I never bought into the BB Cream craze.
When the popularity struck, I was more interested in full coverage foundations and oil absorbing powders. BB creams were marketed as sheer, wear alone products and looking natural was the exact opposite of what I was going for at the time. Plus, I tried the whole tinted moisturizer thing years prior and ended up feeling like I had a big, fat, greasy layer of oddly pigmented goop on my face.
Recently, I decided to give them another chance. It all sort of happened coincidentally when I went on a new foundation bender that ended with me returning five different high-end foundations and suffering a weird, burning skin irritation.
Trying to crack the flawless skin code is like a full time job.
So in the process of trial and error (aka fifty primer/foundation combos), it sort of dawned on me. I needed to correct or blur my skin while priming it, then follow with a buildable foundation. And then I thought, “I would like some beneficial skin ingredients while I’m at it”. Bam. There it was. The thing I so eagerly mocked would end up being my saving face.
BB’s to the rescue!
OK, now it’s background time.
BB creams haven’t always had the best reputation among professionals. You see, they originated as a “blemish balm”, which in the US is typically attributed to acne. In Asian cultures the term blemish is used to describe any red, brown, or discolored spots. Naturally a blemish balm, in the traditional sense, was designed to lighten skin, correct imperfections, and prevent sun damage. Products imitating the blemish busting balms made their way to the US but with one major flaw; they lacked enough of the good stuff to actually make a difference.
So why am I going to all of the trouble naming all of the ways I love my BB cream? Because there are a few (FEW) that really stand out in the grand scheme of multitasking products that actually made a difference in my face routine.
1. Take a light/medium coverage foundation to full coverage
I adore my NARS Sheer Glow foundation but sometimes you just need more oomph. I up the power of my fav foundation product with a more concentrated BB. You can achieve a natural look that doesn’t appear made-up. Apply it all over (including neck and chest), gently tap on your foundation with a damp beauty blender, concealer if you need it, then set with an SPF powder.
2. Keep foundation in it’s place
Does anyone else feel like primers do the opposite of what they are supposed to? Trust me, I’ve tried more than a few and the ones that work give me skin bumps. Solution? If I want to keep my makeup from sliding off and avoid any sensitive skin reactions, BB cream is my go-to product. Choose a cream that suits your skin, meaning matte for oily skin or hydrating for dry. Always use a good setting powder for SPF and extra staying power.
3. Anti-aging benefits
Do your skin a favor and start using Retinol and exfoliants to keep your skin looking and feeling young. Philosophy’s No Reason to Hide BB contains salycilic acid to help skin cell turnover, along with some other good skin ingredients. Don’t skip your nightly Retinol for fine lines, but think of this daytime treatment as an extra measure. And above all, NO treatments can reverse sun damage if you keep on damaging it every day. Daily SPF is just as much of an anti-aging all-star as any other method!
4. Sun protection without that awful smell
SPF to the billionth power! Yes, I cannot stress enough how important it is to always use protection (from damaging rays) if you want to slow down the aging process. All four BB Creams I’m linking below are formulated with mineral sunscreen. Smelly face problem solved.
5. Smooth and perfect neck and chest complexion
There is absolutely no reason in this day and age to have a mismatched face/neck situation. Just none. A quick and simple solution is to take your BB cream down your neck and chest. Not only will you smooth and blur imperfections, but you will be protecting some of the most sensitive and frequently ignored skin on your bod. Remember…about the SPF…? A flawless face doesn’t hide the age spots, wrinkles, and loss of elasticity on a neglected neck!
Beautypedia is a great resource for finding the best of the best. Find solid reviews and get the top rated BB Creams in every price range and variety! Check out HERE.
Physician’s Formula Super-BB-All-In-1-Beauty-Balm-Cream-SPF-30
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer
Philosophy No Reason to Hide Moisturizer
I’m currently on bottle number two of the Physician’s Formula BB Cream and I’m ready to buy stock in this company. I’ve also had my eye on THIS product by Stilla because it’s also had some pretty stellar reviews.
The Garnier Nutrionist is my fave BB cream! You should check that one out or read my review on it. It smells nice as well which is always great on top of all the other benefits you’ve mentioned!
I envy you for being able to use the Garnier because it’s such a beautiful color and looks so natural! I have sensitivities to fruit extracts so I couldn’t use it but I know a lot of bloggers who swear by it!
It really does look so natural! And you forget it is even there!
What a coincidence, I never bought into the BB cream phase either! See, I can relate to this stuff.
I am so glad my hard-hitting, thought provoking blog post on BB Cream could speak to you on some level. You know, that’s what I was going for. 🙂
Much appreciated!
I still seriously need to try out BB Cream! Almost out of my tinted moisturizer (which is so greasy!) so it’s the perfect time. Great post!
Yay! I hope you find one that isn’t so greasy and gets the job done! Thanks for stopping by Lulu!!!
I’m ALL about BB creams! I wear it daily. I wear it as my foundation and just powder it – I like a lighter coverage for every day so it’s perfect. And I so agree with you – it’s sunscreen without the smell! 🙂
Yes! It just does so many glorious things! I am up for just a BB if I am having a good skin day. Otherwise, I still do a highlight/contour which gives me more coverage. No smell is just an added bonus!!
This has been an absolute education for me so thank you very much! I never used to use bb creams before either as they aren’t enough alone when my skin is bad but I agree as a base layer and mixing it up is fab! xxx
This is awesome! I’m picky with BB creams and the Dr. Jart black label detox was one of the few that worked for me! I definitely need to check out your recommendations because this made me want to repurchase a new one!! I find they always work better with my skin in the cooler weather because I’m less oily.
P.S. The Laurel that followed you on Twitter is me – I rejoined with a personal account! You can finally put a face to the name/blog!
First off, yay for your new account!! Following ASAP. Secondly, I am just as picky as you. Definitely check out the reviews on the ones I listed because they are very thorough. I love the physicians formula but it isn’t suitable for very fair skin. The Philosophy and Neutrogena have a lot of color options! Let me know if you decide to try one!!!
Awesome!!! Hopefully you’ll enjoy my daily non beauty musings hahahah!!! And I hear you on the tinted moisturizer thing, as well – far and few work for me!!
I think I’m gravitating towards the Neutrogena one because I always have good luck with their products!!
I’m sure I will! I would get a personal one but I have a hard enough time keeping up the blog social media! Lol
I hear ya! haha!! My old personal 1 ended up getting deleted because I deactivated it and I didn’t log in within 30 days!!! At least I was able to get the old handle back!
Bb creams! How I miss them so!
I am so glad I rediscovered all of their glory!
Have an awesome day, Liz! 😘
Thank you lovely!!! You do the same <3
Love BB creams as well, especially during the hottest months or when I can’t be bothered to pile on layers of full coverage either… Which is always! LOL my favourite last Summer was the one from Burberry! Awesome and I definitely recommend it! 😊👌🏼xx, Annie | Annie’s Beauty
I am always in the market to try new BB creams! I will have to check out what Burberry has to offer!
Im obsessed with BB Cream atm. Havent tried physician’s formula though? Which one would you recommend is the best for combination skin?
They physician’s formula is good for most skin types so that is a good option. The only downside is that the lightest color they offer isn’t that great for very fair skin. I use it because warms up my foundation, but if you like to keep with porcelain skin I would try the Philosophy No Reason to Hide!!!
Thanks for that advice ☺
No problem!!! And definitely check out Beautypedia for legit product reviews. It is my holy grail website lol
wow beautypedia is awesome 🙂
I know right!?!?! Honestly, I don’t know what I did before I found it.
I do love my BB cream, but often find it leaves my face shiny so I have to pack on the concealer.
I had that issue with my old bb and ended up getting lucky and finding one for oily skin with a matte finish! Buy I totally get what you are saying! Trial and error lol