Recently I have started to use BB cream rather than
foundation as I have found that using foundation every day for work has made my
skin oilier throughout the day and therefore making me more prone to breakouts.
BB creams aka beauty/blemish balms are similar to foundations as it provides coverage
for discolouration, blemishes and acne scars (I would probably even say it
provides better coverage than most everyday wear foundations out there). However
unlike foundations, BB creams have skin regenerating properties that help
soothe and repair the skin. So if you’re like me and have sensitive and fairly
acne-prone skin, then BB creams are probably the best everyday wear option for you.
BB creams seem like the perfect miracle right? An all-in-one
skincare and cosmetic product! No wonder almost every skincare brand is coming
out with their own version of BB cream.
Though all BB creams provide both make up and skincare
benefits, not all of them look or feel the same on. Although I have not tried all
the BB creams out there in the market (because there is just way too many!), I
have tried some based on the good reviews.
Swatches: Dr. G, Missha, Skin79, Estée Lauder, Biotherm (from left to right)
Here is my review on a few of the BB creams that I have
tried:
Dr. G Hydra Intensive Blemish Balm SPF 30:
AUD $32.00 purchased from sasa.com
A lightweight BB cream that even the lightest layer provided me a very natural, smooth & flawless finish. You can build up the
coverage but I prefer not to as I love the natural finish it gives me. The colour blends in with your natural skin tone and most importantly it did not make me
look too pale (unlike some BB creams out there). I even let my friends at work who have different skin tones try this BB cream out and they were very satisfied with the colour and coverage it gave them. Another bonus is that throughout the course of
the day, it did not make my skin really shiny/oily
at all yet provided me with enough moisture. The best thing about this BB cream was that it did not make me feel
as if I was wearing a thick layer of makeup. Loved this one!
Missha Signature Real Complete B.B Cream SPF 25:
This BB cream was way too
pasty and grey and a bit too dark
for me. Though it provided good coverage, it felt quite thick when I put it on.
Overall what put me off was just the
colour of this BB cream.
Skin79 Super Beblesh Balm Triple Functions SPF 25:
I just had to try to this BB cream as I have heard so many
good reviews about it. This BB cream is very similar to the Dr. G BB cream in the sense that it provided me with a natural
& flawless coverage. The colour
was good as it blends in with your natural skin tone and does not make me look too pale. Most importantly, it was wearable throughout the whole day as it
did not make my skin shiny/oily. However it was slightly a bit richer in texture compared to the Dr G. so if you have a very dry skin type, this would be perfect for you. The good thing about this BB cream is that it has triple functions; whitening, UV protection, and wrinkle improvement. Definitely a good buy.
Estée Lauder DayWear B.B SPF 35:
Brought down from my Aunt who lives in America. Not available in Australia yet however you can purchase from ebay.com
I was really looking forward to using this as I had read
really good reviews on it however it was quite a disappointment. Because the
texture of the BB cream was so thick, it made it incredibly hard for me to blend
it in. It almost felt like I was rubbing my face too hard because it just would
not slide or move across my face. Most BB creams are very dewy and allow you to
slide the BB cream on easily however with this Estée Lauder BB cream, I could
not blend it in easily because the consistency was just too thick and dry. The
coverage was not that great too and had to use a lot more BB cream than I would
usually use. The colour of this BB cream was another disappointment. Even
though I got the lightest shade (01 Light), it was still a bit too yellow for
me.
Biotherm B.B Cream White D-Tox SPF 25:
Purchased from Myer
Biotherm counter AUD $49.00
The Biotherm BB cream was my first BB cream I ever started
off with because at the time I was using Biotherm skincare products so I
thought I might as well try their BB cream out. What attracted me to buy this
was the good coverage. Because I had never tried any BB creams before I was
quite happy with this for a while but over time I realised, it made me look really shiny only an hour or so into
the day (especially in the T-zone area). Even though this is an oil free
product, it seemed to make my skin oilier
during the day therefore clogging up my pores and causing breakouts. I
found that every time I wore this, I couldn’t wait to come home and wash my face
because it just felt so oily.
Overall most BB creams are probably a better alternative to
foundation in terms of every day wear. They all provide some type skincare
benefits (including sunblock and moisturizer), blend in effortlessly (no need
for brushes - just use fingertips), and provide good coverage.
My favourite BB cream so far?
Definitely the Dr. G as I prefer the lightweight texture, coverage, and colour it gave me. I will continue to repurchase this one unless I find another BB cream that is
better (and I will let you know when that day comes).
