Hello there and welcome to my first product review!
I am quite genetically blessed to have smooth, fairly even toned skin with only the occasional outbreak when I'm stressed out. Because of this, I typically only wear very sheer coverage foundation and only use full coverage foundation on a night out.
However even sheer coverage foundation sometimes seems too much for me and I find myself wishing for a product that would feel like a quick drying, light moisturiser but perform like a sheer foundation with the added benefit of evening out any skin tone differences and give that glow or radiance that always looks so youthful.
I suppose that is where tinted moisturisers come in, but on the coverage spectrum, tinted moisturisers in general would be positioned on the seriously sheer side of the spectrum, and next up would be BB creams.
Enter Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 cream. So what are the product details of this BB cream? Well, the Maybelline website lists the following 8 benefits delivered in 1 step:
I own and use the medium shade BB cream and have done so for around 2 weeks now, in the hopes that it would give me a little more coverage and moisture on days where my skin has suffered from a late night or is feeling a bit dry and lacklustre.
Of course as with any face cream, be it tinted moisturiser, regular foundation or in this case BB cream, this product can be successfully applied by using the right technique with your fingers. However I seem to never be quite satisfied with the final finish my fingers give. Hence why I prefer to use a dampened sponge to apply the BB cream.
I first apply a large pea sized amount of the product on the back of my hand and with a dampened sponge I dab some cream onto the sponge. I apply this to sections of my face at a time and finish with a stippling motion to blend any hard edges. Areas where I feel I need more coverage I wait a little longer to be touch dry and apply more BB cream on top in the same style until I achieve the coverage level I want. With this application technique I can achieve varied coverage depending on my needs, it provides more time to blend and smooth out edges, and gives a more 'airbrushed' finish.
When referring to www.makeupalley.com, this BB cream got an average reviewer rating of 3 out of 5 stars, and according to 'ClassyMinx' the product would be 'a great buy for teenagers who are new to makeup or women who are lucky enough to not need a full cover foundation.'
I would agree with this summary for the following reasons:
So does it live up to what it promises? Well, lets evaluate each of the 8 product promises:
Does feel 'fresh' and 'lightweight'? Well, yes - which is exactly what you would expect from something a little more heavier than a tinted moisturiser.
Does it 'blur imperfections'? In my opinion it blurs only minor imperfections, and by minor imperfections I mean only very slightly discoloured small pimples, almost completely faded small scars and not much else. In fact even for these imperfections you may need to apply another 1-2 more coats on top for adequate coverage. If you have a raised pimple, a scab or heaven forbid anything worse, it just doesn't cover it it - literally.
Does it 'enhance' and 'brighten'? Well, if Maybelline means enhance as in enhancing your natural skin tone/colour and brightening your skin's appearance, then it does this to a moderate degree. But really, I would suggest that this comes from the the subtly dewy effect this B cream gives.
Does it 'hydrate all day'? Yes it does. I am quite happy with the way in which after wearing this product all day, my skin still feels 'protected' as such from dryness and nicely moisturised.
Does it 'visibly smoothe skin'? Of course! Just like most moisturisers do, this BB cream gives a nice smooth relatively sheer finish that translates to a smooth finish.
Does it 'adjust to skin tone'? It does a pretty good job of it. Considering there are only 3 available shades, it blends and hence adjusts quite well to your natural skin tone, provided our skin tone isn't significantly different to the shade you plan to use. My rule of thumb when when having to choose between limited shade options is to always choose the shade closest to your facial skin tone, and if you can't quite get it matched close enough, chose the shade that is slightly darker. I've made the mistake of choosing a lighter shade before when a a skin tone shade wasn't available to me and I live to regret it!
Is it 'oil free and non-greasy'? The formulation may very well be oil free, but due to the inclusion of glycerin as one of its ingredients, to me it still seems on the oily side of finishes.
In conclusion, if you have dry to combination skin with little to no blemishes and desire a sheer coverage option with a moisturising feel to it, this is your BB cream. However, if you have blemished skin and/or a dark skin tone, I'm afraid this product won't do the job.
Thanks so much for viewing, and please make sure to visit my website www.colourtease.com
However even sheer coverage foundation sometimes seems too much for me and I find myself wishing for a product that would feel like a quick drying, light moisturiser but perform like a sheer foundation with the added benefit of evening out any skin tone differences and give that glow or radiance that always looks so youthful.
I suppose that is where tinted moisturisers come in, but on the coverage spectrum, tinted moisturisers in general would be positioned on the seriously sheer side of the spectrum, and next up would be BB creams.
Enter Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 cream. So what are the product details of this BB cream? Well, the Maybelline website lists the following 8 benefits delivered in 1 step:
- Fresh, lightweight feel
- Blurs imperfections
- Enhances
- Brightens
- Hydrates all day
- Visible smoothes skin
- Adjusts to skin tone
- Oil free, non-greasy
I own and use the medium shade BB cream and have done so for around 2 weeks now, in the hopes that it would give me a little more coverage and moisture on days where my skin has suffered from a late night or is feeling a bit dry and lacklustre.
Of course as with any face cream, be it tinted moisturiser, regular foundation or in this case BB cream, this product can be successfully applied by using the right technique with your fingers. However I seem to never be quite satisfied with the final finish my fingers give. Hence why I prefer to use a dampened sponge to apply the BB cream.
I first apply a large pea sized amount of the product on the back of my hand and with a dampened sponge I dab some cream onto the sponge. I apply this to sections of my face at a time and finish with a stippling motion to blend any hard edges. Areas where I feel I need more coverage I wait a little longer to be touch dry and apply more BB cream on top in the same style until I achieve the coverage level I want. With this application technique I can achieve varied coverage depending on my needs, it provides more time to blend and smooth out edges, and gives a more 'airbrushed' finish.
When referring to www.makeupalley.com, this BB cream got an average reviewer rating of 3 out of 5 stars, and according to 'ClassyMinx' the product would be 'a great buy for teenagers who are new to makeup or women who are lucky enough to not need a full cover foundation.'
I would agree with this summary for the following reasons:
So does it live up to what it promises? Well, lets evaluate each of the 8 product promises:
Does feel 'fresh' and 'lightweight'? Well, yes - which is exactly what you would expect from something a little more heavier than a tinted moisturiser.
Does it 'blur imperfections'? In my opinion it blurs only minor imperfections, and by minor imperfections I mean only very slightly discoloured small pimples, almost completely faded small scars and not much else. In fact even for these imperfections you may need to apply another 1-2 more coats on top for adequate coverage. If you have a raised pimple, a scab or heaven forbid anything worse, it just doesn't cover it it - literally.
Does it 'enhance' and 'brighten'? Well, if Maybelline means enhance as in enhancing your natural skin tone/colour and brightening your skin's appearance, then it does this to a moderate degree. But really, I would suggest that this comes from the the subtly dewy effect this B cream gives.
Does it 'hydrate all day'? Yes it does. I am quite happy with the way in which after wearing this product all day, my skin still feels 'protected' as such from dryness and nicely moisturised.
Does it 'visibly smoothe skin'? Of course! Just like most moisturisers do, this BB cream gives a nice smooth relatively sheer finish that translates to a smooth finish.
Does it 'adjust to skin tone'? It does a pretty good job of it. Considering there are only 3 available shades, it blends and hence adjusts quite well to your natural skin tone, provided our skin tone isn't significantly different to the shade you plan to use. My rule of thumb when when having to choose between limited shade options is to always choose the shade closest to your facial skin tone, and if you can't quite get it matched close enough, chose the shade that is slightly darker. I've made the mistake of choosing a lighter shade before when a a skin tone shade wasn't available to me and I live to regret it!
Is it 'oil free and non-greasy'? The formulation may very well be oil free, but due to the inclusion of glycerin as one of its ingredients, to me it still seems on the oily side of finishes.
In conclusion, if you have dry to combination skin with little to no blemishes and desire a sheer coverage option with a moisturising feel to it, this is your BB cream. However, if you have blemished skin and/or a dark skin tone, I'm afraid this product won't do the job.
Thanks so much for viewing, and please make sure to visit my website www.colourtease.com
