BB Cream, Garnier

Unless you’ve travelled to Asia, are Asian or have Asian friends, the chances of you knowing about BB creams are pretty slim – until recently they were pretty much a cult product from a few Asian brands that are pretty much unheard of downunder (Missha, BRTC and Skin79 to name a few).

BB Creams, or Blemish Balms, are said to have been created by a German dermatologist to soothe, repair and assist skin after laser and surgical procedures. When a Korean actress (Korean dramas are HUGE in Asia) revealed the secret to her flawless complexion was her daily use of BB cream, the popularity for the product sky rocketed – it now claims around 13% of the cosmetics market in Asia.

Unsurprisingly the cosmetic giants took notice and developed their own. The first to market in New Zealand is from Garnier and it’s called Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream, $17.49.

So what is a BB cream? It’s a moisturiser, tinted moisturiser, illuminator, primer, anti-ageing formula all-in-one product that can pretty much do everything except the dishes. Some brands (like BRTC) have various formulations depending on your needs – acne, redness, wrinkles, emliminating pigmentation, skin brightening etc. This one provides instant illumination, like a light mineral makeup and has the added benefit of Vitamin C to reduce sun spots and imperfections. You can wear with a moisturiser, sunscreen and in lieu of foundation.

I like it. It’s like an illuminator and tinted moisturiser all-in-one. It smells nice to apply and it certainly makes my skin look dewy and fresh. It also smells quite pleasant. It’s available in two shades – light and medium. I can wear the light but I do need to take care to blend it in around my hairline… I have very fair skin so this is probably slightly darker than I would wear if it were a foundation but it’s sheer enough that I can get away with it. As summer proceeds it will become a fantastic colour match. In fact in summer this is going to be a great product to wear to the beach or by the pool for that effortless, ‘is she or isn’t she?’ wearing makeup. Let’s face it – none of us want to look overdone for a swim but none of us want to be completely naked.

Keep an eye out for the BB cream trend… it’s coming! Have you tried a BB cream?

Tamsin xoxo