If you're unfamiliar with the term "BB Cream", don't let it intimidate you. It's just a catchy name for an all-in-one "Beauty Balm" that, traditionally-speaking, can function as a moisturizer and/or skin treatment, primer and foundation all in one tube. BB Creams are quite popular in Asia and in recent months, US versions have been popping up all over the drugstores. As of the time of this post, there are currently six US BB creams available in drugstores. I do not own the Garnier version or the L'Oreal Youth Code version, but I do own the Maybelline version, which I will be reviewing next week. I haven't spotted the Palmer's version in stores yet, and the CoverGirl version is actually just their existing tinted moisturizer with a new name.
I've been using the new L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream for over a month now, and I'm finally ready to share my thoughts with you.
NOTE: I realize that certain readers are upset about US BB creams, since many believe that they're nothing but glorified tinted moisturizers that do not deliver the multiple skin benefits and/or fuller coverage of their Asian counterparts. To date, I only own one Asian BB cream, which I'll be reviewing here in the future. Therefore, I cannot really get into the pros and cons of Asian BB creams vs. US BB creams, but I can say this: for my reviews, I'm going to take each product for what it's worth and not make Asian BB cream comparisons. Yes, it might be a misnomer to call some of these US versions "BB creams" but I don't think it's of any benefit to get angry about that here. These are what they are, and I have no idea why US brands have gone in a different direction with their versions, but each will be reviewed based on its own merits and not how it stacks up to its Asian counterparts.
L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier B.B. Cream in Fair
(retail: $10.95, 1.0 oz)
The first thing I noticed about the L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream is that it retails for a few dollars more than the Maybelline version. Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream (also 1.0 oz) retails or $8.49 at my local Rite Aid, while this B.B. cream retails for $10.95 at my local Rite Aid.
Another major difference between the Maybelline and L'Oreal versions is that the L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier does not contain sunscreen, while Maybelline Dream Fresh B.B. Cream contains SPF 30.
One more difference is that the L'Oreal version comes in four shades while the Maybelline version come in five:
Fair (not pictured), Light, Medium, Dark
From the L'Oreal display:
Sorry for the above photo, but it was the best I could do. For a full list of the ingredients in this product, please visit the L'Oreal website here. For those concerned about parabens, there is one form of paraben in this formula.
Notice the reference to "beautifying beads". More on this a little later...
Now, when I first purchased this product about a month ago, I went with the second-to-lightest shade in the range. I am a MAC NC20, and usually the second-to-lightest shade in most drugstore foundation ranges works well for me. HOWEVER, and this is important: DO NOT choose the shade "Light" if you are a MAC NC20 or anywhere close to an NC20. Here's why:
L'OREAL MAGIC SKIN BEAUTIFIER BB CREAM IN LIGHT:
Notice the beads--more on this a little later.
Rubbing it in...
Notice how it starts to change color and adjust to my skin...
The final outcome after "Light" has fully adjusted to my skin.
After a week of trying to make "Light" work for me, I HAD to go back to the drugstore and exchange it for "Fair", which is the lightest shade in the range. (Thank goodness for the return policies at Rite Aid/CVS/Walgreens where you can exchange or return used products!)
SO HERE'S THE SHADE FAIR:
Aaaah, MUCH better, but as you'll see below, it's still not perfect when it's on my actual face.
In these before-and-afters, I applied the shade "Fair" to my clean, bare skin. As I always say, my skin is FAR from perfect with redness, large pores, old acne scars etc., so hopefully these photos will give you an idea of the coverage of this product:
As you can see, the shade "Fair" turns pink on my NC20 skin. It gives my skin an odd sort of gray cast, but the good thing is that if I use a setting powder with yellow undertones, it does even things out a bit. It's not perfect, but it's good enough.
Consistency, texture and finish: Straight out of the tube, this product looks and feels like a facial exfoliator. It's opaque white, and it contains what L'Oreal calls "beautifying beads" which are "encapsulated pigments infused in an ultra-light lotion with antioxidants Vitamins C & E". To me, they don't feel like "beads" when applied to the skin. They feel grainy and rough, and much like the grains in the Neutrogena face primer. After a minute or two of working this product into the skin, the beads do break down and they leave no residue behind. The consistency of this product is not thin or runny, but it's not so thick that it's difficult to work into the skin. The finish this leaves behind on the skin is a bit matte. It's not full-on matte, but it's definitely not shiny, greasy or dewy. Once this product self-adjusts and shows its true color on my skin (again, "Fair" is a much better color-match for me than "Light"), it feels quite lightweight to the touch. It's one of those barely-there products that doesn't feel heavy, thick or greasy on the skin. In fact, it very much feels like a shine-control facial primer on the skin, which is great if you have oily skin like me. My face feels quite smooth once this product sets.
Consistency, texture and finish: Straight out of the tube, this product looks and feels like a facial exfoliator. It's opaque white, and it contains what L'Oreal calls "beautifying beads" which are "encapsulated pigments infused in an ultra-light lotion with antioxidants Vitamins C & E". To me, they don't feel like "beads" when applied to the skin. They feel grainy and rough, and much like the grains in the Neutrogena face primer. After a minute or two of working this product into the skin, the beads do break down and they leave no residue behind. The consistency of this product is not thin or runny, but it's not so thick that it's difficult to work into the skin. The finish this leaves behind on the skin is a bit matte. It's not full-on matte, but it's definitely not shiny, greasy or dewy. Once this product self-adjusts and shows its true color on my skin (again, "Fair" is a much better color-match for me than "Light"), it feels quite lightweight to the touch. It's one of those barely-there products that doesn't feel heavy, thick or greasy on the skin. In fact, it very much feels like a shine-control facial primer on the skin, which is great if you have oily skin like me. My face feels quite smooth once this product sets.
Coverage: If you look closely at the "after" pic above, you'll see that this product doesn't cover all of my imperfections and you can still see some of my red patches peeking through. It does, however, provide an overall evening out of my skin, in a very natural-looking way. I would classify this product as light-to-medium coverage. I should also mention that it's easy to build for a little extra coverage, but you need to be careful and work quickly because, once this product sets, you can't really add more or it has a tendency to cake.
Moisturization: This product not only promises to even out skintone, hide imperfections and smooth the skin's texture, but also to hydrate and provide all-day moisture. This is where it's difficult for me to gauge, because my personal experience might differ severely from yours. I have extremely oily skin and require only the lightest moisturizer possible during the summertime. For my oily skin, I can absolutely skip my regular facial moisturizer when I use this product, and my face feels perfectly hydrated all day and into the night. But as noted above, there's a mattifying effect going on with this product, so I'm not sure how it would work if you have dry to very dry skin. If you skin is very dry, you MIGHT need to apply some regular moisturizer beforehand.
How this product plays with others: On the whole, I'd say you shouldn't run into any problems in terms of how this will interact with your concealer or powder. I haven't tried applying a face primer underneath, since this product is part primer itself. I have, however, tried applying both a liquid foundation and a powder foundation on top of this product, and I've had some mixed results with that. My powder foundation seems to work well on top of this BB cream, but my liquid foundations have a tendency to become a bit cakey when they interact with this product. So proceed with caution if you want to apply a traditional foundation on top of this product. It may or may not work well for you. And since this product doesn't contain sunscreen, I've been applying a separate sunscreen BEFORE I apply this product, although I've worn it many times without a separate SPF (shame on me, I know, but I wanted to be sure of how it performed when applied directly on the skin without any interference). So just be aware of the fact that it probably won't feel as light and weightless on the skin if you're applying it over sunscreen.
FINAL VERDICT: I think L'Oreal delivered on three of its four claims when it comes to this BB cream. Smoothes? Check. Hydrates? Check. Corrects? Check. Perfects? No so much if your skin is anything like mine. I think this product does a nice job at evening out skintone and covering minor imperfections, but if you're looking to cover any serious imperfections, this might not be a good fit for you (unless you don't mind using a ton of concealer when using this product). I think this product would work best for those of you with normal-to-oily (or very oily) skin, who don't require a full-coverage foundation and are looking to expedite your normal makeup routine. I can easily skip my normal facial moisturizer when I use this product and my face feels hydrated all day. It also provides a nice matte, yet natural, look to the skin, without feeling heavy or looking cakey. The color-adjusting properties of this product are not my favorite, because it's difficult to gauge when I need to apply more product to my face (by the time the "true" color shows up, it's too late to apply more because, as I said above, this product can get cakey if you apply more after it's already dried). I also found myself wishing it contained sunscreen, because the whole point of a BB cream is to apply one product and go. Well, I actually can get away with applying three products when I use this (the BB cream, concealer and setting powder), but then I don't have sun protection. It would be a little more "all-in-one" if I could also skip my sunscreen when I use this product, and it would probably make me reach for it a bit more often, even despite the fact that it's not a great match for my skintone. So even after a month of use, I can't say I love or hate this product. My final verdict is: I like it, but I don't know if I like it enough to repurchase.
Moisturization: This product not only promises to even out skintone, hide imperfections and smooth the skin's texture, but also to hydrate and provide all-day moisture. This is where it's difficult for me to gauge, because my personal experience might differ severely from yours. I have extremely oily skin and require only the lightest moisturizer possible during the summertime. For my oily skin, I can absolutely skip my regular facial moisturizer when I use this product, and my face feels perfectly hydrated all day and into the night. But as noted above, there's a mattifying effect going on with this product, so I'm not sure how it would work if you have dry to very dry skin. If you skin is very dry, you MIGHT need to apply some regular moisturizer beforehand.
How this product plays with others: On the whole, I'd say you shouldn't run into any problems in terms of how this will interact with your concealer or powder. I haven't tried applying a face primer underneath, since this product is part primer itself. I have, however, tried applying both a liquid foundation and a powder foundation on top of this product, and I've had some mixed results with that. My powder foundation seems to work well on top of this BB cream, but my liquid foundations have a tendency to become a bit cakey when they interact with this product. So proceed with caution if you want to apply a traditional foundation on top of this product. It may or may not work well for you. And since this product doesn't contain sunscreen, I've been applying a separate sunscreen BEFORE I apply this product, although I've worn it many times without a separate SPF (shame on me, I know, but I wanted to be sure of how it performed when applied directly on the skin without any interference). So just be aware of the fact that it probably won't feel as light and weightless on the skin if you're applying it over sunscreen.
FINAL VERDICT: I think L'Oreal delivered on three of its four claims when it comes to this BB cream. Smoothes? Check. Hydrates? Check. Corrects? Check. Perfects? No so much if your skin is anything like mine. I think this product does a nice job at evening out skintone and covering minor imperfections, but if you're looking to cover any serious imperfections, this might not be a good fit for you (unless you don't mind using a ton of concealer when using this product). I think this product would work best for those of you with normal-to-oily (or very oily) skin, who don't require a full-coverage foundation and are looking to expedite your normal makeup routine. I can easily skip my normal facial moisturizer when I use this product and my face feels hydrated all day. It also provides a nice matte, yet natural, look to the skin, without feeling heavy or looking cakey. The color-adjusting properties of this product are not my favorite, because it's difficult to gauge when I need to apply more product to my face (by the time the "true" color shows up, it's too late to apply more because, as I said above, this product can get cakey if you apply more after it's already dried). I also found myself wishing it contained sunscreen, because the whole point of a BB cream is to apply one product and go. Well, I actually can get away with applying three products when I use this (the BB cream, concealer and setting powder), but then I don't have sun protection. It would be a little more "all-in-one" if I could also skip my sunscreen when I use this product, and it would probably make me reach for it a bit more often, even despite the fact that it's not a great match for my skintone. So even after a month of use, I can't say I love or hate this product. My final verdict is: I like it, but I don't know if I like it enough to repurchase.
I had a lot to say about this one, but now I want to hear from YOU. Have you tried the new L'Oreal BB cream? If so, how do you like it? If not, do you think you might give a shot?
How do you think this would compare to the Maybelline BB Cream?
ReplyDeleteWhen I post my Maybelline review this week, I'll be comparing the two. :)
DeleteI bought Loreal Age perfection or whatever BB cream.
DeleteI put it on my legs last night while I was passing my 4 year olds tub time.
In an instant my legs went from white, flaky and dry to silky, tan and 20 again!
As if they'd been airbrushed in a time machine!
I'm in love. And have many friends running to the store today for a bottle of their own.
I didn't like it :( It made my skin have weird dry patches and had pretty much no coverage... which is not enough for my acne scarring and random disclorations... :(
ReplyDeleteI have only tried the Dr. Jart+ BB cream and I love it!
ReplyDeleteI have been using the garnier bb cream for awhile now and I love it. It seems less liquid than the l'oreal, more of a cream consistency. The coverage was good and it evened out my skin tone quite well. I would be interested in what you think of it G if you ever have a chance to try it out.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry hun, but i'm not sure I'll be reviewing the garnier unless they come out with an oily skin version...I keep hearing the current version is horrible for oily skin, so I just can't bring myself to buy it! :(
DeleteIt really isn't made for oily skin, true, but then I've not found anything that really controls my oily skin short of powder. The pf foundation you use, I readily tried,and it is very good, but if I haven't found a non powder formula that is really great . Can't wait to try the oil free version of garnier if it makes it here.
DeleteI have the Garnier, and while I like the texture, I reallly wish they'd make more shades! The light shade is too dark for me. I wish I could have the coverage of the Garnier with the color of the Maybelline.
DeleteSo glad you reviewed this and I'm looking forward to your review on the Maybelline one. I bought the Maybelline one recently but haven't really used it enough to decide what I think about it yet. haha. The "self-adjusting" i.e. oxidizing nature of all of these products is a little annoying and makes it hard to gauge what shade to get. :/
ReplyDeleteI do think it's a little misleading on the manufacturer's part to call all of these new items BB creams but on the flipside, I remember just a year or 2 ago, I was trying to find a drugstore tinted moisturizer and there were 2, maybe 3 choices at most? So I think if we take out the comparisons to Asian BB creams, I'm happy that there many more drugstore tinted moisturizer type products.
I'd rather that BB creams have no sunscreen than do something like Maybelline, claim to have a "broad spectrum" and "spf 30" sunscreen on the tube yet the only active ingredient listed is 1.15% titanium dioxide. In contrast, a few other SPF 30s that use titanium dioxide-- Blue Lizard and Vanicream have 5% titanium dioxide and 5% zinc oxide, Neutrogena sensitive skin has 9.1% titanium dioxide. My Alba Botanica spf 30 has 1% titanium dioxide... PLUS 10% zinc oxide. I don't know how they can claim what they do. People are going to skip their sunscreen when there is NO way that they are getting enough sun protection from the BB cream. (I do hope that your review doesn't suggest that that product can replace sunscreen!) (Sorry, this is a huge pet peeve of mine.)
ReplyDeleteI've only recently started paying closer attention to SPF claims in the past year or so (thanks to readers like you!) so you can be sure I'll mention this in my review. :)
Deleteit broke me out all over my face and neck. I'm on medication thanks to this product. never had this bad breakout since I was 22-23 years old and I'm 31 now! I wouldnt recommend this to anyone. :'(
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to hear that, and it sounds like you're not alone, based on other comments here. It didn't break me out, thank goodness!
DeleteProbably won't be trying this out. I've heard great things about the Maybelline one though.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've seen a couple blogs lately reviewing the new Garnier Oil Free bb Cream, which is supposed to e eared towards oily skin (which I have), but i think it's only available in the uk.
Do you have any idea when the US will get it? I'm dying to try it!
Really?? oh I hope they being it over here ASAP! The only reason I haven't tried the garnier yet is because I keep hearing it's terrible for oily skin. Thanks!!
DeleteI have very oily skin and I do okay with the Garnier. I learned to not use as much product when applying and that helps. I love that it takes away the process of putting on moisturizer and primer on days when I'm in a hurry. I was curious, though, about L'Oreal's BB cream and am currently trying it. I think the coverage is better with Garnier, but I really like the more matte quality of L'Oreal. I set both of these BB creams (and anything else I use) with a matte powder due to my oily skin.
DeleteThat's funny, I find the Garnier to be fine for my oily skin, but the Maybelline made me look like an oil slick!!
DeleteI just tried this Loreal one today, and while the grainy "beads" feel kind of odd, otherwise I quite like it!
At first I thought this was great, mostly because I liked the finish, but even the FAIR is too dark for me. It looked very, very pink on me as well. Sorry to say, it went back.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the whole BB cream trend, they're just tinted moisturizers but people are acting like they are so radically new and unheard of. I think it's nice that there are now more tinted moisturizers in the form of "BB creams," personally I usually like more coverage than a tinted moisturizer.
ReplyDeleteFor days when I do want lighter coverage but don't want to use just powder, I do what I've always done for that sort of thing and mix a tiny bit of my regular liquid foundation with some of my regular facial moisturizer. That way I know I'm getting a moisturizer I like, and that the tint will match, instead of hoping that one of anywhere from 2 to 6 shades (depending on the brand) of BB creams will match. I tried a tester of the fair L'Oreal one you feature here the other day, it was waaaay too dark. :P
I've been using the Maybelline cream for about 3 to 4 weeks. I have a light skintone (what is MAC NC 20? haha ) that is very oily and requires a good amount of coverage, so I mainly use this as a moisturizer/primer. I'm very happy with it thus far, and actually feel like my skin's appearance has improved a bit since using this. It interacts well with the Revlon Whipped foundation I have been wearing, and honestly my skin has not looked this good in a long time, so thanks for the review on the whipped foundation! I never would have tried it before reading your review.
ReplyDeleteSo glad the Revlon foundation is working for you! You're so welcome! :)
DeleteI left a long review on makeup alley if anyone cares to read it, under waymire01.
ReplyDeleteI adore this stuff. I have a foundation that I love, yet have been reaching for this almost every day since I bought it. It's so easy to apply and very lightweight, gives a natural look that is "my skin but better". I have also found that it has improved the tone, texture, and pigmentation of my skin with repeated use. It contains no acids which I am sensitive to, yet somehow has managed to reduce my hyperpigmentation and melasma. I have worn it over primer (BR complex. perfect. and MOM) with no problems, however I find it performs just as well without where lasting power is concerned, it lasts all day even in the heat and humidity with zero breakdown. I do usually wear it with the MOM for it's oil control properties. I have also used it under foundation and it gave a totally flawless finish, but it did add weight to my foundation. I would say that is a pro or a con depending on what you are looking for. I find with my primer, concealer, and a good powder it is all I need for day to day wear. Yes, you can get better coverage with a foundation, but it does not claim to be a foundation, and states right on the bottle it gives a "bare skin finish". With my oily skin I have found every other tinted moisturizer or "BB cream" released in the US market to be unusable, they all leave a greasy finish and/or melt off my face halfway through the day... so this is fantastic for me. I actually love the fact that it does not contain spf, since I am quite sensitive to them and have to be very careful what I use to avoid serious breakouts. If anyone is looking for a good option for spf to wear under it I would suggest the Neutrogena - Pure & Free™ Liquid Daily Sunblock SPF 50.. it is not creamy or greasy and disappears into the skin with a dry finish.
I totally agree about it adding weight to foundation. Thanks for your insights!
DeleteI tried the sample in the October issue of In Style. I went out and immediately bought it. I can't find a foundation that does what this cream does. My skin hasn't looked this good in so many years. I have hyper-pigmentation and have had oily skin and acne due to PCOS. This cream has corrected so much. I love it.
DeleteI used this product with the l'oreal magic perfecting base, and i noticed that it doesnt change color as much with the primer underneath. alone though, the color change is pretty obvious on my skin.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Thanks for the tip!
DeleteYou should try the L'oreal Lumi Foundation. It's really nice and lightweight and also has SPF 20. I find it very similar to my sheer glow.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Its already on my to-buy list! :)
DeleteI used the tester at the store on the back of my hand and it was very pink on me. I also disliked the initial grainy texture. The coverage is insufficient for my needs and it felt greasy on my skin. I have the skin79 bb cream (orange) and it has 50 spf so I'm going to pass on this one.
ReplyDeleteI have been using the Ganier BB cream and I will not be repurchasing, because it does nothing for my skin. I am medium complexion with pretty good skin, but I'm always looking for a "miracle product". This did nothing for me. For me, it's nothing more than a tinted moisturizer.
ReplyDeleteI have this, but I couldn't get past the grainy texture...
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! Its almost painful. Not for sensitive skin for sure. I'm not and it bothers me. Definitely not for daily wear in my world. Pity their Yout Code one was so greasy :(
DeleteGah! I heard the youth code was greasy too. Boo!! :(
DeleteGood to know! One less I can try. I've been buying every BB cream, wanting to try them all! Haha! Guess I can skip the Youth Code one!
DeleteI'm not going to try it because I know it won't work for me, but I just have to say I hate products like this. Grainy balls of pigment that take time to show their actual color is annoying, unnecessary and gimmicky.
ReplyDeleteAny way, I expect a BB cream to be able to replace concealer, foundation, primer, moisturizer and sunscreen at the very least so I'm not sure I'll find a US replacement for my Korean BBs. Such a time saver, they are!
I'm not a fan of the graininess in this one but do like the Maybelline and my Korean ones as the Garnier and Loreal Code ones were too greasy for me.
ReplyDeleteYep, i've heard that too about the garnier, which is why I haven't tried it. :(
DeleteI'm not fond of the grains in this either but do like the Maybelline version and of course my Korean ones (Missa, Etude House et.). I also really love the Revlon whipped Colorstay in the jar, on a non-bb topic :)
ReplyDeleteI swatched this in the store and didn't care for the texture or the color. However I do really like the Garnier BB cream for the weekends, especially because of the SPF. It also plays well with powders - and under other foundations.
ReplyDeleteI purchased the two faced bob cream and I love it so I'm very open to other options, but without sunblock I don't see the point. To me a BB cream, or a tinted moisturizer, should have SPF. I wear these sorts of light foundations during the day and want them to have the SPF.
ReplyDeleteI loved everything about this BB cream except for the tone. The Light was waaaay too orange and dark, the Fair was too pink and light. Mixed, they almost worked but still skewed too orange to work on my fair, neutral skin. I was so sad, since I loved the light coverage, the weightless feel, the lovely, velvety texture it gave my skin and the fact that Loreal didn't dump a bunch of nasty chemical sunscreen in the product. I returned them.
ReplyDeleteLooks similar to the color adjusting Almay and Revlon foundation I have with the little beads that is in my pile of foundations that I don't use anymore. For some reason those types of foundation tend to oxidize on my skin and turn orange/pink. The picture looks like it is very thin. I feel these may be ok tinted moisturizes but I don't feel there are any added special ingredients/benefits in it.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the Origins Vitazing moisturizer, white at first then blends in. Hmmm... I tried the Maybelline BB cream and it basically looks like nothing on my face, so sad :(
ReplyDeleteI wasn't a fan of this stuff. I'm still on the fence about reviewing it. I cannot be sure if it caused a major breakout on me either and I'm none to thrilled to test it again to see if that was the culprit. On a side not. I'm really shocked you had to put that disclaimer at the top of your post. The old saying…if there's a sign…Have people really been getting upset about the whole Asian versus American BB cream issue? Yikes. Sorry if you had to endure that kind of drama.
ReplyDeleteLol! Yeah, people are quite emotional about this (for good reason). I just didn't want this to turn into a bashing session though, because I didn't want that to get in the way of actually discussing the product at hand. You know what I mean?
Deletemy skin is very much like yours (tone, problems). i've not yet tried loreal bb, and now i'm not going to. even not taking the tone into considertation, it doesn't look natural on your face. baaad.
ReplyDeleteasian bb creams are just not for me. they are really like my second skin and i do not want another skin like that. so i'm staying with the traditional foundations. i've tried garnier, which sucked, and maybelline which i love and am sticking to it during the hot days.
Yeah, the color does NOT look natural on me, but with the right powder, it's tolerable! Lol!
DeleteI just have to say that I appreciate the fact that you show "before" and "after" pictures for your foundation reviews! I find them extremely helpful.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, you have pretty good skin and the L'Oreal BB Cream should have provided you with sufficient coverage. I'm also turned off by the self-adjusting color and lack of SPF. I will be passing.
I know it isn't a true BB cream, but I am loving the Garnier version. It provides sufficient coverage and doesn't break me out--but I went in using it knowing it was basically a TM.
I'm interested in trying a true Bb Cream and can't wait to for your review!
Thank you soooo much, honey! And a BIG thank you for saying my skin is pretty good. You totally made my day!! Lol!! :)
DeleteFirst, thank you so much for your in depth reviews. I have similar coloring as you and the same skin problems (and similar experiences with the same products you've used) so I trust your word completely! Second, I tried this one also and gave it to my mother. I got the light and it turned dark on my skin. My mother who is similar coloring to me can wear it just fine. I think it oxidizes on me (and you?) but she has no issues. I had the same issues with Almaty smart makeup with a white base and grey beads. Weird. I also had a lot of trouble with getting oily during the day and it feeling thicker. Strange stuff
ReplyDeleteYou are so welcome! Thank you so very much for that!!
DeleteAnd yeah, it sounds like the oxidation is hardcore for both of us. Boo!
I love it! :) great product for me..
ReplyDeleteI love it! :) great product for me..
ReplyDeleteThere was actually a tester for this at my nearest CVS (LOVE it when they do this--otherwise people get desperate and begin opening up bottles and testing them then putting them back. Gross!) and based on your description, I'm pretty sure it was in the shade Fair. It turned an ugly pinkish-grey on my skin...but that's not the part that really turned me off. I knew I could get it in another color, but that white color and the odd runny-cream consistency with the rough grains in it--disgusting! I was literally horrified! Even if it really perfected my skin, I'm not sure I could get over the nasty consistency.
ReplyDeletethank you very much for the review G...i got introduced to bb creams by my korean friends and now i am loving the garnier version, which i have been using since it came out in the market. my skin is also oily and i have a bunch of freckles but i liked the garniers bb cream's consistency and the light/medium tone it matches my skin well, i only have to use very little to get enough coverage, also i noticed that i did not get any break outs at all! each individual is different and getting the right makeup is tough...i really appreciate your reviews because it really helps clueless people like me through the beauty aisle.
ReplyDeleteI am from the UK and I have this in the shade over their which is the lightest. This is actually called 'light'. I tried the 'light' in the US and this is darker than the 'light' I got in the UK. Over here I also need the 'fair' colour. This is frustrating that they change the colours and their names from country to country. There are currently only in 'light', 'medium' and 'deep'(or dark?) in the UK.
ReplyDeleteOverall, this worked well for me and I'll definitely be repurchasing.
I purchased mine (in deep)from Target for $7.99. With coupons and such I managed to only pay $2.99 for the product, which probably made me less picky about its claims. Like with most of these kinds of products I feel like while they are marketed to a wide demographic they are really going to to earn high praise from those whose skin is generally clear, devoid of many imperfections and smooth. Despite possessing skin like that I didn't find this product super exciting. I don't know. I haven't used other kinds of BB creams, but I starting to think maybe these stateside versions are more sizzle than steak.
ReplyDeleteI've heard good things about this cream, so I decided to try it myself. I have very pale skin, like translucent on the powder scale, porcelain in concealer. I purchased the lightest one, put it on and within 10 minutes looked like I had tried to use self tanner. I was very orange. Even using concealer with it didn't help. So, my advice for anyone who is super pale, don't use it.
ReplyDeleteI've been looking forward to trying this as my first BB cream and your review has solidified it for me. I actually have no problems with the granules in Neutrogena's Shine Control, which has changed my oily life out here in Texas. So I'm crossing my fingers this will work out. I always sheer out my foundation with an oil-free moisturizer anyway so a light coverage to even my complexion is all I want. I might even win on it's not having SPF, since they tend to give darker pigmented products an ashy cast, I rather just apply mine first.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much fir the detailed review. Glad to have come across your blog.
I liked parts of it too I didn't think it had much coverage though
ReplyDeleteI bought this the other day, I had never heard of a BB cream. I was just trying to find a light foundation because my 40 year old skin doesn't take too kindly to ANY foundation anymore. Anyway - I love it! I had 3 people in my family tell me that my skin looked beautiful the first day I used it. It doesn't completely cover imperfections, but it does make the skin tone look even without looking like you have a bunch of makeup on. I also use a yellow CoverGirl stick for the dark inside corners of my eyes. I do wash and moisturize first - I think this product may be weird if your skin was really dry. I have combination skin so I am used to dealing with dry and oily parts. I don't like the way this product feels when I touch my skin - it is rough or something. But I really do like the way it looks so I just won't touch my face..lol.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this stuff! I actually can't feel the granules at all - for me it really seems like they melt/dissolve right away. I also love that it's super light (I have oily skin too), but I always apply this after washing my face and using a gel moisturizer. I also love the primer effect. So for me, whose main problem is oiliness, has pretty normal skin as far as sensitivity, this is awesome! Only reason I don't adore it is because it doesn't have SPF, but it seems like any product I use that does have SPF makes me a greaseslick. Right now I'm using Neutrogena Dry-Touch sunblock on my face, which seems to be the least greasy high-end or drugstore sunscreen I've found so far...
ReplyDeleteI purchased this product last week. After looking into several of the BB creams I decided to try the Loreal because it came with a $2 off coupon. I love a bargain. So after one week it's certainly a product I would buy again. Another reason for going with a BB cream is that I've been unhappy with all the foundations I've tried. The BB cream doesn't dry out my very fair skin and the color match is really good. It's very light on the skin and isn't greasy like some foundations. The coverage could be better, but there is no caking in my pores and wrinkles like there is with foundations. So I'd give it a 4 1/2 out of 5.
ReplyDeleteI've used the fair version of this product, and I haven't had any issues with pink or gray casts on the skin. My skin is extremely fair and has a yellow undertone. I've found that the BB cream blends well and makes my skin tone appear more even. I do still need to use concealer under my eyes or on any blemishes. The BB creams I have tried before turned brown and orange on my skin, so this is the first one that has worked for me.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like it , I have very sensitive skin and this product made my skin red and irritate a lot. Not for me ....
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing. Nice article!
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