25 May 2013

Of BB Creams and Laziness

One of my biggest problems in life is that I want maximum effects from something, but I'm usually too lazy to actually make the effort to do what needs to be done to get that effect.  If it's a big occasion, I'll take extra time and do my hair and my makeup with more care, but for everyday, I'm not that dedicated.

A favorite product of mine is tinted moisturizers.  I like the idea that I can put some on and even out my face, without having to fool with foundation, for instance on a weekend, when you want to look put together, but not spend time "doing" your makeup.

Before I had even heard of "BB Creams," I was cruising around in my local Sephora a couple of years ago, when they were out of tinted moisturizer I was using.  I came across this:


I knew that Boscia was a brand that a lot of people liked, and that it had a lot of products that people with problem skin used.  I read the tube, and thought I'd give it a try.  I'll admit to being a little bit weirded out when it came out of the tube a little bit orange-y, but once on my face, it blended in really well, and evened out my skin tone.  It seemed to stay on most of the day, and I was really pleased with it.

At the time I ran out of it, I was pretty broke.  By that time, BB creams were showing up everywhere.  So I headed to CVS, deciding I'd try a less expensive one (the Boscia was not all that expensive for how long it lasted, but as I said, I was broke).  I had read good things about the L'Oreal and Maybelline BB creams, and thought I'd give one of them a go.  There was a special that week on Maybelline products, so I decided to try theirs.


This is the one I used all of last summer.  I have to say that I didn't like it quite as much as the Boscia one, though it was OK.  This one was more liquid-y, and I needed more of the product to cover my face.  It felt OK enough, and the shade was fine, but it didn't stay on as long as the Boscia, and by the end of the day when I would remove my makeup, there would be very little left on my skin.  It was definitely not as sweatproof as the other one (not that the Boscia was particularly sweatproof - just more so than the Maybelline).  I decided that the next time I decided to use a drugstore brand, I'd try one of the others.

Then about a month ago, I read that Trish McEvoy had a BB cream with a lot of the same ingredients as her Treatment Foundation, which I had tried and really liked.  As was the case with the Treatment Foundation, it was pricier than a lot of the others, but I decided to treat myself and give it a try.


The person who helped me at the counter said to be aware that it comes out of the tube looking darker than it becomes once it's on your skin.  She said that she had bought some to try when she didn't want to take the time to put a full face of makeup on, but that she liked it so much, she started using it instead of foundation, period.  I kinda sorta know this woman (she's helped numerous times, and is really helpful when you have questions), and I feel like I trust her - for as much as you can trust someone who sells cosmetics.  Her makeup is always flawless.  One of the other salespeople walked past and said, "Oh is she waxing poetic about that stuff again?  Ever since she has tried it, that's all we've heard about!"  

I have to say that I really do like this stuff!  It feels nice on your skin, it does a nice job of providing coverage, and at the end of the day - even a hot, sweaty day - it's still where you put it.  I only have to use one pump to cover my face, so over the long run, it's probably a good buy.  I'll see how long it lasts before deciding whether or not it's worth the money to me.

So this has been my "experiment" so far with BB creams.  Overall, they were all acceptable, though the Maybelline one was the one that disappointed me the most.  Like most people, I have better luck with some of their products than others, and the BB cream was not a success for me personally.  I would definitely buy the Boscia again, and as I said above, I'll see how things go with the Trish McEvoy product before springing for that again - a function of price point rather than the actual product itself.

I have just recently seen that Kiehl's has developed a BB cream, so I may give that a shot sometime.  I'll let you know.  :-)

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Happy Memorial Day weekend for anyone reading this who is in the U.S., and happy weekend to everyone!

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