BB Creams (Pt. 1) - Skin79's Super+ Beblesh Balm

Huh? BB Creams?! 
 After watching several YouTube videos, and seeing Smashbox launch a line of their own BB creams, I had to find out what this product was all about. So to answer the question, BB creams stand for Blemish Balm (it's also been referred to as Beauty Balm or Beblesh Balm). Originally developed for laser skin surgery patients, this tinted cream was meant to hide post-laser scars, while also protecting, healing and soothing the skin for a quick recovery. It's one of those all in one products that tote multiple skincare claims - including:

• Anti-aging properties
• Whitening of scars and blemishes
• High SPF to protect the skin from the sun and UV rays
• Preventative measures and treatments for acne
• Evening out skin tone
• Moisturizer and priming the skin
• Minimizing pores

There are so many BB creams available in the market today, it was definitely hard to choose my first one. Although predominantly sold in Asia, it has quickly expanded into the North American market with brands like Smashbox, Clinique and MAC producing their own variation of BB creams.

After a lot of research, I finally decided to buy Skin79's Super+ Beblesh Balm with Triple Functions (picture above). It's formulation claims that it's whitening, anti-aging and UV protecting. I've been using it for 2 months now, and I have to say it's my go-to every day face product.

Why I love it:

• It does an amazing job at covering pores
• It gives a very natural finish
• You have the option of layering more product for better coverage on troubled spots without looking cakey
• It has sun protection built into the product already
• It has helped to even out my skin tone

Unfortunately, there is only one shade to this BB cream and it's meant for people with fair to medium skin tones. It comes out in a greyish cast, but oxides to match the colour of your skin after 15-20 minutes. The picture on the left shows the texture and colour of the BB cream.  As you can see, the formula is pretty thick, but after you work it in, it blends quite well into my skin. I'm not sure if you can see it in the picture, but the coverage is quite good. It manages to hide most of the red blood vessels and blotchy spots on the back of my hand.

If you live in Toronto and want to buy BB creams at store level, they are almost everywhere in Pacific Mall (not so much if you go to First Markham Place). Skin79 is a very popular brand and can be found in most stores within Pacific Mall that sell beauty products. I will suggest to shop around when you're there. I bought mine for $27, without realizing that some stores were selling it for as little as $22! If you're not  accessible to any Asian malls around your neighbourhood, you can buy BB creams online - most companies will ship anywhere in North America (www.skin79northamerica.com). It's even readily available on eBay! 

For someone who wants a bit more coverage than a tinted moisturizer, I highly recommend using BB creams. The finish is really natural, but I wouldn't say it's completely flawless. For a flawless face, I still depend on my favourite foundation by Guerlain (I'll save that post for another day). But for every day use, I think BB creams are great. My evened out skin tone makes my skin look so much better without make up on -  a big BIG bonus for sure! :)
 
For more information, check out FrmHeadtoToe's YouTube videos on some of the most popular BB cream brands available in the market today.