Semi-comprehensive BB Cream comparison

Hello hello!  Thought I'd do a practical post today for a change.  I've been really experimenting with my foundation routine this summer and I think I *finally* found the right combination of products that work best with my combination skin. (although I do tend to have some sort of cosmetic revelation every couple months, lol)

Left to right: CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer Light/Medium, Missha Perfect Cover BB No. 23, ElishaCoy Premium Gold Mineral BB, ElishaCoy Always Nuddy BB, Etude House Precious Mineral Bright Fit BB.

Some of you are probably aware that I was using CG Smoothers tinted moisturizer for the longest time because I figured that BB cream was synonymous with tinted moisturizer.  They're actually a bit different.  I found that, in general, BB cream is more like a liquid foundation with moisturizing and, sometimes, sun protection properties.  Tinted moisturizer tends to be more fluid in consistency and sheer in coverage, whereas BB cream is thicker and creamier with fuller coverage.

This year, I've had the opportunity to try 4 different BB creams from 3 different manufacturers in order to compare with tinted moisturizer and amongst one another.  Here are some swatches so that you can observe the variation in hues:

 Here's the breakdown of characteristics per product plus my own personal views:

CG Smoothers Tinted Moisturizer Light/Medium
- lightweight
- fragrance free
- non-comedogenic
- SPF 15
- variety of colors
- VERY sheer coverage (I HAD to use powder foundation over it for an even complexion, I considered it more of a foundation primer than anything else)

Missha Perfect Cover BB No. 23
- medium to full coverage
- pleasant fragrance
- variety of colors (I chose No. 23, the darkest shade available at the time, though I probably would have done better with No. 27)
- SPF 42
- thick consistency, very heavy feeling upon application
- ashy in color (did not work well with my strong yellow undertones)
- made my oily t-zone look even more oily

ElishaCoy Premium Gold Mineral BB
- medium coverage
- SPF 45
- thick consistency, somewhat heavy feeling upon application
- only one color option
- very light colored (did not work with my medium/tan southeast Asian complexion)
- did not work with oily t-zone

ElisaCoy Always Nuddy BB 24
- light to medium coverage (can be used with or without finishing powder)
- subtle, citrus scent
- lightweight texture, non-greasy finish
- works well with oily skin
- only one color option
- one to two shades too light for me, unfortunately
- no sun protection

Etude House Precious Mineral Bright Fit BB in Honey Beige
- medium to full coverage
- fragrance free
- lightweight feeling
- variety of colors (I chose the second to darkest shade)
- works well with combination skin
- SPF 30

So which one worked best for me?  It's probably pretty obvious that the Etude House Precious Mineral Bright Fit BB in Honey Beige is my favorite!

Happy Face = Happy Me!

The color blends well with my yellow undertones for a naturally flawless finish.  It's moisturizing, so I can skip my daily moisturizer, yet doesn't feel oily or heavy.  I can wear it alone for a dewy finish, or dust a little sheer powder on top for a matte look.  Coverage is buildable, so I can make adjustments necessary for a natural look or for a photo-finish face.  I've been using it for 3 weeks now and haven't experienced a single breakout.

I'm not completely writing off the other BB creams.  Mostly, it was more of a color-matching problem, which isn't the fault of the product.  Also, my skin gets really dry in cold weather, so I might make the switch to one of the heavier BB creams in the winter time.

Anyways, that's the skinny on my BB cream experience so far.  Hope some of you found it helpful!  Have a great Wednesday!

Hugs,
Cat

$1 vs $3: ELF Lip Gloss Comparison

Being a big believer in bargain beauty, 90% of my lip colors are by ELF.  Also, since I find lipstick to be too thick and occasionally drying, it would be fair to say that my lip color medium of choice is gloss.  Thankfully, ELF offers a large selection of lip glosses from $1 to $3.  That's a pretty good deal, but the cheapskate in me still debates: Are the $3 glosses any better than the $1 glosses?  Why get one $3 gloss when I can get three $1 glosses?

The majority of ELF glosses I own are Luscious Liquid Lipstick (which really is totally more gloss than lipstick), Hypershine Gloss, Glitter Gloss and Glossy Gloss.  So here is the skinny on these glosses, including my personal opinions on the pros and cons:

Luscious Liquid Lipstick and Hypershine Gloss

These two glosses are from the Essential collection and are pretty much the same in formula except for the fragrances and the applicator type.  Both are twist-up tubes, however Luscious Liquid Lipstick has a flocked, hoof-like applicator and Hypershine gloss has a brush applicator.

Pros:

• long-lasting
• nice texture w/ perfect amount of stickiness (which accounts for longevity)
• convenient packaging (one-touch application with no need for wands or lip brushes)
• moisturizing
• nice colors (versatile and look great on most skin tones)
• inexpensive 

Cons:

• sticky (though I like it, a number of people dislike stickiness)
• repetitive colors (some series of hues only differ by a shade or two)
• unusual fragrance (LLL smells like mint dental floss and HG has an unrecognizable cloying scent)

Glitter Gloss and Glossy Gloss

Pros:

• diverse color selection
• delicious fragrances (Glitter smells like vanilla cream soda and Glossy smells like gummy fruit candy)
• lightweight
• non-sticky

Cons:

• wears off easily (that's the thing, non-sticky = no lasting power)
• not as moisturizing 

Bottom Line:

I love all of my glosses, but if I had to choose, I would probably pick the $1 glosses over the $3 glosses.  While the Studio gloss pros outweigh the cons more so than the Essential line, in the end, having a long-lasting and nourishing lip color is most important to me.  I'm a busy girl and just don't have time to deal with many touchups throughout the day, so I like the conveniences that come with owning the Essential glosses.  I do hope they work on having some fuchsia color selections available in the future and some nicer fragrances, but it's really not a big deal.  I'm not going to stop buying the Studio glosses either, but, as stated earlier, if I had to choose between the two, I would go with the Essential line.  It's not only more reasonably priced, it suits my personal needs better than the Studio line.

Just my take on it.  Hope you all found this helpful!

Hugs,

Cat