I am really getting old. When I first read about a ‘BB cream’, for some reason I seriously thought the ‘BB’ meant Best Buddies … goodness!
After looking at these BB creams, I still couldn’t figure out what they were. Even after reading about them, I still didn’t really get it. An all-in-one product, really? I decided to go straight to the source and ask Matt of BBCreamQueen.com to help me and all of those who don’t know what BB creams are.
So Matt, what are BB Creams anyway, and why are they becoming so popular?
BB Creams stand for Blemish Balm Creams, they are in essence a cross between make-up and skincare products. More precisely, they are make-up creams with skincare properties. They can serve as a make-up base or foundation. Not only do they cover blemishes, they also have soothing, healing properties.
I think they are so popular because they are very versatile. They can cut on the amount of products you use during your daily routine as most BB Creams also act as moisturizers and sun block, some others even having other properties on top of that like anti-aging and/or whitening.
How are BB creams different from foundation?
Unlike foundations, BB creams not only cover blemishes but also contribute to the well-being of your skin. Like mentioned earlier, BB creams have various properties that traditional foundations lack. Also, BB creams adapt to the colour of your skin, giving a more natural, fresher look to your face.
What are the benefits of using a BB Cream?
There are various benefits. Instead of applying moisturiser, sun block and then your foundation, you can just use a BB cream, thus cutting down on time and the amount of “layers”, which should always be kept to a minimum. Also BB creams can overtime play a role in the overall well being of your skin, unlike traditional make-up products.
BB creams are also useful on days when you don’t feel like putting heavy make up on but still want your skin to look flawless. Just apply BB cream and you are set. They are great for giving that natural yet fresh and tidy look.
Thanks so much, Matt! Safe to say I’m convinced. I will be researching, looking and definitely reviewing them in the future. Has anyone tried any BB creams yet? Do you have a favorite to recommend? :)
After I bought Laura Mercier’s Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer, I came home to find that I had actually finished my usual concealer. Instead of stocking up with my old one, I decided to go to LM to purchase their Secret Concealer.
Plus, on the day I bought the tinted moisturizer, the lady put this on me and once again, it looked flawless!
Laura Mercier Secret Concealer is a moisture-rich concealer designed specifically for under & around the eye area to conceal discolorations and dark circles.
I’ve been using Laura Mercier’s Secret Concealer for the past few months now, and while I like it, I don’t know what I’m doing different than the lady, because I feel it doesn’t cover as well as when she applied it on me. Sigh! It’s a great concealer – very creamy and easy to apply, but somehow it doesn’t cover serious dark circles like mine.
If I were to compare it to another concealer I like; such as Benefit’s famous Boi-ing, I prefer this formula way better – the texture is amazing and goes on much more smoothly, yet I feel Boi-ing gives better coverage. I still decided to write this post because my friend adores it, and for those who don’t need too much coverage (this is only for under eye circles, by the way) I think it would work great. One little con, however, like all Laura Mercier products, it’s on the expensive side.
I know LM has a huge following. Does anyone use this concealer? What are your thoughts on it? I contemplated this concealer and the other one they have available; so maybe the other one is better suited for darker eye circles? Let me know what you think of LM concealers!
Prepare for more organic and eco-friendly talk here, ladies! Just last month, I had a “moment” and decided once and for all to get healthy and start being ‘green’ – it’s been a month now, and so far so good!
This change had me exercising, eating right, and trying to do more for our environment. One of the things I’ve also been doing is researching on organic makeup, when I was introduced to Aubrey Organics, specially their translucent base, and I have fallen in love with it!
Feather-light, loose base powder blends with your own skin tone to even out color, soften imperfections and give your complexion a healthy glow. Formulated with rich, nourishing powdered silk and natural colors.
Coverage
While it’s not full coverage, it is a very light, sheer base that can go on top of your foundation. So far, whether you layer this on top of foundation or by itself, the result is flawless. It gives a nice, sheer, yet matte finish to your face, and I didn’t really see any shine to my face the whole day – I didn’t feel a need to get out those annoying-but-life-saving oil blotters!
I know this may be an issue to some, so I gotta say it: Although there are different color shades; there is hardly any color, as it is so fine and translucent.
So really, there isn’t a real need to worry if you got a color that looks a little too light or dark, it goes on very translucent like an invisible veil; so the more coverage you want, the more layers you can apply – I really can’t see it caking or looking too “done”.
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I had been hearing so much about this tinted moisturizer, that I finally hunted it down and found a small shop that sells it last December.
My friend and I went to the store and asked to try some on, and we immediately went insane! Our skin looked flawless. We were pretty much broke by then, so the next day we went back to the store. I got the oil free version, though, because anything with oil makes me run for the hills.
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer – Oil Free is a sheer, lightweight, buildable foundation that can be worn by all skin types but especially those with acne prone, sensitive or oily skin.
Hydrating, oil-free formula softens skin offering a healthy glow. Helps to prevent excess oil from setting on the surface of the skin. Controls oil breakthrough while providing hydration to prevent dryness. Buildable coverage for those hard-to-cover places. Offers further protection from UVB rays & harmful effects of the environment with an SPF 20. Ideal for troubled skin.
First of all, I really like this product. In fact I love it! However, when writing this review, I made a list of pros and cons, and the cons do outweigh the pros. What I love about it is what the company said themselves: it is sheer, lightweight and gives a beautiful dewy, natural look. I also love how it stays on all day and the SPF is of course, a big bonus! One small gripe I have with it, is that though I love the ‘dewy’ look it intially gives, that changes to ‘oily’ after awhile, (though I think it’s because of the climate here) unless you apply a layer of loose powder over it.
However, I can’t really get over the price. This thing is expensive, and while I don’t use it everyday (or much of it each time), buying it here is too much. Since it’s imported, they have marked up the price and the only place it is sold here is a small boutique, which adds more to the price (from what I can see from prices online).
I’m torn! I really love this product but I refuse to spend almost $90 for each tube; I’m sure I can find something just as good for less.
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This is Part 1 of Make up 101, a series of posts for beginners on how to apply makeup. You can read the rest of the series here.
Foundation is used to even out the complexion and cover imperfections for a flawless look.
This is the basic ‘universal’ 3 step way to apply foundation, it’s not always the best for some! For example, I skip foundation all together and use powder and concealer, with some days only concealer – I absolutely hate the feeling of having stuff on my face, I have very sensitive skin that is prone to reactions and breakouts. So experiment and do whatever feels best for you, and what you feel comfortable in.
If you already have good skin, you could go very lightly on these steps or skip it completely and just try a tinted-moisturizer. (Lucky you!)
Application:
- Moisturize skin and let it sink in. (I swear by Clinique’s famous one!)
- Squeeze a small amount of liquid foundation to the back of your hand.
- Using either a brush, a sponge or your fingers, dab lightly into your foundation to pick up the product. Don’t take too much!
- Begin at your forehead, spread the formula in the finest layer possible. Then proceed to your nose, cheeks and chin. Blend, blend, blend so it doesn’t look obvious.
- Take your concealer and either with a brush or your fingers, dab a bit of product under your eyes and wherever needed (discoloration, blemishes, etc).
- To set your ‘look’, tap a large fluffy brush in translucent powder and lightly apply it all over your face.
That is a very simple, basic application for all three products; foundation, concealer and loose powder. I know in today’s crazy makeup selections there are powder foundations, stick foundations, cream concealers, stick concealers, and the whole works – but the basic in application is that whatever type of product you use, it’s always foundation first, then concealer, followed by powder to set it all!
Important: I cannot empathize this enough: Blend! Nothing is worse than seeing a concealer stripe or your foundation obviously ending before your jawline. Blend your foundation so it looks like your skin!
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This impulsing buying has got to stop! Especially since I am broke in the first place!
I passed The Body Shop the other week and saw their stand for their new Nature’s Minerals mineral makeup range and had to take a closer look.
A lot of mainstream brands are starting their very own mineral makeup lines, and The Body Shop is no different! The range includes Foundation, SPF25, Cheek Color, Eye Color, and a Foundation and Eye Shadow Brush.
The prices were pretty affordable, and I thought I should try out their mineral foundation and see if it lived up to it’s wonderful claims:
A premium, up-to-the-minute loose powder foundation, made from minerals. Long-lasting, blend-able powders act like a veil to help defend the skin against sun damage with SPF 25. Ultra light powders apply evenly and blend easily for a radiant, natural-looking complexion. Effectively reduces the appearance of redness, imperfections, blemishes and visible pores.
Without being long winded, I’d say it lived up to its claims, but short term only. I’m not too sure about the whole covering “imperfections, redness, blemishes”, but it did make pores seem smaller and my skin looked smoother. What I liked the most about the powder was that it is extremely light and natural – I hate putting heavy stuff on my face for fear of breakouts! The powder gave a very matte look, which I liked a lot.
However, after awhile it seemed to make my face shine quite a bit, but it wasn’t as bad as some others I’ve tried. Also, so far, no other reactions or complaints other than the minimal shine. (I mentioned this in my post on the pros and cons of mineral makeup.) I wouldn’t call this the best mineral foundation, but it was pretty good, no real complaints here!
So if you’re looking for a powder for full coverage, this is probably not for you. But for those who want a very natural “veil” on the skin so it looks smoother and clearer, I’d say this is a good, affordable choice!
Has anyone tried this? What do you think of mainstream mineral makeup brands?
The mineral makeup business today is booming! While most of the brands used to be lesser-than-known cult brands, now major drugstore brands like L’Oreal, Maybelline and Revlon are housing mineral makeup collections.
So what’s the big deal about mineral makeup?
I tried out mineral makeup for a number of reasons. One, because I heard it was non-comedogenic and good for sensitive skin. It was music to my ears! I absolutely hate putting anything on my skin, and have always avoided foundation and powders for fear it’ll look and feel too heavy, and make me break out. But still, I felt like I needed a little overall coverage for my skin, and to control shine in this hot climate I’m living in!
Anyways, I am definitely no expert as I’ve only tried 3 brands so far; Pure Luxe Cosmetics, The Body Shop Nature’s Minerals and Everyday Minerals. I also tried Bare Escentuals from a friend very quickly before washing it all of! (More on these brands later!)
With my experiences with Mineral Makeup being so-so, and hearing about many others negative reactions, I decided to really dig deep and see what the real pros and cons of mineral makeup were. Here’s what I found.
Note that the mineral makeup I am talking about are their powder foundations only.
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Hello and welcome! I'm Renee and I created this site to combine my love for writing, the web, and of course all things beautiful. ;) You can find out more 