Beauty Balms are all the rage and there are many great benefits including sunscreen protection, great coverage, moisturizer, and overall making your skin look great. I snapped up the first beauty balm I saw: Garnier. There were two choices: light/medium and medium/dark. I chose the light/medium. Although I was very impressed with the coverage, the color (I am very light skinned) was just too dark for me. I also need help with covering/reducing sun damage and spots to my face.
I tried several samples of the more expensive brands and also discovered that they were too dark for my skin tone. In looking for a solution, I really started researching beauty balms and the reasons why they are so popular. Apparently, this beauty balm formula was developed in Germany by a physician trying to help patients with facial scars and other skin abnormalities. The Asian market soon found out about this product and it became very popular due in fact that skin lighteners were added to the formula. Many Asian actresses used the beauty balm to keep their skin clear of blemishes while providing excellent spf protection, skin conditioners, and keeping their skin "light".
Soon I noticed that the best BB creams came from South Korea. So I took a chance and bought two of the ones that I thought would benefit my skin.
The Oriental Gold BB Cream is my favorite. It is very light, blends very well into the skin w/o the "cake face" effect and does a great job of evening out my skin tone. As a bonus, it comes with a bright pink blush/lip stain which at first I thought was hideous. I don't use it on my lips, but just a dab or two on the cheeks give a great blush that looks natural and fresh. (As long as you don't use too much and over due it).
The Misha Perfect Cover BB Cream took some getting used to because it was a little darker...more beige than light. Now that I have just a little color to my face and neck (ie a light tan) I find that this BB cream works fantastically with its coverage, light weight feel, adds a touch of color to my face and doesn't dry my face or cause any breakouts.
These formulas are very easy to apply, very light weight, last almost all day and provide outstanding SPF coverage along with many other benefits. I usually follow each application (with a sponge not my fingers anymore) with a dusting of powder to set the look. I recommend bare minerals, Smashbox or Physicians Formula in multi-colored translucent pressed powder.
The only cautionary note is this: research the company where you purchase your products. There are a number of sellers that sell fake South Korean BB creams. You can Google the product and find out how to tell if your product is authentic. I believe that Skin79 which makes the Oriental Gold BB Cream now has an American web site up and running. So do your research, it will take some time and money to find the right fit and when you do you'll wonder how you ever lived w/o it!
Because I cannot help myself, I purchased two more with high expectations and no results. Since my pocket book will not allow me to keep doing this and I am running out of space in my bathroom with all of my "research and development" projects I have decided not to buy any more!
Before this declaration I purchased L'Oreal BB Cream Youth Code and Maybelline BB Cream. By reading the label it really appears to be no more than a glorified tinted moisturizer with SPF added in which does not make these products true BB creams nor are they even close. Both went on well, but after applying a little powder it appeared cakey. I tried it w/powder and without, with primer and without, moisturize first and then didn't etc etc.
