. Too bad that this CC cream had less coverage. 🙁
I agree with you about the BB Cream Cynthia. I still enjoy using it! The CC Cream is marketed as a primer so little to no coverage is to be expected. It does do a decent job as a primer I have to admit, but then, primer is primer 😛
I’ve got a sample size of CC Cream from YSL Taiwan. I think that perform much more better~~~
That’s interesting, Wynnce! I do like some of YSL stuff but they tend to be so highly fragranced that it puts me off 🙁
I was going to agree with your note there at the end, I think the Warm Nude shade is actually quite nice! It works well for a light base that evens out skintone, and it’s quite lovely. You do have me curious about the BB cream now, though. I’m much more inclined to try Bobbi Brown bases because of the CC cream, so suggestions are welcome!
Oh it’s great to know you found the Warm Nude shade nice for a light base, Laura 😀 A friend who uses it that way told me that and I had to agree after I saw it on her skin. I couldn’t wear Warm Nude though – it was just too dark for me 🙁 I do like the BB Cream. It feels like a light foundation and offers decent coverage so if you have the chance, try to see if you can sample it to see if you like it. It comes in quite many shades!
I would advise against using this primer because it contains oxybenzone, a sunscreen ingredient that is also known hormone disruptor which is absorbed in significant amounts from the skin.
Well noted, Firn. I have read both sides of the debate though and it seems debatable but I do think it is worth erring on the side of caution and avoiding the ingredient where possible. Funny how many major brands still use it although I have noticed it mostly among the American brands.
Yes, because the US lags behind Europe, Japan and Australia in sunscreen technology so they have to use old baddies like oxybenzone and avobenzone (doesn’t play nicely with mineral makeup or ZnO/TiO2).
And we thought it was bad enough when BB creams were EVERYWHERE!
For me, CC creams are more confusing because they could either be a tinted moisturizer or something like a primer. I’m glad this one at least has a decent SPF, and that it is hydrating!
Yes, it’s now the invasion of the CC Creams! Almost every brand has one now! I don’t quite understand CC Creams to be honest. As you said, some are close to BB Creams, some act more like a primer. I’d rather use something that is actually a tinted moisturiser OR a primer 😀
you’re right. i don’t understand cc creams that basically serve the same purpose as primers. i guess it’s kind of like the fake bb creams that are just repackaged tinted moisturizers? i love It Cosmetics CC Cream though. it’s medium to full coverage with anti aging and hydrating benefits and purely physical sunscreen (spf 50). it feels light on the skin, lasts a long time and wears down naturally with no weird patches. despite the high spf, it photographs well. i actually prefer this to my MUFE hd foundation. only thing preventing it from hg status is i haven’t tested this under severe heat conditions yet so i can’t say how well it melts off in the high heat of summer.
Oh, I’ve heard so much about the It Cosmetics CC Cream and It Cosmetics in general! Their concealer gets super high raves but it’s hard to come by internationally which is a pity (or perhaps not coz then my wallet is safe! hehe) Oh and I do love the MUFE HD Foundation too! I wasn’t expecting to so now that you say the It Cosmetics CC Cream is better, I’m really curious now 😀
i tested the it cosmetics concealer against the tarte maracuja creaseless concealer and my boyfriend preferred tarte by a mile. he said it creased much less so if you can get your hands on tarte, you’re golden. as for MUFE HD vs It cc, here’s the quick breakdown of why i prefer IT CC. it’s more hydrating, fuller coverage and physical sunscreen all in one. i found the MUFE HD to be drying over time so it’s an occasional use product for me. the HD coverage is more adjustable and can look more like skin but the coverage isn’t quite as high as IT CC even when built up. so depending on what you’re looking for and what you’re skin type is, your milage and preference will vary.
Ooh yes we have Tarte here so I’ll go take a look at the concealer 🙂 I got the Marc Jacobs one but I don’t like it one bit! 🙁 Pity because it was so expensive boohoo! Thanks for the comparison of the It Cosmetics CC to the MUFE Hd too! 😀
The only cc cream i like is the Lancome Rénergie Multi-Lift. It significantly corrects my complexion while still making my skin looks like my actual skin. I like to use this on days when i want to look like i’m not wearing makeup and still want to look presentable. My preferred shade is No.2 which is more natural. No.1. looks kind of ashy that’s typically korean like.
Mmm I didn’t even know Lancome had one! 😀 It sounds awesome and now that you’ve mentioned it, I think I’ll take a peep the next time I pass by the counter, just to see what it is 😀
Oooh, I agree! I had a sample of this and I couldn’t see the point of it on its own, but under powder foundation, it’s gorgeous! I wish I hadn’t chucked the sample, LOL.
Haha! Can you get another sample Larie? 😉 I”m glad you agree about it making powder foundation look good. It’s the only thing that allows me to wear powder foundation without making my skin feel like it’s drying out and cracking 😛
I was at BB outlet the other day to pick up their new skin stick foundation. The SA insisted to slather some on my face and started out with their CC cream on one side of my face. He was trying hard to convince me the one half of my face with the CC cream underneath looked better than the other half with just the foundation on. And I kept saying “no difference, sorry. Dont know what your on about!” It’s just another product I don’t need. I have a lot of redness in my skin but I do find foundation alone does the job quite nicely. I have found a nice CC Cream I love wearing alone – it’s the Bourjois 123 perfect CC Cream. Picked that up in SG. Love it on its own, or under mineral foundation.
Hahaha To be honest, unless it’s one of those silicone type primers that basically give you a smooth surface, I rarely see much difference with and without primer. Or maybe my foundations work well enough without needing a primer? 😉 I have heard the Bourjois CC Cream is impressive. I haven’t had the chance to check it out though. Wish they’d hurry up and come into our market already!
I’m really sure of two things:
1) I don’t need this product, in spring my skin become oilier and since I don’t trust in a CC cream as a sunscreen it’s another unnecessary layer.
2) It is hard to me to afford this product, right now the higher I can afford it’s MAC (and only because we don’t have testers in drugstore products and my skin tone it’s quite hard to match).
However as many Bobbi Brown products I want it for no good reason.
Haha thanks for your honesty Efrain 🙂 You’re right, the SPF level isn’t sufficient for it to be used alone as sunscreen and if you aren’t planning to use it as primer, it wouldn’t serve a lot of purpose 🙂
I love your review!
Very true to what i think the product does. (I bought this after your workshop MWSxBB). I use Warm Nude and I tried using this without a foundation primer and sunscreen, and it works well under my foundation powder.
So I guess it can work as a substitute to a primer. But probably won’t repurchase after this tube.
Ooh you bought this too! I think Warm Nude will work beautifully on your skintone on its own, which means you’re actually luckier than I am because on its own Pale Nude doesn’t do anything on me haha! 😀
I have used this product too. I felt very good.