Ask ellewar: All about BB creams

It was requested by a lovely lady that I do a post about BB creams.
I'll follow this post with another one about my favourite ones, and how to apply, but this one is just going to be a little tidbit of information on a product that almost every company has these days.

So, what are BB creams?

BB originally stood for Blemish Balm and was created in Korea to promote brighter and whiter skin (which is huge in asian countries). Originally, Blemish Balm was created to be the only product used on the skin every day - an all in one serum, moisturizer, SPF and foundation balm.

In Western markets, BB stands for Beauty Balm. This should NOT replace your moisturizer or any part of your routine EXCEPT what you would normally use for foundation.

Most BB creams are moisturizing, have light coverage and a high SPF. Some BB creams on the market aim towards being anti-aging (but really, anything moisturizing and with an SPF is anti-aging.)

Because it is a balm, it's best to apply these creams with your fingers to help warm up the product. If you use a brush it will leave lots of streaks on your face and your brush will eat up a lot of the product.

Beauty Balms don't offer a lot of coverage, they just help to balance any uneven skin tones. They're kind of like a light foundation. In my opinion, BB creams work best for people with normal to dry skin types, on oily skin they feel especially dewey and do not help to mattify whatsoever.

So, which ones are worth the hype?

From my experience most of the high end companies have it down pretty well. The BB creams they make are truly balm textures and give the appearance of dewey, healthy skin.

Most (but not all) of the drugstore ones I have tried are more like a light foundation. They don't have the balm consistency and basically they are just calling it a BB cream as they know it's huge in the cosmetic market right now.

When you're choosing one for yourself, go for one that has a thicker balm-y consistency (if you want the full effect of a BB cream that is.) They're not for everyone, but they are nice to try out!

Ones I like: Smashbox, Estee Lauder, Quo and Vichy Pro Even.

I am anxious to try some more as they are lovely when you do not feel like wearing much makeup!

Hope you enjoyed this post. Please follow and leave a comment if there's anything you'd like me to review/write about!

Thanks for reading!

-ellewar

PS: I'm planning a super exciting giveaway- but you must follow my blog to be entered!