Category Archives: Beauty Review

I have recently KonMari’ed my home to great effect. I thoroughly enjoyed my “tidying festival” but following her advice to keep similar things in the same place, I discovered just how many tinted moisturisers I actually own. It wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t opened and part used them all.

I include BB Creams in this category because they are essentially tinted moisturisers with good PR. Having said that, I never use them without a moisturiser underneath. I wear them in place of foundation, mostly on weekends or when the weather is very hot (i.e. usually abroad).

I currently have 6 on the go and here’s a rundown of my thoughts about them.

 

Garnier Skin Perfector All-in-One Daily BB Cream SPF 15 – Medium

This was the first BB Cream I bought but it really makes my skin look far too shiny. Like all BB Creams, it is supposed to even skin tone and blur imperfections but doesn’t provide me with enough coverage. The one plus point is that is it feels very moisturising, unlike a lot of tinted moisturisers/BB Creams. I tend to use it when I’ve been out late the night before and my skin is feeling really dehydrated.

Estee Lauder DayWear Antioxidant Beauty Benefit Creme SPF 35 – Medium

Unlike a lot of BB Creams, this one is pretty much matte on me. It’s also verging on light make-up so I wear it to work on days I don’t have the energy or the time for proper make-up application. It does have quite a strong cucumber scent which doesn’t bother me too much but I could do without it. I love the SPF 35 and wore it in Vienna last summer when the temperature was edging up to 40 degrees C.

Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Touch of Sunshine Moisturiser – Medium, SPF 12

I thought I’d cracked it when I found this moisturiser on the high street. It’s anti-ageing and contains sunless tanner so I would never need to worry about looking pallid again. However, my friend and beauty role-model, Birgit, advised me to embrace my natural skin tone and she was quite right. I won’t miss the awful strawberry/biscuit smell, that’s for sure.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20, Illuminating – Natural Radiance

Laura Mercier is the brand which brought the tinted moisturiser to my attention in the first place and now offers a range of formulations and shades. This one gets the job done very nicely. It illuminates thanks to its “Dewy Complex” but isn’t too shiny. It provides some coverage, although it is buildable. I like it but it doesn’t wow me.

Decleor Hydra Floral BB Cream SPF 15  – Medium

I have actually had compliments on my skin while wearing this one so it’s currently my favourite. It illuminates beautifully but in a nice glowy way, not an odd, shiny way. My skin tends to look very dull so this is a huge positive for me. If I’m not wearing make-up people tend to ask if I’m feeling okay.

Vichy Idealia BB Cream – Medium, SPF 25

I hear good things about Vichy’s Idealia range. Their BB Cream veers more towards the moisturiser end of the BB spectrum as opposed to the make-up end. It’s nice and hydrating but I don’t see anywhere near the positive effect on my complexion as I do with the Decleor. I put it in the same category as the Garnier.

So there you have it. To sum up, I would re-purchase the Decleor Hydra Floral BB Cream for weekends and the Estee Lauder DayWear Antioxidant BB Creme for use in hot weather.

Do you wear tinted moisturisers or BB Creams? Any to recommend?

Do you buy the same beauty product again before you’ve run out?