No7 Youthful CC Cream

# of shades: 2
RRP: £14.95

--What does the promo say?--
"The 'CC' in CC Cream can stand for different things for example Colour Corrector, Complete Correction or Complexion Correction. The key benefit that all CC Creams deliver is a beautifully even Complexion by correcting uneven skin colour and pigmentation. Our new No7 Youthful CC Cream is a Complexion Corrector- it's a great multi-tasking product which combines giving you a beautifully even skin tone with anti-aging benefits. Just like our BB Creams it's great for those lighter coverage days or as an additional beautifier alongside your normal foundation/ skincare routine."

--Packaging--
The white and silver combination provides a futuristic finish and the squeezy tube and screw-top lid are both practical.

--Application--
Apply to clean dry skin. Theoretically, concealer, powder and moisturiser shouldn't be necessary, but a primer may be necessary due to its sheer coverage (more of which below).

--Appearance and coverage--
Unfortunately, as this only comes in two shades, the fact that the lighter of the two shades does suit me is probably down to luck. As mentioned, the coverage is quite sheer, meaning that a) you may need a primer to prevent it from sliding off, and b) if you have blemishes, concealer and powder may still be necessary for you. However, it does add radiance, which is important for deflecting attention away from blemishes and fine lines.

--Scent--
Nothing discernibly bothersome.

--Texture and consistency--
This product has a smooth consistency that blends well. As it does only provide light coverage, I tend to apply two coats, and the product stands up to this very well, with this not leading to a sticky or caked-on feeling in the least.

--Longevity--
As mentioned, it depends what you wish to apply before or afterwards. On its own, I suspect this wouldn't do too well.

--Effects on the skin--
A non-irritating product, but it doesn't seem to have any especial healing qualities either.

--Value for money--
Tricky one. It's not a terrible product in itself, but I struggle to see what additional purpose or gap in the market this serves beyond what's already done by tinted moisturisers. My research earlier this year showed that CC creams should specifically not only do the work of BB creams in terms of actively healing blemishes, but should also 'correct' (hence the C in the name) by way of having different tints available for different purposes, such as green to neutralize redness, pink to counteract dullness, and so on. Unfortunately, as with many Western BB creams, this perfectly serviceable product has just jumped on the latest fashionable bandwagon by slapping a new label on what is essentially just a tinted moisturiser, and using it as an excuse to hike up the price tag*: I wouldn't mind, but No7's tinted moisturiser is over £3 cheaper. My advice? Buy that instead (it even comes in 3 shades instead of the CC cream's mere two).

*Should probably say that No7 is not the only brand guilty of this. Most Western CC creams are just overpriced tinted moisturisers with a different name. Buy Asian instead to get the genuine article.

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