CHANGED MY LIFE: IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream!

Welcome to my new ~weekly~ column, “CHANGED MY LIFE” which will feature a new life-changing product for each post. (PS I’m looking for guest writers for this column! Email me: thedirtybeautyzara@gmail.com). 

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“Should I feature dry skin brushing for this week’s ‘Changed My Life’ or should I feature “It Cosmetics CC+ Cream?” I asked a group of girlfriends just yesterday. We were sitting by the giant window in the back corner of The Wing (the Soho location) deep diving into pressing and political subjects like Italian food in New York City and the nuances of Vegan Cream Cheese.

“It COSMETICS CC+ CREAM!” The girls sang in unison.

“It actually changed my life!” Dayna a tanorexic-smokeshow-vixen shouted.

“Mine too!” Chirped Harriet a bohemian-olive-skinned-pixie-dream-girl.

“Me. Too.” Declared Isabelle a porcelain-skinned-power-journalist in her (very) early twenties.

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream it was!  

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Now before I deep dive into WHY this goddamn product has been so utterly life-changing to moi — I need to tell you something very, very important: I Have Bad Skin. My skin is my number one vanity insecurity and it has been since I had my first bout of acne at the tender age of 12.

Evidence: Zara in High School.

I tried everything to scare the acne demons away. I cut bangs. That was a disaster. Not only is this face too round for bangs but they were greasy by homeroom, rendered wet and frizzy thanks to their lovely hormonal elixir.

Then the acne made it’s way across my cheeks before crawling down to my chin.

Like all Jewish girls from the tri-state area, my mother sent me to a “The Best Dermatologist On The Upper East Side.”

“You must go on Accutane.” Dr. Pretty Skin told me, her epidermis gleaming from botox and chemical peels.

“What are the side-effects?” My mother asked, suspiciously.

“You might become suicidal.” She said, her voice as frozen as her face.

I thought of how embarrassing it would be at my funeral for my parents to tell everyone I slit my wrist over zit medication. Drugs or heartbreak would be one thing — but an acne preventive pill? 

By the time I was 24 the acne demon was finally gone, burned away from years of retinol and acids and invasive laser treatments I’m still paying off.

But the scars lived on.

Evidence: Nasty Scars Beneath Makeup (ALSO please don’t ask me why I’m dressed as Snow White. It’s a long story). 

Deep, pitted acne scars still take residence across my cheeks. Not to mention I have a very sexy hyperpigmentation mustache due to years of invasive lasers.

I need heavy coverage — only the kind of foundation that’s strong enough to cover my hyperpigmentation intensifies my deep pitted acne scars. I always feel like I need to choose between my exposing my wildly unattractive un-even skin-tone or exposing the un-nerving peaks and valleys scattered across my face. It’s a real Sophie’s Choice.

I’ve tried everything. Mineral makeup. Full coverage cream foundations. Light shimmery liquids (the worst). Matte full coverage powder foundations (also the worst). I finally accepted that I would never find the right foundation. I accepted that I would spend the rest of my time spent in the sunlight wearing glasses that covered up most of my face. I accepted that I would only ever go on dates in dimly lit restaurants, the kind with flickering candles that flatter even the most weathered of faces.

Until. IT COSMETICS CC CREAM!

I had heard the bloggers yap about it, but bloggers are usually like doll-faced twelve-year-olds, and I’m a woman, OK? A real goddamn woman. But one day I was traipsing the aisles of Sephora, “Praying” by Kesha blasting through my headphones when I decided to give IT COSMETICS CC+ CREAM a whirl. I chose the one with the pink branding because it had the words “illuminating” on it, and I love a dewy moment (though a dewy moment doesn’t always love me. It usually highlights ye ole’ scars and pores).

I applied it clumsily with the tips of my fingers and braced myself before gazing into the mirror. I fully expected to look like the Grim Reaper, especially in the cruel fluorescent lighting (when will makeup stores get it together with the freaking lighting!?).

Hand-to-heart, I could not have been more impressed. Even with my clumsy application, my skin looked pretty damn good?! I was blown away by the coverage! I was blown away by the fact that despite the coverage the finish still looked light and youthful! Mainly, it was as if it glided right over my scars, rather than settling inside of them, like a rabbit resting in a hole.

Evidence: Me wearing this shit in the harsh AF Malibu light. 

It was love at first application.

I bought it in the shade “medium-tan” (I was going on vacation to the Bahamas and the Israeli in me tans quickly. However in the winter I use “medium”). I had never been so gleeful to spend $39. Ever. If you have problem skin and find something that works for you, you understand the depth of a beauty find such as this.

I wear this foundation every day of my life — and guess what? As an acne-prone woman, it’s only improved my skin (the company does claim the product was developed by dermatologists and plastic surgeons — and based on a year of perpetual use, I definitely believe it). It also has SPF 50 — and most importantly of all, it’s cruelty-free, PETA approved. Not even I, fucked up skin and all, need makeup SO BADLY that precious animals should be tortured and tormented for my goddamn acne scars to be camouflaged.

NOTE: It is not vegan. It does contain snail secretion filtrate. Sigh. I’m doing my best!

I’ve tried the matte edition of the product — which is lovely, but it’s not the same (for me). I swear by the illuminating version because this is the only product that has allowed me to have a luminous finish without highlighting my flaws, which is super exciting to me. When I first start wearing it my friend Ruba asked me if I got botox, that’s how shiny and smooth I looked!

(NOTE: I’ve never had botox though, I’m down to try. Message me at thedirtybeautyzara@gmail.com if you want to give me some on the house! You know I’ll write about it. Purr.)

Now everyone close to me uses this product and they all claim it’s changed THEIR LIVES. Including my girlfriend! Look at us glow!

And personally, babes, I have a hunch that you could use a little life change. Add a little ~glow~ to the dismalness that is everyday life. Add a little ~superficial confidence~ to your repertoire because all of these self-help books are getting a little exhausting, aren’t they?

Buy this product on The Dirty Beauty Amazon shop. (Everything in there is DIRTY BEAUTY approved, by the way.)

And tell me what you think. Talk “beauty” to me, baby. MEOW.

For the record: I am not being paid a dime to write this piece. I’m writing this because I think it’s girl/gay boi code to share beauty secrets. Karma will kick you in the teeth if you withhold beauty/style secrets. 

Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!  Contact me at thedirtbeautyzara@gmail.com!