BB Cream Comparison

I read a post on Hello Giggles a while ago about BB Cream and decided to try it out. Before that I didn't know what it was and I thought it was probably meant for the 30+ age-gap. I would see the ads on television and my brain would go a bit haywire. Was this stuff make-up or skincare? Or, was it some kind of tinted moisturiser? I have a bit of a thing against tinted moisturiser seeing as nearly everyone I have tried in the past has been WAY too dark for my skin (and yes I did pick out the "fair" shades). Hello Giggles answered those questions and had me intrigued enough to try it out.

Not quite a year later I have four of the things and I am writing a comparison post about them. I live in a relatively small town and all of these BB creams have been purchased from the local supermarket. These are fairly big brands so I think that these are probably the most easy ones to find. The reason I ended up with so many was that I wasn't really overly impressed that the first one I bought was doing everything it was supposed to do. I thought I would write a post about my experiences with each of these and my opinion about BB creams in general. 

According to the Wikipedia Definition a BB cream is a cream designed to replace multiple products with just one product. A BB cream is designed to replace sun-block, moisturiser, primer and foundation. BB stands for blemish balm or beauty balm. 

Below I will list the details of each of the products I purchased. Because I do not have the original packaging or receipts from these items so the descriptions and prices used will come from individual websites of the brands. I am not affiliated with any of these brands.

1. MODEL CO BB PLUS CREAM 

    Shade: light

    Size: 35ml

    Price: $19.95

 Meet your new daily skin perfector. ModelCo’s BB PLUS CREAM is a genius multipurpose, multi-tasking 12 in 1 solution for healthy, glowing skin.

Combining serum, moisturiser, primer, foundation and SPF 30+ UVA and UVB Broad-Spectrum Protection sunscreen, BB PLUS covers blemishes and imperfections, helps maintain hydration, corrects signs of dullness or fatigue and helps protect the skin from UV rays.

The ultimate indulgence for your skin in just one quick and convenient application, the tinted formula of BB PLUS can be worn alone or as a base for makeup to create a flawless canvas for optimised application.

Available in two shades, light to medium and medium to dark. Suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.

Why you need it:

• Provides flawless, ultra-light coverage
• Delivers a weightless, mattifying finish
• Covers blemishes and imperfections
• Corrects signs of fatigue and dullness
• Brightens and evens out skin tone
• Inbuilt makeup primer
• Enriched with the anti-oxidant and anti-aging benefits of Wheatgerm Oil, Vitamin C and Green Tea 
• Soothes, hydrates and conditions with Aloe Vera and Vitamin E
• Energises and invigorates the complexion with Caffeine
• Assists in regenerative processes
• Paraben and Fragrance free
• SPF 30+ UVA and UVB Broad-Spectrum Protection

2. MAYBELLINE DREAM FRESH BB CREAM

    Shade: Fair 

    Size: 30ml

    Price: $15.95

The 1-step wonder for a good skin day, everyday.

Packed with 8 great skin benefits for instant skin perfection.Ideal for all skin types.Why You'll Love It
8-in-1 Skin Perfector:
• Fresh, lightweight feel
• Blurs imperfections
• Enhances
• Brightens
• Hydrates all day
• Visibly smoothes skin
• Adjusts to skin tone
• Oil free, non-greasy
For Best Results

BB creams combine skincare + makeup in 1 simple step

Apply smoothly and evenly to your face and blend with your fingertips.

3. GARNIER BB CREAM SENSITIVE

    Shade: Light/Clair

    Size: 50ml

    Price: $13.99

(my version was purchased almost a year ago and does not include the SPF feature)

Designed for sensitive skin, our NEW BB Cream Sensitive is the daily all-in-one solution that reduces redness, soothes, hydrates, corrects blemishes, evens skin tone, illuminates complexion, and provides UV protection!

BB Cream delivers a hybrid formula that combines long-lasting 24hr hydrating care with a light touch of make-up for instantly flawless, soothed skin.

1 PRODUCT, 5 INSTANT BENEFITS:

1. Reduces the appearance of redness
2. Soothes and provides 24 hour hydration
3. Corrects blemishes and blurs imperfections
4. Evens and illuminates
5. SPF 15 UV Protection

ALLANTOIN 

• Known for it's calming properties, Allantoin soothes and helps the skin heal more quickly.

MINERAL PIGMENTS 

• Used for natural coverage, the mineral pigments spread evenly for an instantly flawless finish without the heaviness of a foundation.

SPF15 UV PROTECTION
Helps protect skin from the harmful effects of the sun. 

• The lightweight and comfortable formula blends perfectly to instantly smooth the skin and restore a healthy, natural glow. 
• A miracle you can instantly feel and see on your skin!

PRODUCT EFFECTIVENESS.

Immediately*:
Skin is soothed, intensely hydrated and redness is visibly reduced. Skin tone is even and more luminous.

After 4 weeks**:
- Long lastingly nourished, the skin regains its comfort.
- Redness is reduced for 77% of women.
- Skin tone is more even for 90% of women.
- Dermatologically tested. Non comedogenic.
- Hypoallergenic formula. Fragrance-free.

4. RIMMEL 9 in 1 BB Cream Primer
    Shade: Light
    Size: 30ml
    Price: $12.95

Rimmel's 1st 9-in-1 Perfecting Super Makeup 9 in 1 results: Primes, moisturises, minimizes pores, conceals, covers, smoothes, mattifies, brightens, and helps protect. Lightweight, ultra comfortable formula instantly gives a flawless, 100% natural finish. SPF 25

3 AVAILABLE SHADES

^ Here is a swatch of the four creams. Picture taken with Flash

PACKAGING: 

Both the Rimmel and the Maybelline have screw-top lids and the others have the clippy-type lids. The Model Co one doesn't click in properly and the Maybelline cream is too runny and seeps out the gap a little. The Garnier one is probably the best as far as secureness is concerned. The Maybelline cream has the prettiest packaging. 

SCENT:

They all smell the same to me. A kind of mild moisturiser/sunscreen smell.

QUANTITY/COST: 

The Garnier and the Rimmel are the cheapest for the price. The consistency of the maybelline one is really thin, so I think that might affect how long the product lasts.

CONSISTENCY:

The Maybelline one is really thin and the others are all a bit thicker. The Rimmel one is probably the thickest. I kind of expected them all to be really creamy because they are called a cream. 

HOW IT FEELS:

The ModelCo one and Maybelline one felt a bit light and slightly drying. The Garnier one felt nice and soft on my skin and the Rimmel one felt super-moisturising to the point it was almost oily.

^ Here is a swatch of the four creams rubbed in. Taken with Flash

COLOUR:

I discovered online that I could have chosen a lighter shade in the Maybelline one, maybe it was not available in the store I bought it. I have quite fair skin and I find it hard to match my skin with a foundation or concealer so it's important to me that I compare the shades for this. The Rimmel one was way too dark for me and I could lighten it with a pale face powder to try and adjust the shade. The Model Co was a bit on the yellow side and Maybelline was a bit too orange. I think the Garnier one was the closest.

COVERAGE and ANTI-REDNESS:

I felt like most of these did their job as far as redness was concerned. They didn't cover red spots or anything, but definitely minimized redness in those areas. The Maybelline one was the most sheer and the Rimmel one was the thickest coverage; Sheer-Medium.

APPLICATION:

I just used my finger-tips to apply these. The Maybelline one goes on a bit streaky and if you use too much of the Rimmel one it dries before it's blended. The Model Co one has to keep being added to as one squirt of product is not quite enough. The Maybelline one applies nicely.

SPF: 

The new Garnier one includes SPF 30, but mine does not. The Model Co is the highest SPF (at SPF 30+) and the Rimmel is SPF 25. The Maybelline one does not have SPF protection. 

MOISTURISER NEEDED?

I thought the whole point of these was that you don't need to wear a moisturiser or primer underneath, but some of these are simply too dry unless you moisturise first. If you have oily skin the Model Co or Maybelline BB Creams will be perfect for you as they are very lightweight and slightly drying. I had to wear moisturiser for those ones. 

TO POWDER OR NOT TO POWDER...

I know the whole point of a BB Cream is to have a more "natural" look, but I have a bit of an obsession with powder. I also found that the Rimmel BB Cream cannot be worn without a powder due to the fact that it is so creamy (almost oily) and too dark (needs to be adjusted with light powder). The Garnier one feels weird when you put powder over the top and sometimes sets unevenly.

^Here is another picture of the four creams rubbed in. No Flash.

TIME USED:

I have been using the Garnier one the longest. The most recent purchase is the Model Co Cream which I bought in December last year. 

BB CREAM OR GLORIFIED TINTED MOISTURISER?

My overall thoughts on BB Cream is that I haven't really noticed an overall improvement in my skin. I still get breakouts and my skin tone does not seem more even when I am not wearing it. I do think it feels nicer than a tinted moisturiser and the range of colours is definitely better. I will continue to use these based on that face alone and they don't really break the budget for me. I am going to be trying out a new one shortly.

THE BEST ONE?

I think the best one out of these is probably the Garnier one. I like a product that is less likely to leak out of the packaging and I am happy with this one because it does not require moisturising first. I think it's kind of funny that the first one I've bought wasn't "good enough" and yet it's turned out to be better than the ones I've bought after it. I really really like the Rimmel one too, but am disappointing that the lightest shade is too dark for me. I don't know if the new Garnier one would be much different to the one I have now since they added the SPF.

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Natalie