Garnier BB Creams - Review with Photos and Swatches

Hi Guys & Dolls!

If you haven't already noticed, I'm totally loving BB Creams at the minute and in continuing in my series testing out the latest and greatest BB Creams, today I'm bringing you the offerings from Garnier.

The 3 Garnier BB Creams I have been trialing out are:

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One B.B. Blemish Balm Cream in Light 50ml

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One B.B. Blemish Balm Cream in Medium 50ml

Garnier BB Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One B.B. Blemish Balm Oil Free Version in Light 40ml

The Garnier offerings are very well priced for B.B Creams - I got mine from http://www.treatyourskin.com/ where they are available a bargainous £6.95 and £7.25.

Plus you can get 10% off your order when you use code "TYSBELLA"

You can view the full range of BB Creams here

Garnier BB Cream in Light:

This BB Cream has a nice, rich, thick consistency. I know that some people have been complaining that they find this too greasy on their skin - however if like me, you have dry skin, I think this just may suit you. The BB Cream is lightly fragranced - it almost smells like a refreshing Green Tea scent. It has an SPF of 15 - not as good as the Asian BB Brands, but SPF15 is better than none at all, so I'm not complaining! On your skin it gives a nice dewy, luminous glow which I love.

Ingredients:

Active: Octinoxate 4%...Purpose: Sunscreen. Inactive: Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isohexadecane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Nylon-12, Cyclohexasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Stearyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Caprylyl Glycol, Lithum Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Disodium Edta, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Caffeine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Citral, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate. [May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides] F.I.L. B47069/7; G790303.

I found this BB Cream to be very moisturising on my skin, keeping it hydrated all day. I gives medium coverage, however you can build this up to a heavier coverage by applying thin layers if desired.

I did find that throughout the day there was some wearing with this BB Cream, and I needed to top up later on in the day. This isn't a huge issue for me, but it may be a concern for you.

Garnier BB Cream in Medium:

This cream is the exact same as the one above, except in a shade darker, so I'm not going to comment any further one this one.

Ingredients:

Active: Octinoxate 4%...Purpose: Sunscreen. Inactive: Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isohexadecane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Peg-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Nylon-12, Cyclohexasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Stearyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance, Caprylyl Glycol, Lithum Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Disodium Edta, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Caffeine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Citral, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate. [May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides] F.I.L. B47069/7; G790303.

Garnier BB Cream - Oil Free Version - Light

This formula differs from the other two in the sense that it is designed for Oily / Combination skin, whereas the originals are designed for drier skins.

This comes in a different shaped squeezable tube - it's more elongated and slimmer. It also comes in at just 40ml compared to the original versions which come in at 50ml.

This cream gives a matte effect with no shine.

This cream is also scented with a nice, refreshing fragrance - this dissipates once you rub it into your skin though so you're not left with any lingering scents on your face.

"Our Oil Free BB cream blurs pores and imperfections, evens skin tones and boosts your natural glow. Moisturisers and contains SPF 20 for UV protection."

• Ultra-absorbent perlite + mineral pigments
• Non comedogenic
• Oil-free texture
• Dermatologically tested

The Oil Free version comes with a higher SPF rating of 20 as opposed to just SPF15 on the original versions.

This BB Cream has a much runnier and watery consistency compared to the original formulas. I found that it also dries in quicker on your skin, so you need to be quicker when blending in your BB Cream. You have more play time with the original formulas as they're a lot creamier and richer to work with and don't set as fast.

Coverage again was I'd say, medium with this, but you can build this up with thin layers if you want heavier coverage. 

I found the staying power on this BB Cream to be the best out of the 3 I tried - it did not fade or slip throughout the day. It gave a matte effect and no shininess came through.

Due to the fact I have dry skin, I prefer the original version. However, if you do have oily skin, this may be a good choice for you.

Swatches:

Swatches with other BB Creams for comparison:

I got the Garnier BB Creams from Treat Your Skin

They're priced at a very affordable £6.95 (Oil Free Version) and £7.25 (Regular Version)

You can also use code "TYSBELLA" to get an additional 10% off your order.

You can see my other reviews on BB Creams here;

Skin79 VIP Gold

Skin79 Hot Pink 

Maybelline Dream Fresh

Ginvera Nude Cover

I hope this helps you when choosing your next BB Cream! :)

Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream in Universal Glow

Hello!

Today I'm going to be reviewing another BB Cream on the market - this time it's a Western BB Cream made by Maybelline.

It's the Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream in Universal Glow. I got this from here

The product itself comes in a squeezeable tube which makes it  very easy to dispense.

The packaging looks smart, fresh and clean. I like the simplicity of it.

Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream is a gel based formula that has eight claims:

1.Creates a natural glow.

2.Compliments skin-tone.

3. SPF30 UV protection.

4. Hydrates all day.

5. Blurs imperfections.

6. Oil free - non greasy.

7. Looks visibly fresh.

8. Feels fresh.

At first glance I got a bit of a shock when I saw the shade itself - it looked very orange and I had my doubts about this being a "universal" shade if first impressions were anything to go by.

As you can see, the cream itself is gel based and is such is quite watery - not thick and creamy like it's Asian BB Cream counterparts. It's also what I'd almost call a "tangerine" shade. I had visions of looking like an Oopma Loompa before trying this out...

Swatched:

Blended out:

The cream itself is very light and non-greasy. It's also quite sheer which gives a lovely natural glowy look, and it subtly adds some well needed colour to my pale skin. It does look quite orange at first, but as you blend it, it tones in well. The ease of blending is apparently thanks to its formula which combines gel with water for extra glide. Unfortunately, due to my casper-alike tones this is not a product I will be reaching for everyday. Though it does a good job of blending in, I'm still paranoid that I'm left with an orange hue.

I do think that this would be a great product to bring on holidays when I've caught a bit of sun in that it will enhance any holiday sun and create a nice dewy finish. I love the fact that it has an SPF of 30 included - so again, I'm thinking this will be perfect for holidays abroad!

I found coverage to be on the light side, so don't expect a full on face with lots of coverage if you're thinking of trying this. I would say it enhances what you have as opposed to hiding what you have.

This would be great for those with younger skins who don't want anything heavy on their skin, it's nice and light and is good for everyday wear with sheer coverage.

Comparison with other BB Creams:

This is widely available throughout most pharmacies nationwide for around €11.99.

I got mine however from TreatYourSkin.com which have it for just £6.60.

You can also use code "TYSBELLA" to get 10% off your order there.

You can view the full range of BB Creams here

BB Cream Swatches

The BB Cream market has really exploded in the past year or so and every other day there seems to be a new BB Cream launched. Of course the Western beauty companies have also hopped on this bandwagon and have recently been releasing their own versions.

BB cream, also known as Blemish Balm, Blemish Base, Beblish Balm or Beauty Balm is a cosmetic base sold mainly in East and Southeast Asia, although larger beauty brands are increasingly introducing BB creams to Western markets as well. Originally formulated in Germany by dermatologist Dr. Christine Schrammek in the 1950s,  the cream was initially used to protect skin after laser procedures and surgery, while also providing light coverage. Introduced to South Korea and Japan in the 1980s, BB cream has been named "the secret of Korean actresses" and has been heavily endorsed by Korean celebrities, which gained it large exposure in these Asian markets.

What do BB Creams do?
BB creams are the ultimate multi-taskers; They will give you a good base for makeup like a primer, even out complexion like a tinted moisturiser, cover minor blemishes and imperfections like a concealer, hydrate and moisturise your skin like your day cream, brighten and whiten a dull complexion and most will even protect with a good level of SPF. Some also promise healing of scars and marks, smoothing and anti-ageing properties. The light coverage will leave your skin looking radiant and glowing, and having all of these products in one cream is a huge time and money saver, not to mention the space it will make in your bathroom! :)

As a result there's a lot of offerings in the BB Cream market from both the original Asian markets and the newer releases from the Western world.

Choosing your ideal shade can be a tricky one - especially if you're interested in one of the original BB Creams from Asia seeing as, for the majority of cases, they can be hard to source locally in bricks and mortar stores and you have to buy online.

With this in mind I thought I would create some swatches of a selection of BB Creams in order to compare the Asian brands with their Western counterpart and to give a guide on how the shades vary.

The BB Creams I'm going to be showing today are:

Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream SPF 30 from http://www.janiro.co.uk/

BRTC Gold Caviar BB Cream SPF 50 

Skin79 Hot Pink Super Plus BB Cream SPF 25

Skin79 VIP Gold Super Plus BB Cream SPF 25

Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream SPF 30

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector in Light SPF 15

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector in Medium SPF 15

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector - Oil Free / Matte version in Light SPF 20

(Aside from the Ginvera BB Cream, the rest I got from TreatYourSkin.com - you can currently get a 10% discount off your order there if you use "TYSBELLA")

Onto the swatches...!

Applied to skin:

As you can see, I'm pretty darn pale! I hope that this helps you get a better look at the actual shades however.

As you can see the Asian brands are a much thicker formula (aside from the Ginvera one, which was quite runny) than the more liquid consistencies of the Western brands. 

Blended slightly:

You can see here how the Asian brand BB Creams have more of a grey/ashy cast to them and are cool toned, whereas the Western versions are much more peachy and are warm toned.

Don't worry however, I have found that all of these BB Creams somewhat adapt to your skintone and blend in manage to blend in seamlessly for the most part.

Blended some more:

I noticed that on the whole the Asian brand BB Creams were much richer and creamier than their Western counterparts. Whilst I was swatching them, they remained rich and creamy on my skin before whilst blending them in, whereas the Western brands were much lighter and runnier in consistency and dried quickly making them slightly harder to blend.

I hope that this guide proves helpful in helping you choose the right shade for you.

For reference I would be an NW15 at the moment.

I got the above BB Creams from TreatYourSkin.com - they have a great selection of BB Creams on offer - BRTC, Dr Brandt, Garnier, Hanskin, L'oreal, Lioele, Maybelline, Missha and Skin79.

So it really is a one stop shop for your BB Creams whether you're looking for an Asian brand or a Westernised version, or perhaps you'd like to try both to compare as I did! :)

You can get 10% off your order with TreatYourSkin.com with code "TYSBELLA"

Have you tried any BB Creams? Which ones would you recommend? I'd love to hear about your experiences with BB Creams in the comments below! :)

Catrice Million Styles LE Nail Swatches Part 2

Catrice ¿Holo Qué Tal?! is not a holographic topcoat. Surprise. It is a pink/purple shimmer topcoat which reminds me of the CND topcoats a lot. Very nice I think, and very wearable!

Catrice Have an Ice Day is a holographic glitter topcoat. It has been done before, I know I have a bottle of something very similar if not the same somewhere here… Well, let me say it, it is pretty. I love topcoats like this, because you can use them for almost everything. Have you tried Space Nails with a holographic glitter topcoat yet? Works wonders!

And last in this post my absolute favourite of the whole bunch. Catrice Godfather of Pearl is a duochrome blue/aqua topciat with a lot of golden specs in it. I think this is the shit.Love it – that’s why you get two pics.

So, overload of topcoats? Which one(s) did you get/like the best? :)

Let me know what you think guys and dolls! 

Belle x

Catrice Million Styles LE Swatches

Hello!

I'm super happy to show you the following polishes. I was lucky to find the current Catrice limited edition called "Million Styles". It's a collection composed of 8 effect top coats.

The following nail polishes are in the collection:

• C01 No Smoke Without Fire for a smokey finish
• C02 Million Dollar Baby is a glitter
• C03 Miss Money Penny delivers soft golden shimmer
• C04 Shake It! Flake It! creates a 3D jewel effect
• C05 Return Of Space Cowboys layers a sparkling coat
• C06 Godfather Of Pearl creates a soft pearly finish
• C07 ¿Holo Qué Tal?! is a holographic glitter
• C08 Have An Ice Day is a glittering ice-effect

I cannot wait to try these out, how gorge are they?!

Who is Belle Morte Beauty?

Hi Guys & Dolls!

Well to give you a brief introduction as to the world of Belle Morte beauty, let me preface by saying that I am a fully qualified, professional Makeup Artist living in Ireland. I specialise in all types of makeup from Bridal to Burlesque, Special FX to Gore and Zombie looks, pretty, natural everyday wearable looks, to more creative and artistic avant garde looks.

I am also a Beauty Journalist and regularly do freelance pieces for local newspaper and glossy magazine publications. This is where I test out and review the latest beauty offerings on the market and bring my readers lots of easy to do looks at home, complete with tutorials.

I hope to share my love of makeup, cosmetics, brushes and all things beauty related with everyone on my blog.

So watch this space to see lots of looks, tutorials, product reviews, swatches, competitions and LOTS more! :)

Thanks everyone!