Friday, December 21, 2012

How I've Missed You ... (BB CREAM!)

all so much! I'm so sorry for the HUGE delay in updating my blog posts! Life has been insanely hectic lately and I'm sans computer so I'll do the best I can until I get a new laptop!
Zoe - 11 months old!

Well Merry Christmas just about everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the holiday seasons and that Santa will be good to you! My little Zoe will be 1 on the 29th and I just cannot believe how fast this last year has gone by! I'm so grateful to any of you that are still out there reading my older blog posts and that will continue to read my newer ones and for being so patient with me! Zoe has had me running around so again, I apologize!




Without any more delay ...

BB CREAM!

I know, it's been talked about. Every brand and their mother makes a BB Cream now and its on all the shelves of drug stores, beauty stores and even at the high end department store counters. Here's a real quick synopsis of what the hell BB Cream actually is for those of you who've missed the boat and then I'll tell you about my favorite one!

BB Cream stands for a variety of things. In East and Southeast Asia where it began its popularity, it stands for Blemish Balm or Blemish Base. In the Western markets, where I'm sure it is unnecessary to say BB Cream has gained popularity, it's widely known as Beauty Balm.

The real wonder of the little tube is its multi-use abilities. It is designed to be an all in one product. It is intended to replace serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock, essentially saying all your skin care, makeup, and sun protection in one little tube.

While I LOVE my BB Cream, I disagree personally that it can replace ALL of these items. First and foremost, while it may be a substitute moisturizer for some and maybe more useful in the summer, it doesn't pack quite enough moisture for drier skins, especially in the winter.

Serum? I don't think so. Serums are SO personal. There are so many out there for so many different skin concerns and one BB Cream universal for everyone aside from 3 different shades cannot replace any and every serum. If you are using a basic serum and have younger skin, it may be good enough, but in general, don't kick your serum out yet!

It can certainly replace foundation has it is opaque and helps fade blemishes, redness, and discolorations. However, unless you have pretty flawless skin, it only DIMINISHES! It doesn't hide true problem areas, it makes them fade out a little.

In my opinion, the BB Cream makes for an excellent primer/lightweight concealer. It fades my redness, diminishes my dark circles, and makes any pimple less noticeable. It also does hydrate my skin as far as primers go, but I still use a regular moisturizer morning and night, but for a little kick-start of hydration before applying my makeup, it's perfect!

It, of course, is a wonderful sunblock as long as it is worn daily and has a decent SPF, though most major companies distributing BB Cream to our stores have included an SPF so that's not a big worry when shopping.

Dream Fresh BBMy personal favorite is Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream. It comes in 5 shades online, but you'll generally find 3 in stores: Light, Light/Medium, and Medium/Deep. Most people will fall into the Light/Medium shade. If you are very fair with pink undertones, go light and if you are tan, especially with an olive pigment, choose Medium/Deep.

At Target or Walmart, it's generally around $7.50 and at Ulta, it is $8.99, but with their coupons, especially if you're buying a few other things, they can offer a better deal.




2 comments:

  1. in your opinion what is the best foundation brand that can be bought in grocery or drug store. (something that is not too too expensive.) I need something that provides GOOD coverage and is not too drying. my skin gets very dry, but after starting on birth control, i started to break out so I also need something that won't clog my pores. I have tried a few different brands, just tried covergirl clean and it did nothing... i think it made me break out more while not really covering much. I am using almay now, the one with salycilic acid in it and it is alright....i just feel like it doesn't cover well. I still see all my imperfections/breakouts. I use a moisturizer and it doesn't seem to matter if i use tinted or regular. I also have used a variety of primers. sooo If u have any suggestions on foundations that would be great!

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  2. Thanks for your question! My favorite drug store brand foundation is Revlon ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex. It's for combination/oily skins and it says it lasts 24 hours which is pretty damn accurate! It's the closest I've found to MAC foundations in coverage because that's my number one concern. Any foundation, especially inexpensive ones, can be drying or clog pores without applying primer first. Primer helps hold your makeup on longer and give it its best look, but another super important feature is that it acts as a barrier between your skin and makeup to help avoid clogged pores. If you don't want something drying and breakouts are a concern, I'd go with the BB cream I wrote about in this post. It's AMAZING and will work perfectly with the Revlon foundation. Hope this helps :) Feel free to write back if you have any other questions.

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