Good afternoon to all my subscribers and readers who have discovered this blog for the first time!
Today I propose to talk in detail about what is better - foundation or bb cream. I will tell you about my experience, illustrate it with photographs and results, and be sure to leave your thoughts and observations in the comments, which I read carefully.
First, let’s figure out what foundation is and what the concept of bb cream itself means.
Foundation is a well-known makeup product that improves skin color and hides minor imperfections (freckles, blemishes, pimples). BB cream was invented by Korean skin rehabilitation specialists to combine the properties of tone and cream for basic care in one tube.
A good BB cream is always no less than 5in1 - protection, tone, care, moisturizing, nutrition, SPF protection. But, in fact, you can choose 8in1, and even 10in1 - depending on what you need the BB cream for.
Today, foundation remains in my makeup bag only for special occasions when I need an absolutely perfect picture of my face - like on a magazine cover. For example, parties, large celebrations or photo shoots. As a toning agent for every day, I use BB cream - it merges with the natural complexion, evens it out and gives the skin a rested, radiant look, and the nourishing “base” of such a cream works on the face from morning to evening, feeding it with vitamins and minerals .
Previously, I constantly used foundation creams, tried many companies, and came to the conclusion that their use was too problematic and tiring for the skin. The fact is that even the most expensive, moisturizing and light foundations do not care for the skin in any way. At best, they don't do her much harm. Plus, it’s always a big problem to find a foundation with SPF30 (and it’s known that with protection below SPF20, the skin ages faster, even in winter). That is, in order to protect, moisturize and nourish the skin, it was necessary to apply many layers to the face - moisturizer, base, foundation, and then a protective one on top. This “matryoshka” greatly overloaded my skin and slowed down its natural regeneration functions. And, frankly speaking, if you do all this every day, it will take too much time to get ready in the morning.
To somehow solve this problem, I consulted with several highly qualified cosmetologists, and they all recommended that I take a closer look at BB creams (as they are called from the English phrase Beauty Balm Cream, beauty balm cream). I took a closer look and realized that this was really what I needed.
What is BB cream and why is it needed?
Blemish Balm Cream is originally a medicinal cream designed to hide skin imperfections, attributed to patients in cosmetic clinics in Germany.
Used to disguise marks after procedures and accelerate skin healing.
This is a multifunctional product that not only masks, but also moisturizes, protects, heals, and can also serve as a sunscreen and anti-aging cream.
Later, this cream was noticed by Koreans, who liked the masking effect of the product (the very thing in their desire for ideal faces without the slightest flaw). They have refined the basic formula and now it includes:
- nutritional base that promotes regeneration (depending on the manufacturer);
- minerals;
- zinc oxide;
- titanium dioxide.
Products are often supplemented with collagen, hyaluronic acid, arbutin and other additives designed to cope with inflammation and the appearance of wrinkles.
BB cream is used for the following effects:
- skin hydration;
- color alignment;
- improvement of facial relief;
- masking various defects;
- treatment of inflammation;
- protection from sun rays.
As you can see, this cream can replace several cosmetic products at once .
Who is this miracle remedy suitable for? Owners should pay attention to it:
- oily problem skin - choose those that contain substances that fight inflammatory processes;
- dry skin - you need to look for products that contain glycerin or compounds based on it;
- normal skin - this cream is best suited for these girls;
- skin with age-related changes - of course, you can use the product, but you should not expect miracles, BB cream will perform its functions, but will not be able to fight aging.
If you have sensitive skin prone to allergic reactions, then you should avoid this multi-component product.
How to apply it correctly?
You should not think that the cream can completely replace moisturizing skincare cosmetics - if you look closely at the Asian video instructions, you will see that they apply it on top of lotions or tonics with a light texture.
The skin must be cleansed before application. You need to hold the product on your hand for a while to let it warm up.
The cream is applied with soft massage movements and left until completely absorbed - no need to rub it in . Start with the T-zone, then apply to the U-zone. After everything is absorbed, all that remains is to mask the visible defects.
But you need to remove BB cream with hydrophilic oil - simple washing will not get rid of it.
Otherwise, you risk getting inflammation on your face. After using the oil, the skin is treated with your usual cleanser.
If you are interested in this product, then pay attention to brands such as Murasaki and Dr Jart+ - these are Asian brands that are sold in Russia.
At the same time, in online stores you can always order creams from manufacturers such as MAC, Lancome, Clinique, Garnier, Maybelline, Smashbox (these are European brands) and Missha, Hanskin, Innisfree, Nanoce, Etude House (Korean).
You can find out how BB cream differs from CC cream from our article.
Professional brand foundations
CC Cream Skin Perfector Lift & Lumiere Algologie
In general, I really like the products of this brand, I work with them, use them myself and recommend them to clients for home care, but this particular cream disappointed me.
If BB cream stands for Blemish Balm or Blemish Base and means a cream that masks imperfections, then CC cream stands for Color Control and means a cream that adapts to your skin color. Therefore, CC cream pigments are in capsules until the cream is applied to the skin, and any CC cream usually has a white or very light color, and already on the skin it turns into a foundation.
However, this cream failed to match my skin tone. On the face the cream looked too dark and somehow yellowish. In addition, the cream belongs to the “lifting and radiance” line, which is intended for mature skin. But I didn’t notice any lifting or shine. Quite the contrary - the cream gave the face a dark matte tint, which is completely undesirable for mature skin.
And although this CC cream is a new product in an expensive and luxurious line, in my opinion it is an unsuccessful product from the Algologi brand.
6.Multi-effect Tinted Cream Academie (tone 2, ROSE BEIGE)
The manufacturer promises that the cream not only provides an excellent visual effect, but also contains a moisturizing complex, vitamins and peptides that activate collagen synthesis and have a rejuvenating effect on the skin.
And why I love professional cosmetics is that, as a rule, you can find out what concentration of active ingredients a particular product contains. In this case, the concentration of active components is about 10%.
I liked the cream - it’s really very light, invisible on the face, and at the same time it perfectly evens out the color and gives the skin a well-groomed appearance. I think it will appeal to girls over 25 who need foundation and light anti-aging care in one bottle. If the price doesn’t bother you – about 40 euros for 40 ml.
Regenerating treatment foundation Academie (tone 2 - Honey)
I liked this cream even more - it has a delicate melting texture, is easy to apply, gives the skin a beautiful well-groomed look and, again, is not noticeable on the face. And in addition to silicones and reflective particles, it contains a moisturizing complex, vitamins and peptides.
In general, almost everything is the same as the multi-effect cream from Akademi, only even better. There are no complaints about the cream, except for the price. 60 euros for 40 ml is not at all an anti-crisis price.
So I searched and found a good foundation for almost 2 times cheaper.
Foundation Cream Ivory Algologie
I recently tried this cream at a master class and was very pleased. The cream fits perfectly on the skin, evens out the color, gives a well-groomed and radiant appearance, and at the same time it is very light and almost invisible on the face.
I especially liked the fact that the cream is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive ones, and contains an anti-rosacea complex that strengthens the vascular wall, which is very important in winter.
Because in winter, some women’s skin, which seems to be calm at other times of the year, suddenly becomes sensitive, and many of my clients do chemical peels in winter, after which the skin also temporarily becomes sensitive.
So, personally, I think I’ll opt for this cream - it’s quite versatile, so it’s suitable for me both for work and personal use. And it has a very reasonable price - about 30 euros for 50 ml.
The concept and purpose of foundation
The main task of foundation is to disguise skin defects and even out facial tone. In addition, it is used to highlight areas where makeup will be emphasized.
The foundation consists of a fat base - an emulsion and a masking paste based on powder with a dye, which allows you to achieve the desired shade for any skin type .
The foundation often includes additives that provide nutrition or hydration to the face, vitamin and mineral complexes, and so on.
Thanks to them, such creams very often not only cover skin imperfections , but also contribute to its healing.
There are the following types of tonal products:
- foundation liquid - it comes in a tube and has low masking ability. It is best used by girls with normal skin, without any special defects;
- foundation - comes in jars, contains a large amount of powder and hides imperfections very well. If your skin is spoiled by pimples or visible blood vessels, then this is your option;
- cream powder - supplied in a powder compact - has even greater masking power, which allows it to disguise even puffiness and circles under the eyes. This is an excellent solution for those with oily skin;
- masking pencil - this product is used for spot correction of defects.
Foundations should be selected to suit your skin type. For oily skin, products with a mattifying effect are selected, and for dry skin, products with a moisturizing effect.
And special attention must be paid to the correct selection of tone so that the makeup looks natural.
Terms of use
On oily skin, foundation is applied according to the following scheme :
- Daily cream.
- Primer (liquid).
- Concealer.
- Powder.
It can be applied with a brush, sponge or simply with your fingers.
For dry skin, it is necessary to use a moisturizer with an oily structure, which is applied to the face before foundation.
If you purchased a leave-in cream , then remember that you must have time to completely apply the product in about a minute - after that it is fixed and can only be removed with special means.
Remember that foundation should only be applied to cleansed skin . The cream is applied pointwise to the skin, after which it is distributed over the face in a circular motion in the direction from the middle of the face.
Almost all well-known cosmetics manufacturers produce a variety of foundations to suit the most demanding tastes.
BB cream, its shades and method of application
BB cream is often called a second skin due to its ability to adapt to the complexion. Typically the palette consists of three tones:
- For fair skin, a BB cream in the shade of ivory is suitable. It disguises spider veins and refreshes makeup
- BB cream in a natural beige shade is suitable for girls with both light and slightly dark skin. It neutralizes redness and gives your face a healthy glow.
- Girls with dark skin should pay attention to the golden beige tone. It perfectly evens out the skin texture and also emphasizes the tan.
In terms of savings, BB cream knocks out regular foundation. It is multifunctional, so it replaces any moisturizing beauty products: makeup base, powder and highlighter. It is easy to apply and distribute even without a brush, and most importantly, you can be sure that your face will be perfect all day long.
We hope that after reading it will be easy for you to decide what to choose: foundation or BB cream. If you are more inclined to the second option, take a look at the OK Beauty catalog.
Differences
How is BB cream different from foundation? Their main difference is in functionality , BB cream performs more functions and is able to eliminate more problems than foundation.
It blends better with the natural skin tone and becomes almost invisible. But the main drawback of BB lies in the line of shades - they are produced in only 2-4 tones , implying light and dark skin, so not all girls can choose the right one for themselves.
In addition, when ordering Korean cosmetics, remember that Asians love to whiten their skin and their creams are designed for this effect.
The European line of BB creams can be used as a foundation , but the masking ability is low, so it is advisable to use it for those who do not have any special skin problems.
The texture of foundation creams is lighter and they do not require special removal products. At the same time, these creams are more suitable for hiding major skin imperfections. And the abundance of shades allows you to choose the right one for any girl.
My review and reviews of 12 foundations
I must say that until recently I almost never used foundation in my daily life. And for evening makeup and some special occasions, I bought myself one single foundation.
Fluid foundation from Christian Dior - Diorskin Fluide Found SPF 12
I bought it a long time ago, but the tube is still almost full, because the cream immediately disappointed me. When purchasing, I was attracted by the fact that the cream is called fluid. In cosmetology, the word fluid is used to denote the ultra-light texture of a cream, and I naturally expected that this foundation would be ultra-light and unnoticeable on the face, as the advertisement promised.
