I have talked at length here about my love for no-makeup makeup. I’m not a huge fan of foundation and sometimes find that even tinted moisturizer is too “makeup-y” for me. This winter, I discovered NaturaBissé’s The Cure. I fell in love with it. Anti-aging ingredients, SPF, sheer coverage, and a self-adjusting tint that works whether you are pale or tan. It’s amazing. When I wear it, my skin looks like my skin… just a little bit more dewy, radiant, and glowy. I featured it here in this post but felt guilty as man, it’s expensive (the tube lasts forever but it’s $185). Enter Dr. Dennis Gross’s Instant Radiance Sun Defense. This stuff is just as good – it makes my skin look perfectly glowy and radiant (and has SPF 40)… for $42. I know, I know… $42 certainly isn’t a bargain, but when compared to a $185 product, it is much better.
Both products deliver that no makeup/genetically blessed sort of skin. I can’t say enough good things and as much as I adore The Cure am so happy to have found a reasonably priced alternative that I can comfortably recommend.
PS – I know you will ask… I’m still looking for the drugstore equivalent to this and have yet to find it. In the meantime, the L’Oreal Lumi Cushion is my favorite drugstore non-foundation-foundation. It’s nice + sheer, and totally weightless… but a totally different product than these as it’s a cushion and not a cream… and it does not have SPF.
I need to try this – thank you!
I hope you give it a try – I’m obsessed! xx
Oooh – as a Natura Bisse fan I gotta try this.
I think you’ll really like it if you like The Cure. Keep me posted if you do try it!
Love! Please do more splurge/save posts… sometimes the products you feature are just too expnesive for me.
Noted – thanks for the feedback!
It would have been nice to see pictures of you wearing each so that we could see the products in action.
Hey Marisa, Noted! For these, both products sink right into your skin – the difference is pretty negligible and would be invisible. I don’t really do much swatching here unless it’s a true color cosmetic, like a lipstick or an eyeshadow. I’m wearing the Natura Bisse in this post: http://thestripe.com/2016/08/little-white-dress-2/
and the Dr Gross here: http://thestripe.com/2016/08/diane-von-furstenburg-jenn-dress/
Good post! The natura bisse is a little dark for me – is the Dr gross lighter?
It is, actually! And it’s a little bit warmer. Both products self-adjust though… you may want to go into Sephora or Nordstrom and try it on (or take advantage of Nordstrom’s amazing return policy online :))
Hi Grace,
Have you ever used Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturizer? If you have, I’m curious how the Dennis Gross would compare. Thanks!
Hi Elizabeth, Yes I have! I love it. The coverage on this is very similar, the big difference being that it is self-adjusting vs. a specific shade. So this one shade works on a variety of (pale skin). I’ve also noticed that this has a very small amount of shimmer + light reflecting particles, which I really appreciate as I always like to look glowy + radiant. But LOVE the Laura Mercier product too. Hope this helps! xox
I also don’t really care for foundation and just take really good care of my skin. I used to use the Laura Mercier, which as you know is a cult favorite and very good. It’s about $42 also, not too crazy and the tube lasts a long time. I currently use just the Bebefit Porfessional really just in my t-zone, as I have large pores. It’s a bit dry, but good for summer and oily skin( mine isn’t really anymore) it does have a slight tint and leaves a smooth power day finish. I’m going to to try the Dr. Gross one. I can really justify the other. Thanks for the tips! How does it compare to No 7 that you like?
Hi Cy! Ooh – I love Benefit Porefessional as well. It really does a great job with large pores son the nose.
The No. 7 that I love is actually a foundation – so it’s very different. I really only use that for a big event… I prefer tinted moisturizer during the day. 🙂
Ooh! I will definitely have to try the Dr. Dennis Gross when I’m out of foundation! I need sunscreen everyday and most foundations with SPF don’t have a very high SPF!
Let me know how you like it! As an aside, it’s more like tinted moisturizer than foundation. So you may be disappointed if you are looking for something with foundation-like coverage. That being said, this will give you the perfect no-makeup glow. 🙂 xx