There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
On Trial: Thrive Causemetics Buildable Blur CC Cream
The Tester: Latifah Miles, a foundation hoarder desperately in search of the perfect match.
The Brief: I think I’ve been searching for the perfect foundation since I was in high school. Every time I think I meet my match, it somehow gets away.
After a favorite foundation of mine had been discontinued, I became a self-professed foundation mixologist in a very desperate attempt to recreate its shade. With three different bottles of brown formulas opened at once, I was spending at least 10 minutes each morning adding dabs of each one to my face to create a blend that actually matched my skin. Not only was this time consuming, but mixing different foundations together was not doing my incredibly oily, acne-prone skin any favors.
But what is the perfect foundation anyway? For me, it would be a liquid, oil-free formula that covers my dark spots but doesn’t make me look oily. It would be able to match my deep brown skin tone while also neutralizing my yellowish, warm undertones. And most importantly, this dream foundation wouldn't make me choose between having healthy skin and full daily coverage. This is when I met the Thrive Causemetics Buildable Blur CC Cream.
During a recent beauty product sale, I decided to snatch up as many foundations as I could, take them home, and see if I’d find a love match. Shuffling through my loot of about 15 different options, the teal bottle of Thrive Causemetics Buildable Blur CC Cream in the color Rich with warm undertones stood out upon first use. As it turned out, this was the light, airy, perfectly colored foundation that I’d been searching for.
Packaged in a tube with a pump at the end, it doesn’t seem like it contains much product, but a little goes a very long way. On the days that I want to have a light, quick face that serves I woke up like this, one-and-a-half pumps of this CC cream create a pretty sheer layer of coverage. On evenings out with my friends, when I want to slay, two full pumps offer a full-coverage finish that isn't cakey or overdone. I was instantly impressed with how customizable my experience could be every time I used the product.
Thrive Causemetics Buildable Blur CC Cream contains a blend of color-adjusting pigments and vitamin C, which work hand-in-hand to blur my oversized pores, dark spots (thanks, adult acne), and fine lines (thanks, motherhood). The fact that the brand lists every shade with different undertone options tells me that they know what they are doing and totally get it when it comes to the nuances in skin colors.
Buildable Blur CC Cream Deep Espresso
Buildable Blur CC Cream Rich Warm
Buildable Blur CC Cream Beige Golden
Buildable Blur CC Cream Light Medium
The added broad-spectrum SPF 35 keeps my face protected from the sun without giving me that ashy look that sunscreen tends to leave behind. The oil-free formula means that my face feels the same as it did when I left the house in the morning, which is a major plus for me.
Thrive Causemetics is dedicated to creating beauty products that are vegan, cruelty-free, and won’t suck the life out of your skin after each use. I love that the brand oversees their production operation in their lab in California so that they can ensure that every product meets all of their standards.
Closing Argument: I can’t overstate how challenging it can be to find the right foundation shade as a brown-skinned woman, especially when it comes to brands that don’t necessarily cater to my community. It was a welcome and delightful surprise to find a foundation that is my exact color, protects my skin, and keeps my oiliness at bay.
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Latifah is the former parenting editor at BestProducts.com, where she spent her time researching and testing the latest, greatest, and coolest products created to make parenting a breeze; her work has been featured on Cosmopolitan, Romper, and Elite Daily.
