Gonna add to the pile of Sims without CC... but I do use a couple sliders, like 1 jawline one and 2 lip ones maybe, though.
https://i.gyazo.com/06e298b30e02611c79c9eb8af6a9bfc3.jpg
Really don't get the pudding-face thing in your own sims. Townies, sure - they all look kind of bland unless the sliders mess up.
Now, comparing Sims 4 sims to Sims 3 sims? 3 doesn't hold a candle to 4, and I'm not sure everybody knows why, so here's some knowledge...
As far as I know, in the sims 3, you are always going to be changing the same basic face. The eyes, nose, mouth, jaw, cheeks; those are all the exact same model, no matter the preset you choose. It's literally like playing with clay where you can't add or take away any clay, simply push it around. In the sims 4, every Sims' faces are like a bunch of puzzle pieces put together; the pieces being the eyes, nose, cheeks, chin, and jaw. When you choose different presets, the 3D models of the face are swapping out for other 3D models. (That's also why sometimes you see gaps inbetween facial features - some of the 'puzzle pieces' fit together better than others.) The face is fundamentally changing, but it doesn't in the Sims 3.