Best IT Cosmetics Setting Cream Dupes

• About
• Latest Posts

Find me

Alizabeth Swain

Certified Makeup Artist at Glamour n Glow

Alizabeth believes any beauty lover needs solid basics to fall back on when all else goes wrong. She thinks too many people are caught up in all of the new stuff, so she wants to help you find your favorite basics you can always count on! Her personal collection of makeup expands to many rooms in her home, having spent thousands and thousands of dollars over the years!

Find me

Latest posts by Alizabeth Swain (see all)

• Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation Review: Why I’ll Never Trust Beauty Influencers Again - September 16, 2023
• Tarte Knockout Tingling Treatment Review & Guide - July 11, 2023
• Best IT Cosmetics Setting Cream Dupes - March 21, 2023

The IT Cosmetics CC Cream is my number one high-end foundation. I know, I know. It isn’t technically a foundation. But girl, have you ever tried out this CC Cream? It applies and covers just like a full-coverage foundation does! If you’ve ever tried it out, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

I’ve worn this CC cream for my courthouse wedding (I got married during COVID), I’m going to wear it during my wedding ceremony, I’ve worn it during concerts, maternity pictures, and so many other significant life events. I LOVE this CC cream! 

But, my love for the IT Cosmetics CC cream wasn’t always there. I stayed far away from this product for a few years, mainly because of the hefty price tag.

I also had heard from new prominent beauty bloggers that this CC cream wasn’t great for anyone with oily skin (spoiler alert: they were wrong). Many years later, the IT Cosmetics CC cream and I are in a committed relationship.

Unfortunately, I know not everyone can afford the big lump sum of this CC cream. Even if you can’t (or don’t want to) afford $44 for a CC cream, you can still afford all of the beauty it offers! I’m done gatekeeping. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of my favorite CC creams and makeup foundations that give me the most similar results to the IT Cosmetics CC cream. Here are my favorite dupes! 

Bottom line up front

Based on coverage and oil control alone, the Rimmel Stay Matte Mousse is my favorite drugstore dupe for the IT Cosmetics CC Cream. 

All About the IT Cosmetics CC Cream

Please allow me to introduce to you the IT Cosmetics CC Cream. Dare I say, perfection? 

If you need to be updated on all of the makeup lingoes, CC cream is a color correction cream. While this isn’t technically a foundation, it still provides the same effect that foundation does to reduce uneven skin tone and any redness and hide discoloration on your skin. 

I had tried many other CC Creams before and always hated them. They’re usually pretty oily and don’t offer any coverage. Talk about icky. But you’re getting more coverage with the IT Cosmetics CC cream. I get buildable coverage that lasts all day, doesn’t settle into my pores, and keeps my skin lightweight. 

I will either use a Beauty Blender or a foundation brush to apply this foundation to my skin. I’ll use a foundation brush when I’m looking for super full coverage. I’ll use my Beauty Blender for days when I only need a little coverage. It gives me lighter coverage, but I can still cover up all my dark spots and redness.

I love how natural my skin looks when wearing this CC cream. Technically, this is a full-coverage concealer, moisturizer, and foundation with 50-plus SPF coverage and anti-aging serum inside it.

There are a lot of great ingredients inside of this formula that are beneficial to your skin’s health, which we should all expect, mainly because IT Cosmetics is a brand that works closely with plastic surgeons to formulate products to your skin loves. 

Ingredients in IT Cosmetics CC Cream

A couple of super essential ingredients inside the IT Cosmetics CC cream make it stand out from many other foundations. These ingredients are: 

• Snail Secretion Filtrate, which is an ingredient is derived from snail mucus and is known for its hydrating and anti-aging properties. It helps to improve skin texture and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I feel like this ingredient alone is what makes such a huge difference in my skin whenever I wear this CC cream. 
• Hydrolyzed Collagen is a form of collagen broken down into smaller molecules, making it easier for the skin to absorb. It works to plump up the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Peptides are short chains of amino acids that help to stimulate collagen production in the skin. They help improve skin elasticity and firmness (it’s like doing your skincare routine while wearing your foundation). 
• Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that helps to brighten the skin, reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, and improve the skin’s barrier function.
• Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is a powerful humectant that helps to hydrate the skin by attracting and retaining moisture.
• The IT Cosmetics CC Cream is also infused with several antioxidants, including vitamins C and E, to protect the skin from environmental damage and premature aging.

Some of these ingredients may sound like a crazy thing to put on your face, especially stuff like snail secretion filtrate.

But I swear I see such a difference in the glow of my skin whenever I take this foundation off. It feels like I’m doing some high-end skincare routine every time I take this CC cream off because I noticed such a massive difference in my skin’s breakouts, firmness, and brightness.

How I Chose These CC Cream Dupes

Before we get any further, we must talk about how I chose the dupes I picked out. The tricky thing is that not all of the dupes I’ve included will be as good for your skin as this IT Cosmetics CC cream is.

Since there are so many high-end skincare ingredients inside the OG formula, we must sacrifice some of these ingredients to save money. 

So, I’ve chosen these CC cream dupes based on various factors. I did not consider the ingredient list one of the primary focuses during my selection. If a formula I’ve included here has beneficial ingredients for your skin, that is a bonus. 

Coverage

The most important thing I considered when choosing these CC cream dupes is the coverage of the dupe product.

The most impressive aspect of the CC cream from IT Cosmetics is its excellent coverage. I prefer products with buildable coverage that look like I’m wearing a full coverage product without it being too heavy or cakey on the skin.

So, all of the recommendations I’ve made here are total coverage products, or they have buildable coverage.

Affordability

Spending even $20 isn’t very affordable for some people. Especially with the current economic outlook, saving money in any area you can is important. Most foundations or dupes I’ve listed here are under $15. 

Shade Range

Every skin tone deserves to feel beautiful, so I only included dupes that include all skin tones. If a product offers affordable options and full coverage but doesn’t cater to a large selection of skin tones, especially deeper ones, I should have included them in this list.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation 

• Coverage: 5/5
• Pricing: $
• Dupe accuracy: 8/10

The Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation is my favorite drugstore foundation. This foundation is my second favorite foundation of all time, right next to the IT Cosmetics CC cream. This is a full-coverage matte finish, but I love how lightweight the feeling is.

I love how easily this foundation blends out and gives a smooth, even finish. Even when I’m not wearing any pore-filling primer, I don’t have problems with this foundation settling into my pores or fine lines. 

Even better, it’s super cheap! I’m talking under $10 cheap. Plus, I love the mousse texture on my skin when I apply it at first. It feels like it melts into my skin!

My favorite about this foundation is how matte it is. It has all-day coverage and keeps my skin matte and fresh all day (even though I have super oily skin). Rimmel claims their Stay Matte Liquid Mousse foundation covers 99% of all skin tones in the United States. 

The only bad thing I have had with this foundation is that if you tend to put on a thick layer while also trying to put powder on top, it gets cakey very quickly. I highly recommend using a beauty blender when applying this foundation because the liquid inside will thin the foundation enough not to cause cakiness. 

This foundation is great for everyday wear, but it has the coverage and wearability to be great for many special events. This foundation is very comparable to the coverage offered by IT Cosmetics CC cream and its wearability.

The textures of these two foundations are very different, as the Rommel stay matte moose foundation has an area feeling when first applied. But both of these foundations are pretty lightweight, and I don’t have any problems with cakiness or settling when I wear them. 

E.l.f. C.C. Cream 

• Coverage: 3/5
• Pricing: $
• Dupe accuracy: 6/10

Who doesn’t love e.l.f cosmetics? Even though they’re one of the cheapest drugstore brands, there’s so much to love about their products! Their CC cream is another excellent dupe compared to the IT Cosmetics CC cream, mainly because it is cheap!

This CC cream is a great multifunctional cream because it gives you hydration, protection from the sun, and color correction all in one formula.

This formulation melts into your skin and is super lightweight. The texture of this product is very comparable to the feeling of the IT Cosmetics CC cream because of its thick creamy texture.

It provides more medium coverage, but I’ve always found that the coverage with the CC cream is buildable, mainly when you use it with a beauty blender.

Off the bat, it doesn’t provide the same coverage for redness and blemishes as the IT Cosmetics CC cream does with one coat. However, once you start building up the range with the e.l.f. CC cream, the final coverage between the two are very comparable.

I really like the final look of the CC cream because of the slightly dewy glow that this CC cream has. This glow will last you all day long, even when your other foundations or CC creams leave you with greasy skin. I’ve never had issues with the CC cream making my skin look extra oily throughout the day. 

 Also, this CC cream contains 30 SOF, which isn’t as much as you find in the IT Cosmetics CC cream, but it still provides protection against the sun. 

Maybelline Dream Urban Cover Foundation

• Coverage: 3/5
• Pricing: $
• Dupe accuracy: 7/10

I think the Maybelline Dream Urban cover Foundation does a great job of covering up a lot of redness and texture in the skin while providing a full day’s worth of coverage. I love this foundation’s ability to blur any fine lines, uneven skin tone, and pores.

I think Maybelline did a great job of creating a formulation That provides a natural-looking finish without it being shiny or greasy. This is another foundation that I would highly recommend to any oily skin gal that wants a drugstore full-coverage foundation that contains the necessary 50 SPF.

 Even better, I love that this foundation doesn’t transfer. I have never had to set this foundation to make it transfer-proof, so it takes fewer steps in my daily routine when I’m wearing this foundation for me to get ready. 

The only downside with this foundation is I don’t consider it an exact dupe because of all of the Skin Care ingredients it’s lacking.

There are nearly no benefits to using this foundation for your skin, but it does do a great job in every other department. I think it’s a really nice addition to your foundation collection, considering it’s usually priced around or under $10. 

Neutrogena Clear Coverage Flawless Matte CC Cream

• Coverage: 3/5
• Pricing: $$
• Dupe accuracy: 6/10

I think the Neutrogena clear coverage Flawless Matte CC cream is a great option for anyone who struggles with acne-prone and oily skin. All of Neutrogena’s foundations and CC creams are non-comedogenic, which basically means that there aren’t any ingredients in the formula that will cause your pores to clog.

 I think this CC cream is a great due before the IT Cosmetics CC cream because it does provide decent coverage, but it contains beneficial skincare ingredients.

Inside the formula for the CC cream, you can find niacinamide, which is a great ingredient to brighten up the skin and fight against breakouts. You’ll also find that the feeling of this CC cream is incredibly lightweight, but it does provide full coverage.

 I think this is a great option for anyone who has sensitive skin and is struggling to find a dupe that doesn’t contain any fragrances or oils.

This does have a matte finish, and it does a beautiful job of blurring any and all imperfections on the skin. I have never had any issues with breakouts when wearing this CC cream, and I can get at least 14 hours of wear out of this CC cream with no signs of oil or cakiness.

My favorite part about the CC cream is how expensive the shade range is, with a whopping 34 shades available. 

FAQs

Best IT Cosmetics Setting Cream Dupes: Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of Foundations or CC creams out there that I would really compare to the IT Cosmetics CC cream.

I feel like that is a really good thing to say about the OG formulation because it just goes to show how unique and amazing it is. While all of the formulations I listed above are great dupes, I wouldn’t say that any of them completely replicate all that the IT Cosmetics CC cream is capable of. 

 Ultimately, I would say if you’re really looking for a full coverage Foundation or CC cream, it’s going to give you all-day wear; I would highly recommend the Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation. It definitely won’t leave you disappointed!