BB creams aren’t exactly new anymore, I remember trying them last year and thinking, erm well they’re okay but I feel naked wearing one. But things seem to have advanced and every beauty brand out there basically does a BB cream now. After seeing Rosie Londoner post some of her fave make up items on her instagram the other day, one of which was a BB cream, I decided that I must try them again and hopefully get her radiant glow. When you’re having a good skin day, there is nothing better than only applying a BB cream, it's natural and treats your skin just like skincare does. The big question is, which BB cream should I buy and which BB cream is for me? Lucky for you, I’ve put a few of them through their paces...
First up, Clarins Skin Perfecting BB Cream. When I was sent this by Essenctuals I fell in love instantly. When you squeeze it out of the tube, it is the thickness of foundation, infact, probably thicker, it doesn’t have that liquid feel to it. It’s perfectly thick but then surprisingly, when you put it on your skin, it glides on like moisturizer and is actually really light. For the past week I have only worn this on my face, I literally use one tiny blob, because it’s thick, a small amount of it goes a long way. This is in shade light, which I feel actually looks quite dark on my skin – so don’t make the mistake of buying the medium shade when actually, the light shade is really dark. I feel like this makes my skin glow instantly. I have done a full review of Clarins Skin Perfecting BB Cream here. My personal fave as it gives a great coverage but your skin still looks natural and illuminated.
Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector - This is the little beauty that Rosie Londoner posted on her instagram. Rosie wears this (so I immediately went out and bought it, oops) and her skin always looks radiant so I thought why not, and added it to my little Boots shopping basket. I think it was around £8.00 but you can usually get it on offer in Boots. This is ridiculously moisturizing, even more so than the Clarins one and I feel like it’s probably better for the skin, less make uppy. The coverage isn’t as good, it's more like a really thick tinted moisturiser. I got this in shade medium and it is far too dark for me. I will try this again when I have a tan. I do like this, but the coverage isn't as good as the Clarins BB cream and because it's really dark I have to blend this loads with a foundation brush and it goes a bit dirty on my skin.
ThisWorks Perfect Look Skin Miracle Tinted Moisturiser - This isn’t strictly speaking a BB cream but I’ve put it in here as it is a tinted moisturizer which you can use as a primer or just wear instead of foundation, similar to a BB cream as all BB creams make good primers and tinted moisturisers. I personally find this a little bit too greasy to wear underneath foundation, but if you’re having an amazing skin day or if you’re abroad, this would be unreal to wear as it has a gorgeous little caramel colour to it. It is really light on the skin and super duper moisturizing, there isn’t really any coverage with it, just a tint so if it’s coverage that you’re wanting I’d go for Clarins. This is great if you just want to add a nice radiant tan to the skin without wearing make up.
L'Occitane Sublime Beauty Cream - This is actually really really nice and one of the ones I wear most often. It was the first product that I'd ever used by L'Occitane and I really am impressed with the brand. This is similar to Clarins when it comes to coverage but for some reason it feels even lighter and feels less like foundation, this does stay on a bit longer than the Clarins BB cream and it feels like it's better for your skin as it's full of goodness. It just feels more natural but looks kinda like a powdery foundation. Even the packaging is light weight, just how this feels on your skin. This feels so light but gives such a nice coverage without making your skin feel heavy or look caked, it makes your skin look plumped. This has an SPF of 30 which means that it's amazing in the sun.
L’Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream – I bought this last year (as you can tell, the packaging is a bit ruined). My friend used to wear it and I commented on how good her foundation looked, when she told me it wasn’t foundation I honestly couldn’t believe it. Basically, this little BB cream (I’m sure it was one of the first BB creams on the market), comes out purple and it feels like it’s an exfoliating face wash if I’m going to be honest, but then when you put it on your skin, somehow, it changes to a foundation/skin colour and makes you look like you’re wearing foundation. It’s so clever, it really does mimic the look of foundation and again, it looks so radiant. I do feel a bit grubby and dirty when wearing it though because of the little balls/pieces inside it, it doesn’t feel that smooth, but it does look really smooth. It’s so magical, it’s worth a try just to see how well it works on your face. I use this around the pool on holiday as it has an SPF in it and it’s so light that you can still get a tan but if you’re having a bad skin day it kind of covers it up, just not as well as the Clarins one.
La Roche-Posay Hydreane BB Cream - I've got to say this is probably the most disappointing for me. When it comes out of the tube, it is very much like Clarins, thick and moisturising but when you apply this on your face, or maybe it's just my skin, it seems to stick to the dry areas of my face and just make them look worse. This could be because, again, the colour is far too dark. I don't understand why BB creams in a shade medium come out so hideously dark. It leaves dark line at the side of my face, even when I've blended it in. Again, this may just be my skin and it is a gorgeous texture and should look insanely good on your skin. When swatched on my hand, it looks just like Clarins but seems a lot more moisturising. When you apply it, it looks as though it's going to give great coverage but instead it just feels like a really light tinited moisturiser that kind of crumbles on the face. Boo La Roche Posay, I usually love you. I will persevere with this when I have more of a natural tan.
Vichy Idealia BB Cream - I have this on today and I am in love with it. If you want a really heavy coverage, then this isn't for you, I'd say it's a medium coverage. It doesn't cover up under eye circles or bad spots, so pop some concealer on first. But it does leave you with a natural glow and it lets your natural skin shine through, perfect if you're wanting to tan. The packaging is beautiful and Vichy is known for doing great skincare, so this really will fix your skin whilst wearing it. I feel adequately covered up when wearing this, but still look natural and glowing and don't feel like I'm wearing make up. This is around £15.00 at Boots so cheaper than Clarins but a touch more expensive than Garnier. I use shade medium in this and for once, it isn't too dark unlike all the other BB creams in a medium shade. This really does make your skin look illuminated and healthy. It has soothing and hydrating Vichy Thermal Spa Water inside it, which probably explains why it gets rid of redness and general nastiness so well.
Sorry for the lack of swatches on the last few, I keep picking up new BB creams! I have noticed a complete change in my skin since I have stopped wearing foundation, even my boyfriend has commented on how nice my skin looks now. Hello good skin days, I have you to thank, BB creams. Hopefully this little guide to find the best BB cream on the market has helped you. Obviously they're all different depending on what you're looking for. As a summary, I'd go for Clarins for coverage and to wear out on a normal day/night out and then Vichy or L'Occitane for every day wear. Which BB cream do you want to try? Have you used a BB cream before? Can you recommend any? Lots of love, Em x
P.S, I've been shortlisted for the Cosmopolitan 'best new beauty blog' award and I am speechless, I'd love to have your vote. You can vote for me here. Thank you so much.
