This Is the $15 CC Cream Makeup Artists Swear By (2024)

There’s a reason this CC cream has spent years on the bestseller list: It really is that good. And nearly every dermatologist, makeup artist, and beauty editor we spoke to listed it among their favorite complexion products—it even won a 2023 Glamour Beauty Award. “This is one of my go-to CC creams because it comes in so many shades and provides outstanding even coverage,” says celebrity makeup artist Bruce Grayson, head of makeup for the 2024 Oscars. “It immediately reduces the appearance of discoloration, and uses high levels of hyaluronic acid and broad-based sunscreen to hydrate and protect skin from the sun. This product is the definition of multitasking makeup.” We also love the natural finish and full-coverage color payoff, which rivals that of your favorite foundation while also providing all the benefits of a hydrating serum and SPF. The cult-favorite It Cosmetics CC+ Cream also comes in a new matte formula.

Size: 1.08 ounces / Shades: 22 / Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, vitamin E / Finish: Natural / SPF: 50+

• Pros: Buildable full coverage; a little goes a long way
• Cons: Heavier than most traditional CC creams

“The E.L.F. Camo CC Cream is one of the best drugstore beauty options out there, with an impeccable shade range and varied undertones so your perfect match is always available,” says Ulta beauty makeup expert Jaleesa Jaikaran, host of the podcast The Life of a Makeup Artist. “Like most CC creams, this offers skin care and color-correction benefits; however, it takes things a step further with a semimatte finish.” At $15 a pop with an impressive SPF 50 rating, the CC cream diffuses imperfections while seamlessly blending out to a medium or full coverage.

Size: 1.05 ounces / Shades: 30 / Key ingredients: Collagen, peptides, niacinamide / Finish: Semimatte / SPF: 50

• Pros: Buildable medium-to-full coverage; great value
• Cons: Transfers

With a full-coverage color payoff, a noncomedogenic formula, and a breathable matte finish, Dermablend Tone-Evening CC Cream is a no-brainer for oily and acne-prone skin types alike. Best of all, its fade-defying coverage lasts a whopping 24 hours, keeping makeup looking fresh all day long. The CC cream also boasts a broad-spectrum SPF of 50+ and a blend of antioxidants that help neutralize skin damage and protect against environmental stressors. Plus, the vegan, fragrance-free formula is both allergy- and sensitive-skin-approved, meaning it plays nice with even the finickiest skin types.

Size: 1 ounce / Shades: 16 / Key ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin E, caffeine / Finish: Matte / SPF: 50+

• Pros: Full but natural-looking coverage; noncomedogenic formula
• Cons: Transfers

Packed with skin-loving ingredients like vitamin E to nourish the skin, chamomile to soothe irritation, and sodium hyaluronate to deeply hydrate, this Pür CC cream is a true multiuse product—acting as a moisturizer, primer, foundation, and SPF all in one. With buildable sheer coverage and a weightless, second-skin feel, this CC cream is a favorite among makeup experts such as Greenberg, who likes that it leaves skin plump and dewy. The dermatologist-approved formula delivers a lit-from-within glow every time, no matter the climate or state of your skin.

Size: 1.7 ounces / Shades: 16 / Key ingredients: Vitamin E, chamomile, sodium hyaluronate, shea butter, aloe / Finish: Luminous / SPF: 20

• Pros: Deeply hydrating; second-skin feel
• Cons: Not ideal for oily skin

This 100% mineral formula suits even the most sensitive of skin types while providing some of the best sun protection, with an SPF of 50 and a PA+++ rating. Despite the barely there feel, it’s packed with such hardworking ingredients as apple extract, which instantly illuminates the skin, and Irish moss extract to reduce the effects of free radicals. According to Teresa Song, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical, the formula, which also includes antioxidants and ample humectants, is great for all skin types, especially those with sun-damaged or sensitized skin. The medium coverage is enough to minimize redness and the appearance of imperfections, and blends out to leave a natural silky finish.

Size: 1.6 ounces / Shades: 15 / Key ingredients: Apple extract, Irish moss / Finish: Natural, luminous / SPF: 50

• Pros: Great sun protection; no irritating ingredients
• Cons: Settles into fine lines

“This CC cream has all the lightweight color-correcting benefits needed to reduce redness, sallow skin, and uneven tones while providing a burst of moisture to keep your skin glowing all day,” says makeup artist and Sephora beauty director David Razzano. The oil-free formula is packed with ingredients like squalane and glycerin for moisture, and caffeine to brighten the skin, decrease puffiness, and soothe inflammation. And since it’s noncomedogenic and allergy-tested, you can be sure it won’t cause any pesky inflammation or irritation. It’s perfect for those with normal or combination skin looking for lightweight, everyday coverage.

Size: 1.4 ounces / Shades: 3 / Key ingredients: Squalane, caffeine, glycerin / Finish: Natural / SPF: 30

• Pros: Lightweight formula; boosts moisture
• Cons: Limited shade range

For acne flare-ups and irritation alike, beauty editors and makeup artists (myself included!) reach for Erborian’s CC Red Correct to reduce redness, soothe skin, and blur texture. The formula utilizes green encapsulated pigments that help the color self-adjust to your skin tone while providing extra redness coverage and a skin-like finish. “After a few seconds of blending, the base color matches my fair skin dead-on, while the green tint cancels out my redness completely,” says Glamour contributor Rachel Nussbaum. “I can still slightly see the bumps on my jawline, but they’re less eye-catching without their bright, angry color. I call it a win.” Dr. Song, agrees, noting it as a favorite for acne-prone skin. And so does Boston-based board-certified dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, MD, who cites the “incredible, elegant coverage of redness” as a major plus in her book. Best of all, the CC cream can be used for full-face coverage or as a spot treatment in particularly red or blemish-prone areas; it works as well on its own as it does under a higher-coverage foundation—it’s the ultimate multitasker for reducing redness and the appearance of blemishes.

Size: 1.5 ounces / Shades: 1 / Key ingredients: Centella asiatica, glycerin / Finish: Luminous / SPF: 25

• Pros: Reduces appearance of redness and blemishes; weightless finish
• Cons: Extremely limited shade range

Celebrity makeup artist Jamie Greenberg swears by this vegan CC Cream for mature skin, thanks to its special technology that visibly blurs fine lines, wrinkles, and pores for a smooth, natural-looking canvas. Glycerin and vitamin C work to hydrate skin and add luminosity, while SPF 40 offers protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays. This Thrive CC cream has a range of 18 buildable shades and features one of the darkest offerings on the market—and that’s no coincidence. “It took three full years of development with scientists, dermatologists, and ophthalmologists to work around the scientific limitations,” says Glamour contributor Tanisha Pina. “The result? They created an unprecedented process that adds color to the zinc and titanium dioxide to not only accommodate an inclusive range of tones, but to ensure that the cream wouldn’t leave a white cast on skin.”

Size: 1 ounce / Shades: 28 / Key ingredients: Vitamin C, flaxseed extract / Finish: Natural / SPF: 40

• Pros: Blurs fine lines and wrinkles; impressive shade range with color-adapting coverage
• Cons: Thick consistency

Think of Nude Glow as the original CC+ Cream’s more luminous little sister. “Nude Glow takes it to a more radiant place, with a little less coverage,” says beauty expert Alexis Androulakis, comparing the two. “It’s my personal preference that I go to more frequently—I just like it on the skin—and I’m definitely more of a radiance gal.” It delivers true medium buildable coverage in a formula that’s part skin tint, part glow serum, for an enhanced luminous finish. But don’t mistake luminous for sparkly; instead, CC+ Cream leaves behind a natural glow for the perfect no-makeup makeup base.

Size: 1.08 ounces / Shades: 22 / Key ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, green tea extract / Finish: Luminous / SPF: 40

• Pros: Buildable coverage; glowy finish
• Cons: Not ideal for oily skin types

This is a CC cream and BB cream hybrid with micro-capsule technology that seamlessly blends to match your complexion—truly one of a kind. “The product goes on white and then smoothly transitions into beautiful, feathery complexion coverage that matches your skin tone,” Grayson says. “It’s the perfect product for anyone looking for a buildable product that feels like you’re wearing nothing at all.” It features true medium coverage that can be built up or sheered out as preferred and imparts a satiny finish that’s virtually undetectable—though it’s worth noting the finish is adaptable depending on how it’s applied.

Size: 1 ounce / Shades: 15 / Key ingredients: N/A / Finish: Satin / SPF: 30–50 (depending on shade)

• Pros: Buildable coverage; skin-like finish
• Cons: Fragranced with essential oils