Tester: Garnier BB Cream

When I was at Priceline last week, I had a chance to have a look at the new Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter BB Cream. Now, I just want to say up-front, that I will not be purchasing this product: I don't buy Garnier products as they still test on animals. So. But I did want to give it a swatch and see how it compares to Asian BB creams. The only BB Creams I've ever tried before are my Baviphat Mini BB Cream Gift Set, however, there are 4 different creams in the set with very different properties, so I have a little idea of what they are and what they do.

Out of the two colours on sale, only the darker (Medium) colour was available to test, and I could immediately see that it would be too dark for my skin tone. (I tested it on the back of my hand, but I could tell.) The cream was very thick compared to the Baviphat ones. I really had to push it around to get it to blend in. I don't think I'd like that on my face! The colour was quite sheer, like a tinted moisturiser. It didn't cover up the freckles or veins on the back of my hand at all. I didn't pay attention to how long it fared on my hand, so I can't make any comments about the staying power.

I didn't get a chance to properly try this BB Cream out, but I have a feeling that may be inferior to the original Asian creams. Well, not inferior so much, but formulated like a tinted moisturiser than a 'true' BB Cream. I feel pretty sad about that, because BB Creams have truly changed my makeup routine for the better and made me feel more confident. I do hope that Western women won't be put off, thinking, 'oh, this is just another tinted moisturiser', and will go on to try out some other brands.

I also think it's extremely cheeky of Garnier to claim that their BB Cream is "Australia's 1st BB Cream" [quoting back cover of Shop Til You Drop February 2012]. BB Creams have been available from The Face Shop (Jam Factory; Melbourne Central) and Missha (Box Hill) outlets for years. It wasn't until I'd studied the page carefully that I saw the TINY asterisk next to it, with a tiny little disclaimer running down the side saying "By Garnier". They're skating dangerously close to false advertising there. Even if they didn't test on animals and I had been contemplating buying their cream, I wouldn't after reading that!!

Just my opinion.

Anyway, here's a picture of the product, even though I'm not intending to buy it:


from Pinterest

And here's a picture of my beloved Baviphat set:


from Pinterest

My BB Cream arrived!

My first order of Asian beauty products arrived in the mail yesterday, including my first BB Cream! I don't know why I have this pathetic obsession with them at the moment; I'm sure it'll pass at some point like my obsessions always do, and I'll be really embarrassed when I read back on this.

I have a love-hate relationship with clothes; I have a fairly large wardrobe, but it doesn't make me happy. Shopping for clothes usually leaves me disappointed, so I don't do it often anymore. Sure, Asos got me excited for a while, but my purchases were really hit and miss, so the excitement's died down a bit now.
Shoes never got me going at all. I have fairly oddly shaped feet, so there are few styles that I can wear. I find shopping for shoes an annoying and draining experience.
For a long time I had an obsession with accessories and jewellery. In the last few years I've been more careful about my purchases, but I still bought pieces fairly regularly. And I churned out scarves and headwarmers and such things with wild abandon! But recently, whenever I look at what I have, I think to myself, that's enough. I don't need more.

But with beauty/skin/haircare products, you don't get any of those problems! That's the beauty of them. (So to speak!) They're consumables, so you use them up, and then you get to buy a new one, or try a different one. They have nice smells, or colours, or both. I could go on, but that would be just too boring, wouldn't it?

BB Creams: What Are They?

I'm obsessed with beauty products at the moment! I've started to draw up an inventory of all my bath and beauty products, and it's taking a while! I've had to look, not only in the shower and bathroom cabinet, but in my cupboards, at my computer desk, at work, through all my handbags, etc! I'm getting there though. So far the big trend I'm seeing is with bath products. I'll buy them on a semi-regular basis, but last winter I used hardly any up. In the new apartment, there is a bath, but it's set up a bit differently to the old one, and I just don't find having a bath to be as relaxing as it used to be. So I've more been having a shower at night instead of a bath. However, that does mean I can use lots of lovely-smelling shower gel, so can't complain there. But I don't know what I'm going to do with all my bath bombs!!

I mentioned BB Creams last week and, yes, the obsession continues. After trawling through various reviews, I decided to hedge my bets and order a gift set of 4 mini size creams from Baviphat, a South Korean brand. I can't wait til they arrive! (Also got some essentials - face wash and nail polish topcoat - well, essentials for a girly, anyway!)

The world of BB Creams is a complex and (for a noob like me) confusing one. But it's also an exciting one. As far as I can tell, to qualify as a BB Cream (BB stands for Blemish Balm), it just needs to be a face cream that does more than one thing in one cream. For years I've been thinking, how annoying to have to apply moisturiser in the morning, and then sunscreen, and then foundation and whatever else you want to put on. Why can't they come all in one? I was so thrilled when I found a tinted sunscreen a few months ago, it was bordering on silly!

BB Creams are doing all that and more, and they've been doing it for a while. Most of them are formulated for oily skin and are tinted to hide pimples (as the name Blemish Balm implies). They can also have any combination of sunscreen, anti-ageing, whitening, brightening, moisturising, soothing, and others I can't think of off the top of my head at the moment. They have various textures, levels of coverage and colours of tinting. Just like any other beauty product, they can have various ingredients, from mushroom and peach through to caviar and gold dust!

How confusing!

Though, when I think about it, my sunscreen could be considered a BB Cream, I mean really. As well as being sunscreeen, it's tinted and has anti-ageing AHAs in it. I'll just get my label-maker and turn it into a BB Cream myself!

Why this sudden obsession with beauty products? I don't know. I've always liked bath and skincare products. I've liked makeup on and off over the years. I went from flat-out refusing to wear any as a teenager, to not being able to leave the house without mascara on a few years ago. For a few months at the start of this year, I had a problem with chronic eye watering which meant I couldn't wear any eye makeup at all for 2 months. It was insanely frustrating at first, but I got used to it. Now I'm a bit more relaxed about wearing makeup.
I started reading a new fashion blog recently; she has a lot of reviews on Asian beauty products and BB Creams. In one post, another blogger interviewed her - in answer to the question: "why do you wear makeup?" her reply was short and simple: "to hide".

How sad is that? She's a beautiful girl with a sought-after figure. And that's what she thinks of herself. It just goes to show. I had a think about it, and I realised that I'm the opposite. When I'm feeling bad about myself, I don't wear any makeup, or I wear less. I want to sink into the background, not draw any attention to myself. When I'm feeling good, I want to enhance the way I look. So I'm chalking this whole beauty product obsession up in the 'good things' category!

Here's a picture of my BB Creams; come to me quick!