Seriously, the market has exploded... And L'OREAL has come out with not one but 2 BB creams simultaneously! What?
I got my hot little hands on both actually but I've been trying out the Youth Code one for the past week and a half. I won a twitter contest of sorts and it was sent to me! Yay! It was sent to me in Medium and I think Light would have been a better match, which I had requested when they contacted me. :) I did "make it work" for review purposes. I'm actually quite tan down here in the South, probably a NW25. If I could make an educated guess, the medium is a MAC 30-35.
From the box... L'OREAL Youth Code BB Cream is "an all-in-one product that combines advanced skincare benefits with immediate flawless look, luminosity and eveness of makeup." It also contains a broad spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen. Now if you are unfamiliar with that terminology, broad spectrum means that it "screens" UVA and UVB sun rays. UVA rays have a longer wavelength so they will still penetrate however... There is this big 'ole FDA document that you can read at your leisure..
Basically...
UVA: causes skin aging and wrinkling
UVB: causes sunburn, key role in causing cancer
So you want to go ahead and block both, right? Yes ma'am! :)
In one step L'OREAL says that their Youth Code BB cream will even, illuminate, perfect, moisturize and correct.
Do I agree with these claims? You betcha.
It is a thicker, mousse-like texture. You do not need a separate moisturizer with this product unless you have severely parched skin. It smooths nicely over the skin and you are left with a dewy finish. Nice if you like a dewy finish. However, if you have combination to oily, oily or extremely oily skin....beware. This BB cream is not a perfect fit for your skin. For my combo skin as long as I am inside away from the humidity, it works well. But here in coastal NC where we have crazy heat and humidity, blotting and powdering is essential with any and all foundations that I wear.
On my skin is looks extremely pink/orange upon initial application. Almost scary, umpa lumpa orange. Just like other BB creams, start off slowly with a half-pea size amount and work it into the skin, down the neck, into the hair line, over the ears to ensure you have no line of demarcation. Then do not look into a mirror for a few minutes while it sets. For me I think that the medium was still a touch dark, but when it sets, it looks really nice.
On my skin it does take a little time to absorb and it stays a bit tacky for a few minutes which is consistent with most sunscreens I use. I like the way it feels on my face when it is set and dry. My skin feels soft and smooth, adequately hydrated. I prefer (it's a need really) to lightly set it with a powder or the dewiness will quickly change to shine within an hour. It provides a nice sheen, no glitter, but a luminosity that you can still see under a light powdering. It is a nice, healthy, youthful look.
Now a little goes a long way. I do not need a ton of product to get the coverage that I want. It doesn't seem to settle into my pores or into fine lines but because of the color match, I really couldn't load it on or I would just look...well not myself. For the majority, you will still need/want your concealer for darker blemishes/scarring as your real skin does show through.
On to the photos!
I applied on the back of my hand where I am the most tan, much darker than my face... We'll say NW30 for practical purposes but I really wasn't color matched, just an educate guess.
The window light is washing the color out just a bit. It is a little darker as well as my tanned hand. :)
I turned away from the window to see if I could capture a truer color hue. This is about right. A bit pink/orange as you continue to work the product into your skin.
This is about 2-3 minutes after application. It is starting to dry and set.
Dried and set, about 10 minutes. Can you guess which hand has the L'OREAL Youth Code BB cream on it? (the hand above right) It's a touch darker but the skin looks luminous, some veins are covered a bit but my skin still does show through.
Did I see dramatic life changing results in a week and a half? No, but I won't rule it out. I have used many Youth Code products in the past and saw results. Check out my review here!
After one week I should have seen softer, smoother skin... I might have if I were able to wear this all day. Again, because of it's moisturizing properties, my face is quite shiny by mid-morning, though blotting and powder does help a bit.
After 2 weeks I should be seeing diminished imperfections and a refined texture... I will continue to use during my morning routine to see what happens!
What I didn't see were any clog pores or break outs. That's a good thing for sure.
One thing to note, this product smells very similar to the Garnier BB Cream, part floral, part sunscreen. It isn't a heavy scent to me but I have heard it does bother some. You can smell it pretty much as long as it lasts on your face too. It does fade a bit, but the smell is still there. I like it, but for some, it is a little much.
L'OREAL Youth Code BB cream comes in 2 shades, light and medium and retails for approximately $16.99.
Have you tried L'OREAL Youth Code BB cream yet? What do you think?
Up next I have L'OREAL Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream... And it is much, much different!
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