BB Creams

I discovered BB Creams about 5 years ago and I can’t say enough about what they do for my skin (when I use them, remember – I am notorious for switching up my products).

BB Creams (the “BB” stands for Blemish Balm or Beauty Balm) are the newest all-in-one make-up products that have hit North America. Garnier, MAC, Estee Lauder, Too Faced, Stila, Clinique, Smashbox and countless others, have all come out with one. While they are very new here, people in Japan and Korea have been using them for many, many years.

Let me just start right off and say that I am very sceptical to try the new ones on the market. Why is that? Well let me tell ya’ straight up… I hate it when Westerners white wash anything from Asia.

Westerners have a completely different mind-set when it comes to their skin and caring for it. Japanese and Korean women (and some men too) aren’t like us Western girls. They don’t covet that sun-kissed glow we do; they prefer pure white, flawless skin. I really believe that they have healthier mindset when it comes to their skin care routines and products, which we are severely lacking over here. So a lot of my scepticism stems from that. Not that I am the poster child for flawless, white skin… I am ashamed to say I do use tanning beds from time to time (I know, I know… so bad for you!), and I also get spray tans. But I do use sunscreen whenever I am outdoors and always try to limit my exposure, obviously not an excuse, but that is my story and I am sticking to it!

I love BB Creams from Asia, they work amazingly. My fave brand is BRTC, they provide the perfect amount of coverage, while also helping to heal the skin (a plus when you have the skin of a hormonal teenager) and they have “multi-tasking” all-in-one properties — moisturizer, primer, foundation, skin lightener and sunblock. I always buy my BB Creams from eBay. The prices are really good and they have great selections.

My favourite BRTC formulas are their Gold Caviar BB Cream and Jasmine BB Cream, with the Gold Caviar BB Cream being my favourite of the two. I was noticing a lot of fine lines in my brow and forehead area and within a week they were dramatically reduced and then gone after a month. I was hooked on phonics after that! The Gold Caviar has an SPF content of 50 and also provides fuller coverage.

The Jasmine BB Cream helped my skin stay matte for a much longer period of time (almost 12 hours!), and also provided the same results with but less coverage. So depending on your needs (coverage, more or less SPF protection, and oil control) I would recommend either of those two to anyone.

My suggestion to anyone venturing in to the world of BB Creams would be to do a lot of research. Identify your skin needs and problems and then go out and buy. I’m sure a lot of you will be hesitant to try the Asian brands due to their lack of colours, and I totally understand. Like I said my scepticism to try the new North American versions  merely stem from my fear that they won’t work the same. However, what kind of Fashionista would I be if I didn’t try the new ones on the market!? I plan on doing my research and then trying one out. If anyone has any suggestions on which ones I should try, or questions about the ones I have tried please feel free to comment!