This summer, I've been trying out three new BB Creams and they're all very different from each other. So I thought I'd do a comparison post because no matter what your skin type, one of these will likely work for you.
Let's take a look!
CoverGirl Clean Matte BB Cream ($8.49)- As dry-skinned gal, I was prepared to totally hate this one. Most matte formulas tend to cake up and accentuate my pores and fine lines, so I try to avoid anything with the word "matte" in it. That being said, a lot of you have been asking me to review this product so I purchased it...but didn't have high hopes. I have to say, I'm extremely impressed!
It provides light coverage that can be built up to medium very easily and it disappears into my skin with a very natural finish, not the powdery one that a lot of matte products have. In fact, once it sets, I don't feel anything on my face at all...there's no sticky or tacky feeling and no dryness. It's also incredibly long lasting! 9-10 hours later, my skin still looked great, which is really amazing for a BB Cream. If you're oily, it's hard for me to say whether this will control oil (because my skin is pretty much devoid of it) but I can tell you that it gives a true matte finish, unlike other matte products that end up looking more satin.
bh Cosmetics Forever Nude Illuminating BB Cream ($9.50)- Where the Cover Girl Clean Matte is meant for oily skin, the bh Cosmetics Forever Nude Illuminating BB Cream is meant for drier skin types. It contains skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to help minimize fine lines and plump up the skin. It also contains illuminating properties that don't appear glittery or shimmery, just give a lit-from-within glow. Out of the three formulas in this post, this one is the sheerest, but it can still be built up to almost medium-coverage if you add a second layer. I love the way my skin looks in this and have probably worn this one the most this summer. Even when I'm having a not-so-great skin day, adding a little concealer on my trouble areas (under eyes and around nose) make up for the lighter coverage. This one has the shortest wear time at about 7 hours or so unless I set it with powder or use a primer underneath.
Circa Beauty Color Balance BB Cream ($14)- I picked this up at Walgreens a few months ago and was really impressed for a couple of reasons. First of all, the coverage is amazing for a BB Cream and not at all what I was expecting. I can liken it to IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream in terms of coverage...it's a solid medium out of the tube and can be built up for even more coverage. It dries down to a beautiful satin finish and blends seamlessly into the skin with no sticky or dewy feeling. I reach for this one when I need the coverage of a foundation with the lightweight feel of a BB Cream. It also has great wear time at 8-9 hours!
Swatches:
In the swatches, you can really see how the finishes differ. The CoverGirl Clean Matte doesn't have any shine, while the bh Cosmetics Illuminating BB has the dewiest finish and the Circa Color Balance falls in between the two.
Also you can kind of see the coverage levels, with the bh Cosmetics being a bit more sheer, the Circa having the heaviest coverage, with the Cover Girl Clean Matte in between.
As far as colors go, the CoverGirl and bh Cosmetics are in the shade Light, while the Circa one is in Light Medium (it's a little too dark on me and next time I will get Light).
CoverGirl Clean Matte:
- Finish- Matte
- Coverage- Sheer to Medium
- Great for- Normal to Oily skin types
- Wear time- 9-10 hours
- Finish- Dewy
- Coverage- Sheer
- Great for- Normal to Dry skin types
- Wear time- 6-7 hours
- Finish- Satin
- Coverage- Medium to Full
- Great for- All skin types
- Wear time- 8-9 hours
Overall, I'm enjoying all of these formulas for different reasons! Have you tried any of these yet, and if not, what's your favorite BB Cream?
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