BB Creams: An Overview and Review

  I.   What are BB Creams?

II.  Where did they come from?

III. What is available in the US and what is the price range?

IV.  My experience with BB Cream...

 

I.              What are BB Creams? First let's define them. "BB" stands for Beauty Balm, or Blemish Balm depending on the formula. These creams are multi-tasking hybrid moisturizers that contain pigment much like foundation, and advertise differing beauty benefits including hydration (moisturization of skin), dark spot correcting, evening of skin tone (obviously due to the pigments), and skin "radiance". Most BB Creams promise all these same advantages to perfect your skin in one easy step.

 

II.   BB Creams were first seen in Asia (primarily Japan), and are there marketed as serious skin care. Since Asian women, by and large, have historically maintained perfect complexions, whether real or improvised with cosmetics, it is not at all surprising that BB Creams would be embraced by them. The western world generally gets things when they are already old news to the rest of the world.

 

III.   Since making their debut in the United States this spring, most of the leading skincare and makeup companies have added BB Creams to their catalog of products. With promotional advertising including dollars-off coupons in most women’s magazines, now is the ideal time to try this "new" product at a discounted price to determine if this is indeed an item you want to add to your personal beauty arsenal.

 
Ranging in price from lows of $7.99 (Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Protector) and $12.99 (Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector) to Estee Lauder's Daywear Anti-Oxidant Beauty Benefit Creme SPF 35 priced at $38.00 and the popular Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35 for $39.00.

Boasts about these include priming, skin brightening, and anti-aging capabilities; most of the well-known companies have jumped on the bandwagon to improve our complexions, simplify our morning routines, and empty our pockets.

 
IV. Which brings me to the reviews of these concoctions and my own personal experience. Having read extensive actual user reviews of the above mentioned brands, I will winnow them down to the highlights.

*Maybelline: most reviews were from the 18 years old and under set due to its hard sell in Seventeen and other teen magazines. These young ladies overwhelmingly considered it to be little more than a tinted moisturizer which caused many to break out. Not to denigrate teenage gals, but most that wear makeup tend to overdo, which would explain the complaints about the sheerness. Also, since the teen years are when most people tend to have acne and other unpleasant skin problems, the breakouts are not surprising as this product is marketed as being hydrating.

 

On the other hand, the few "mature" women that commented, left reviews that were highly favorable, and due to the reasons that the younger set panned it for! Apparently this product is being targeted at the wrong demographic.

* Garnier: the teens that tried this cream felt pretty much the same as those that reviewed the Maybelline BB Cream. But a little older group (24 -29 years) gave it favorable marks for the same reasons the teen girls disliked it; that is, the sheerness and the moisturizing properties. This age group seems to feel that the combination of faster cell turnover (that's dead skin cell shedding - not as icky as it sounds) and a medium hydration level are superb qualities to team up with a skin brightening color for an overall one step workaday routine. Again, the mature ladies found the formulation to their liking as well.

Estee Lauder: as you may expect, this was not the name brand BB Cream that the teen set would purchase. Typically, Estee Lauder targets an age group with money to spend and problems to solve. Reviewers were mostly in the 35 - 39 club, when women generally begin to take skincare seriously and begin to worry in earnest about the future of their looks. Again not surprisingly, this coterie of ladies found the advertised claims of anti-oxidant serum and SPF perks irresistible. The remarks rhapsodized over the fresh scent, even coverage and mattifying properties. However, about 40% of the same age group complained about the price (?) and the shades. 

Smashbox: due to this company's extreme popularity with all age groups, I will focus only on the remarks rather than break the reviews into age groups. By far this preparation was approved above all the others discussed. Recommendations ranged from "amazing" and "love this product" to "heaven in a bottle". The few dissenting buyers complained about the price (see above!) and the heavy moisturization.

I will add my own personal review of Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Protector:

 

I purchased this item about a week ago as of this writing, and I've used it six out of 7 days. Since I am in the mature age group, I subscribe to the "less is more" stance when it comes to makeup. Having sailed through my teens with few skin problems, I was lucky enough to have a moderately decent complexion until the last 10 years when I began spending a great deal of time in the sun gardening, without using an SPF cream. I am now paying the price with a few light to medium brown spots on my cheeks. I have tried various spot correctors and fade creams which all work, to an extent. That means the spots never fade completely.My routine is to treat them at night, and use concealer during the day.

 So imagine my delight when I discover a skincare formula that touts several beneficial properties AND foundation in one neat little tube. Being a natural skeptic, I chose the cheapest one I could find. My theory was that if this inexpensive one worked a little, perhaps a pricier model would work even more.

My first application was over a light moisturizer and the BB Cream went on smoothly and felt light and comfortable. However, it didn't seem to last through the entire day, so the second day I applied it directly to my clean skin. It still went on silky and felt weightless, but lasted better. Yes, it is sheer, but it also did not change color and my concealer didn't stick out like a sore thumb over it. 

The third day was much like the second, but the next morning I was surprised to find a little bump on my chin!  So I skipped makeup that day and used a facial scrub in place of my usual soap-free cleanser.

Day 5 was a difficult day for me since I had a minor surgery scheduled that morning, but I applied the cream without following with my concealer as I was using a light touch to employ it merely as a moisturizer. After the surgery, I did look somewhat refreshed though. Whether it was the extra zzz's or the BB Cream I can only guess at. Day 6 was just about using the BB as a moisture boost, since I was still not feeling up to par and was not going out in public.

 

Today I applied it over a light moisturizer again, and lightly  powdered my face to see how it would respond to that addition. Several hours later, my skin still looks fresh, dewy and even.

After a week of use, I don't see any fading of my blotches, any firming/lifting or wrinkle removal, but overall I am happy with the product for the simple fact that I can do more with less.

Whether I use it alone, over a moisturizer, with or without powder or concealer, it delivers a velvety softness with a light skin tone evening and a weightlessness that allows me to smile my widest smile without my face cracking. I am not tempted to try another product in this same category. I give it a thumbs up!

Please share your experiences with any BB Creams you have sampled so any would-be buyers can make an informed decision.

 

by Gail Zaranek


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