This season's biggest beauty hit
Every season we're presented with the latest must-have beauty product. However, it's been a while since we've had something as inspirational as the BB Cream.
BB Cream (aka Blemish Balm, Beauty Balm, Beauty Benefit) is not a total newbie to the beauty arena - it originated in the 1960s when German dermatologists designed the cream for post-cosmetic surgery skin to protect and sooth whilst offering subtle coverage while the skin healed.
However, thanks to some savvy Asian celebrities, BB Creams have now achieved iconic status throughout Asia (they contribute to 13% of the make-up market in South Korea), and they're now being adopted wholesale worldwide.
With a similar consistency to tinted moisturisers, this multifunctional treatment provides moisturise, primer, colour, sunscreen and wrinkle and blemish treatment all in one handy tube. Combined with its nurturing properties and light reflective coverage for eliminating redness and uneven skin tones, BB creams overall reduce the amount of daily products, time, and expense required for getting ready while leaving your skin feeling and looking better than ever - sounds pretty good doesn't it?
Although BBs are moisturisers, it's still important to continue to stick to your usual skincare routine, minus the moisturiser for normal to combination skin. (Just a little note however - this is really not a suitable product for oily skin.) In terms of application, you don't need to use anything larger than a pea-sized blob as a little goes a long way. From experience, I find that the best finish comes from applying with a foundation brush as the consistency is heavier than tinted moisturiser, so a brush makes blending easier and the finish more even.
Start in the centre of the face and blend out, using a little extra on imperfections. Also one piece of advice - do not try to colour match on your hand - BB creams work by adjusting to the pigmentation on your face so sampling a shade on your hand will only scare you off (orange alert!). This is definitely one to try on the face, trust me!
Here are my top BB creams.
Dior Hydra Life BB Cream SPF 30 PA +++
As soon as I applied this BB cream I knew I was going to love it, satiny smooth with a fairly neutral smell and medium texture, this one glided onto my skin easily and was the most impressive in terms of evening out skin tones, especially those mid-week tired eyes.
This is a must if evening out your skin tone is your priority, and the strong SPF ensures that dark spots and freckles are kept at bay. Additionally it wasn't overly-moisturising, making it the best option for those of us who have combination skin.
Estee Lauder Day Wear BB Anti-oxidant Beauty Benefit Cream
Calling all fans of Estee Lauder Day Wear - you're going to love this! A lovely addition to the Day Wear family, this BB cream has that signature cucumber scent, and with its copious anti-oxidant helpings, it's great for city workers.
The consistency with this BB is heavy, but the coverage is still fairly sheer so apply with a sponge or brush to make it easier. Overall, this BB combined with the light reflective pearls leaves your skin looking radiant and refreshed throughout the day.
Garnier Skin Perfector Blemish Balm
At only £7.49 this BB is perfect for budget beauty fans or those of you who would like to test the water before making an investment. The consistency with this one is lighte,r but still has a nice rich texture that delivers a lovely dewy finish. However, I did find that this BB took a while to dry, so probably best to apply with time on your side, and it's only really suitable for dryer skin types.
Origins Perfect World BB Cream
Origins has done it again, combining their wonderful 'A Perfect World' technology to create this delightful BB Cream that will have all beauty fans flocking. One of my friends actually asked if I had 'had any work done or something' and upon my admittance to this far less drastic option, she immediately went out and purchased her own.
The consistency is similar to the velvety skin serum in the range so it is easy to apply and smells lovely. The super anti-ageing properties boost dull skin and minimise pores. Available in 6 shades, it's worth noting that the colours are darker than normal, so I wouldn't recommend this for pale/fair skintones.
