This CC Cream’s Reviews Are Blowing Others Out of the Water. Here’s My Honest Review.
Main image – Courtesy of writer
If you’re a fan of Korean skincare you probably would have heard of Erborian. It’s a French-Korean fusion brand (yep half Korean, half French – could skincare get any better?), known for combining cutting edge technologies with hundreds of years’ worth of knowledge and traditions.
Having been a huge fan of the Erborian BB Cream for a few years now, I have been keen (read: desperate) to try the brand’s reformulated CC Cream (£38 from Boots UK /$46 from Ulta US).
Image – Courtesy of writer
Apparently, one’s sold worldwide every 12 seconds, and it’s also been hailed as a ‘holy grail’ product by some for its natural coverage and supposedly magical colour correcting abilities. Which is right on cue because now winter is here, I need all the colour correction and evening out I can get.
My skin is very oily, more so than when I reviewed the BB Cream (thanks hormones), so perhaps a more lightweight CC cream like this would be a better fit for me than a thicker balm. At this time of year, I need coverage without heaviness, an even, natural finish and ingredients that are kind to my skin.
Will Erborian’s CC Cream deliver? Keep scrolling to find out.
Product details
The Erborian CC Cream comes in two sizes – a 15ml (at a cheaper £19 from Boots UK /$26 from Ulta US) and the 45ml full size that I’m trying. It boasts encapsulated pigment technology to magically adapt to your skin tone.
Having said that, there are still six shades available in the UK: Porcelain, Clair, Dore, Caramel, Deep and Rich. And three available in the US: Claire, Dore, and Caramel. But more thoughts on the shade range later.
Not silicone-free (so if you’re using a primer with it, you may need to experiment with which formulas play nicely with this), it promises to leave a dewy finish, offer light coverage, even out the skin tone, improve skin texture and provide 24-hour hydration thanks to hyaluronic acid.
@erborianusa feeling: unstoppable ??? #erborianusa #viralmakeup #makeuphacks #koreanskincare
It also contains honey, vitamin E and Centella asiatica which is known for its soothing properties. Best still, it also contains SPF (factor 30 in the UK and factor 25 in the US version).
The product was first launched over 10 years ago but reformulated earlier this year to include more active ingredients, as well as new recyclable packaging.
You may ask though, what’s the difference between the BB Cream and CC Cream (and I wouldn’t blame you)? Well, they both provide coverage to the skin but have a lighter, more natural finish than a foundation.
BB stands for ‘blemish balm’ which is slightly thicker in texture and incredibly hydrating, while CC stands for ‘colour correcting’ and aims to even out redness and dark spots.
How I tested it
I wanted to use this consistently to see what difference it made to the quality and hydration of my skin, so I wore it every day for 10 days after cleansing and applying my daily serum.
As suggested by the brand, I didn’t apply moisturiser with it as I have oily skin so I didn’t want to overload my skin. But if you have dry skin, you can still apply moisturiser beforehand.
First impressions
As I squeezed the cream out onto my fingers, I was surprised to see that it was white and looked like a normal light weight moisturiser (in fact, its look and texture reminded me of the La Roche Posay Effaclar K (+), plus they have similar packaging designs).
I could smell its scent straight away and it’s lovely – a really comforting, cosy sort of smell that makes you want to apply more than you should. I was instantly a big fan.
The instructions suggest applying it with your fingers, which I don’t usually like doing as I find it too messy, but I did as I was told this time. I did, however, squeeze the cream directly onto my face before blending it in as I didn’t want the colour change to be jeopardised if I were to rub the cream between my fingers first.
As soon as I started massaging it into my skin, the colour magically changed from bright white to a natural beige pigment (shade ‘Clair’) – apparently my perfect match – and it moved around my face seamlessly, smoothly and evenly. It still smelt incredible – if not better now that it was on my skin.
What struck me was how un-stressful applying it was. You know how sometimes you’ll be blending in a foundation you haven’t tried before and instantly start questioning all of your life choices? You spiral thinking, “oh God it is not blending in,” and “this is so not my shade but I’ve started so I’ve got to finish.”
I didn’t get that with this, because applying it was just a breezy, pleasurable experience with instant results, zero stress and the perfect shade match. I really, really enjoyed applying it and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the finish was also second to none.
My results
I don’t think my skin has ever looked so even than when I’ve used this. In winter, I experience redness around my nose, and this CC Cream expertly conceals it. I also have quite a prominent dark spot on my left cheek and this too gets satisfyingly blurred out thanks to the CC Cream working its magic.
What I really love though is that the finish is so natural – not cakey or heavy. I feel better knowing I am wearing something that gives me good coverage but that is more lightweight than an often-cloggy foundation. It honestly just feels like a really gorgeous moisturiser, with benefits.
And can we just talk about the glow? Now, it’s been well documented in my reviews that I have oily skin and that I dread seeing the words ‘illuminating’ and ‘dewy’ on products because my skin type needs absolutely no help in that department (and not in a good way).
This CC Cream did scare me a little when I first stood back and looked at the finish. Don’t get me wrong – natural, flawless coverage – tick! Redness/dark spot hidden – tick! Hydration – tick! But dewy glow ? Quadruple ticks…
Image – Courtesy of writer
“Uh oh”, I thought. “This is going to be a disaster for my skin type.” Because if it was this dewy at first application, what was it going to be like in a few hours when other ‘radiant’ products typically start sliding off?
It was indeed very glowy, but luckily said ‘glow’ massively calmed down within minutes and instead of a few hours later wishing I’d never even looked at the tube, I was relieved to see that what had transpired on my skin was in fact a natural, non-greasy radiance which I was really happy with (I may be oily but I don’t want to be completely matte either).
Image – Courtesy of writer
I also noticed that my forehead in particular had been smoothed and evened out to the point where I had to actually look for my (usually very) prominent deep-set lines inherited from my grandmother. After 10 days of wear, the coverage, the finish and the right amount of radiance all last for most of the day and with very little need for touch ups. Yessss.
As you can tell, I’m a massive fan then. And just to get ultra mushy, the final thing I love is that this CC cream just feels like a big warm hug for my skin. I can’t quite describe it but since using it consistently my skin has felt comfortable, hydrated and just kind of of cocooned in goodness.
What other users are saying
Unsurprisingly, this CC Cream is a hit online. But if we have to talk criticism, one of the main ones is that you might need to be careful about the kind of primers you pair it with. “It doesn’t work well with silicone primers, you’ll need a water-based skin routine under it,” writes priyanka22591 on Reddit; a comment that others agreed with.
The other criticism (and one I wholeheartedly agree with) is that the shade range is too limited. “The main thing for me is the limited colour choice,” says SuncreamAndIceCream. “I only use it in summer when I’ve got a bit of colour, otherwise even the light one is too orange on me.”
Obviously this product is meant to cleverly adapt with your own skin tone, and for me it does. And this is also more of a problem in the US, where the brand has yet to launch all six shades (you can see why in their TikTok below) – however I still think even six shades is a little limited.
@erborianusa Keeping it real, forever and always? Here at Erborian, we aim to always foster an inclusive, uplifting and welcoming environment for all of our community members. We promise we are working long and hard to expand our iconic CC Cream range and cannot wait for you to see what we have in store ?? We see you, we hear you, and we are so excited for the future! To stay up to date on our product development journey, check out USA.Erborian.com for the latest information. #erborianusa #cccream
I got lucky with my shade pick but as soon as I get a bit of colour in the summer, I may need to re-think – the jump from ‘Clair’ to ‘Dore’ is huge.
Overall value for money
£38/$46 is quite steep but the way I look at it is that you’re getting a moisturiser and base in one product here. And the skincare benefits are worth every penny in my opinion.
If you’re unsure, opt for the smaller size first at £19/$26 and then if you love it, you can splurge next time.
The takeaway
I think it’s fairly obvious how I feel about this CC Cream. I could only find one tiny criticism (its limited shade range) – and that’s saying something because I am one picky oily skin type.
It’s not something I would necessarily wear on a night out or when I want to look super glam as I need a bit more coverage for that, but it’s a brilliant option for the everyday, when I don’t want to look caked in makeup and just need flawless coverage quickly. I don’t feel at all self-conscious when I’m wearing it either like I sometimes can with a full coverage foundation.
The skincare benefits are just the icing on the cake really. My skin feels hydrated, soothed and well taken care of since using it. Must be the Korean-French effect.
Get Glowing!
