Garnier BB Cream Review

I have got to be honest- I am not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to make-up and I never really write reviews for beauty products. But BB Cream is something I have been curious about for a long time so I thought I should at least try.

As you can see, I was too tight to actually go and buy the product! This is the sample I got in the post after filling out a form on the Garnier BB website. You get 3 generous sachets and a coupon to get some money off your next BB buy (provided you like it, of course).

I went for light because I am incredibly pale skinned. This BB cream only comes in 2 shades, which I find disappointing. As I was predicting, this product was too dark for my skin so I would need to mix in a little moisturiser to make a shade closer to my natural colouring. However, some Asian BB creams appear very grey when you first put them on your skin so I suppose the colour for this one was better than I was expecting. Somehow, I have managed to lose the picture of what the actual product looks like but when I put some on my fingers, it felt just like a liquid foundation. I was a little concerned because it also felt a bit greasy and my skin can get very oily.

This first picture is part of my face before I applied BB cream or anything else. Sorry for not showing my full face but I was having a bad skin day and I was too self-conscious to show the rest of my face! As you can see I have some dark patches and blemishes. I also get very red in the face around my nose and cheeks and some of my pores are visible.

This is how my skin looked after applying the Garnier BB Cream and absolutely nothing else. Just as I predicted, the cream felt very greasy on my skin. A lot of BB creams are meant to give a dewy complexion but my skin just appeared more shiny than usual. I had to apply more powder than usual afterwards and my make-up felt as though it would slide off my face at any moment. I would probably use primer first if I were to use this BB cream again. My pores did not feel as clogged as usual. My blemishes were still visible but not as noticeable as they were in the previous picture. Despite this, my skin tone did appear more even.

This is how I looked after adding foundation, concealer and powder (yes, I wear a lot of make-up). I could not use the BB cream in place of foundation because you could still see some flaws. However, I found that I could apply a lot less foundation than I usually do. I still needed a similar amount of concealer just to make sure my blemishes were well and truly covered. My make-up stayed in place for a few hours, after which I just had to top up my powder because my skin became shiny again.

At £10 a tube, I think I would spend a little bit more to import an Asian BB Cream or I would try a different one on the Western market. The Garnier BB Cream does do some of the tasks it promises but I don't think the difference is majorly noticable. I probably would not buy this particular BB cream unless I was on a very limited budget.

I have not been converted to BB creams yet. My next task will be to try another BB cream when I get the chance. I am looking in to getting one by Missha next. I am thinking of getting this one in shade 13, Milky Beige- http://www.thebbcreamshop.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=153&zenid=v5kjihl6faac14lkt5pcp2f0s3

Hopefully I will get to try it in the near future.

A Western Take On the BB Cream?

BB creams. They have always been a mystery to me. BB creams are huge in Asia, some dubbing it some sort of "miracle product" that has so many different uses. In the past I have considered buying an Asian BB cream. A lot of people appear to like Skin79 Triple Function and I came close to purchasing this one from YesStyle- http://www.yesstyle.com/en/skin79-super-plus-beblesh-balm-triple-function-hot-pink-spf-25-pa/info.html/pid.1021163069

There is one thing that has always held me back. I dislike how a lot of Asian BB creams claim to whiten the skin. Considering how pale my skin is, I don't want my skin getting any whiter! I know that there are exceptions out there and I would love to hear about them!

Just recently, it appears that BB creams have spread to the West. I figured that these products were unlikely to have skin whiteners in them because there is less demand for this over here.

So I decided to try the Garnier BB cream. It comes in 2 colours and I chose the lighter colour. It costs about £10 in most UK stores. However, I held out buying the cream and sure enough, Garnier's website started offering free samples (yes, I know how cheap I sound, but I like to try before I buy!).

If you are in the UK or Ireland and would like a free sample too, you can get it here- http://www.garnier.co.uk/_en/_gb/BB-cream/index.aspx and if you live in a different country, do look for your own country's Garnier website because they may be offering samples too. In your sample pack you get 3 sachets of BB Cream and a voucher for money off your next BB purchase.

I have not tried the BB cream yet but I did open one of the sachets very quickly just to see what it looked like. I placed a little bit on my finger and it felt greasy and despite being called light, the product looked quite dark. I am a bit dubious about putting it on my face.

Once I have tried the product, I will see how good it really is. I will let you all know how I get on with it. I am desperate to do a comparison with an Asian BB cream, so if anybody can recommend one without whitening, please share!

A whiter shade of pale

From time to time I see lolitas moaning about the colour of their skin. It saddens me that there are girls out there who feel their skin colour is somehow "less lolita". Apparently porcelain skin is the most "ideal" shade for lolitas, probably because you see it used a lot with dolls. In my opinion there are positive and negative points to every skin tone, and I am speaking as somebody who has this so-called ideal skin tone.

I really didn't want to have to use this picture (please ignore the snow drenched hair and I really hate how big my generous nose looks here) but I think it shows off how pale I am. Sometimes it looks even paler than this. I am a typical English girl. In fact, I am probably lighter than a lot of English girls seeing as everybody appears to be obsessed with fake tan now. I am fully aware that being pale has its downsides.

For starters, pale girls sometimes look a bit washed out if they wear pure white. I usually try to wear off-white instead which is more flattering. I remember when I was trying on wedding dresses and I kept finding beautiful dresses but in white. When I tried them on they just didn't feel right. It wasn't until I tried on this heavily detailed dress in ivory that I found the dress that I felt was made for my special day. It showed off my glowing pale skin but it didn't make me look like a ghost. Another example is taking photos in the snow. All the light bounces off the snow which only seems to enhance a paler skin tone. I always think that black lolitas look beautiful in white. Ages ago, I wanted to give shiro (all-white) lolita a go. Maybe I should give all-black a go instead.

Another colour to be careful with is pink. Pale skin tends to be more sensitive and so you can appear a bit rosy in the cheeks. Sometimes pink, especially brighter shades, can make you look very red in the face as if you are constantly blushing.

My usual way to combat my pale skin is by using make-up. I am usually fine with major make-up brands as long as I wear the very palest shade of foundation. If the palest shade is too dark, you could always try to mix the foundation with a bit of moisturiser. Keep experimenting until you think you have found your ideal shade. If you are unsure of what shade suits you, a lot of department stores offer free make-overs. They offer great tips and sometimes you get some free samples at the end.

Here in the UK we have a make-up collection called Dainty Doll-

http://www.asos.com/Beauty/A-To-Z-Of-Brands/Dainty-Doll/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=4788

It is by Jelly Pong Pong but for some reason their site no longer has this collection. The collection was designed by Nicola Roberts who is in Girls Aloud.

She has ginger hair and very pale skin. It is always interesting to see what Nicola is wearing in the magazines because it gives a bit of insight in to what works and what doesn't. I love it when she wears deep emerald green shades the most. Nicola designed this collection because she felt that there was a gap in the make-up market and she wanted shades she could wear easily. Nicola admits that she used to hide her pale skin. If you look at the early Girls Aloud years, Nicola is wearing a lot of fake tan. But now she has learned to embrace her pale skin. Good for her!

In the photo above, you may notice I am wearing a very tiny hint of blusher. Currently, my favourite shade is Dolly Pink by Bourjois. This is the shade I am wearing in the photo. It has a slight hint of shimmer and the shade is very a very girly pastel colour. I adore it! I think pastels look great with pale skin. Pale skin can get away with a lot of different colours. The main item to avoid would probably be red eye shadow which will only make you look tired. To be honest, it doesn't look much better on darker skin tones either!

Contrary to popular belief, pale skinned beauties can wear red lipstick. You just need to keep trying samples until you find your ideal shade. Lipsticks with a blue base look good (they also make your teeth look whiter) but a strong pillar box red can also look striking as well. And if you have a lipstick that you feel is too dark, you could try mixing it with some petroleum jelly or Vaseline to make a pretty lip gloss.

Well, hopefully pale skinned girls who identify with my problem will find something useful in this entry. The most important message I can send out is that this whole "perfect lolita skin tone" is a myth. I have seen some stunning Asian and black lolitas. Instead of hiding your skin away, find a way to embrace it. Pale skin is not a lolita requirement!