Gigi Arredondo has been working in the industry for nearly a decade as a hair stylist, makeup artist, and beauty consultant in Old Town Scottsdale. She's constantly learning, trend-hunting, and shopping -- all with access to beauty products not available to the public. And she's here to share the good, the bad, and the ugly. Up today: BB Cream.
My morning facial ritual takes a few steps and more than a few minutes so the appeal of an all-in-one new product nicknamed BB Cream sparked my curiosity.
What is BB cream or Beauty Balm? The short answer is "all in one." BB Cream offers moisture, protection from the sun, light to medium coverage, and anti-aging properties, and it helps correct your skin tone. Sounds great, but just as you would with any other product, do your research to chose the right BB Cream for you.
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Here's the BB Cream breakdown:
SPF: Most of the BB creams have sunscreen in them -- most of them. Look for an SPF number if you don't see one it doesn't have it. You need sunscreen, so don't even try to skip out on this ingredient.
Skin Tone: Beauty Balms come in only a few shades marketing that they match skin type and not tone. Higher-end lines like SmashBox are offering more of a selection to match skin tones, while the well-known skin lines (Dr Jart+ and Dr Brandt) only offer one color that is supposed to blend and match every tone. They tend to have more of tinted moisturizer look, and that monthly pimple might need a little more converage. Choose according to your skin type and not tone.
Anti-Aging: Not all of them have anti aging properties, however some of the beauty balms out offer antioxidants, lipids, vitamin E and C. Choose one based on the maturity of your skin.
Oil-Free(acne prone skin): If you have acne-prone skin, look for an oil-free BB cream. They still offer moisture for the skin, being water-based, and shouldn't leave you feeling greasy.
Not all BB creams are created equally and the long and short of it is you might like BB cream. Just like shoes you gotta try it on, go to Sephora and start playing with multiple BB creams. As for me, I had a hard time finding one that was right for me, for now I will stick with my usual morning routine.
BB cream might save you time in the morning, but only added afternoon frustration (after two hours I felt oily and felt like I needed more makeup). Curiosity didn't kill this cat, but I did rock a giant zit for a few days and found a product I might use the next time it snows in Scottsdale.
