Long time readers will be aware of the fact that I have something of a love/hate relationship with Bellabox. When they flop, they flop hard. But when it’s good, it’s magical. And I had a truly magical experience earlier in the year when they sent their subscribers a whole ass ELF Cosmetics Camo CC Cream. A product that is a) almost double the value of the box. And b) something I’ve been meaning to get my hands on for a long time as it is a fan favourite product amongst my blogger friends. It was even one of your picks to go into my June/July makeup stash. I’ve spent the last few weeks playing with it and I have so many thoughts. Let’s get into it!
ELF COSMETICS CAMO CC CREAM – $35.00 – elfcosmetics.com.au
(30 shades available)
We will start with the packaging. The Camo CC Cream is housed in a sleek, squeezy tube style. There is a clear section which shows the shade. But otherwise, the tube is black and multichome silver with white and black detailing. I do like this packaging because even though this is seen as a dupe product (the IT Cosmetics CC Cream in particular), it doesn’t look like a dupe. Similar style of packaging, but the comparisons stop there visually. The Camo CC Cream is vegan, cruelty free, and contains 30g of product.
The product is dispensed via a pump mechanism. The pump itself is plastic. Which normally I wouldn’t like. But this one seems very sturdy and stiff. And it dispensed a good amount of product. My one complaint with the IT Cosmetics CC Cream pump was that after a while, it would begin to leak out the sides. I am yet to experience that issue with this one.
The Camo CC Cream has 30 shades in the line up. Which is impressive considering (and I apologise for the constant comparison) the IT Cosmetics only has 22 shades in their range (and that was from Adore Beauty. Sephora only had 14). The shades are divided up into Fair, Light, Medium, Tan, Deep, and Rich. And the shades are also divided up into undertones. Specifically Warm, Neutral, and Cool. Overall, it’s pretty well balanced. But I would love to see some future expansions in the cool categories.
As I got this through a subscription box, I didn’t have the luxury of picking my 100% correct shade. I ended up choosing shade 210N. Which is the second shade in the Light category. It’s an ok match. But definitely a shade that would suit me better in the summer. As it leans a little peachy on me at the moment. If I had a choice, I would probably have better luck with either 150C or 205N.
The consistency of the Camo CC Cream is pretty on par with a lot of the CC Creams that I’ve tried over the years. Thick, easy to spread out, and not drippy at all. This was a breeze to blend out with a brush or my hands. But I especially loved the finish I got with my Mecca Max Blending Sponge. Which has been my sponge of the moment.
The Camo CC Cream is described as being a medium to full coverage with a natural finish. I definitely agree on both claims. While I do have to blend this down my neck to get a proper match, once blended, it does look very skin like. There is a natural radiance with this and it feels so comfortable and lightweight on the skin. There are also a few skincare benefits to this CC Cream. The formula includes Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid and Peptides to help even out my skin tone, lock in moisture, and refresh my skin respectively.
One more thing before I get into the wear test, the Camo CC Cream is promoted as containing SPF 30. Now, this is something that I’ve mentioned before. But this is important, so it bears repeating. This product is not approved to be used as a stand alone sunscreen by the TGA in Australia. Also, the recommended amount of sunscreen you should be wearing every time you apply is a 1/2 teaspoon. I use maybe one and a half pumps of this for my whole face. Please wear sunscreen underneath products like this always.
Well, got that off my chest, on to the wear test. And I have to say, this is one of the better CC Creams that I’ve come across in my time. It does actively get better on my skin the longer I wear it. Having said that, I have two gripes that I do want to bring up. Firstly, as you can see in the picture, I do get a little glowy throughout the day. I would be curious to see how my oily skinned friends go with this one.
The second is a little weird. I noticed a few days into wearing this that it was rubbing off around the corners of my nose. Which is the first time that has ever happened to me. It happened no matter what I did. I set it with loose powder, I baked it, I used the Milk HydroGrip Primer. Every time, it rubbed off. You can’t tell in the above picture. But I definitely saw it in person. It’s not a 100% deal breaker. But it does bump this down from an A+ to an A-.
Overall, nose issues not withstanding, I do actually give the Camo CC Cream a thumbs up. And I do happily recommend it. Especially if you’re on the hunt for a product that is low effort for maximum reward. Have you tried the ELF Cosmetics Camo CC Cream? Let me know in the comments below.
Cheers and love
Emily xo