BB cream

BB cream: light coverage and skincare in one

What is a BB cream?

BB stands for blemish balm. It's a tinted cream that sits between a moisturizer and a foundation: the formula is lighter than foundation but gives more coverage than a tinted moisturizer. BB creams are best known from Korean beauty, from brands such as Missha, Holika Holika and Purito. The formulas often contain ingredients you also know from skincare, such as niacinamide in the Maybelline Fit Me BB Cream Nude, hyaluronic acid, peptides and ceramides in the Cell Fusion C Skin Blemish Balm Intensive, and vitamins B3, C and E in the LA Girl Pro BB Cream.

BB cream vs foundation: what's the difference?

A foundation is made to even out your skin and cover imperfections, with medium to full coverage. A BB cream contains less pigment, feels lighter and lets more of your own skin show through. That makes a BB cream more forgiving if the shade isn't quite perfect, and you can quickly work it in with your fingers.

• Coverage: BB cream light to medium, foundation medium to full.
• Finish: BB cream usually natural or dewy, foundation from matte to glow.
• Extras: BB cream often with SPF and caring ingredients; with foundation it depends on the formula.
• Shades: BB creams usually come in fewer shades than foundation.

Looking for even less coverage? Take a look at skin tint. Want a bit more instead? Then a light liquid foundation is the logical next step.

BB cream or CC cream: which do you choose?

A CC cream, short for color correcting, is mainly about color correction. Where a BB cream evens out your complexion, a CC cream specifically targets redness and discoloration. The L'Oréal Paris CC C'est Magic CC Cream contains green pigments that optically neutralize redness. The Catrice CC Skin Perfector 010 Green, Shift, Go! starts out green and changes to beige as you blend, and contains niacinamide and allantoin. The Lumene CC Color Correcting Cream gives medium coverage and comes in shades from ultra light to bronze. If redness is your main concern, choose a CC cream; if you want an even complexion with added care, a BB cream is the better fit.

Which BB cream suits your skin?

• Natural to semi-matte: the Purito Wonder Releaf Centella BB Cream gives medium coverage with a natural finish and contains centella asiatica, panthenol and niacinamide. Prefer a compact case? There's the Purito Wonder Releaf Centella BB Cushion, and you'll find more compact formulas under cushion foundation.
• Dewy: the Missha M Perfect Cover Serum B.B Cream Pro gives a radiant complexion and comes in several shades. The Bali Body BB Cream SPF 15 has light to medium coverage with a subtle dewy finish and is vegan.
• Satin: the Holika Holika Shimmering Petit BB Cream contains pearl powder for a satin finish.
• Very light: the Astra Make Up Pure Beauty BB Cream feels like a balm, gives light coverage and contains hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.

If your skin gets shiny quickly, choose a more matte finish; with dry skin, a dewy BB cream feels smoother.

BB cream with SPF

A large share of the BB and CC creams in this range have a sun protection factor. The Maybelline Fit Me BB Cream Nude has SPF 50. From Holika Holika you can choose between the Shimmering Petit BB Cream with SPF 45, the Clearing Petit BB Cream with SPF 30 and the Aqua Petit BB Cream with SPF 25. The L'Oréal Paris CC C'est Magic CC Cream and the Lumene CC Color Correcting Cream have SPF 20, and the Bali Body BB Cream has SPF 15.

How do you choose the right BB cream shade?

BB creams usually come in fewer shades than foundation, but because the formula is sheer, the shade doesn't have to match as precisely. Choose the shade closest to your own skin and pay particular attention to your undertone. For the LA Girl Pro BB Cream, each shade description says which skin and undertone it's intended for, and the Lumene CC Color Correcting Cream also states per shade whether your undertone is cool, neutral or warm. The Missha M Perfect Cover Serum B.B Cream Pro ranges from Light Beige to Medium Tan.

Buy BB cream at Boozyshop

Here you'll find BB creams and CC creams from Missha, Purito, Holika Holika, Maybelline, Catrice, L'Oréal Paris, Lumene, Cell Fusion C, LA Girl, Bali Body and Astra Make Up, among others. Order before 8 PM, shipped today.