Whether you’re beauty obsessed or not, you’ve probably tried more than a couple of makeup products in your lifetime. As someone who does a minimal makeup routine more often than not, my ballpark guess for how many different products I’ve tried since I was allowed to start wearing makeup at 13 has to be 100-plus. (For reference, I’m 31.) I’m talking eye shadows, lipsticks, concealers, brow pencils, eyeliners, blushes, foundations, bronzers… I could go on, but you get the picture.
I’m sure that’s a low number for the beauty obsessed out there and for some of my Who What Wear colleagues, but to me, it feels like a lot. That’s the fun part of makeup, though—experimenting with new brands, products, and looks; keeping the ones you like; chucking the stuff you didn’t like; and changing up your tried-and-true products when it’s time for a revamp.
My makeup bag has seen a rotating cast of characters throughout the years, from glitter eye shadows and sticky lip glosses to orange bronzers and dewy foundations. But there’s one item that’s been a mainstay for at least 10 years: my favorite Clinique BB cream. And it’s not leaving anytime soon.
A lot of you might find it funny that the person to introduce BB cream to me was my mother. Kids are normally supposed to be more on top of the trends than their parents, but I missed the boat on this one. To be honest, I was never really entrenched in the makeup scene until recently. My mom had discovered it on a regular trip to the makeup counter at Macy’s, and she was hooked. She has never been a big foundation person (or makeup person in general), so she loved that it was lightweight, had some good-for-the-skin benefits, and could smooth and correct any blemishes or skin tone issues. Since I took after her minimal makeup routine, she thought I’d be into it too and bought one for me.
Let’s just say I haven’t looked back since. I’ve bought countless tubes of it throughout the years, and it’s been a staple in my everyday makeup routine. I normally only need light coverage since most of my skin issues revolve around dryness rather than acne, so the sheer formula works well for me and leaves my skin flawless and still natural looking because of its matte finish. It’s so easy to apply when I’m rushing around in the mornings, and its staying power is excellent. Plus, the SPF protection sweetens the deal.
BB creams have been around for a while now, so you probably don’t need me to tell you more about them. But if you’re not exactly sure what they are, beauty or blemish balms are part-skincare, part-makeup products because of their moisturizing and protecting properties paired with a tint. Yes, I know there are plenty of lightweight foundation formulas out there that are just as good at hiding the blemishes and pores. Yet I still reach for my BB cream, both out of habit and because I always feel better using it on my skin for everyday use. I tend to use foundation when I need to put on a full face of makeup, like if I’m going out with friends or have a big meeting or presentation at work.
So anyway, thank you for coming to my BB cream TED Talk. While I’m pretty sold on my particular product, I’ve included some other options below if you’re now in the market for one after reading this ode.
