Which New ‘CC Cream’ Stands Up to Summer’s Humidity?

A few years back, my mom returned from a trip to Asia wielding little tubes that she touted as the latest thing to hit the foundation category: BB (“blemish balm” or “beauty balm”) creams. Back then, these were the latest facial potions that promised to do it all: fight blemishes, protect skin from the sun, moisturize, deliver skin-brightening antioxidants, and even serve as a cover-up, thanks to their lightly pigmented tint, all while sounding like a whimsical ice cream treat. From that moment onward, I remained loyal to the BBs — well, until CC creams, with the same lulling repeated letters, sauntered onto the scene. In short, CC creams, which stand for “complexion corrector” or “color corrector,” are next level, the love child between BB and anti-aging creams. They help address problems with redness, provide anti-aging benefits, give off a “dewy glow,” and everything else BB creams already do.

Since it’s summer, I was looking for a one-stop product, something that was light enough to feel like I wasn’t wearing a mask in the humidity, that would offer decent coverage, and maybe even hide my under-eye bags. I have a medium-tan skin tone with yellow undertones that turns shades darker as the weeks of summer progress, but this tanning isn’t always uniform. I wanted to make sure that my neck and face were evenly hued. My skin also tends to go oily by the end of the workday, so the goal was to find something that would prevent my face plunging into a greasy abyss by 6 p.m. I tested fourteen different products, all in pursuit of the newest facial potion that could do it all. Click through the slideshow to see which cream came out on top.