As with so many beauty trends, this one started in Korea. A decade ago, skin perfecting ‘miracle creams’, named after seemingly every letter of the alphabet, exploded onto that market, promising to be the ultimate fusion of skincare and makeup. The idea eventually filtered to the west, where we took it and ran it, well, into the ground. First we had BBs , then CCs (colour correcting)… we made it all the way to before we ran out of steam and got completely over these alphabet creams. They were too gimmicky and too confusing – how were they different enough to foundation to be worthwhile, and what was so wrong with tinted moisturiser, anyway?
In the ten years that have passed since these creams first became mainstays, two key elements have fundamentally shifted the types of face base products we have available. Firstly, technology has improved immensely, and secondly, our skincare obsession has reached dizzying new heights – meaning we want to keep adding ingredients that benefit the skin in the makeup stage, and often prefer to show off the results of all that hard work rather than covering it up. With more ‘non-foundation foundation’ options available than ever before, we present our guide to some of the very best.
When you’re having a smug good skin day
This tint incorporates technology that is downright fun to use. When you pump the fluid out onto your hand, you’ll see tiny spheres of pigment suspended in a serum-like base. You then run the (included) brush through it and blend it out onto the skin, where the spheres burst. It feels cool and refreshing on, thanks to its incredibly high water content, and perfects things very subtly. Even with acne, which I always want to keep covered, I still get joy out of using this. I don’t reach for it when my skin is really playing up, but if my active spots are calm, this works a treat, with the addition of a concealer to cover old red scars. Ideal Saturday-at-the-farmers-market skin.
When you need proper coverage (or don’t really want to let go of foundation)
On the other end of the spectrum, we have these two products in a tie. If you prefer a full coverage, or want to dip your toe into the non-foundation waters but still really want to feel you have makeup on, these are for you. The key differences? The Hourglass version has a slightly more refined, grown up feel and finish, very much like you’ve applied a fancy foundation, while the IT CC cream really can’t be beat when it comes to creating properly juicy-looking, radiant skin. Both are so heavily pigmented you only need a very small amount and won’t require any additional concealer for dark circles under the eyes or redness around the nose, with the possible exception of a tiny dab over only the most violent of spots.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the has become such a cult product that they have expanded the family. There is now , which, while labelled matte, still gives a pleasingly healthy-looking gleam, and which is much more about the obvious sparkle (owing to the inclusion of mica, those tiny glittery particles), so might be best used either at night or by the young magpies among us.
