What the heck is a BB Cream? What is the difference between a Tinted Moisturiser and a Foundation? Featuring Dior Nude BB Cream, Jouer Moisture Tint & Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum

The number one question I get from readers, friends, family and anyone I talk about makeup with is 'WHAT IS A BB CREAM?' they always ask in a frustrated, what am I missing out on? Voice. Let me be your makeup Veronica Mars for this post and answer all your burning questions......Let me start by saying cosmetic companies can name a products whatever they like 'BB' or 'CC' doesn't necessarily mean there is anything different about the actual product itself, it's all just marketing buzz words.

Dior Nude BB Cream $48.00 available from www.feelunique.com

BB Creams (Blemish Balms, Beauty Balms, Beblesh Balm) originated in Korea, traditionally containing Whitening Agents, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E and other ingredients to combat blemishes and lighten skin whilst wearing an all in one base. Tinted with a light colour and designed to oxidise to the skins natural colour, most applying with a grey tone base which neutralises redness.

None of the Western beauty brands have released a BB Cream in the traditional sense, whitening ingredients aren't popular and pink toned western skin tones don't take grey under toned products well. 

If you are more inclined to try the 'Best of the West' in BB Creams Dior's new BB Cream from the Nude line is beautiful, it glides onto the skin and is very hydrating. It does oxidise, like Korean versions do. If you are thinking of buying it make sure to test the 3 shades on your face and wait at least 20 minutes and then check in natural light which is your best colour match. The smoothing pore refining quality comes from the high amount of silicone in this product, which allows other makeup to sit well on top of it. 

If you would like to try a traditional BB Cream Dr Jart Water Based BB Cream is my fave REVIEW HERE! If you have skin problems and you are looking for a base product to help your acne whilst giving you some coverage then try Jane Iredale's Glow Time BB Cream is fantastic and available HERE.

DO YOU NEED A BB CREAM? 

Are you happy with the base products you already use? If the answer is yes, then you probably do not need a BB Cream. I do not recommend any product with whitening agents in them because they can lead to long term pigmentation problems. A BB Cream is not going to change your life.

 Jouer Illuminizing Moisture Tint $42.50 available from www.strawberrynet.com

 Tinted Moisturiser is lighter in opacity than a foundation with more moisturising qualities to it than a traditional foundation most contain high SPF ratings.
Most tinted moisturisers have driven my very naturally oily skin mad, creating oil slicks all over my face especially in high school. The Jouer Illuminating Moisture Tint is the only light coverage velvet to slightly matte finish base product I have ever tried. So if you have oily skin to the point where the Rainbow Warrior might be called in to contain the slick, and you don't like a heavy coverage then try the Jouer line. Oily skin is somehow seen as being bad and I am constantly recommended products with high coverage to wear, but I don't need high coverage because it makes my skin even oilier and I don't have any blemishes really. It is very annoying....Is anyone else in this boat?
DO YOU NEED A TINTED MOISTURIZER?
I would recommend tinted moisturiser if you have dry skin or are wanting to swap to a base product containing SPF. If you mix your everyday moisturiser
and foundation do you get a tinted moisturiser....YES! Can you make your own....YES!

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum $32.00 available from www.priceline.com.au

Foundation is an all over tinted skin base in varying opacity and shades to match skin tones, applied all over the face and neck to create a veil covering skin imperfections.

So I am not going to go into all of different foundations available, I'm just going to tell you about my favourite : Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation which is a dupe for the Chanel Vita Lumier and Vita Lumier Aqua Foundations. It is a light weight gel consistency which is very blendable, it melts into the skin giving sheer coverage and a glowing dewy hydrated natural look. I like applying it with my fingers, the warmth from your fingers will help blend the foundation into the skin rather than have the product sit on top of the skin which is the result I get when using a buffing brush. It doesn't cover redness from blemishes so you will need to conceal them after applying the foundation, not before.

I HAVE A FOUNDATION DO I NEED A BB CREAM AND A TINTED MOISTURISER TOO?

If you have your base routine down to a fine art and you are happy with it, then NO. If you like to try new products and you are looking to switch it up then YES. Are all three products the same? technically YES, they are all base products which tint the skin they only vary with opacity and ingredients like SPF and silicons.

Hope this post has cleared up any pesky questions about BB Creams and you are less confused and not more confused by my descriptions. Please leave any questions or comments below and follow me on Twitter because I tweet like a maniac. All links are below.

ALSO.......

Please PLEASE do yourself a favour and watch Dusty Hunter's YouTube video on the differences between BB Creams, Tinted Moisturises and Foundations....He is an amazing resource for the makeup curious and I watch everyone of his videos.

xxx Nella

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A foundation guide for ALL skin types.

There is a misconception by women that foundation is a product which is very masking or too heavy for their skin. At the moment there are so many different types of foundation available from very sheer to complete full coverage so something for everyone. Here are some tips on finding the right foundation for you:

- When buying a high end or expensive foundation ask for samples of two colours you think are the closest to your skin tone and test them over a couple of days and in different lights. I have been mismatched by cosmetics counter babes too many times and I have put it down to the horrific un-natural lighting in department stores OR if you don't have the time to the foundations at home, ask for an application of 2 shades one on either side of your face and then go outside and check which you like best in natural light.

- If you are expecting to be photographed (i.e your just very popular or its your wedding day) steer clear of foundations with SPF's as they can cast white on the skin and reflect the flash in a weird way

-Expensive or very cheap it doesn't matter if it matches your skin, if it does what you need it to do then its a good foundation for you.

-Change your foundation seasonally, in Summer use a light coverage with high SPF and in Winter use a hydrating foundation. You also maybe 2 different colours a couple of shade difference between Summer and Winter depending on if you tan or not.

-Choose a foundation based on your skin type not on what you want your skin to look like, everyone want perfect skin duh:

Combination Skin: Medium coverage light reflecting illuminating foundation 

Oily Skin: Oil free Medium coverage foundation and a mattifying finish

Dry Skin: A hydrating foundation with a light coverage and illuminating properties and a dewy finish

Acne Prone Skin: Water based oil free fragrance free foundation all over and then a full coverage on problem areas

Aged Skin: Medium coverage which is hydrating without giving a shiny finish

Young/Teen Skin: Sheer tint to let the natural qualities show through the foundation

SHEER COVERAGE:
If you want a dewy glow to your skin and a sheer amount of coverage a tinted moisturizer is probably your best product pick. Tinted moisturizers are not buidable because they soak into the skin and hydrate, if you want more coverage in certain areas then do a little spot concealing and finish with a setting powder.
COVERAGE: 
Slightly even out skin tone
WEAR TIME:

2-3 hours, longer if you powder definitely not a full day                                            

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer $59.00

2. Clarins Hydraquench Tined Moisturizer $48.00

3. Face of Australia Tined Moisturizer $11.95

4. Garnier Mirecal Skin Perfecter $11.70

5. Stila Sheer Colour Tined Moisturizer $55.00

LIGHT COVERAGE:
Somewhere between a tinted moisturizer and a traditional foundation are water based foundations. They give a light amount of coverage and are buildbale, if you want a long wear time out of these foundations make sure to use a primer and a powder on top. If you have blemish prone skin a water based foundation (or an oil free) is great for you just also make sure it is fragrance free.
COVERAGE: 
Evens out skin tones and redness, slight imperfections and pore appearance
WEAR TIME:
3-6 Hours with Powder, longer if your skin isn't oily.

1. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua $75.00

2. Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid $68.00

3. Nars Sheer Glow $68.00

4. Mac Face and Body $60.00

5. Natio Skin Sheer Foundation $17.25

 MEDIUM COVERAGE:

These are traditional foundations, most chemist brands fall into this category. Rich in constancy and formulated to give you all over coverage. If don't wear powder and want foundation which is slightly matte in appearance these guys are for you. Buildable but formulated as a one stop shop for a base, fuss free. 

COVERAGE:

Dark Circles, slight pigmentation, blemishes, redness, slight scaring, freckles, sun spots

WEAR TIME:

5-9 Hours only powder if you have very oily skin otherwise it can look cakey

1. Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer $78.00
2. Bourjois Healthy Mix & Healthy Mix Serum $29.00
3. Rimmel Wake Me Up $19.95
4. Lancome Teint Miracle $68.00

FULL COVERAGE:

If you want to look like an extra on The Only Way is Essex or If you have acne scaring of very contrasting pigmentation and want to cover it up completely then try a full coverage foundation on effected areas then blend it out with a medium coverage to the areas not effected. Full coverage foundations can be quite thick and need to be blended into the skin really well to give a natural appearance.

COVERAGE: 

Pigmentation, scaring, blemishes, pores, redness, rosacea, acne bumps, freckles, birth marks, sun spots

WEAR TIME:

6-9 hours, just be careful if you do have acne that oil doesn't break through.    

1. Vichy Dermablend Smooth Indulgence  $49.05

2. Estee Lauder Double Wear $68.00

3. Revlon ColourStay $26.70

4. Ella Baché Sunguard  $46.00

*Please note all prices are in Australian dollars at recommended retail prices.

BB Creams : Why? What? How? Huh?

Spending a bit of time in Japan last year I became really intrigued with the phenomenon of BB Creams in the Asian beauty market. What was the point of them? Were they a foundation or a Primer? How much coverage did they give? BB Creams are relatively new to the western beauty market and the BB Creams that are available here on the mainstream market aren't really BB Creams. So I went on to explore all things BB the following are my findings, I am hoping this will be a beauty version of Myth Busters. (my Dads favorite show!)

So what the heck is a BB Cream?

BB stands for 'Blemish Balm', it is a cream with multiple beneficial properties for your skin including High SPF protection against UVA and UVB's, Moisturizer and Hydrating serums, Sebrum Control (absorbs sweat), Vitamins A,C,E, Collagen - Each brand differs in the benefits they offer. It also has a light coverage or tint to give the skin a healthy glow.  Many of the Korean brands do contain skin lightening/whitening chemicals in them. Skin lightening/whitening is a popular cultural point of difference in Asian skin care and makeup, I am not aware of its benefits I think it is purely a cultural aesthetic which is desirable.

In western beauty it is usually a moisturizer which contains all skin benefiting properties and then make up is applied on top such as a foundation which is purely for coverage. BB Creams are just an extra step of adding more 'health' benefits to the skin while evening out skin tone with the slight tint. The consistency is very different to a tinted moisturizer because BB Creams do have a high amount of silicone which is what fills in your pores and give you that 'Puri Kura' glow.

I really REALLY like BB Creams, the reason I wear a BB Cream is that living in such a warm and humid climate during the day your pores will open and wearing foundation/concealer without a base such as a BB Cream your pores will absorb the makeup congesting them. The western alternative to a BB Cream is a primer, primers are a seal or barrier which make up sits on top of, they don't contain any benefits like SPF or moisturizing qualities. So the BB Cream for me acts as a protective beneficial base for my makeup and you can never have enough SPF. Personally I wouldn't use it instead of a foundation because it doesn't give enough coverage and also the high SPF's are really light reflective often leaving your skin looking slightly white cast. 

My prefered BB Cream of choice (and believe me I have tried ALOT!) is the
Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++ (Korean) - $42.00

Why this out of the hundreds of other BB Creams? It is 50% water - not just regular water but 'Advanced Water Bead Technology'- FANCY. It's super dooper hydrating and leaves your skin looking hydrated and dewy,  it is very light and feels like you have nothing on your skin at all. It works really well if you are using a sheer foundation on top like Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua,  Nars Sheer Glow or Estée Lauders invisible skin. However if you like a matte heavier coverage foundation then the Dr.Jart+ Gold Label Premium BB Cream would be better suited.

(Ok so you cant see much difference in these but my skin is more even and I do slap about 3 more layers on after the BB Cream anyway.)

Western interpretations of a BB Cream such as the Garnier Miracle Skin perfector $14.45  and Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream $13.60 are in my opinion not BB Creams at all, they are tinted moisturizers with SPF. They do not have the skin benefits of traditional Korean style BB Creams, and definitely do not help your make up stay on. They are good if you are looking for a light coverage tinted moisturizer with SPF. Loreal Nude Magique BB Cream  $13.60 is a better option but it is still not a BB Cream this is a tinted primer packed with silicone, it leaves your skin super fake soft and creepy.
The Western style BB's selling points are that they smooth skin tone and blur imperfections, where as the Korean BB's are more about the beneficial qualities and the secondary function is to even out skin tone. You only need to look at the ingredients of both BB's to see the difference is vast.

Estée Lauder have a new BB Cream coming out soon which is very comparable to the Korean styles and I am very excited to try it!