BB Creams - the good, the bad and the oily.

Please note - this post has not been sponsored in any way. I've been lucky enough to receive some BB creams to trial over the past year and thought I'd share my experiences. I'm not a beauty blogger by any stretch, but I am a big lover of makeup and skincare products and have loads of fun with them!

BB (blemish balm) creams have been the red hot products on the market since Garnier launched their version a year or so ago.

In the time since I've used the original Garnier BB, the L'Oreal Paris Revitalift BB and as of recently the L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique BB.


Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB - $15.40 for 40ml

This was the first BB cream I tried and I RAVED about it. It offers good coverage although I know some people found the original version a little heavy for oily skin. Since then they have released a new formula for that skin type but as I have quite dry skin myself I've not tried it.

I found it left a dewy finish and would often cover with a dusting of mineral powder (because dewy feels a bit like sweaty to me sometimes).

The light tint may be a little heavy for very fair skin.

The product combines moisturiser, coverage and sunscreen all in one product and I continued to purchase and use it for many months. Anything that saves me time in the morning is a winner and this certainly fit the bill. The price point is excellent for those of us on a budget too!


L'Oreal Paris Revitalift BB - $39.01 for 50ml

My skin took a little while to adjust to this product. I did have minor breakouts in the first weeks of use but once it settled down I found the formula less heavy than the Garnier product.

I like that this product offers extra goodies for mature skin (I'm still in denial that I fit that category!) and like the Garnier it offers quite good coverage. I felt less need to add a loose powder after as it has a slightly more matte finish than the Garnier, whilst retaining a level of moisture that is apparent on the skin.

The pigment of the formula is quite similar to that of the Garnier products.


L'Oreal Nude Magique BB - $24.90 for 30ml

I don't even know where to start with this product. When I first squirted some into my palm I was sure I'd got the wrong thing. It has a whitish grainy feeling and I could not see how on earth it would offer any coverage at all, let alone moisturising or sunscreen benefits.

There is some weird kind of magic in this bottle. It is a far lighter formula than the other BBs and you don't need as much by a longshot. It goes on beautifully smoothly and seems to absorb quickly as well.

Then some scientific magic hocus pocus happens and your skin tone appears more even with a soft matte finish. This is the only product that doesn't even tempt me to add a layer of loose powder.

It is the standout of the three for me and one I will be continuing to use.


In conclusion:

I have quite heavy melasma (dark pigmentation) across my cheeks and forehead thanks to the joys of pregnancies.

None of these BB creams offered complete coverage of that, but short of heavy duty pancake foundation I suspect nothing will. Of the three, the Nude Magique offers the best coverage and evening of skin tone for my particular situation (and if anyone wants me to review phototherapy to reduce that condition I am all ears!).

The Garnier pricepoint is notably lower and it offers great value for money for a daily BB, but for me I'll be saving and buying the Nude Magique as it far outperforms both the other products in my opinion. I also found that I used far less of the Nude Magique so I suspect that price saving may even out more over time.

The finish of the Nude Magique is the lightest feeling on the skin, followed by the Revitalift and then Garnier.

I found the coverage of the Garnier and Revitalift products to be on a par.

I'm a definite convert to the BB cream in general... it cuts down my time to get ready in the morning and I don't need to remember a separate sunscreen (which I rarely do - oops!). I know there are lots more options available but I thought I'd share my experiences of the three I have tried so far.

* Prices are in AUD and sourced from Coles Online for comparison.


Have you tried BB's? What are your thoughts?