After making waves in Asia and finding favour with beauty insiders, the humble BB cream has come a long way in the last 3 years. They’re not tinted moisturisers, and they’re not foundations with skincare benefits; they’re something in between, offering coverage and colour with all of the perks you’d expect from a really hi-tech moisturiser. Of course, each brand has their own interpretation of the formula, some more highly developed than others. Today I’m talking about the brand new Clarins BB Skin Perfecting Cream, a brilliant example of a hard-working and balanced make-up/skincare fusion.
Described by Clarins as “make-up that behaves like skincare” and “the best of Clarins combined”, it has more pigment than your average BB Cream, which is already a big plus for those making the tricky transition from the fuller coverage of a winter foundation. It also has an impressive 100% mineral SPF of 25 to shield against UV rays; radiance pigments to blur imperfections and fine lines; hydrating Katafray Bark plant extracts to keep the skin plump and feeling fresh; and to top it all off, it comes in three shades. As someone with fair, problematic skin who doesn’t really like to compromise on coverage, this is heaven in a BB formulation.
I really like the fact that this comes in a realistic 45ml size. Traditional foundations are usually around 30ml, but as they’re more pigmented you use less, meaning they would inevitably last longer. This larger tube size makes up for it nicely!
The BB Skin Perfecting Cream has great coverage for a BB cream, but it’s not opaque. It lets enough of your own skin tone and texture show through that if you went for a darker shade than you’re used to it shouldn’t be mask-like. I prefer 01 Light as I tend to lean towards more porcelain shades, but I could easily wear 02 Medium for a little warmth.
When swatched straight from the tube, the unblended colour appears quite intense. Don’t let this put you off; as soon as you start blending, the colour pigments disperse and you’re left with a really natural-looking shade. You can also see how plush and creamy the BB Skin Perfecting Cream is here – it’s very comfortable to wear.
Once blended, the colour is light and fresh. It’s not as buildable as a foundation, so it won’t conceal pigmentation. It does contain 3D radiance pigment, however, which will reflect light away from imperfections, dark circles and fine lines for a really natural finish.
With the flash, you can easy see how distinct the tonal difference is between the shades: 01 Light is neutral-yellow, 02 Medium is pink-toned, and 03 Dark is golden.
*Update* And for 2014, Clarins have released a brand new shade: 00 Fair. This is a shade that’s really well suited to pale ladies as it has a balanced, neutral tone. If you found that 01 Light was a touch too dark for you, this could well be your perfect match!
