CC creams follow alphabet cream craze

As expected, the BB cream trend that took the beauty industry by storm in 2012 is giving way to a new player in the world of alphabet creams. Enter CC creams.

CC creams, or "color control" creams, already have been getting some buzz within the beauty industry, and now these creams are increasingly popping up on mass market shelves.

Procter & Gamble began shipping in December its Olay Total Effect CC, or Color Correction, Cream. Total Effect CC Cream fights the seven signs of aging to correct fine lines, wrinkles and age spots, and covers to provide a flawless complexion.

Hard Candy, whose products are sold exclusively at Walmart, announced earlier this year the launch of its CC Créme.

As anticipated, Lumene entered the segment with a CC cream under its Time Freeze line. The 6-in-1 foundation is light and designed to spread evenly, following all contours of the skin and smoothing out uneven skin color and redness. The result: semi-matte, flawless and even-looking skin.

More recently, L′Oréal Paris and Almay jumped aboard the CC Cream bandwagon.

Positioned as the next generation of multi-tasking beauty — color and tone correction in one multi-action makeup — is L′Oréal Paris' new Visible Lift Color & Correct Cream. Ideal for mature skin, the new Visible Lift CC cream contains sheer color capsules to correct and even skin tone for a brighter complexion. It also features vitamin C and calcium for antioxidant protection.

Like a BB Cream, Almay's new Smart Shade CC Cream combines the benefits of skin care and makeup, but works even harder to color correct. According to Almay, in as little as two weeks, users reported improvements in clarity, texture and brightness of their bare skin. It also helps prevent future damage with broad-spectrum SPF 35 protection.