Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream vs. Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream {Review}

Pros: Very hydrating, both contain natural sun protection, light coverage, paraben free
Cons: Very lightly tinted, both do not offer much coverage, both have scents, not enough shade options

I’ve decided to review both CC creams simultaneously today as they are similar products, sold at many of the same locations for about the same price.

What Are CC Creams?

Before I dive into the review, I feel I need to readjust certain expectations. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a CC cream after trying BB creams. I’ve read that CC creams are supposed to be more powerful and cover more than a BB cream. But neither of the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream or Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream are like that.

I don’t think either of these CC creams are meant to be a stand alone product. Both creams reviewed today behave more like a primer than a BB cream. In fact, I think these are more like a tinted moisturizer should be than how current tinted moisturizers behave. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for a TM to dry out my skin, but that’s been my experience.

The CC creams are very lightly tinted and sheer. So sheer that they don’t cover much at all. I think both are similar to the Urban Decay Naked Skin Beauty Balm in that you have to continually wear the product to see the benefits.

If you are looking for a single multi-purpose product to cover everything, these CC Creams are not it.

If, however, you are looking for a multi-purpose product to help with skin issues and prime your face, these may be what you need.

Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream

Rating: A
Price: $15.99
Shades Available: Light, Light-Medium
Weight: 1.7 fl oz
Where to Buy: Your local drugstores, big box store, Yes to Carrots

I really love this product and have been really happy with its performance. What’s great about this product is that it is widely available at stores. I picked up mine at Walgreens and got it discounted with a Rewards coupon.

There is a whole promotional section for the CC creams that give you more info on how to use the products. It seems that Yes to intends it to be used as either as a primer or moisturizer.

Claims

Yes to claims that there are 7 benefits to using their product. From the company:

• Provides instant and natural coverage with natural pigments
• Helps correct skin tone
• Increases luminosity and radiance with evodia fruit
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
• Protects SPF 18 broad spectrum
• Moisturizes and keeps skin supple and fresh
• Promotes smoother and softer looking skin with grapefruit

The company also states that it is the first natural CC cream with 95% natural ingredients. Kind of an odd claim, in my mind.

There does seem to be at least one discrepancy with the product’s claims. On the product promotional/informational page, it is mentioned that CC creams are used for, among other things, controlling oil, but on the Q&A section of the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream – Light the company responds that the product has not been clinically tested for oil control. Wat.

Packaging

The packaging is a no nonsense, matte plastic tube with a pump dispenser. It’s not winning any aesthetic awards, but it does the job.

Formulation

I think this is the first product I I’ve tried where I haven’t worn moisturizer underneath. The promotional section does recommend that those with dry skin mix it with a moisturizer, but I haven’t felt the need yet. We’ll see what happens after Winter Comes.

Overall this is a great, light and non-greasy formula with few potentially drying ingredients. It does contain some alcohols and silicas, but they are mostly at the bottom of the list. Two of the top ingredients are sunflower and sweet almond oils.

Be aware that there is a light scent to the product (fragrance is listed in the ingredients). I personally think it’s pleasant, but some find it off-putting.

The Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream also offers natural sun protection. It’s listed as SPF 18 broad spectrum with 3.2% zinc oxide and 2.9% titanium dioxide.

Shades

The CC Cream comes in two shades, but it doesn’t matter much since it is nearly transparent. I was in a rush and accidentally bought the darker shade of Light-Medium and had to make an exchange for the Light. Knowing what I do now, I would be tempted to keep the darker shade to see if it contains more pigmentation.

The Light shade is a neutral color with slight yellow undertones.

Fortunately, I don’t usually need a lot of coverage, although I’m still hesitant to use it alone. But it’s not going to cut it as a stand alone product for those who do require some semblance of coverage.

Application

I find using a cosmetics sponge to be the best method of applying the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream. A foundation brush tends to leave a streaky finish. Otherwise, the product absorbs quickly into the skin.

As mentioned earlier, I prefer to use the CC cream as a primer. I don’t bother with a moisturizer. I apply straight to clean skin, then follow up with a BB cream or TM. I’ll go over any potential dry spots with light dabs of argan oil or moisturizer. Depending on which BB cream or tinted moisturizer I’ve used, I’ll finish off with a light dusting of powder, avoiding potential dry spots.

When I have tried the CC cream alone, I haven’t bothered with powder.

Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream

Rating: A
Price: $11.98 USD
Shades Available: Fair to Light, Light to Medium
Weight: 1.7 fl oz
Where to Buy: In Drugstores and big box stores, Alba Botanica

After trying and loving the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream, I was uber excited to learn that Alba Botanica had released their own CC cream. I knew I had to have it.

I’ll mention that I found it for twelve bucks ($11.98 technically) at Walmart. That’s just a steal.

Claims

The CC cream claims to be a 6-in-1 product. From the box:

• Evens
• Corrects
• Brightens
• Protects
• Hydrates
• Smoothes [sic]

Packaging

Like the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream, the Even Advanced CC Cream is packaged plainly. The nondescript green tube offers a bit more control over product dispensation than the Yes to Grapefruit pump dispenser.

Formulation

The formulation of the Even Advanced CC Cream feels nearly identical in consistency to the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream, even though they contain very different ingredients. This product is slightly heavier and contains more oils like crambe abyssinica seed, orange peel, soybean, rapeseed, and shea butter, though most are closer to the bottom of the list.

One thing I like about the Even Advanced line is the inclusion of algae extracts–Marine Complex is how Alba Botanica refers to them. I took a marine biology class years ago in college, and while I’m a little leery of Alba Botanica’s claims, I like looking at the ingredients and recognizing the various algae. For some reason I was really good at identifying seaweed.

There is a light, sorta fruity, scent to the product, but there does not appear to be an actual fragrance added. The tube states that there are no synthetic fragrances.

The Even Advanced CC Cream also offers broad spectrum sun protection. It is rated as SPF 15 with 4% zinc oxide and 3.5% titanium dioxide. This is actually a higher percentage of zinc and titanium dioxide than the Yes to Grapefruit version, yet that product has an SPF 18 rating.

Shades

Again, there are only two light shades available: Fair to Light and Light to Medium. The Fair to Light shade is a neutral color with slightly pink undertones.

Unlike the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream, this product does have a noticeable tint and covers better, but it’s still far sheerer than a tinted moisturizer.

At least the Even Advanced CC Cream owns up to the fact that there’s little tint:

Instantly, it delivers tone correcting advanced skin care and almost undetectable light coverage.

Application

As before, I prefer to use a cosmetics sponge to apply the CC cream–as opposed to a foundation brush–and apply it the same way as the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream.

It is slightly more drying than the Yes to version, but not enough to need a moisturizer on a usual basis.

Comparison

As I mentioned before, the two CC creams feel very similar in terms of consistency and coverage. They both have the same product weigh, are paraben free, and contain a light scent.

Swatch comparison of Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream and Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream

Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream has a slightly yellowish undertone while the Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream has a slightly pink undertone. But it doesn’t matter because both are neutral shades and, more importantly, apply very sheer.

Sorta blended swatches of Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream and Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream

After using both products, I think that my skin does look better and more luminous. Overall, I’m happy with both CC creams.

Final Thoughts

The Alba Botanica Even Advanced CC Cream just barely edges out the Yes to Grapefruit CC Cream with more coverage, no synthetic fragrances, and a lower price point.

But really, it is a toss up. Both are great products at economical prices.

If you keep in mind that these CC creams do not have the coverage of foundation or a tinted moisturizer, and are more of a skin care product than a cosmetics one, you’ll see their value.

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