BB Cream!

We should all know what a BB cream is by now.  They have been circling the globe and now on to the U.S.  I'm pretty sure this is going to be the year of the BB Cream!   Blemish Balm and/Beauty Balm or whatever you want to call it or market it as is a multi-functional/purpose cream that should serve as a protectant from the sun, a blemish/skin healer, some have whitening or brightening properties, primer and foundation.

They once came in a standard shade and now are offered in light, medium and dark (but not super dark) in most brands.  Some are dewy, some are matte, some are really thick, some are thinner.  There are just so many to try out and liking them is really based on individual preference, as with all cosmetics really.

I have tried a few but the ones I have in my rotation right now are Missha Perfect Cover BB cream in 3 different shades, Lioele Beyond the Solutions BB cream and Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Perfector.  I want to go through what I like about them and what I don't like about them.

From left to right:  Missha Perfect Cover #31, Lioele Beyond the Solutions, Missha Perfect Cover #21, Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector, Missha Perfect Cover #23

 
Swatches are in the same order:

I really have no idea what the color of my skin is in terms of MAC numbers.  I suppose it is NC20, maybe a little lighter.  I have reddened areas on my cheeks and like I've said way too many times before, my neck is sheer white.  I used to think I was cool toned because of my pink/red cheeks but I think I lean towards warm/neutral now.  I like to wear silver jewelry but I gravitate towards cool colors  for clothing and eyes though I am branching out more with browns on both my eyes and clothing.

It seems every time I get color matched (I've never been in a MAC store, but other places) the makeup person will always put on a shade of foundation that I feel looks way too dark.  I'm not sure if that is the "ideal" look I should be going for but to me, it looks unnatural.  But then again, maybe I use foundation that is too light?  But I can always warm it up by mixing in a darker foundation or bronzer so I prefer lighter I guess.

My skin is oily/combination and most foundations tend to oxidize on me, another reason why I like to go lighter as they will get darker/orange gradually.  Then eventually I am horrified by the the orange face in the mirror.  Normally, I get shiny within 2-3 hours of cleansing my face.  It really depends on the products I use, ones that strip the natural oils of my face naturally cause my skin to produce more oily quicker.  Summer in NC is tough on my skin as it is always shiny and oily.  It doesn't matter what powder or products I use.  The humidity is unstoppable!  I love my fall/early winter skin. The air is dryer and my skin is what I would say ideal.  I like being able to use thicker creams that I feel have more anti-aging benefits whereas in the summer it has to be oil free all the way.

I digress, this was about BB creams right???

My favorite BB cream out of the bunch is Lioele Beyond the Solutions BB Cream.  It has been a staple for me in my beauty repertoire for most of 2011.  It has a clean scent, almost reminiscent of the CoverGirl foundation I used back in the day, it was either acne controlling or oil free.  They have renamed it to Clean foundation I believe but whenever I smell that scent it brings me back to 8th grade!   lol

I like to mix a little moisturizer with it to help spread it evenly around my face and I find that my fingers work amazing well or the Advanced Techniques buffing brush to work it in.  I then will pat my face to further work it into my skin.  You probably do not need this step but I like to do it to ensure that everything is even.  I then will blot my face with an oil controlling tissue or just some kleenex to further absorb excess oil/residue that hasn't fully absorbed into my skin.

After it is set with a powder, this BB cream is flawless.  It is perfect for my summer skin, by the end of the summer it is too light (maybe the lightening properties?) right now it is getting a bit dark so I adjust what color powder I need to set it.  This is not a good day time summer foundation for me as it is thicker/heavier.  For me, mineral powder foundations work best for me in the summer heat.

I bought Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream when Lioele was just too dark for me.  Missha is just as "heavy" but it spreads just a tad easier.  But I can also use more of it as it is a slightly better match for me so it really gives me a truly flawless look.  A downside to using more, I get shiny sooner and it doesn't last as long.  It goes on grey but it oxidizes to match my skin perfectly.


Here are some photos of the oxidation.  It might be difficult to tell from the from the swatches on my arm but on my face it is really noticeable and they might even oxidize slightly more.

From left to right:  Fresh swatch of Missha #21, then the oxidized swatch that had been about 10 minutes.  The second pairing is an oxidized Lioele and then a fresh swatch.

When I have extra time, which is rare, I contour using Lioele, Missha #21, & Missha #23.  I use Lioele all over, Missha #21 under the eyes and in the triangle under my eyes down the nose and I little on my chin and forehead and #23 on my temples and hollows of my cheek bones and jaw line.  It takes a lot of blending. I am just using tiny tiny amounts of them as a little goes a long way.

Since I just recently acquired Garnier and it is just too dark/orange for me, I really haven't found a way to use it on my winter light skin yet.  I did notice that after washing it off my skin looked really nice so I may just use it as a treatment for now.  I've never really noticed a difference in my skin after using Lioele or Missha.

Garnier is not as heavy and the coverage is minimal compared to the real BB creams but I think it will work for me in the summer as a quick wash of color before heading out for the day.  Also another interesting aspect of the Garnier is that it goes on slightly orange but sets to a nice non-orangey color.  It's very intriguing.

There are a few more BB Creams I would like to try however.  Dr. Jart, MAC, Fairydrops, Lioele Water Drops...  I like to order my BB Cream from PrettyandCute.com.  They seem to have reasonable prices and sales and I've received free full size products (samples?) in my orders so I really like them.  lol

I also constantly go on the Illamasqua website to order some Skin base.  Though it's not a "BB cream" many are comparing it to one.  It doesn't have an spf so there is no white cast.  Which I really haven't found in Lioele or Missha probably since I use such a light layer.  But with Illamasqua I have no idea what color to choose.  I suppose I would be a #6 based on what I've seen on Pixiwoo but my history with foundations has been problematic as I fall in between shades so I probably need a #5 or #6 and maybe even a #7.  Too risky to order as it is expensive and coming from the UK!  lol

Have you tried a BB Cream yet?  What are your favorite(s)?

Garnier BB Cream!

So this year is the year of the BB Cream and everyone who hasn't come out with a Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm will be this year.  It's good to know that we can find a BB cream in our local drugstore for about $12.  Well, maybe, I will get into that in a little bit!

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector graced Walgreens at the end of November and into December 2011.  I found a display in one of my local stores a week before Christmas and grabbed it up as fast as I could!  It was a display of 8, 4 Light/Medium and 4 Medium/Dark.

Kind of annoyed with the color range, I grab a box on the left from the light/medium side of the display and grab a coupon from the tear off pad and head up to the register.  I already have some experience with BB creams (lol) and I was excited to give this one a try.

I rush home and smooth a good squeeze from the tube on my face.  Why I do this I don't know.  I always over apply a product the first time I use it for a couple reasons I guess.

1.  I can really see the color.
2.  I can see what the product looks like if one morning I'm in a rush and I don't properly blend.
3.  I can actually feel the product.  Is it greasy, heavy, runny, etc...
4.  I can tell right away if it is going to irritate my skin.

It's not science but I really test out a product.  I just assume it's not going to work and I want the product to prove me wrong.

Back to the Garnier BB Cream...  It looked a little dark coming out of the tube but most BB creams are dark on me.  I look in the mirror.  Hmm, a bit dark.  "Wow, did I really just put that much on my face?"  Scrub off, start over and put way less back on.  Hmm, still dark, but a good tone.  Oh well.  Then I go rationalizing...  This would look good in the summer maybe.  My old NY self would further rationalize and say, "Well summer isn't until another 7 months, you need to get rid of this."  But now my new NC self says, "Summer starts in 4..."

Then I look at the box, I accidentally grabbed the shade in Medium/Dark.  Oh dummy!  It took me about a week to get back to Walgreens to do the exchange.  I went to the other Walgreens in town.  I'm lucky I have two.  This one doesn't have a display.  Uh oh.  For some reason I check the skincare aisle and there it is on the shelf.  One left!  Phew...  How did I miss the display?  At that time I was in Walgreens once a week.

As I walk away from the register, I just glance down into the bag and sure enough the sales associate put the medium/dark back in there.  Good thing I checked!  So I finally have the light/medium and I open the box and smooth it on my hand.  Yikes, a little orangey.  Instead of heading back into the Walgreens and doing a return, I have a few errands to run and I really wanted to test it on my face.

About an hour later, I look down at my hand.  Hmm, no orange.  Wait did it rub off?  No.  The BB cream set beautifully with a hint of sheen.  WOW!  Now I can't wait to get it on my face.

I'm going to warn you, this post has a ton of photos.  I want to show you before, just after application and after it has set!

This is my right hand.

I realize that this last picture is in different light but I wanted to show what it looked like after it was set in natural light.  Nice huh?  No orange.

Now on to my left hand.

Woah veins!

 A bit orange after first smoothing it on.

After it has set.  Less orange.  See the sheen?

Natural light, no orange.

Unfortunately, it is still looks a bit dark on my face (because of my blasted white neck) but I can add a little of my Missha #21 and it fixes that problem right away.  But why do I want to go through all that trouble you ask?  Well, that night when I washed my face after initially using this product, my face looked, well more even toned.  It looked really nice.  This BB cream really is like a treatment.  I already was planning on returning it but after looking in the mirror after washing it off, it is now a keeper!  I have never noticed a difference with my other BB creams like this one.

There is a light scent that was pretty strong the first time I used it.  It is a very clean scent, (is that a hint of sunscreen?) but disappears after a few seconds and now that I have been using it for a couple of weeks on and off, I don't even smell it anymore.  This BB cream is not greasy, sets after a minute or two and it's also buildable.  I need a couple very, very thin layers.  My skin is too light to cake this product on, plus I don't really like that look!

I still need concealer and if I want it to last, I need to set it with a powder but I found that it does wear nicely for a few hours.  My skin shows through at the level of coverage that I prefer.  But like I said, it's buildable.  If I had a darker skintone, I might be able to load this on to cover and even out everything completely.

I just wish Garnier would come out with a shade in fair, then it would be perfect!  Like the picture on the box shows.  lol  That would be a good shade for me.  I do agree with all three claims, more even complexion, healthy glow and smoother skin.  The healthy glow is just a bit too dark on my fair skin unfortunately or I would really love it.

I am going to compare all my BB creams but this Garnier one is not as heavy as Lioele, it's more breathable but Lioele is also a bit dark, I usually add a little Missha #21.  Garnier also has a nice glow unlike Missha #21 which is a tad bit light for me and it leaves a greyish cast but luckily it oxidizes on my skin.  In fact it's consistency is not the same as Missha or Lioele so I'm not sure if it is really a "BB cream" but that's how they are marketing it.

It is definitely thicker than a tinted moisturizer and tinted moisturizers that I have tried really aren't "moisturizing" anyway, but this Garnier BB cream isn't really moisturizing either.  So I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make here.  But I found with BB creams  including this Garnier one they are best smoothed on with your fingers but with TM and foundations I like a brush.  Is that better?  :)

So give it a try if you can find it.  My area had a total of 16, well 15 since I returned one.  Not sure if they will be stocked in other drugstores soon.  Give it a chance to set on your skin and you will be pleasantly surprised.  (Unless you are white as a ghost, this will look way too dark/orange on you as you probably find with most foundations/BB creams/tinted moisturizers on you anyway...  That was me in NY with no sun.)

Have you tried this BB Cream yet???  What do you think?

My favorite products for 2011!

They are my favorites definitely from 2011 but I'm not sure when they all began as 2010 and 2011 are sort of blurred together while I was in nursing school.  And what a year it was! 

So I know this was highly anticipated!  ha ha  I don't think I have ever done a monthly favorites because I don't know, everyone else does i?.  But I like to read/see what everyone else is using so why not ?  :)  Who knows, maybe I will try for a monthly favorites post this year.

Let me start out by saying that this year was the year of John Frieda shampoo, conditioner, go blonder lightening spray, full repair, root awakening, you name it, I tried all their products this year and yeah, they are awesome.   It seemed that every drugstore had a $5 each sale or a 3 for $15 with $5 back, Rite Aid had a spend $20 get $10 back and then offered Single Check Rebates.  There was also $2 coupons as well as $5 coupons throughout the year and within 3 months I had a year's supply for practically nothing! 

The "purple" tone correcting shampoo became a staple of mine as well as the Go blonder lightening spray as I decided to get highlights in April.  The Go Blonder Spray and Shampoo and Conditioner just give my hair the perfect blonde color.  Well it's not "perfect" but for shampoo I got for free or nearly free, it was pretty good.  The John Frieda tone correcting shampoo keeps the brass out which is something I have always struggled with.  I have beauty guru TiffanyD to thank for this because I don't think I knew what a purple shampoo was until watching one of her videos.  Oh and coupons, as those purchases wouldn't have been possible!

By the end of the summer, which here is pushing the beginning of October, my hair did get a little fried.  First summer in North Carolina, first summer in near 100 degree heat for weeks on end, tons of a/c.  This lead me to the discovery of my second favorite product of the year...

Virgin Coconut oil! 
I use it everywhere.  Hair, lips, body, hands, cuticles, feet, on my daughter's eczema outbreaks...  Which has happened twice since we moved here :(  but it works to soothe her skin and bonus, it doesn't sting!  Do you want soft skin, silky hair?  Do yourself a favor and get some virgin coconut oil.  You won't regret it.  I had meant to grab it forever it seemed after reading lots of Amazon.com deal posts by Collin on Hip2Save.com and finally after watching youtuber NikkiPhillippi sealed the deal!

And speaking of oils...  Castor oil, jojoba oil and olive oil have been my go to face wash.  Now when I use something else, a weird breakout ensues.  I've used cleansing oils before, but this mix is economical, free of chemicals, so natural and works amazing for my skin.  And believe it or not, straight up Castor oil is too drying!  I had to mix a lighter oil like jojoba oil ( I believe it's called a carrier oil?) and olive oil to provide hydration.  I'm not sure exactly how I started this but I picked up the Jojoba oil at a local Health Food Store that a good friend of mine brought me to.  The owner, pushing late 70's or 80 or maybe well into her 80's, hard to tell because her skin is so beautiful used olive oil to cleanse her face for years.  Sold!

Of course I need to talk about nails...
I really added to my nail polish collection this year with a vengeance.  I discovered the lovely Erika of Chloesnails.blogspot.com (this may have been in 2010).  Her photos, nails, cuticles, manicures and nail art were always flawless.  I miss taking a break from studying at 6am (crazy right?) to take 10 minutes to look at her daily post.  Though she is on an extended break right now, I do still check her site every once in a while hopeful to see something new!  Fingers crossed!  Please come back Erika!  And of course her swatches introduced me to...  ZOYA!

It was for sure the year of ZOYA for me whereas 2010 was the year of Revlon.  I have Neeka on right now which I have worn several times this year and just a few days ago I wore my second favorite Kieko which lasted a record 4 days on my nails!  All the colors I have are amazing.  I think there is one nude that I'm not that crazy about with my skintone.  I took a gamble buying it anyway!  But they are an amazing company, really cares about their fans, they take customer service to the next level for sure.

And of course CULTNAILS' UNICORN PUKE!  Totally obsessed!!! Enough said!

So I did hair, body, nails...

EYES!  
So 2005-2010 were the years of mineral eyeshadows, and 2011 was definitely the year of Urban Decay and Wet n Wild.  I have an obscene amount of eyeshadow palettes!  My obsession with UD began with the Naked Palette which I postponed purchasing for a while because I thought it was too warm for my skintone.  It just looked so beautiful on youtuber/blogger Jen from Frmheadtotoe.com.  I mean, everything looks amazing on her...  lol  When I was finally able to catch it back in stock at Sephora, it became an instant favorite and my love to UD began.  They are shimmery, buttery goodness!

My Wet n Wild affair began with a coupon, and the rest is history! No seriously, I clipped a $5 off $10 purchase from an All You magazine, combined it with a BOGO free sale at CVS and that was it.  The pigmentation of the shadows is just incredible, the colors are fabulous, and they are dirt cheap! 

Tati, the GlamLifeGuru and her Madness Monday videos that my sister introduced me to really fueled a great obsession with the drugstores. Sure I could grab cheap dish soap and cleaning products, but makeup for free? Sign me up!  It certainly helped that drugstore makeup really has improved and now with the recent L'OREAL infalliables, it is being taken to a whole other level!

LIPS!
Though the Revlon Lip butters practically just hit the shelves, they are by far my favorite lip product of the year, which I rarely buy.  They are a lipstick to me, a nice non-drying one with just enough color that I like.  Bright lips feel unnatural on me and awkward.  I'm sure it has to do with my Cherry Chapstick staple for 20+ years.  Which was broken after I tried an AVON Smooth Minerals lipstick.  Revlon Lip Butters have the same feel to me and totally in my comfort zone.

Next up, FACE!
I played with a lot of primers.  One that had a repeat appearance was L'OREAL Face Perfecting Primer.  I can't use it in the summer as it seems to be a little heavy for me, but Spring and Winter it works like a charm!

Another product I dived right into were BB creams!  Lioele Beyond the Solutions BB cream will be the first ever foundation type product that I will actually finish and under a year at that.  Though I have tried other BB creams (Garnier, Missha) and dabbled in trying other foundations (Neutragena Healthy Wear, Maybelline Age Rewind, Revlon DNA), Lioele is the one I keep going back to.  It was a little dark for me in the Sunless Southern Tier but now that I am a wee bit darker due to the endless North Carolina sun, it is the best match I can find for my unmatchable skintone.

Oh and I can also thank Tati for my ridiculous Physician's Formula collection and that certain coupon that we won't ever talk about again...hahaha  Remember that $5 coupon that went viral?!  And thankfully it did.  PF was way too expensive for me without it. I certainly did not abuse the coupon, I used it 3 times (?) and combined it with spend $10 get, $7 ECB sales etc, etc, but I was able to try so many products that have become staples in my daily makeup routine.  

Especially PF Healthy Wear Foundation! Thank you G from NouveauCheap.blogspot.com for pointing out this little gem earlier this year or was it late last year at CVS during their semi-annual clearance event and then again just earlier last month!  I'm stocked up for at least 3 years?  I've never finished a powder in recent memory, I have no idea how long they last  but I know I have plenty. :)

Wow it really was a great year for makeup!

So that's what I thought of off the top of my head.  If I went through my collection I know I would pull out more "favorites" so I will leave it just to these and I'm sure they will still be favorites for 2012 as I work on sticking to my New Year's Resolution!
 

Link back your favorite product post or let me know what you were obsessed with in 2011!