A Korean Skincare Upgrade: Erborian BB and Glow Creams

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



Have you heard the buzz about Erborian's BB and CC Creams yet? It seems like I hear about them every time I turn around, and I have to say that after trying out the brand, I can understand why. Erborian has replaced all of my other BB Creams (previously I've cycled between It Cosmetics, YSL and Dior), as it is just the right amount of coverage and a great match for my skin. I've tried it out in both the tube and cushion compact forms (both are great, but they're not identical), and I've also fallen for their Glow Creme.

Read on to learn more about each of the products!

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My 5 Makeup Basics for a Makeup Bag

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links




I get asked a lot about my favorite makeup products, often from friends that are much lower maintenance than I am. I am high maintenance. I know this about myself, and I fully admit it. My husband jokes that I am not a 15 Minute Beauty girl, more like a 2 Hour Beauty girl. The problem has only gotten worse as I've gotten older, likely as I try to feel better about my (slightly) older self. But, I digress.

So, these lower maintenance friends ask me about my favorite products. They want to know what my must have makeup products are. And really, for someone like me it can be hard to pare it down to the "basics" sometimes. But, if I had to pick, here are my 5 favorite, must have products for makeup (and note, 2 of them require "companions" to really get the most out of them). I'll explain why I love this kind of product, and I'll share a few of my favorites at different price points!

1. Great Face Coverage

How you chose to even out your skin tone is a personal choice, and it will likely vary day to day depending on what your plans are, how much sleep you got, etc. But, I think having a product that is a great match for your skin tone, looks natural when blended, and makes you feel more confident is something that you should have available if you want it. I have a few BB Creams that I use, and depending on what I need that day I'll change up what one I grab. I do sometimes use foundation over it, or I'll use foundation alone. Really, I do something different almost every day...

My Picks:
1. Light Coverage BB Cream: Yves Saint Laurent Top Secrets BB Cream Skintone Perfector (at Nordstrom or Sephora)
This is the BB Cream I grab about 75% of the time, it's a light coverage but perfect for days at home, running errands, etc. It doesn't cover up everything, so I do sometimes add a light foundation over the top or just spot correct with concealer. I wear shade clear, which isn't clear, but just light.

2. Medium to Full Coverage BB Cream: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Illumination Cream with SPF 50+ (from Sephora or ULTA)
I'm a big fan of pretty much everything IT Cosmetics makes, and this is one of my favorites! The coverage is definitely more than the YSL, and I use this alone, very rarely do I add any concealer over top. Note that this is "illuminating", but I don't notice any shimmer, it just isn't a full matte look. I usually mix the light and fair shades together.

3. Light to Medium Coverage Cushion Compact: Maybelline Dream Cushion (at ULTA, review here) or Lancôme Miracle Cushion Liquid Cushion Compact (at Nordstrom, review here)
I recently reviewed this foundation from Maybelline, and it's very similar to one of my favorites from Lancôme. Check out my reviews linked above, but I usually use one of these cushion foundations over the YSL BB Cream, just to even things out a bit. In the Maybelline I use 10 or 15, I'm 110 in Lancôme.

4. Medium Coverage Foundation: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (at Nordstrom or Sephora, review here)
I use this foundation a lot for work or going out with my husband. I recently repurchased it, and it is so worth the money! I wear 3.75.

5. Medium to Full Coverage Stick Foundation: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick (at Nordstrom, Bobbi Brown, or Sephora)
This is definitely the fullest coverage of any of the options here. I love that it is solid, I just draw it on to areas that need some additional coverage. I've been using it on weekends a lot, just on select areas, over my YSL BB Cream. I buff it out with a brush, and then use a my BeautyBlender over the top to blend it more.

You can also check out my favorite Drugstore BB Creams and Foundations if you'd like an option at a lower price point!

2. Versatile Concealer

I love to have a pigmented concealer that works for everything. I buy it in the same color as my skin, since I'll be using it for a lot of things. Look for a super pigmented liquid, which you can use for blemishes, under your eyes, etc. I like to use it straight up, mixed into a little eye cream for under my eyes, or mixed into a lightweight lotion to create my own custom tinted moisturizer.

My Picks:
1. Best for Mixing: Clarins Instant Concealer (from Nordstrom): Note, this is the one I reach for the most when mixing into lotion, it seems to be the best for this with natural results that don't crease or settle into fine lines. I wear shade 1.

2. Added Light Reflection: IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer (at Sephora)

Check out more concealer picks in my favorite concealers post!

3. Neutral Shadows

I love eye shadow. I have 2 drawers full of singles, duos, quads, full palettes. So much eye shadow! But, despite my millions of choices, I reach for something neutral pretty much every day. Something that is there and pretty, but doesn't really distract from seeing me instead of my eye shadow.

I think a quick and easy go-to eye look should be in every woman's makeup bag. A color that just always works, and you can apply it in just a few minutes. For my most basic looks, I use a single color over my entire lid, up and over the crease. And then I use a second color (about 95% of the time this is MAC Brown Script, from MAC or Nordstrom) just in the crease. I then apply black or brown liner right into lash line, smudge a bit with a brush, and apply a ton of mascara. Done!

My Picks:
1. Pink but Neutral: MAC Jest (from MAC or Nordstrom)

2. Light Taupe: Too Faced Birthday Suit, in the Boudoir Eyes Palette (at Sephora or Too Faced)

Check out my favorite neutral shadow palettes here

3.5. Shadow Primer

Another item, but I'm not really counting it. If you're going to wear the eye shadow, you need to put a primer under it. Really. A few seconds spent on primer will make your eye shadow look much better, it will apply more smoothly, won't crease, lasts all day, etc. I like to use a primer that has a little bit of coverage, since my eye lid is a see through, and I have visible blood vessels. I cover them up with the primer, then apply the shadow. The extra few seconds makes a big difference in how the shadow looks!

My Picks:
NYX Eyeshadow Base (from ULTA, or Macy's): I use a very small amount, just dip a fingertip into the jar, then pat on to your skin. Just enough to cover the skin. A jar lasts me at least 2 years. I've never finished one, even with daily use. I just replace them every few years because I think "surely it must be time to replace this, it's probably gross now."

Kat Von D Lock-It Color Correcting Eyeshadow Primer (at Sephora) comes in 5 different skin tone shades if the NYX doesn't work for you. I have not tried this product, but I've been so happy with her other Lock-It products that I feel comfortable mentioning it.

4. Great Mascara

There are way too many great mascaras out there to mention all of them. I've found that in the drugstore, you can not go wrong with a mascara from L'Oreal, Maybelline or CoverGirl. I recently posted about my favorite splurge mascaras, though I use Smokey Eye Mascara most days.

My Picks:
1. My Go-To, Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara (at Bobbi Brown, Sephora or Nordstrom)

2. To Add Drama, Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara (at Bobbi Brown, Sephora or Nordstrom)

My favorite splurge mascaras

4.5. Lash Curler

If you're going to wear mascara, you'll get much better results if you apply after curling your lashes. Lash curlers are one of those things that you do want to invest a bit in, a cheap curler will feel a bit "loosey-goosey" and can yank out lashes. Yes. That's no bueno. So, I buy a slightly more expensive curler, and replace the pads at least every 6 months.

I will say that I also have a different opinion about the best lash curler depending upon whether you use a lash serum or not. Without lash serum, just buy a decent lash curler. My favorite then was the Tweezerman (over the Shu everyone always loves). Once I started using lash serum, I noticed that my lashes were much harder to curl, and then the curl didn't last as long. I've now noticed that the curler I use makes a huge, huge, huge difference. I refuse to use anything but the Surratt curler. This is very important. I've convinced many friends that I'm right, they all bought it and agree.


My Picks:
Tweezerman ProCurl Eyelash Curler (at Sephora, or Nordstrom): If you don't use lash serum.

Surratt Beauty Relevée Lash Curler (at Sephora, or Barneys, here's my Relevée Lash Curler review): If you do use lash serum.

5. Easy, Basic Lippie

I like to have something that I can apply to my lips while on the go. Literally, I just leave it in a pocket, apply randomly without a mirror, and I expect it to look great. This is usually something is along the lines of a tinted balm, but I also like products that change color after application, and glosses.

My Picks:
1. Works for Everyone, Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Fig (at Amazon, or Target): Yes, it really does work for every single skin tone. I've recommended this to a lot of friends who want to start wearing lip color, and they all love it. It has some color, but not a lot. It just makes everyone's lips look great!

2. Perfect Pink, Dior Addict Lip Glow (at Nordstrom, or Sephora): I love that this changes color! It's a bit more of an intense pink than the Bobbi Brown. I have the Berry shade in my Sephora cart now.

3. More Subtle, Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint (at Bobbi Brown, Sephora, or Nordstrom): This is new, and the idea is very similar to the Dior, in that it changes color after application. It's a bit more subtle than the Dior, though I have found that if I apply too much of the Dior the color looks a little strange? This product isn't prone to that.


What do you think? What else would you include in a makeup kit as a category? I think I'd likely include brows next, but those are are individualized that I didn't include them here.


Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links
In the past, the Burt's Bees lippie, the IT Cosmetics products and the Maybelline foundation were sent for review from PR. I've purchased the others all on my own.

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The Best Drugstore BB Creams and Foundations

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links



There have been a lot of discussions lately amongst my friends regarding their favorite drugstore foundations. I wasn't surprised that this was of interest, drugstore foundations have come a long way in the last ten to fifteen years and are pretty amazing now. What did surprise me was how often my friends try new products and still come back to the same foundations over and over. There's a reason these products stand out!

For Makeup Wars we decided to share our favorite drugstore foundations and concealers. I had enough foundations to share that I decided to ignore concealers for today. I'll tackle those soon, I promise!

1. For Aging Skin, try Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti-Aging Perfector (at Amazon, or ULTA): This is more of a BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer than foundation, a sheer coverage product with hydration and active ingredients to help fight aging! You'll find Retinol, the gold standard ingredient for topical skin care to even out skin tone, increase cell turn over and improve fine lines and wrinkles. It also has a dewier finish, great for skin that has become drier as you've gotten older.

2. The Drugstore Cushion Compact worth trying is Maybelline Dream Cushion Foundation (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): I love the cushion compact foundations! They're lightweight and have good coverage with a more luminous finish. I use a more expensive version from Lancome, but this Maybelline version is very, very close. I've tried other drugstore versions, this is the one you should try first.

3. Cult Favorite L'Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): When this foundation came out, beauty junkies everywhere rejoiced! It offers a broad range of shades that blend well, have medium coverage than can easily build to full coverage, and has a luminous finish that looks great on oily or dry skin.

4. The best drugstore BB Cream is Maybelline Dream Fresh BB (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This light to medium coverage BB cream just blends perfectly into skin and stays put all day. It works particularly well on oily skin, and comes in the regular lightweight version and one with Salicylic Acid for acne prone skin (you can find that one at Amazon).

5. The Long Lasting Duo of L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte (buy it from ULTA or Amazon) and Pro-Glow Foundations (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This is a long lasting duo of foundations, one is matte and better suited for oily skin; while the other is a dewy finish and better for drier skin. They both offer medium to full coverage and can be built upon to add more coverage. I love to mix them together for a luminous but semi-matte finish! You can read my full L'Oreal Infallible foundation review here. Note that Maybelline offers a similar duo in their Fit Me foundations, but I have found they are a lighter coverage product and don't last quite as long as the L'Oreal.

6. For Acne Prone Skin try Neutrogena SkinClearing Liquid Makeup (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): If you want a semi-matte finish and need to fight blemishes, this foundation offers salicylic acid and won't clog pores. Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB also offers a salicylic acid version, but I've found this is a bit gentler and offers more coverage.

7. For One Step Coverage, try CoverGirl + Olay Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Liquid Foundation (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This is super creamy and moisturizing, but blends perfectly and is enough coverage that I don't need to pair it with a separate concealer.

8. For Dry Skin, try Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup (buy it from ULTA or Amazon): This foundation is actually a Red Carpet secret of many Hollywood celeb makeup artists! It is hydrating, offers great coverage and won't settle into dry, flaky areas.

9. To Customize Your Coverage, get NYX Total Control Drop Foundation (at ULTA or NYX): Super pigmented foundation drops like this aren't new, but in the past they've only been found at much higher price points. This one works just as well, but at a fraction of the price! You can layer more drops for additional coverage or mix it into products like moisturizer or even your foundation for a little more coverage.


Honorable Mention:
Both CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup (get it from ULTA or Amazon) and Revlon ColorStay (at ULTA or Amazon) have been mentioned by a lot of my friends. They both have medium coverage that can build to full coverage, blend well and last all day. I didn't include them in the graphic because I've tried them and the L'Oreal Infallible foundations, and I feel that the L'Oreal is simply better (for me at least!), though the CoverGirl and Revlon are close! It is likely one of those things where something just works a bit better for one person.

An InLinkz Link-up

Product Sent for Review, I Bought It, Affiliate Links
L'Oreal has sent me their Infallible Pro-Matte and Pro-Glow foundations (I've repurchased both), and CoverGirl has sent both products to me in the past as well.

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Teen Makeup: Get Great, Glowy Skin

I Bought It, Affiliate Links, Product Sent for Review


IMAXtree

I remember when I first started using makeup at 13 years old. I went crazy for foundation. It was a thick, cakey mask that I wore every day for a few weeks. Then I noticed a girl in my class pointing at me and whispering one day in the hallway, and I thought I had something stuck in my teeth or something. I went into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, but realized that wasn't the problem. The problem was the thick makeup, which wasn't something that I even needed!

Whether you're using foundation, tinted moisturizer, a BB or a CC Cream, the overall goal of skin coverage should be evening out your skin tone and making things look more even. And you need to try to do that with the least coverage possible. Show as much of your own skin as you possibly can, it just looks much better! When you're older, your skin tone will be uneven. The color will actually vary. It's quite sad. As a teen, you don't have this problem, so covering up with foundation that you don't need is just a waste of time and product.

Read on to learn how I recommend you do this.

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My Favorite BB and CC Creams

I Bought It, Affiliate Links, Product Provided for Review



I love a good BB Cream! They're like souped up Tinted Moisturizers. They offer hydration, often some anti-aging benefits, coverage and often sunscreen all in one step. And given how little time I really have in the morning to get ready, you can imagine that my hoarding "must try all the things" tendency has taken over and I have a big BB/CC Cream collection.

After trial and error, I've found some great products (and a few not so great) that work well for me. Read on to see what they are!

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Use This If You're In a Hurry: Burt's Bees BB Cream Review and Swatches

Sponsored Post, Product Sent for Review



I've been getting a lot of requests lately for my recommendations for a lower priced complete makeup kit. I've done a few of those in the past, and I'll post a few in the next few weeks, but I thought it made sense to actually post a full review of one of the products that I know will be featured in those kits, and that I seem to be recommending a lot lately. Yes, it's a drugstore BB cream that works just as well as my favorite luxe BB creams. It's one of those that has just the right amount of coverage and I can blend it easily, it only takes a few seconds to apply so it is perfect for when I'm in a hurry. And it is from Burt's Bees!

Read on to learn more about this BB Cream and why I love it so much.

Beauty Blogger Empties: Loving These Things and Repurchasing Them

Product Sent for Review I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links



I've been talking lately about a lot of my beauty blogger friends, and we all agreed that over the past few years, we've been cutting down on the continual product testing. Don't get me wrong, I still use a lot of new products, but I'm allowing myself longer to test them. I'm spending a lot more time with my favorite "in between" products. And while those favorites do evolve a bit over time, I'm doing a lot more repurchasing of products, and I actually have empties! I'm using products up! This was unheard of a few years ago.

So, in honor of all those discussions lately, here's a look at all of the products I've finished and am repurchasing. I'm spending my own money on all of these, despite the offers for similar (free) products. I'd rather use this salt spray than any other. I want my own eye cream, thanks!

1. iS Clinical Youth Eye Complex (at DermStore or SkinStore): This eye cream was mentioned in my Best Eye Creams from Dermatologists post, and somehow has not had it's own post though I've mentioned it a few times! It has vitamins C, E, Retinol, tons of hydration, peptides to increase collagen and it also fights dark circles. I definitely think it makes me look more awake because my concealer looks so much better over it. It is pricey, but the bottle lasted me 6 months! In my shopping cart now. (Not pregnancy safe)

2. It Cosmetics CC+ Illumination Cream (at It Cosmetics or ULTA): This is the newest CC Cream from It, they also have a more traditional (not illuminating) version. They've sent me both kinds, in various shades. Because it is a pretty full coverage product, you do need a pretty good color match. Unfortunately for me, I'm darker than the Fair shade, but much lighter than Light. So, I've bought tubes of both (depending upon what was sent to me) and I've been mixing my own. For my perfect match I need about 75% fair, 25% light. It is hydrating but not overly so for my combination skin, and I love that it is medium to full coverage with almost no blending. I'm going to continue buying 2 tubes all summer long so I can have the perfect match! (Not pregnancy safe)

3. Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 Styling Treatment (at Sephora or Nordstrom, my Living Proof PhD review): This styling cream is in my hair pretty much every day now. I've already gone through 2 bottles! It is the only Living Proof product that combines their anti-frizz ingredient with the volumizing product, and it does a great job of protecting my hair from heat damage as well.

4. Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash (at Sephora and Macy's): I have a big bottle of this in my shower and another next to my sink. I used to reserve this amazing face wash for when I travel (I would hoard bottles of it from hotels), but now I just use it pretty much every day. I do rotate in other products on occasion (like the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser), but this one is my current favorite.

5. Revitalash Advanced Lash Conditioner (from Revitalash, Nordstrom or Drugstore.com): I pre-purchased 4 of these during the summer Nordie's Anniversary Sale, so they were quite the deal! It makes my lashes so long that I have to be careful with my glasses. Yes. I will not test other lash conditioners. (Not pregnancy safe)

6. Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil (at Drugstore.com or ULTA): I mentioned this on Monday in my Favorite Eye Makeup Removers post, I think I'm on my 4th or 5th bottle of this cleanser already. It's meant to be used just as a facial cleanser, but I use it with a cotton round to easily remove all of my eye makeup. It does leave an oily mess behind, I clean that up with the Bliss Face Wash.

7. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara (at Too Faced or Sephora): I've lost track of how many tubes of this stuff I've gone through!

8. Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Precision Glide Eyeliner (at Elizabeth Arden) and the Beautiful Color Smoky Eyes Pencil (at Elizabeth Arden): These are currently my 2 go-to eye liner pencils. They're well pigmented, smudge just right into my lash line and won't budge all day.

9. Kerastase Spray à Porter (at Kerastase or Birchbox): This is my go-to salt spray. Others are ok, but this one just really works for me. It adds just enough texture that my hair holds styles and it doesn't feel sticky! How did I live without this??

10. Kerastase Bain Chroma Riche Shampoo & Masque Chroma Riche (at Kerastase): Their shampoo and conditioner for color treated, dry or damaged hair. I've discovered that it really is worth it, and if you watch carefully these products come up on Rue La La about every 6-8 weeks, so you should never have to pay full price! I've found that for some reason the shampoo is really the key to a great hair day for me, I use it every other shampoo (I still get those good hair days!). I buy the big, salon size, and I use the super intense hair mask (the regular conditioner is now not so helpful... I go with the masque!)


What have you used up recently? I had a lot of empties this month. So, I'm currently filling shopping carts all over the web!


Product Sent for Review I Bought It Myself Affiliate Links
I feel the need to explain this disclosure a bit more. A few of these items were originally sent by PR, like the Revitalash (which was sent years ago, but I've repurchased so many times that I've lost count), the Kerastase spray was sent, the Living Proof and It Cosmetics sent me the CC+ Cream but I don't actually match any of it so I mix 2 together (and I like it so much that I've repurchased 2 colors a few times). So yes, stuff was sent, but I've been spending my own money!

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Urban Decay's Naked Skin Beauty Balm: Optical Blurring That Works For Me

Product Sent for Review



Last year when Urban Decay released their Naked Skin Beauty Balm I really wanted to love it. I truly did. But, the truth was that their single, "works for everyone" shade was just much too dark for my skin. I looked like I had dirt on my face when I used it. I gave it away to a friend that raved about it, which made me a tad bitter about the whole thing.



Luckily, they've just released two new shades of their beauty balm, and now I'm loving it! Naked Light and Naked Dark have been added, and the original shade is now named Naked Medium.

It is a bit surprising that the shade of Beauty Balm makes such a difference with this product, since there really is very little coverage. The consistency is like a light moisturizer, and when applied it does have a little bit of slip. As you spread the product around you'll notice that the coverage disappears, blending completely into your skin.

There are light diffusing particles in this Beauty Balm and when I apply it I do notice a little optical blurring, it does make my skin look better. When I've used other optical blurring products I think its really just looked like I need to blend my makeup more (this is where I admit I still haven't gotten the hang of using L'Oreal's Miracle Blur). That isn't the case here, instead it looks like my skin is a bit more perfect, and the blurring is really natural.

I've been using this Beauty Balm alone under concealer, but if I want a little more coverage I will add a tiny bit of concealer and blend it in to the Beauty Balm before spreading it around on my face. It blends perfectly for natural coverage which I love!




Looking at the ingredient list, I have to admit that I had no idea what most of this stuff is, and I read a lot of ingredient lists! I thought it was a good idea to look at each of the major ingredients to see what they are. I grabbed the list of ingredients from the UD website so we could look at each ingredient.

Cyclopentasiloxane: You'll find a lot of silicones in formulas for primers and BB creams, and this one is no exception. They provide a little slip and allow anything applied over the product (such as your concealer) to apply flawlessly.

Water: Obvious.

Isododecane: This helps to dissolve the other ingredients but also feels very lightweight.

Adipic Acid/Neopentyl Glycol Crosspolymer: 2 chemicals together. The Adipic Acid is often found in foods, it is basically a thickener. I believe Neopentyl Glycol is a stabilizer from the information I found.

Lauryl Dimethicone: Another silicone

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer: More silicones

Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone: Yet more silicones

Glycerin: A humectant moisturizer

Hydrogenated Polyisobutene: This ingredient does a lot of things (read more about it over at Truth in Aging), but it basically is a moisturizer, and it helps evenly disperse pigments.

Propanediol: A thickener that helps things "gel" together.

Phenoxyethanol: Preservative

Dimethicone Crosspolymer: Silicones

Disteardimonium Hectorite: Derived from vegetables, this is a thickener and stabilizer

Isononyl Isononanoate: Emollient moisturizer

Sodium Chloride: Table salt

PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone: More silicones

Isopropyl Myristate: A lubricant and emollient moisturizer

Xanthan Gum: Thickener

Propylene Carbonate: Solvent and film forming agent

Isoceteth-10: Emulsifier

Silica: A mineral that does a ton of stuff, go read about it at Truth in Aging

Lysine HCL: An amino acid

The rest: Fragrance, Lecithin, Citrullus Lanatus (Watermelon) Fruit Extract, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Citrulline, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Baicalin, Linalool, Limonene, Tripeptide-9 Citrulline, Geraniol, Citral, Eugenol, Coumarin, Citronellol.

Notable in the "rest" of the ingredients are the Watermelon extract, which should be a source of anti-oxidants. As well, down towards the end of the list you'll recognize a peptide.









Urban Decay
Product Sent for Review

3

The Best BB and CC Creams: The Differences Between Them, How to Use Them and My Favorites

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I'm clueless about what "BB" cream is, and what "CC" cream is... and how you use them, and when you use them. I'm a makeup fanatic- which is why I like your website. I, too, could easily spend hours on makeup everyday, even when I'm just sitting at home on a random Saturday and no one else is around. But, I have 7 kids (my oldest turns 11 on Tuesday) and I work full-time from home, so I usually have to reserve my makeup binging for weekends.

I'd like to know if you're supposed to use a "BB" or a "CC" everyday? Under or over foundation? Dry or oily skin? Certain time of year only? Is this something you can scrimp on? I'm a cosmetic freak and I could fill my home with products from Sephora, but love the idea of saving where I can (e.g., E.L.F) Or, is this something you should really spend good money on?
Thanks much, awesome site.
-Lindsey

I agree with Lindsey, the whole BB/CC/DD Cream thing can get confusing enough, and yes... EE creams are coming too! I explained the difference between all of them a bit in my Multi-Tasking Products post over on Babble, but here's the nitty gritty.


BB Creams
Everything started with BB Creams (Beauty Balms) when they made their way from Asia to the US a few years ago. Basically, they are souped up tinted moisturizers. They should have some coverage, typically more than a traditional tinted moisturizer, but less than a foundation. There should be some anti-aging ingredients, often brightening ingredients to fight hyperpigmentation and usually they have sunscreen.

Because they came from Asia, initially there was a pretty limited shade selection and you'll still find that to be the case for products that haven't been updated recently. Usually those initial shades were a bit... grey? I believe this was meant to be a bit of a color correction for under foundations, but newer formulations are more skin toned.

So, a more pigmented version of a tinted moisturizer, but with added benefits.


CC Creams
CC Creams (Color Correcting) are largely the same as BB Creams, but with ingredients to help treat any causes of discoloration such as redness or sallow skin. The coverage is usually a bit lighter than with a BB Cream.


DD Creams
There are a few ways to translate DD Creams, but really... DD was next. These are meant to pack a bit more of an antiaging punch, though there are any of them on the market currently.


How to Use BB/CC/DD Creams
I think they're mostly meant to be used in the place of a daily moisturizer. I use mine immediately after washing my face, and depending on the day I may or may not put a little foundation on over it. Honestly, it depends on what I'm doing and how I think my rosacea looks at that time. About 90% of the time my daily BB Cream has enough coverage for me with just a bit of added concealer.





1. Kiehl's BB Cream $37

I'm such a huge Kiehl's fan that it should shock no one that I'm a big fan of the Kiehl's BB Cream (check out my Kiehl's BB Cream review). What I really like about this BB Cream is the super high level of UV protection, that's SPF 50+ people! But... yes, alas, it doesn't cover the full UV spectrum. It is still much more protection that other lotions and BB Creams.

The product offers light to medium coverage, blends easily and does help fight aging with a pretty stable form of Vitamin C (learn more about how Vitamin C works in skin care). The formula also includes Adenosine. (I have a post around here somewhere on how that helps, and it does, it's just hiding from me. I'll link to it when I find it!)

Note that due to the presence of ethylhexyl salicylate I think this BB Cream is one to avoid if you're pregnant.












2. Pond's Luminous Finish BB+ Cream $10-12 depending upon the store, available at drugstores and big box stores.

This is the BB Cream that I reach for most of the time. It offers a bit more coverage and the light shade is a good match for me. I somehow still haven't written about it in it's own post, but if you've been reading my blog for a while you've probably noticed me mentioning it over and over!

The formula does contain some things that are great for your skin: Full UV spectrum coverage with SPF 15, Niacinamide (info on how Niacinamide works in skin care is included in my StriVectin post), Allantoin, and Vitamin E. This one is fine for use during pregnancy.









3. Too Faced BB Cream $39

While I liked this BB cream back when I reviewed it (see my Too Faced BB Cream review), I've since learned a few extra tricks that make it easier to use (and yes, it now lasts about 12-14 hours!). I probably should update my post...

Anyways, I do think that the solid form of this BB Cream makes it more suite for use over a regular lotion. I use this like a light foundation. I use a round brush (my Urban Decay Optical Blur) to pick up the product in the jar and apply to areas. I buff in little circles and then stipple with a Beauty Blender sponge which gives a flawless finish. I swear just making those small changes to my application have helped the staying power, I wonder if I'm just less likely to wipe it off of my face?

This product has SPF 20, though I don't think I apply enough of it to really get the full effect. Consider this SPF a "bonus" and rely on whatever you're wearing underneath to protect you from the sun. Otherwise this formula contains Vitamin E and is pregnancy safe.









4. Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 $39

This was one of the first BB Creams that I tried, and it is one of those ones with the "greyish" tint to it. It currently comes in only 1 shade, which works for me, so it is pretty light. You can see my Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm review. This one feels lightweight and offers more medium coverage.

The product contains Vitamin E, Adenosine, and Peptides to help fight aging. You'll find broad spectrum UV coverage at SPF 45 as well. It is pregnancy safe.









5. L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream

This one is a bit different, and it took me a while to decide if I like it or not. It has less coverage than other BB Creams, and this is one with that "grey" cast to it (which actually helps my skin quite a bit when my rosacea is acting up). I use it instead of a daily moisturizer, and while it isn't exactly color correcting for the red in my skin, it seems to smooth things out and then I can add a light foundation over it. This BB Cream is really meant to act as more of a primer than as a combination lotion/light foundation (hence, it does have a lot of silicones in the formulation).

The formula contains vitamins C and E and is pregnancy safe.






6. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB $8.99

This is my other drugstore pick, and it is even more coverage than the Pond's BB Cream. There aren't really any active ingredients other than the sunscreen, so I think of it as a more pigmented tinted moisturizer. SPF 30









7. Cargo Picture Perfect HD CC Cream $39

The Cargo CC Cream isn't exactly what I expected when it arrived on my doorstep (see my Cargo Picture Perfect HD CC Cream review). This is one of those products that comes out looking like vanilla bean ice cream and changes color to match my skin tone. It works great for me in the summer, but isn't quite light enough for me in the winter, so I don't recommend this if you're super pale.

It contains Vitamins C and E in addition to offering SPF 20. It is pregnancy friendly.










8. Stila Stay All Day 10 in 1 HD Beauty Balm $38

This is the Beauty Balm with absolutely no coverage. It offers quite a few benefits such as hydration, sunscreen if you want it (there are 2 versions, 1 with SPF 30 and 1 without), it works as a primer and has a lot of anti-aging ingredients. But no coverage, so it works for me and for celeb makeup artist Brandy Gomez-Duplessis, who mentioned it among her favorite products.

This product is somewhat hydrating, is a great primer (there are a lot of silicones to help makeup glide on to your skin), peptides and algae extract (which has anti-oxidants) to help fight aging and you can opt for SPF 30. Overall, pretty good! It is pregnancy friendly.









9. Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm $34

This BB cream from Too Faced is the one I reach for when I'm feeling a bit under the weather. It has light-medium coverage, and more light diffusion than the Pond's Luminous, so it helps make me glow when I'm not looking so great! It is a bit too moisturizing for use as my every day BB cream (I have combination skin), but on days that I feel lack luster and dry, this is perfect.

The formulation does contain silicones to help it spread nicely on the skin, and it works great as a primer if you decide you need a bit more coverage and put foundation over it (though it is enough for me for casual days). You find Vitamins A and C (that Vitamin A makes it not pregnancy safe, FYI), in addition to some minerals like Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium and Zinc. There's even Chamomile to help soothe your skin! It is SPF 20.










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