Jumping On The B-B-Bandwagon
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| Shiseido BB Cream – 35 SPF!! |
As I’ve mentioned in prior product reviews, my mornings are a tightly wound finely calibrated routine. I don’t have a lot of time to fuss with hair or makeup. So products that can simplify that routine while still delivering the results I want are golden.
When the whole BB Cream hoopla was swirling around a while back, I tried a couple of the highly recommended brands but wasn’t impressed enough to purchase. Either the color was off or the texture felt too heavy. Two weeks ago a Sales Associate at a Nordstrom’s cosmetics counter talked me into trying this Shiseido BB Cream and gave me a sample. I’ve been using it since, and went back over the weekend to purchase a tube.
On those days when I don’t want to mess with foundation, this provides sheer coverage that evens out tone, a decent SPF (including barrier sunscreens), anti-oxidants and a smoothing effect that minimizes pores. It doesn’t go on as shiny as a tinted moisturizer, which is great for those of us who produce our own “gleam” (though not matte either, you may want to add a finishing powder on the shiny bits). I use this over my daily moisturizer and then skip the additional SPF, primer and foundation steps. But remember to apply a sunscreen on your neck!
Have you tried BB creams? What did you think?
Disclosure: No product or compensation was received from Nordstrom’s or Shiseido in exchange for this review. Links in this post may result in commissions for www.unefemme.net.
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I am a convert too – I really like my Rimmel BB cream. Smooth, great color match and a decent sunscreen too (I still wear moisturizer/sunscreen underneath). I love simple.
I am not in love with the one I bought and went back to my tinted moisturizer. The one I bought (Estee Lauder, I think) had a thick texture that I wasn’t in love with. It kills me to throw it out, but that is probably what I will do. I generally use Clarins tinted moisturizer.
I tried the Jane Iredale one and thought it too sheer. I recently went to the Bobbi Brown counter in Nordstroms and bought the luminesse foundation and a brush to help blend it.
The coverage is better for my rosacea. I did hope that a BB cream would be right for me as I like to keep it fast and simple.
I bought a Revelon variant and it’s good for < $15. I could tell I'd caught some sun the other day and that means I've got to be more serious about sunscreen. I can't wear chemical sunscreens, they've got to have the zinc element for protection which the B&B's usually have. The finer it's processed the better it looks over the course of the day. I don’t doubt that the Sheiseido is good, I used their other products and they’re very high quality.
What is BB cream?
I just started using a tinted moisturizer myself.
I picked up two inexpensive ones (Almay and… geez, I forget. Got ’em both at Walmart) and liked them both. The coverage is very sheer, which I liked, and the light-medium tones matched my skin well. I think I like the Almay a bit better, and at $12 or so, it was an easy experiment. I’ve been using mineral makeup, which I think covers well but is a bit messy, and the BB cream is so easy, I think I’ll make the switch. I’ve also been reading about CC creams. Anyone know what the difference is?
I have one, the Garnier one, and I am not sure I love it. I don’t wear foundation usually so it’s still strange to have anything more than moisturizer on my face.
I did and I was disappointed. I think it was a L’Oreal brand but might have been Estee Lauder although I doubt it. I’m using EL Day Wear tinted moisturizer. It is sheer but has a bit of color and it evens out the skin tone okay but not perfectly. The BB cream I tried didn’t help in that dept at all and I think I thought it not to be moisturizing enough.
I would like to hear more of your take on the L’Oreal Miracle Blur and the Eucerin skin cream Tish speaks of so highly available only online from Europe.
The closest I’ve been are tinted moisturisers from Elizabeth Arden and Laura Mercier. Nice, but only for hanging out around the house. I prefer a bit more coverage when I need to inflict myself on an unsuspecting public.
I am still using a tinted moisturizer, but I think I am ready to give a BB cream a try. This is a good discussion to have!
I use the Garnier BB cream sometimes – for me, the coverage is one step up from the Clinique Super City Block that I normally wear. I plan to try out a couple of others as well, to see if I can get a slightly better colour match.
I haven’t but it sounds like I should give it a go… always looking for a good new fix… 🙂
I’ve been using Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream when I had to get it from Korea. Now, it’s available in the US. They have a website that I order from. I’m really sold on it. I stopped using my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in favor of it!
I don’t have to use any moisturizer with it or sunscreen. It has a high SPF and I’ve tested it. I live on the water. I must use sunscreen because I use Retin-A.
I kid you not…perfect strangers have stopped me and asked me what I use on my “beautiful” skin since I’ve been using it.
This is a timely discussion for me, as I’ve just started investigating and trying samples of BB creams. Apparently the Asian ones and the Western ones used to be markedly different, but now the line is blurring. It’s all very confusing, because there are so many choices. I have tried Clinique, Tarte, and Too Faced and they’re all ok, but it’s really too soon to decide. I need to try the drugstore brands next, and wish I could get some samples of the Asian ones…(in Chicago…any ideas?)
I’ve tried Too Faced and Garnier BB creams—-not a whole lot different than the coverage I get from my Mercier or Olay tinted moisturizer. The advantage of BB is the higher SPF and (I think) greater staying power. Also —regarding Miracle Blur–for me it was an utter waste of $—-very small tube was about $24 and one needs quite a bit of it for good coverage. I believe moisturizer, then BB cream would be sufficient.
Thanks for that. It’s helpful.
I’m using a Korean brand called Sulwhasoo — it’s available in asian supermarkets here in DC, along with other asian brands. It contains 3.32% titanium dioxide and 7.84% zinc oxide, SPF 50+. Like most BB creams, it goes on kind of chalky but then blends invisibly into my skin. This is a claim of BB creams, and is why they are not made in a limitless range of colors like foundation, and I’ve found it to be true — the color really does settle and blend in.
For Aunt Snow above, BB (“blemish balm”) cream was invented by a German doctor to cover scars after procedures — it contains a moisturizer, pigment, and a lot of sunscreen, and is buildable. You can use a light layer as a one-step method to even out your skin tone and protect your skin, and more concentrated application as a concealer, to cover blemishes/scars.
BB creams were later popularized by the asian markets — you should be able to find a bunch of different brands if you are near an asian supermarket.
When I run out, though, I might buy Clinique’s BB cream to replace it –it looks just as good if not better on me, and is considerably cheaper. It contains Zinc Oxide 3.5%, Oxybenzone 2.5%, Titanium dioxide 1.1%, and provides 30 SPF protection.
I got the Garnier, because it was inexpensive and got a good review on xojane.com, and their reviews on Seche Vite and those Revlon lip butters were dead-on awesome. But it wears a little greasy-feeling for my liking. Recently tried on Dr. Jart’s at Sephora, and it is AMAZING, but I can’t force myself to justify spending almost $40 for a BB cream when I already have one that’s passable, if not nearly as good. I love the way the Garnier makes my skin look, but I have to powder up to not feel like I’m going to leave slicks everywhere. I’ve been mixing it with a little L’oreal Lumi primer lately, which helps and adds reflection and diffusion of light for a brighter face.
I’ve tried a Korean one from Skin 79, and it was almost perfect — but not moisturizing enough, even over moisturizer. It’s very dry here in Madrid, and I need full coverage sunscreen, so I’m using Avene’s High Protection Tinted Compact over my Toleriane Ultra and it works well — a single step, too.
When I’m home in the States next month, I’m going to pay a visit to my local Nordstrom and see what I can test-drive. Bobbi Brown’s BB cream looks promising…
I tried my first BB cream by Garnier, and wanted to love it, but don’t. Somehow it gets a bit orangey. I’m reaching a point where my Almay Anti-Aging foundation is no longer doing the trick. As much as I hate shopping for make-up, I’m going to have to go on a quest for another foundation. I’m hoping to get samples before committing my hard-earned bucks, too.