The Beacon is checking out the latest and greatest in beauty trends.
Beauty consultant Ashley Evert has the information you need.
What on Earth is this BB Cream nonsense everyone’s talking about?
BB Cream stands for beauty balm in the Western market, but can also stand for blemish balm. BB cream is promoted as an all-in-one facial cosmetic product to replace serum, moisturizer, primer, foundation, and sunblock
What became BB cream was originally formulated in the 1960s by a German dermatologist named Dr. Christine Schrammek to protect her patients’ skin after surgery.
From there it was introduced to South Korea and Japan as “the secret of Korean actresses” because it gave the look of porcelain skin.
Because Korean companies focused initially on the Korean and East Asian markets, they are offered in a limited number of hues. Instead of offering multiple shades for different skin tones, most formulas are designed to oxidize to match the user’s skin tone. BB cream has invaded the Western market with companies like Boscia, Clinique, Dior, Estee Lauder, Garnier, Maybelline, Revlon and Smashbox all releasing their own versions.
Smashbox BB Cream
Claim: This BB cream claims to prime, protect, perfect, control oil and hydrate all in one product.
Color: This tinted formula is made in five shades: fair, light, light/medium, medium and dark.
Coverage: sheer/buildable. A pea-sized amount will give you a sheer layer to even out skin tone, but you can use another layer or two for more coverage if you need it.
SPF: Of course! Smashbox boasts 35 SPF instead of the usual 15 SPF. This is great for fair-skinned ladies like me that acquire lobster status as soon as they step outside. Bye, bye sun damage.
Price: $39
Where to buy: Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Smashbox.com
Pros: Its 1.0 fl oz / 30 ml size doesn’t seem like much, but you really only need a pea-sized amount. A tube of product lasted me about 5 months with heavy, daily use. You can use this as a way to prime your skin before foundation application (a good powder on top will nix the shine for a matte finish and set the makeup for longevity) or use it as a better-for-your-skin alternative to a heavy foundation.
The whole “control oil, but still hydrate” claim made me raise my eyebrows, but this BB cream really does control my oily skin and hydrate the dry areas that tend to spring up in the winter. If you do tend to get very oily throughout the day, I would definitely recommend a light setting powder on those areas.
Smashbox’s BB Cream is also bursting with anti-aging peptides that help to decrease the appearance of fine lines over time. You ladies know what the best cure for aging skin is: prevention! The best thing about this BB cream is the fact that it’s cruelty-free! Kudos to Smashbox for that.
Cons: The price of this product makes my wallet weep. I really don’t think it should cost as much as it does, but until I find something that makes my skin as pretty as this does, I’ll splurge.
