We should never have to choose between makeup and skincare. Could you imagine such a world? Sadly, anyone with acne-prone skin knows the troubles of this dilemma. But with BB cream, you never have to choose! BB cream is a skin-healing ointment with a slight tiny, going the extra mile that a foundation just can’t. While giving you coverage and long-lasting moisture, BB cream also protects against the sun, pollution and acne. Could you ask for more? No wonder so many women have converted to the BB cream clan.
What’s BB cream?
BB cream is a beauty balm cream that covers sports while providing subtle skin-care benefits. You get multiple perks from one product: concealing, moisturizing, healing and SPF protection.
According to the beauty editors at Total Beauty, “BB stands for ‘Beauty Balm’ or ‘Blemish Balm’ depending on the formula, and they’re basically tinted moisturizers with skin care ingredients and SPF built in.But don’t confuse BB Cream with tinted moisturizer. Lots of people get them confused because they both have skin-improving benefits, but there are key textural differences.
BB cream is a lot heavier than a moisturizer, almost closer to the thickness of a primer, explains Ricky Wilson, a celebrity makeup artist whose celebrity clients include Nina Dobrev and Emmy Rossum.
How does it work?
BB cream is one of those unique skincare-makeup hybrids, but that does leave some questions about the application process. How does this product fit into a multi step skincare routine? Can we just skip our moisturizer and trust that our skin’s getting enough vitamin-rich nutrients? Or does it act more like makeup, so we should treat it more like a foundation?
All these questions are common and totally understandable. After all, there’s always going to be a tad of skepticism about a product claiming to do-it-all.
Generally, the consensus among makeup artists and dermatologists is to treat BB cream more like makeup (with subtle skincare benefits).
How do you apply BB cream?
The classic rule of thumb is to start every application routine with a moisturizer or serum, followed by primer. Except with innovations like BB cream, some steps are meant to be skipped. Ready to break some rules?
Application without primer
Most industry experts agree that BB cream replaces the need for a primer. “In general, you can skip the primer when wearing a BB cream,” says Kendra Richards, a makeup artist who works on famous faces like Kerry Washington and Molly Sims.
Kendra believes primer is an unnecessary step that won’t make much difference to enhancing the performance or longevity of your BB cream. Since they’re developed to cover multiple steps, you can leave out the primer. However, with so many formulations available, you can experiment to see if it does help the wear of your BB cream– even if unlikely.
Application with primer
On the other hand, other industry experts are more old-school and stick to the classic application rules no matter what. Celebrity Makeup Artist, Ricky Wilson says, “always prep before you paint.” Basically, he always treats the skin first, including the primer step, before using anything with a tint. This approach has its merit, seeing as BB cream is still makeup after all.
Regardless of whether you’re pro primer with BB cream, you might not have a choice if you’ve got oily skin. In this case, you may need the extra prepwork when dealing with a shiny T-zone. To absorb all that greasy goo, you should be dabbing on an oil-absorbing primer before applying BB cream. Or you can eliminate this extra step all together and instead, seek out an oil-absorbing BB cream. Ultimately, there’s so many BB cream formula variations to suit your skin’s needs.
How do I choose one?
BB creams are available at nearly every drugstore and luxury boutique. If you’re a person who value over hype, here are some highly rated BB creams.
Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream by L’Oréal
This BB cream cream is made with special pigments infused in an ultra-light lotion with antioxidants Vitamin C & E. This formula helps prime the skin to improve texture while concealing imperfections. Overall, your skin will have a healthy-looking boost to give you a more awake and vibrant look.
Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45
Everyone hates dark spots and patches. Instead of searching for the most high-coverage concealer out there, consider the Dr.Jart Premium Beauty Balm. Unlike most BB creams, it contains arbutin to fade dark spots. Yet, at the same time, it has all the qualities we know and love such as zinc oxide for natural sun protection and pigments for concealing flaws.
Multi-Perfecting Beauty Benefit BB Creme SPF/FPS 35
If you’re willing to spend a little more, you should try the Multi-Perfecting Beauty Benefit BB Creme . This unique BB cream is luminous and long-lasting, allowing you to have a brighter and smoother skin tone throughout the entire day. It also features a nice lightweight quality and is oil-free, so you don’t feel like you’re wearing any makeup at all! Best of all, it contains antioxidant protection and SPF for a healthy, youthful complexion.
If you’re a sucker for air-light, natural-looking makeup, you’ll definitely fall for this magical balm! The combination of its vitamin-based healing qualities and velvety formula will give you that fresh finish, so you can feel more confident about your complexion. You can find the best BB cream for your skin type by researching formulas and reading reviews.
