Sunday 15 April 2012

It's all about the BB Cream!

Every now and then, a new skin care product is born & soon becomes a craze. Brace yourselves, girls, it's the era of the BB cream! I had to jump on the bandwagon & did my own mini BB cream haul. So I thought I'd shed some light on the who, what, when, where & how of the humble BB cream.

What is a BB cream?

The BB stands for blemish balm or beblesh balm (apparently there's copyright laws on the word "blemish" in Korea, so they substituted it with beblesh. Again, sounds like a skin rash to me). 

Basically BB creams are lighter than foundations, but have more benefits than a tinted moisturiser. 

Who uses BB creams?

BB creams were invented in Germany a while back to be used on post-cosmetic surgery patients. It's functions were to heal & nurture the skin while offering coverage and protection from the sun. 

Soon, Korean actresses began using BB creams (maybe because they had cosmetic surgery done too?). Eventually, skin care companies caught on to the idea of creating and selling BB creams that were accessible to the Korean public. Why should actresses have all the fun? :)



Ok, then what happened?

BB creams eventually gained popularity in Japan, before taking over the rest of Asia. But it didn't stop there: soon thereafter, BB cream fever hit the West, gaining fans in Europe, Australia, the United States and more!



It's slowly hitting Africa too, but may not be as successful due to one simple draw back - BB creams come in limited colours that don't really cater for darker skins!  BB creams generally come in one or two standardised colours that cater to lighter Asian skin tones. Brands like Missha have a wider colour range, but it's still pretty limited...


Which is why Western brands such as Estee Lauder, Maybelline and Garnier have introduced their own version of BB cream that DO have slightly more variety in colour! Hooray!




Sounds nice, but what's the point?


BB creams are the solution to ALL your skin care needs! It's an ALL-IN-ONE skin care product that packs as many benefits into one product so that you don't spend hours on a skin care routine. Some of the more basic benefits of a BB cream include:





♥ moisturiser
♥ provides natural, light coverage
♥ protects skin 
♥ conceal dark marks, scars & pores for an "airbrushed" effect
♥ heals blemishes
♥ softens & smooths skin, while aiding in regeneration
♥ maintaining youthful skin 
♥ contains some SPF
♥ can be used as a makeup base
♥ whitening
♥ anti-wrinkle
♥ anti-ageing
mattifiying effect

How do I use a BB cream?
 
If you use BB creams, you don't really need to use a moisturiser, sunblock, foundation etc. (Although I prefer to). After cleansing, toning and moisturising, dot the BB cream on your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. Blend using light patting motions, working your way from the centre, outwards. Dust with your preferred powder to set & tada! You're done! =^_^=


Which are the best brands for BB creams?


It all depends on what you're looking for in a BB cream, but  here are some of the more popular BB cream brands:


♥ Skin79
♥ Missha
♥ BRTC
♥ Etude House
♥ Dr. Jart
♥ Laniege
♥ Garnier
♥ Skin Food
♥ The Face Shop
     
Where can I buy BB creams from?


Depending on where you live, it can be easy or difficult. Here in SA, our only BB cream option available from a store is the Estee Lauder Daywear Anti-Oxidant Beauty Benefit Creme. If you want the authentic Korea product, you'll have to order online.




And that's it for BB creams... for now! It's a long post, but I hope you found it helpful! :) Thanks for reading! =^w^=


♥ Miss. Q.

5 comments:

  1. Have been using BB cream for a year now. Best thing I have ever used. I prefer the Korean brands to brands over in N. America. Have tried Smashbox and Garnier but they are more like tinted moisturizer to me.

    Found your awesome blog through Blog Hop. Following you now. Visit my blog when you have a chance:

    http://mui28.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for following!! :)

    I also prefer the authentic Korean BB creams!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I really want to try a BB Cream and I'm definitely going to invest in one soon!
    I have given you the Liebster Blog Award, take a look-http://style-comes-from-within.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/liebster-blog-award.html

    style-comes-from-within.blogspot.com
    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love your blog! :) Just followed!
    Personally I have only ever loved the BB cream by Garnier!

    http://b-is-for-beauty.blogspot.co.uk/

    x

    ReplyDelete
  5. @ Alice

    My first award - yay!! :) thanks!

    Trust me, once you try BB creams, you won't regret it!

    ReplyDelete

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