Sunday, February 2, 2014

BB and CC creams




Hey guys! For the last few months, I have become obsessed with all BB and CC creams. After reading and hearing so much about them, I couldn't resist the temptation and over the last few months I've been buying a few and trying them all on. I've bought in all price ranges and in general I've found them all lovely.

BB creams appeared first, being advertised as an all-in-one product, that helps you skip a few steps in your routine, providing  healthy and glowing skin. After reading several reviews and watching my favourite beauty and makeup gurus go on about the benefits of them, I knew I had to try them.

1. Maybelline BB Cream

So, I'll start with some drugstore products. First, the Maybelline BB Cream. An 8-in-one formula is hydrating with decent coverage and it also contains SPF 30. Perfect for everyday use. And the price is really affordable.  What I really didn't like is that it left me a little oily and I had to use matte powder.

2. The Revlon Photoready BB Cream 

The The Revlon Photoready BB Cream was unsurprisingly good. I say unsurprising as all the products from the Photoready line are fantastic (check out the REVLON PHOTOREADY AIRBRUSH Foundation, is great!). It blends, it settles, protects and hydrates without saturating the skin. It has great coverage and although, skin still looks a bit oily after hours of applying it, it last for a really long time. 
Moving on to more high end brands, I'm gonna continue with the Smashbox Camera Ready BB cream. I must say that my opinion could be biased as I am a HUGE fan of Smashbox products. Specially the eyeshadows, but more of that on another post. This brand is one of my favourites for makeup products and the BB cream is no exception. It is thicker, and it looks more like a foundation than a BB cream, but it still offers great finish. Skin looks luminous, and as far as I can tell, in spite of containing SPF, which can look whitish in photos, I think it looks great. 

4. MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm Compact SPF 30

The MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm Compact SPF 30 is one of my latest acquisitions and it works really well, it blends and leaves the skin prepped, primed and with some great coverage. I must also use powder after it as it doesn't remove the shine from my oily t-zone, but I must say it lasts for quite a while and it looks great. This BB cream comes in a liquid form and in a compact form, which is the one I bought, and the makeup artist there told me works better on oily, combination skin, like mine.
The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is technically not a BB cream, it is rather a great tinted moisturiser. I bought it at Sephora, when I went with a friend of mine, and we were kindly helped by one of the makeup artists, who made the skin IQ test on us. We mentioned we were looking for something really soft, sheer and rather easy to apply. Thanks to the test (which is done on three points of your face), the color clearly resembles that of my own skin. The texture is very light and although it doesn't have that much coverage, it's very hydrating, light and it blends in to reveal a fantastic complexion. In my case, as my skin is combination, it really helps with the oily parts throughout the face. When I bought it I knew exactly what I wanted, and this was it. If you want something with more coverage, you should look for a different product, as this one is simply that, a tinted moisturiser.

6. Kielhs BB Cream - Actively Correcting and Beautifying with SPF 50 PA+++

Now, my all-time favourite BB cream. The Kielhs BB Cream - Actively Correcting and Beautifying with SPF 50 PA+++. From the moment I tried it on, I fell my skin was transformed. First of all, I love going to the Kielhs store. Everyone is always nice and helpful and they have this tests to see what would be the right products for you. I have an acne-prone skin, and as my complexion is rather on the darker side, I have a tendency of getting dark spots were blemishes used to be. This BB cream really worked on my skin. Besides covering the dark spots, it really helped making them fade away. I also have to give credit to another Kielhs wonder, the Acne Blemish Control Daily Skin-Clearing Treatment, which I used at night. Whenever I applied the BB cream, I could see that when I took it all after a long day, it had started to work, not only protecting my skin, but actually working throughout the day. I highly recommend it, to all of those with dark spots, and having a hard time finding products that work.

7.  Iris Angelica Sublime Beauty Cream SPF30


Another brand that I swear by, in almost every product is L'Occitane. For a few years now, I have been drawn to their store, their packaging, their smell... I love everything about them, so when I saw that they had a BB cream, the Iris Angelica Sublime Beauty Cream Medium SPF30I knew I had to try it. It's a great product. I bought it in a shade that seemed to be a little too light for my skin, but it blends in great. It leaves a lovely luminous finish, and it makes your skin look healthy and glowy. Again, it doesn't have the greatest coverage, but it is a product I normally use when I'm going out during the day and I want to put on something light that leaves my skin moisturised and fresh.

8. Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Hydrating Colour Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30


Finally, I gave this post the name "BB and CC creams" mostly because of my latest addition, the Clinique CC Cream Hydrating Colour Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30I haven't been using it for long, but I must say I really like it so far. It blends, it color corrects, it hydrates, and one of the things I really liked about it it's that I didn't have to use powder on top of it. It let my skin hydrated but not oily. I went out all day, and in a particularly warm and humid day, I usually see my face oily, specially on my t-zone after a few hours. Not with this product. It's fantastic!

So, there you have it! I really recommend BB creams if you're on the go and don't want to be in front of the mirror for hours, trying to get every single dar spot covered. If you feel you need a lot of coverage, you should use a foundation and concealer (I'll be writing a post about it soon). But if what you're looking for is a lightweight cream that helps you keep your skin moisturised, protected from the sun, and with a healthy glow, this is exactly what you're looking for.

Thank you for reading! Please leave your comments below if you have any suggestions or thoughts you'd like to share!

XOXO,

Simply Aphrodite

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Freeman Clay Masks

Happy New Chinese Year everyone!!! I wish you all the best in the year that starts. Now let's get to it...

For a very long time I've used several Freeman products, but I've stuck to the masks for a really long time. They are affordable, they smell great, and they work wonders on my skin. I've managed to have a collection of facial masks, as many as I could find and today I want to tell you about their clay masks.


My complete Freeman face mask collection

We have Avocado and Oatmeal, Chocolate and Strawberry, Açaí, Mint and Lemon and finally, Dead Sea Minerals. My favourite is, hands down, Chocolate and Strawberry. I love the smell of chocolate so much, that I've even been tempted to taste it (I haven't...). This mask is designed for deep pore cleansing and it definitely leaves pores unclogged, and a great sensation of freshness. It also contains Shea and Cocoa Butter to moisturize your skin. Among my favourites,  the Mint and Lemon Clay Mask comes a close second. I've used it to relieve the inflammation on some blemishes and it works wonders. It doesn't do miracles, but it definitely helps. Besides, one of my favourite benefits is that it leaves my nose blackhead-free! Most clay masks help with that, by I have to say, this one removes them for days. Definitely a must-have.

The Clay Masks!

The Acai Facial Purifying Clay Mask is not far behind. As some of you may know, the Açaí is a berry that grows in the Brazilian Amazon and other places in South America, and has antioxidant properties (much like its berry sisters). This clay mask, not only contains Açaí, but also Goji, Pomegranate, Mango, Mangosteen, Cranberry, Noni and Blueberry. Sounds amazing, right? Well it is. You might think that it's purple, but it's actually light green. It smells great and it leaves your skin clean. Much like the Mint and Lemon Clay, the Avocado & Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask is brilliant when it comes to cleaning the pores and remove impurities. In the label says it purges pores and it definitely won't disappoint you. Besides, the Oatmeal helps moisturising the skin and at the end, your skin will have clean pores, and moisturise your face.

My three favourites!
Last but not least we have the Dead Sea Minerals Facial Anti-Stress Mask. This mask, pretty much like the other ones, absorbs the excess oil out of the skin, with the added bonus of Dead Sea Minerals,  which help your skin look healthy and clean. I really love the fact that it has such a great smell that really relaxes you while cleaning your skin.

I hope you guys enjoy this post and if you have any other suggestions or any other masks I should try please write it in the comments below

XOXO

Simply Aphrodite