If you’ve been following my BB Creamology series, you’ll know that I’ve tried a lot of BB creams. In fact, I’ve tried more than what I’ve reviewed on the blog. I’ve tried Asian BB creams and I’ve tried Western BB creams. What I’m trying to say is, when it comes to BB creams, I’m not a n00b. 😛
Today’s post is going to be a bit of a ranty one. I seldom get my knickers in a twist here on the blog but after reading one too many wrong information about BB creams, I knew I had to set the record straight. There are a lot of misconceptions about BB creams mainly as many of the mainstream Western brands have jumped on the BB bandwagon and you can tell that they’re very similar to each other. As one brand after another keep coming up with BB creams, it’s no wonder why people are getting sick of them.
Yet the funny thing is, we don’t get sick of brands coming up with more foundations yet we are of BB creams. Why is that? Everyone has their own reasons but I reckon it’s because a lot of them are mediocre at best. The thing is, not all BB creams are like that. Not all BB creams have lousy coverage. Not all BB creams leave the face looking like a grease-pot. Not all BB creams have crappy SPF. Not all BB creams are rubbish. In fact, I’ve tried some pretty damn good ones that are comparable to the best of foundations out there.
Here are some of the common misconceptions of BB creams and what I think about them.
BB creams are tinted moisturisers
This is the biggest misconception of all. It really irks me when beauty editors and YouTubers say that BB creams are nothing more than tinted moisturisers because it tells me that they’ve only used Western BB creams and not tried the Asian ones. Having said that, it’s hard to blame them when so many Western BB creams are, honestly speaking, not good. Coverage is usually light so it’s easy to assume that that’s what BB creams are, that they’re merely tinted moisturisers.
Even though the first BB creams were created in Germany, it was the Koreans who popularised BB creams. It was only years later that Western brands jumped on the BB bandwagon but for some reason, most of them decided to make them very light in coverage and into what is widely known as just tinted moisturisers. Most Asian BB creams have at least a medium coverage and high SPF whereas most Western ones have at most a medium coverage and low SPF. Proper BB creams usually have quite high coverage.
While proper BB creams have skincare properties, one should always bear in mind that they are makeup, not skincare. BB creams are typically slightly lighter versions of most foundations, but they’re not meant to be tinted moisturisers. When Western BB creams are all one has tried, it’s unfair to generalise that BB creams are nothing more than tinted moisturisers. I’ve used full coverage BB creams before and none of them were from Western brands.
The thing I’ll give Western BB creams, the one thing that they do better than Asian BB creams, is that most of them don’t give the skin a grey/white cast. Unfortunately, a lot of Asian BB creams cast an ashy shade on the skin which isn’t very flattering on the face.
Since BB creams are merely tinted moisturisers, you can use it in lieu of a moisturiser
BB creams are not tinted moisturisers thus they should not replace moisturisers. At the end of the day, BB creams are makeup and should always be treated as such. If you wouldn’t skip moisturiser before applying foundation, you shouldn’t skip it for BB creams either regardless of their skincare properties.
For BB creams with high SPF, they can replace sunscreen
I recently watched a beauty video on YouTube and the YouTuber proudly proclaimed to use her high SPF BB cream as her sunscreen in the hot summer (she’s based in the US). She squeezed small amounts of BB cream on her face before continuing on with her makeup application. All I could think of was … nooooo!
For sufficient protection against UV radiation, the face needs at least one teaspoon of sunscreen. Would you actually apply one teaspoon of base makeup on your face? One teaspoon of foundation? One teaspoon of BB cream? Not likely, right? This means that no matter how high the SPF of the BB cream is, unless you actually use that much product on your face, it doesn’t provide enough protection. A separate sunscreen is needed even if the BB cream has SPF 50.
CC creams are exactly like BB creams
Even though CC creams are said to be a refined, improved version of BB creams, both are not the same. BB creams are typically thicker in texture and have higher coverage than CC creams. CC creams have colour-correcting pigments and they often have lighter coverage than BB creams.
These are just a few misconceptions about BB creams. There are more but I better stop here lest I end up writing a dissertation on it. If you’ve tried Asian BB creams, don’t like them and prefer Western BB creams, by all means go for what suits you best. However, if you’ve not tried Asian BB creams, I recommend that you give them a go and see how they compare to the Western BB creams you’ve tried. It might surprise you as to how different they are to the Western BB creams. I usually get mine from eBay because the ones sold in Chinatown are ridiculously overpriced.
The BB cream fad is overhyped only because a lot of mainstream brands have produced very mediocre ones but I have to say this: not all BB creams are bad. Some can even be better than foundations. They’re definitely not meant to be tinted moisturisers.
I haven’t tried that many BB creams, maybe three or four – and no Asian ones, unfortunately. Yes I am tired of seeing new ones come out, mainly because I know most of them aren’t true to what BB creams are meant to be.
My favourite BB Cream is actually the Garnier oil-free one. I wear it every single day with a light buff of Youngblood Loose Mineral Foundation and a transluscent setting powder over the top. And literally every single day someone will compliment me on my skin or makeup (I’m a beauty therapist so I do work in that environment) so it must look good! I rarely repurchase anything because I’m always on the hunt for the next best thing, but I’ve repurchased the Garnier oil-free BB cream time and time again.
I agree, that Garnier oil-free BB cream is good. In fact, it’s incredibly similar to the Asian version of the Garnier BB cream. Their original version was not good at all but the oil-free, they definitely got that one right. I like the coverage and the finish on the skin.
Thank you so much. I am not ignorant but always willing to learn and you were clear, concise and informative. I feel like I have a better understanding now. I really want to try some Asian BB creams and will scout Ebay. Do you have preferences or advice on what to get? I would appreciate it! Thanks for your blog 🙂
Sherry recently posted..Love those boxes from Sephora!
My pleasure, Sherry! There are heaps of Asian BB creams out there so it’s going to be quite tough to pinpoint exactly which one to try out. If you’re looking for something that is quite rich and high in coverage, Skin79 has some pretty good ones (like the orange Super+ I showed in the picture). Liole is not bad too. I find that the Korean BB creams do better than the Japanese ones, but that’s just me.
As a westerner .. I’ve only tried two bb creams and thought all of the above (except I do wear a separate spf 45). I may have to try an Asian BB cream at some point as you’ve got me curious of the differences 🙂
Monica
MonicaP recently posted..Splurge or Save: Cleansing Conditioners
Haha do give one a go if you can. But I have to warn you that a lot do give a bit of a white/grey cast on the skin. In terms of coverage, they’re definitely better than Western BB creams.
Excellent post Tine! While I think Points #2, 3 and 4 are rubbish (not you, the statements themselves – I can’t believe people actually say that, what the hell?!?!) But anyway I am one of those who treat BB creams like Point 1 except that these days, with BB Creams being of much better quality, I can safely say that they no longer are like tinted moisturisers, they are actually more like light foundations. I also admit I was sick of the trend (yes, i call it a trend) but I’m less so now. I can understand why brands do it (sales) but I’m one of those who isn’t sold on an Asian BB.
My experience with Asian BB hasn’t been good primarily because when I first went into it, they were grey, oily, thick and broke me out. I don’t know if it’s better now, I never bothered finding out. BUT there are some Western BB that are very good (Dior and Guerlain come to mind) but I’ve noticed that it isn’t necessarily from the lower price end. Those at the lower price end still function like a tinted moisturiser. Dior & Guerlain are the 2 I’ve used that actually are impressive and got me round to wearing BB Creams on my off days or even to work. I don’t know if they have the skincare benefits that a BB should have, but at the end of the day, it’s just makeup to me. The same way that a foundation infused with skincare ingredients is still makeup and if we treat these things as makeup, we’ll be good. It’s what people start thinking that just because that’s 1% of skincare in there, suddenly you can forsake the rest of your skincare or *gasp* wear it to sleep, that they run into trouble. And you know what? Serve them right too! 😛
Paris B recently posted..Let Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush leave a soft focus kiss of Radiant Magenta on your skin
Thanks PB! I can’t believe that I didn’t get the Guerlain BB cream to try when I was in Paris. I bought one for Val but none for myself. GAHHHH!!
That’s what I’ve been noticing too, that foundations too are having “skincare ingredients” in them and that people are forsaking actual skincare for these so-called multi-tasking products. Hey I’m game for multitasking products but I draw the line at replacing my actual skincare with makeup that has skincare ingredients. And as for people who wear these to sleep … I have no words except for very widened eyes and a horrified face. 😛
Great post! Yep, it’s incredible how some beauty bloggers can claim this is like a tinted moisturiser…ummm…no! Once I was in a hurry and actually forgot to apply my moisturiser and applied BB cream straight onto my face. I could tell the difference immediately but I didn’t have time to cleanse and re-do so I sort of had to bear with it the whole day. Not ideal at all. And as for it being enough as an SPF protection product – sigh…seriously?! Where of they get these information from????
Norlin recently posted..Fashion Day: Styling The Simple Striped Tee
Thanks Norlin! I know right? Gah, it’s so frustrating. And you know who these so-called experts who sprouting nonsense about BB creams. Tsk tsk tsk!
Hear, hear! I completely agree with all you’ve said. I get really mad to hear people write off BB creams as ‘just tinted moisturisers’. I discovered Asian BB creams a couple of years before they came to the West and they are a completely different product. I use them purely as foundation and derive all my skincare from other products. As foundations, Asian BB creams are outstanding.
My point exactly, Jane! I’m so glad you checked out Asian BB creams too. They don’t work for everyone but at least you know the differences between the Asian BB creams and the Western ones. Not all Asian BB creams work for me either but I can definitely say that they’re not just tinted moisturisers. Heck, a lot of them have higher coverage than some actual foundations!
I am a bb cream addict. And I like CC creams, too. My current faves are IT Cosmetics CC cream, SPF 50 and Emprani BB Cream, SPF 50. I totally agree that they are make-up, not skincare, but I really appreciate the extra layer of SPF in addition to the way they make my skin look fabulous. I do wear sunscreen first — and I often top the bb cream with a light dusting of powder that has SPF as well. With layers, you make sure that everything is covered — and as someone who lives in a very sunny place and has a couple pre-cancerous spot of interest, I need all the protection I can get! (Hat, too!)
Natasha, you’re a lady after my own heart! That’s exactly how I feel too! Too bad IT Cosmetics isn’t readily available in Australia (have to get them online from the States); I’ve heard such great things about the brand. I’d love to check out that CC cream you raved about.
Hi Tine, I have only tried western bb creams and unfortunately I am not a fan. My issue with them is the colour range and being quite pale the lightest colour is usually still too dark/orange 🙁 I do have the max factor cc cream and colour wise it is great but still think I prefer foundation. At least this way I can just opt for to the coverage/finish I want with the benefit of a larger colour range 🙂
Totally understand you, Kellee. A lot of Asian BB creams, on the other hand, are too light for me. I reckon you’ll be able to get a better match for your skintone than Western BB creams.
Tine, thank you for your thorough research on BB creams! I have only tried a few. Every time I wear the Napeleon Perdis Auto Pilot BBB cream, I get a compliment on my makeup, seriously! I was kind of indifferent on it at first, but my vanity as changed my opinion. It is no longer available in the USA. I’ve tried Bobby Brown & Laura Mercier but there is no comparison. What do you suggest I try next?
You’re very welcome, Diane! Sorry to hear your favourite BB cream is no longer available. I can’t remember what the NP BB cream is like (it’s been a while since I’ve used it) but for good Western BB creams, have you tried Garnier’s BB cream for oily skin? Not the regular one, but the one for oily skin. I didn’t like the regular one; the one for oily skin is good. Bourjois’ 123 CC cream is also good. Hope that helps but if it doesn’t, sorry!
I have always sworn by CC creams due to redness I sometimes get on my face and find the colour-correcting pigments help out in this department! I have used BB creams in the past but have always felt underwhelmed. Living in the UK, I feel as if many on the market (even high-end) have fallen foul due to the Western formulas! I will have to scour eBay! Thanks a lot for this post it was such a satisfying read.
Felicity Ellewood recently posted..The Diary: Part Two
Hi there. Love this article – very well written. I have tried many of the weatern bb creams and they all seem too yellow for my liking. I really love the skin79 hot pink bb cream but i find it increasingly hard to find and there are many fakes on ebay etc. I am wondering if you have recommendation for bb cream most similar to the skin79 one? I do like the grayish tone as it oxidizes quite well and works fantastically with my skintone. Thanks