BB Creams are your one-stop product. From moisturizer to primer to concealer to sunscreen, this product can do it all. If you're not familiar with BB Creams, first check out our article What is BB Cream. It will give you all the info you need. (5 More US BB Creams to Try)
As for us, we have our laundry list of Korean BB Creams to try before we break into the US market. (See our review of TonyMoly BB Cream) No matter if you want to try the US brands or the Asian brands, these tips and tricks for BB Cream application will help you get the most out of your BB Cream.
1. Clinique: Age Defense BB Cream
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Clinique Age Defense BB Cream provides SPF 30 coverage and comes in three shades, from very fair with pink undertones, to fair with golden undertones to medium. If you have tan or dark skin, you'll have to pass on this one. The bottle holds 1.4 ounces and at the time of this article is priced at $37.
What Users are Saying
The Good: I dot it under my eyes, and down the T-zone, but just feather it out from there. My natural color is still visible on cheeks, there's no demarcation line, it matches that well.
The Bad: The product itself is very dry, doesn't blend well, and was completely gone from my face in 3 hours.
2. Dior: Hydra Life BB Crème
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Dior: Hydra Life BB Crème is like many Korean BB Creams by just offering one shade, but this one isn't for those with fair skin. The color gives your skin more of a golden, tan color. (Some say orange?) The bottle holds 1.7 ounces of product gives SPF 30 - PA +++ protection and at the time of this review is priced at $56.
What Users are Saying
The Good: Wore it all day and it stayed with me through the hot weather leaving my skin a matte but dewy finish at the end of the day.
The Bad: This product does NOT adapt to skin color - the bright orange coming out of a tube remained bright orange for hours on my skin. Why Dior slapped a "BB" on this one, I've no idea. This is a carrot-orange, greasy fluid that I would not, otherwise, ever try.
3. Smashbox: Camera Ready BB Cream
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Smashbox's BB Cream comes in 5 different shades: fair, light, light-medium, medium and dark. The tube has 1 ounce of product, SPF35 and at the time of this article costs $39. The reviews are great on this product! So great it seems Smashbox can't keep it in stock.
What Users are Saying
The Good: Best BB cream out there (in my opinion). Very lightweight. Not full-coverage if you have any blemishes but works great as a foundation, plus has SPF!
The Bad: The BB creams we are seeing here in North America are nowhere like the lovely Asian BB creams. A good effort, Smashbox, but not my cup of tea.
4. Too Faced: Tinted Beauty Balm
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Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm comes in four shades: vanilla glow, cream glow, nude glow, and beach glow. Not a great choice for those with pink undertones or dark skin, but the perfect choice for those with yellow undertones and naturally tan skin. Note that it is an illuminating product, so you'll notice some fine mica. The product is 1.5 ounces, has SPF 20 and at the time of this review is priced at $32.
What Users are Saying
The Good: It conceals my scars very well and when I take it off at the end of the night, I feel like my skin is so much smoother. It also stays on ALL day!
The Bad: The product has no coverage at all and is full of microglitter. I might as well have rubbed a lipgloss over my face.
5. Estee Lauder: DayWear Anti-Oxidant BB Creme
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Estee Lauder 'DayWear' Anti-Oxidant BB Creme comes in two shades simply called 01 and 02. There isn't a big description on how they differ or advice on what shade to pick ("a wide range of skin tones"), but there is a huge difference in the two shades. Because of the lack of a good description, we're not sure if this is a good choice for those with darker skin, so best to go in for a trial application. The product is one ounce, SPF 35 and at the time of this article is $38.
What Users are Saying
The Good: This helps to control shine throughout the day. It goes on nice and smooth and blends easily into my skin. I like how it looks like my skin but better.
The Bad: It sits on my face, doesn't blend, looks blotchy, and makes me really, really shiny and oily after only about 2 hours.
6. Lab Series Skincare for Men: BB Tinted Moisturizer
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This BB Cream is for men and before you think that is odd, know that there are tons of options for men's BB cream in Korea. Both in colorless and tinted. (This one comes in both options.) Men need a moisturizer just like women, so if you can get some coverage, why not?
The product is 1.7 ounces, has SPF 35 and at the time of this review costs $38.50.What Users are Saying
The Good: it helps even out color and tone down blemishes and broken vessels but it is not in any way noticable and blends in nicely with my skin.
The Bad: I wear a suit for work and all the collars on my suit shirts were immediately and permanently discolored. I only use it on my days off now.
7. Garnier: Skin Renew Miracle Skin BB Cream
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Garnier's Skin Renew Miracle Skin BB Cream is one of the least inexpensive USA BB creams on the market priced at only $12.99. It doesn't get the greatest reviews, however, so you might want to see if you can get a sample before purchasing. It comes in two shades: light/medium and deep. The SPF level is only SPF 15, which is much less than most of the other BB Creams on the market. But it's easy to find at most drugstores!
What Users are Saying
The Good: It has a really nice, creamy texture, goes on smoothly and blends evenly.The medium/deep color looks great on my slightly olive skin but I'd guess it could also look great on someone with lighter skin that wanted a little bit of a bronzed glow.
The Bad: After a few hours it didn't look so smooth and fresh like when I first applied it. It looked blotchy and I had to keep reapplying it. Made my face look really greasy.
8. 3LAB: Perfect BB Cream
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3Lab's BB cream is by far the most expensive in the list coming in at $95, but it has a lot of science backing up that pricetag, especially in the anti-aging department. Do I think you need to spend $95 on your BB cream? Only if it is truly taking the place of all of your products. Otherwise, I am far too frugal to spend $95 on one product. This product has 1.5 ounces of product and has SPF 40.
What Users are Saying
The Good: IIt's not heavy enough coverage to conceal some of my age spots, but it's hydrating and plumping powers definitely shave years off of my appearance.
The Bad: I would not purchase this because a couple days after use, it did end up breaking me out, and they were all underneath my skin and painful.
