BB cream, also known as Blemish Balm, Blemish Base or Beblesh Balm, is a cosmetic item sold mainly in East and Southeast Asia. Originally formulated in Germany it was initially used by dermatologists to help laser surgery patients protect, soothe and refine highly sensitive skin while providing light coverage for post-laser scars, acne and other blemishes.
BB creams come in a variety of different formulations and qualities. Some are said to have skin whitening or brightening properties. Others are said to be anti-acne or anti-wrinkle, some are intended to even out skin tone, and yet others to lighten blemish scars. BB creams are sometimes used like a primer under foundation, and if tinted may supposedly replace foundation and some newer ones are advertised as having functions of primer, foundation, moisturizer, sun block, pore minimization and skin refining together, making them an economic skin care solution.
Instantly brightens: Brightens skin to one tone lighter.Protects with SPF 21/ PA+ : Has a smooth, light and non-greasy texture.Evens tone: Hides imperfections and corrects uneven skin tone.Hydrates: Moisturises all day( 8 hours) .Conceals: Perfectly conceals flaws, blemishes & redness.Smoothes: Instantly makes skin softer & smoother.Mattifies : Controls shine all day.Freshens: Resists sweat & sebum for 5 hours.
Like most of you, I was excited when I learnt about the launch of Maybelline’s BB cream in India. I kept a close watch on all Maybelline counters and asked the SAs to call me as soon as the cream arrives on the counters. While surfing one online shopping website, I saw that this Maybelline cream was available there ( even when it had not reached the counters, amazing isn’t it ! ). So, the very inquisitive me couldn’t keep myself away from getting it online.
While I felt happiest that I got to use/try the cream before most of the girls, just two days back, I learnt that I have bought myself a wrong shade : headbang: When I ordered it online, I saw the shade 01 Nude. I immediately thought 01 would obviously be the lightest shade of all. When I checked the Maybelline website two days ago, I saw that 01 Nude is the darkest shade out of the three. I checked the shades on the counter as well and I feel that I should have picked between Natural or Radiance for my skin tone. Anyway, I guess I should go ahead and tell you about the BB cream now.
The Maybelline Clearglow BB Cream is tinted like a foundation and has lotion-like consistency, neither too thick nor runny. It’s a lightweight, water-based cream and blends amazingly into the skin in no time, just like a moisturiser. For my combination skin, I used a moisturiser underneath this, but if you have extremely oily skin, you may miss out on the moisturiser. For the entire face, I need a little less than a coin-sized quantity.
The cream has slight, pleasant, fruity fragrance which is not bothering to the senses and fades after a minute or so of application. This cream evens out the complexion, provides light coverage and does brighten up the face instantly, without leaving any whitish cast.
I notice that it gives a slight, natural, healthy skin appearance to my face which stays for about 1-2 hours of application. If your skin does not need a lot of coverage, you can use this instead of a foundation, just like a tinted moisturiser. I liked the fact that even after 5 hours of application, my face didn’t get greasy and this even has SPF 21 ( not bad! )
The shade is a bit dark for my skin tone and I can see that on my face on immediate application, but surprisingly, after 5-10 minutes, it adapts to my skin tone and does not look bad. However, I would definitely get myself the right shade soon as I quite like this cream for my routine makeup.
The shade selection of this cream is very limited and I feel they have been created keeping in mind only fair to medium skin tones. Even the darkest shade “Nude” is not very deeply tinted. I wish Maybelline comes up with more shades in this cream.
When I started using this cream, I had 2-3 breakouts on my face and noticed that this cream did not irritate/aggravate them. I don’t think it will give anyone any breakouts.
Overall, I give “thumbs up” to the new Maybelline Clearglow BB Cream. It is definitely worth a try.
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