As I flipped through the latest issue of InStyle, I noticed the Maybelline add for its own version of BB Cream.

The first time I ever heard of BB Cream was about 5 years ago. I don’t think it was readily available in the US, but like all other products that aren’t available here, it is available on certain specialty websites and eBay and Amazon even. As much as mass advertising points its origins from Korea and Japan given it was labeled as the secret beauty product of certain Asian celebrities. It was actually first formulated in Germany in the 1950′s.

Maybelline’s BB Cream stands for Beauty Balm while BB Cream in SouthEast Asia is known as blemish balm.

Maybelline claims to be an ”8-in-1 skin perfector that blurs imperfections, brightens, hydrates, evens skin tone (isn’t blurs imperfections the same thing as evening out skin tone?),enhances, protects with SPF 30, 0% oils and heavy ingredients. For instant skin wow!” I don’t know about all that. Talk about a type-o on their ad or maybe they did that intentionally, but the last sentence irks me.

So what’s the big deal about this BB Cream?
It’s a multitasker. It is supposed to be primer, moisturizer, foundation, sun block, anti-inflammatory all in one. With that said, it is supposed to even out skin tone giving a flawless finish, provide protection from the sun and other drying free radicals as well as treat minor irritations.

Does it work?

My honest opinion is it would take a lot of trial and error before you find the right BB Cream for you. Think of it as finding the perfect foundation or primer, you have to first not be allergic to any of the ingredients and then you need to find a skin tone match (given its multitasking properties there isn’t always enough variations of shades available) so you don’t look like a clown. Importantly, you will have to figure out how well it holds up on your skin depending on the climate you live in. Say humid area, you’ll sweat more and probably sweat off the cream or living in an arid environment, what if the type of cream you purchased is not suitable and has a drying effect on your already parched skin?

BB Cream is an all in one, like a shampoo and conditioner all in one. While it is popular in Asia for its versatility, some people like being able to separate their products by type. Personally, I don’t trust shampoo and conditioner 2-in-1 for my hair or anybody’s hair. I like applying the shampoo knowing I cleansed then applying conditioner knowing its going to do what its supposed to do. So goes the BB Cream to be not to BB.

As tempted as I am to make a trip to Sephora and check out their fine line of BB Creams with the price range of between $35 to $125. I still like applying moisturizer at night, concealer in the morning, then primer, face powder through out the day for touch ups and so the cycles continues.

BB Cream is not for me. But to those of you who want to try and look around here’s more links to check out.

KoreaDepart.com

Jane Iredale’s Glow Time™ Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream Glow Time™ Full Coverage

The Face Shop’s BB cream which is one of the top selling in Korea.

Skinfood.com based in Singapore, I love their website, it’s worth checking out even for other products.

Etude House BB Cream, another top seller in Asia.
And here’s a website dedicated to BB Creams worth checking out.

On top of that big box stores such as Target, Walgreens, CVS Pharmacy, Wal-mart carry BB Creams in familiar brands such as Maybelline, Garnier, Smashbox, and Prestige cosmetics.