A to Z of Products - BB creams

When BB creams first landed in the beauty world, I shook my head and muttered "glorified tinted moisturisers",  surely these were another dastardly plan by beauty brands to get us to 'need' and 'want' more. Move forward a few years and I needed, wanted and love these, how wrong a girl can be. 

From a to b and it's beauty balms, more than a tinted moisturiser, let's get it out there. These offer coverage but skin care ingredients also. I have had a mixed bag of Blemish Balm creams, some terrible, like water, insipid, others thick to the point of a blancmange in a tube. 

I have a few firm favourites, all of which have been re-purchased several times over, they suit my skin, cover blemishes and leave my skin looking good. 

No7 I salute you, this Beautiful Skin BB cream is a gel/cream consistency and is not for my skin type and I don't care, not a hoot because it is perfection. The glow, ah the glow. Light coverage but it gives a luminosity to my skin which makes me forget for a few hours the reality lurking below. 

With a UVB of 15 and a five star UVA rating, this is a makeup and skincare product in one and the beauty of BB creams, they combine both. 

This is the only high-end BB cream that impressed me so much that I believe this may be my third or even fourth tube, yes it's that good. 

Dior BB Creme is very lightweight and as if by magic it evens my skin with the softest application of shade 002, leaving a highlighted, rosy, warm and brighter looking skin. With all bb creams, I have found that less is more, building coverage doesn't work with the consistency of the product. 

I always reach for this through the summer months, it works well in hot weather and really gives my skin a vibrancy and glow. Dior is very much about the underlying benefits of pink and often use it as a hue to products, this works well on my yellow toned skin and really gives it a softer finish. 

Garnier offers a multitude of BB options now, oil free, blurring, anti-age, all in one, sun protection, the list continues. This is the one for combination / oily skin and is probably the nearest to a foundation consistency that I have. Yellow toned, this is a silky liquid which gives very good coverage and can be almost a medium finish, giving a great finish to the skin. 

I find this leaves a lovely glow on my skin although I believe it may have been reformulated as it states anti-shine but suggests it boosts glow, make your mind up Garnier. 

A favourite of mine for consistency and coverage, it looks beautiful on the face and lasts all day, perfect to take a day look into the evening. 

I eyed this Garnier Miracle Skin Eye Roll On and felt the medium shade was perfect as a corrector for my dark circles, the peach tone really combats the bruised tone to my undereye. 

The roll-on annoys me and I know the cooling effect is great for puffy eyes but I really dislike the application. Used as a corrector it evens everything out but if I plan to use a concealer as well then this needs to be the tiniest amount used, otherwise, it collects beneath the eye. 

This is the medium shade and I don't find it lightens the area but it does conceal. It is my least favourite under the BB heading and something I wouldn't re-purchase once it's finished. 

Far from being glorified tinted moisturisers, these have become a staple of my makeup routine during the warmer months and often can be used as a subtle primer under a foundation base, the Dior cream is perfect for that. 

If you like coverage but feel brave not to aim for full coverage on some days, then have a look at BB creams and of course, you can look at CC creams which also colour correct and give great coverage. 

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