BB Cream, or Blemish Balm, started out in Asia and recently trickled to the states. It is the ultimate multi-tasking product because it has moisturizers, skin treatments for acne and anti-aging, sunscreen (usually SPF 25+), and a hint of color.
Slap that on and your whole skin care and foundation routine could be done in one step (I like to use moisturizer under mine simply because my skin is so dry). Some lucky ladies will be able to call it their concealer, too.
If you enjoy more coverage than the BB Cream provides, the product can act as a primer for your regular foundation and you’ll still be able to reap all the benefits, from the sunscreen to the anti-aging ingredients. It’s designed to be worn as makeup or under makeup, so you shouldn’t run into problems when you layer it.
The only negative to the product is the lack of a range of colors to choose from. Most of them are light-medium beige. Salespeople may tell you that it’s a “one color (or handful of colors) fits all” product since it sheers out and melds with your skin.
I had a good experience with one cream, but it was slightly too dark (I’m very fair). The woman who sold it to me told me she likes to wear the same one—in the same, single color option—and she had dark skin. She did mention that she likes to wear it under her normal makeup, though, so that may be how she makes it work for her.
No matter what your shade, you could probably mix it with your foundation (or a lighter/darker foundation than what you normally wear to achieve the perfect match for your skin tone), but that could dilute the sunscreen, moisturizer, and skin treatments, making it a less effective product overall.
Because it’s such a multi-tasker and makes mornings so much easier, BB Cream may be worth a try. Here are a few:
- Boscia BB Cream (available in one shade)
- Clinique BB Cream (available in three shades)
- Garnier BB Cream (available in two shades)
- Dr. Jart + (a selection of BB cream types, but not a wide selection of shades)
- Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream (available in five shades)
Photo credit: Boscia
