2011 has come and gone and we are all ready for bigger and better things, especially in the beauty department. Let's say goodbye to that bottle of crackle nail polish, feather hair extensions, flexible-film nail adhesives and basically anything that reminds us of Ke$ha.
It's a new year, so that means new beauty trends to try! The start of 2012 has kicked-off the newest craze in makeup, BB cream.
BB creams (also known as Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm) are making quite the impact in the world of beauty. Dermatologists first created BB creams to protect and camouflage skin after cosmetic procedures. The product became popular in Asian countries and it is known as the “secret of Korean actresses”. Well, this secret has recently made its way out West and has had beauty-junkies buzzing ever since.
MAC, Garnier, Boscia, Estée Lauder and Clinique are some of the other brands that have their own BB creams. This product is quite the multitasker! It has the combining elements of a moisturizer, primer, concealer and foundation all in one. Many of the Western brands market the product as a powerful tinted moisturizer. Beauty writers are dubbing it the “Swiss Army knife of the beauty industry.”
Basically BB creams brighten skin the same way a primer does, evens out complexion like a tinted moisturizer, covers blemishes like a concealer, has the hydrating components of a moisturizer, improves the skin's appearance and contains sunscreen. Talk about lightening the load of your makeup bag!
Makeup artist Bianca Rubi, of Alex Chases Salon, loves the perfecting factor of the BB creams. “BB cream is the new and improved tinted moisturizer. The amount of moisture and SPF is amazing, and you get coverage without sacrificing glow. BB cream is amazing because you can perfect your skin without the need of 5 or more products, and it has healing properties!”
What’s Rubi’s preferred BB cream? “Smashbox has recently launched a BB cream and is my favorite out of all the recent American BB creams, because you get a color range from light to dark and it has an ultra smooth finish.”
Beauty-mavens all over the Bay Area are in love with the cream. Diana Shook of San Francisco likes Missha's line because of its coverage and has helped her complexion. "BB cream is great for all kinds of skin issues", says Shook. "I love it because it gives good coverage and actually seems to help keep acne in check. I found out about it on a beauty website forum, where adult acne sufferers were raving about it. I use, Missha's Perfect Cover Cream, Cho bo Yang Cream and Signature Real Complete. They all provide major coverage and have high SPFs."
Florence Wong of Fremont is infatuated with the simplicity of the BB creams. "I love it because it's a low maintenance way to look put together while letting my skin breathe. I heard about it on one of my favorite beauty blogs", says Wong. "It's like a tinted moisturizer on steroids."
Depending on your preference of coverage and skin type, there are a number of BB creams hitting the beauty market at either your local drugstore or department store. Sephora recently had an array of brands showcasing their BB creams on the store's website.
So, here’s to another year of looking flawless and drop dead gorgeous!
Happy New Year!
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