BB Creams...worth the hype?

Now that the summer months are here, the tans start to come out and the makeup starts to go minimalist.
During the summer months I replace my foundation with a tinted moisturiser for a more fresh-faced look. I find that heavy makeup can both age you and break down quickly in bright sunlight; a good tinted moisturiser is a great alternative to foundation when you still want coverage without the heavy look of full-face foundation.

I have been researching and trialling BB creams as an alternative to my tinted moisturiser for a number of months now, since they became more common on the make-up scene last year.

BB creams, or blemish balm creams, are big business in Asia, with many actresses and celebrities raving about it's soothing and flaw-perfecting qualities.
The products are advertised as an 'all in one' product, providing a moisturiser, concealer, base and foundation in one bottle. Many creams claim to hydrate and soothe skin, preventing breakouts and soothing inflammation.

To date I have tried a number of BB creams, some good and some not so good. Today I will share my two best and worst 'affordable, drug-store' finds.

The first 'affordable' BB cream that I am going to review is L'Oreal's Nude Magique BB Cream. It claims to be a 'bare skin beautifier, mimicking the texture and glow of perfect bare skin'.

I went with the medium shade - the shade I normally use for my tinted moisturiser.

The L'Oreal Nude Magique cream is different in that it contains 'smart pigment calsules' which are tiny grey/purple grains in a white liquid which react together when mixed.

When you first apply the BB Cream, it is a pale white colour, which then turns to a beige foundation colour as you rub it into your skin. For this reason it is best applied using your fingertips in a circular motion. Using a foundation brush just doesn't mix the granules and cream together properly and so you don't get the intended effect.

L'Oreal claims that this BB Cream gives a 'featherweight' finish for a 'dewy' complexion. It also states that it provides up to 24 hour hydration and it also contains SPF12 to prevent sun damage.
In my experience the claims to leave skin 'dewy' with a 'feather-light consistency' are totally untrue. The 'medium' colour is actually a very orange tone which is still too dark even when I'm tanned. The consistency is actually very runny and oily and when mixed it thickens to give quite a heavy coverage which feels dry and far from moisturising. I would say that the results are actually the opposite to what it claims to achieve. It is very difficult to blend and so you have to wear quite a fair amount to get an even coverage.
I have several foundations which give a more natural, dewy finish than this product and I really do not recommend it at all. The result you achieve is quite an orange-looking, overly made up and heavy-feeling effect. Not good.

The second BB Cream I will review is Garnier's Miracle Skin Perfector. I was sent this product to trial recently and have been using it fairly frequently.

This BB Cream is a much thicker consistency than the L'Oreal liquid. However, this is because it is basically the same texture as a night-time moisturiser and a little goes quite a long way. The Garnier Miracle Skin Protector says that it is a 5-in1 product, claiming to even, cover, illuminate, hydrate and protect your skin. It contains SPF15 to prevent sun damage.

The cream blends very easily and gives a lovely, natural colour. It is fairly sheer but gives good coverage. I will say that none of the BB Creams that I have trialled have staying power, and you have to reapply a few times throughout the day. Unfortunately this product is no different so you'll have to keep it in your bag.
The product smells pleasant and gives you a lovely, healthy looking glow. It provides a good base too if you want to achieve a more flawless finish over the top with your normal foundation.

The Garnier is my favourite BB Cream to date, out of both the affordable and the slightly more pricey beauty counter products.
Saying this, the results given are very similar to (if not exactly the same as) my tinted moisturiser.
After the trialling and researching I still don't really 'get' the hype if I'm honest! My tinted moisturiser gives the same coverage and effect, it hydrates my skin and gives a dewy finish...

I do think that the Garnier product is a nice alternative to my tinted moisturiser, however it's certainly a long way from a miracle product.

I don't really think that BB Creams are worth the hype, I think that the BB Cream market may be a clever PR and merchandising bandwagon which mainstream beauty brands are happy to jump onto whilst us girls are intrigued by this spectacular 'all in one' product. If I'm honest, wearing a lighter, moisturising product like a tinted moisturiser during the warmer months will obviously help to hydrate and soothe skin, along with preventing breakouts, as it's not a heavy layer of foundation.
Your skin can breathe more easily and your pores become less clogged. So this isn't a quality unique to these BB Creams, it's just common sense!

What do you think? I'd love to hear from you if you've tried or found a BB Cream which outperforms your tinted moisturiser or foundation. Perhaps I've just not tried the right one yet? But I'm not quite converted... xx