Every few months there is a hot new beauty product that steals the hearts and pocketbooks of women across the world. Now that we’ve all tried nail polish stickers and neon lipstick (maybe not), the latest “must have” in the cosmetics aisle is a product called beauty balm or bb cream. Made for your face it is a veritable tube of “all in one” product that will do everything short of balancing your checkbook.
Beauty balms claim to provide benefits of a moisturizer, skin corrector and a little bit coverage, all in one product. Some are designed for dry skin, some for oily, but they all promise to hydrate, smooth lines, diminish uneven skin tones and deliver a radiant glow to your face. They tend to provide light coverage, along the lines of tinted moisturizer, but they can be doubled up with foundation if you need a little more coverage. If this sounds like something you need then take a look at these balms that are consistenly receiving rave reviews from women everywhere.
Best Multi-Tasker: Boscia B.B. Cream SPF 27
Boscia B.B. Cream comes in one “universally flattering shade” and claims to soothe, firm, and smooth your skin tone with light coverage to hide your imperfections. With SPF built right in it is perfectly designed for someone who wants to use one product to get it all done- perfect for people on the go.
Best for Dry, Sensitive Skin: Dr. Jart+Water Fuse Beauty Balm
I suffer from very dry cheeks and when I applied Dr. Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm (a sample I paid for) over a light moisturizer my skin felt noticeably hydrated and smoothed. The coverage was minimal- perfect for the summer months- but it definitely helped to even out my skin tone. Even better this formula is free of synthetic fragrance and sulfates that make my rosacea flare up. It is available in one universal shade.
Best on a Budget: Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream
It didn’t take long for a drugstore version of beauty balms to pop up, and the Garnier formula gets rave reviews. Available in two shades it provides SPF 15, evens out your skin tone, hydrates and makes your skin more radiant. The reviewers seem to agree with these claims and at only $12.99 a tube it is a great product for natural looking coverage.
Best for Oily Skin: Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 25
Beauty junkies everywhere already know Smashbox for its award winning primers (designed to go under your foundation to smooth and prime your skin) and they’ve applied their technology to beauty balms. Available in five shades (fair to dark) it claims to be a five-in-one product that will moisturize, prime, perfect, protect and control oil with just one application. Sounds too good to be true, but if anyone can do it, Smashbox can.
Daisy is a lawyer married to a lawyer (insert lawyer jokes here) living in a small condo in a big city with a new baby and beagle. She breaks up the legal-speak by blogging about life in Chicago, which is filled with escapades of urban living. In the summer she enjoys patio dining and in the winter wonders what she was thinking when she moved here. You can read more from Daisy on her blog, Just Daisy.
I have been using the Garnier BB cream for about 2 months now and really like it. I got my Birchbox sample of the Dr. Jart cream, and am curious to see if it’s any better than the budget Garnier.
I might have to give the Garnier a try!!
I bought the Estée Lauder Daywear BB cream from duty free on my way to Spain and I am thrilled with it. It contains SPF 35 and my face did not burn at all while we were over there, despite the fierce sun which my poor, pale English skin is not used to. Plus it is excellent for evening out my skin tone and hiding blemishes. I loove how it feels lighter than foundation, while still providing good coverage. My tip is to use a serum prior to the BB cream in order to prime the skin. In conclusion: I am a BB cream convert now!
I’ve been looking for something like this for awhile! I have oily yet sensitive skin and most days I don’t even use anything on my face. Hell, most days I’m lucky if my hair gets brushed after I shower.
I use the Smashbox, but really just as a primer. I love it. I like that it has a really good SPF for daily use and I don’t have to worry about having makeup or moisturizer that includes SPF. For me, it would not be enough of a moisturizer though.
What is commercially sold as BB creams in Europe and the US has nothing on Asian products like Missha, Luview or Elisha Coy (after all, they are the ones who have originally come with the concept). Order one off eBay and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Those are truly miraculous.
I used the Garnier, but found that it made me feel greasy, but had good coverage. I just bought a tube of Dr. Jart, and while it’s 3 times the price of the Garnier, I use 3x less to get the same or better coverage, and it doesn’t make my face feel slimy. But the Garnier will definitely do in a pinch, and might do really well in the winter when my skin dries out somethin’ fierce.
I think the Maybelline BB Cream should be on here instead of the Garnier – cheaper, better shade range, MUCH better coverage and no strong smell. Definitely the best of the recent drugstore BB creams we’ve seen in my opinion, especially when compared with the Garnier and L’oreal.
I tried the Garnier BB Cream but it made my eczema flare up. It also got greasy when applied over anything else.
I know Maybelline makes one… I wonder if that’s any better!
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