My top 5 Tinted Moisturiser/BB Creams

 

 

Its funny how so many Magazines and Beauty Counter MUA's at Department store's will tell you that during winter you need to wear a foundation rather then a Tinted Moisturiser or BB Cream. 
I would say that is completely untrue and everyone is different when it comes to their own skin care...
I have spent more then a few days at beauty counters being pushed and cajoled into making pricey purchases on foundations that I don't need or want so here I have decided that I will give a run down of alternatives to Foundations for everyday use.


Most will say that Foundations  give you choice of a more matt or no glow base which is more suited to the winter look as the Summer look is more suited to the natural and glowy skin... This is true to a certain point as most Foundation ranges do offer you the choice of Matt, Luminous or Natural Glow finish which Tinted Moisturiser's and BB Cream's don't.
On this occasion I'm sitting on the wall on this as I still haven't found a everyday Foundation which doesn't break me out or look as natural enough as a Tinted Moisturiser or BB Cream during winter and the ones which look right in terms of shade normally just break me out in spots.. but that's for another day and a different blog.


Now first and foremost what is the difference between Tinted Moisturiser and a Blemish Balm Cream? aka BB Cream?
In short they are two very different products. The Blemish Balm originates from  a medical background and Tinted Moisturiser from a cosmetic background but to me they have more similarities then differences when used which I have given a details of right at the end of my 5 listed choices as a foot note if anyone needed to know the major differences between the two.
This is a short detailed list of the 5 products that works the best on my difficult combination skin.

I have light South Asian skin colouring/tone with a lot of pink in my skin which makes it really difficult finding the right shade and texture in Foundations , Tinted Moisturisers, BB you name it and now adding to that I have to think about Anti-ageing and SPF protection as the clock is ticking closer to 40 then I would like!!

Top 5 of my all time favourite Tinted Moisturisers and BB Cream in order of preference are:

No1. Clarins Super Restorative Tinted Cream SPF. 30ml - Restores, Renews, Repairs £37.00 to £43.00

Now it comes in 4 Shades. which are:  02 Sand, 03 Lychee, 04 Honey, 05 Tea, 06 Caramel so in terms of range within a tinted moisturiser it is great!


I use 03 Lychee In the Winter & 05 Tea in the Summer as I tend to tan quite a bit.

This Tinted Moisturiser is my all time favourite  and I love! love! love this! and this is the 1 that I always go back to... The only negative about the product is the price tag, its is a hefty £37.00 to £43.00 to buy OUCH!! but its a great investment as a little goes a long way and it will last you at least 7 to 8 months if used in moderation... This will definitely give your skin a pick me up and will give you 'That' Glow! it is a very sheer translucent finish but you will definitely get compliments about how well you look I promise!!


Usually 1 pea sized squeeze is enough to do the whole face because the consistency is more like a lotion so its easy to blend. Always remembering to blend from the centre of the face toward the hairline which I prefer doing using my fingers.

The other great plus point on this is that it has great SPF 20 protection which is the highest that you can get in a tinted moisturiser. The usual is SPF 15. Also it protects from future ageing with UVA/UVB sunscreen which is the full spectrum of sun protection.
This honestly is great and does make my skin look and feel amazing and pretty much ticks all the boxes for me I cannot say enough about this product!

No2. Chanel Hydramax+ Active Teinte SPF 15 Active Moisture Tinted Lotion 40 ml £35.00

This comes in 3 shades within the range. Sand. Sunlit & Bronze/ or Bronzelit


The shade that I use during winter is Sand and during summer its Bronzelit or Bronze.

First of all this is not a lotion but more a cream in consistency. It is a lovely creamy cool texture and a little heavier then the Clarin's Tinted Cream I have mentioned above but it so nice to use as its really cooling on your skin.. It gives a lovely translucent finish but not completely sheer.. which is great!
It is also found in the Chanel skincare range and not their make-up range as they consider it to be a skincare product rather then a Make-Up product and unfortunately its not 1 of the cheaper products either.

But on a good note the tube is quite long lasting and will give you around 10 to 12 months use as 1 pea sized dollop is enough to cover your whole face and because its heavier you will not need as much.
This also has UVB sun protection but not UVA which is the rays which are constantly present and not dependent on the weather. So this is not a full spectrum sun protection which unfortunately for me lets it down slightly.

No3. Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden - Skin Perfecting BB Cream SPF 15 50ml  £15.00Moisturises and Conceals for a Flawless Finish.

Shades available are Light to Medium & Medium to Dark which is quite limited.


This BB Cream is a great buy its not as cheap as some of the other BB Creams in Boots or Super Drugs but it works almost as well as a foundation in terms of cover and gives a semi matt finish to your skin and is also great at concealing blemishes to a certain point. This product also has an SPF 15 UVA protection not full spectrum. The major flaw on this product for me in terms of using it everyday is that even the 'Medium to Dark still needs a little warming up with a bronzer otherwise it can look slightly grey.

No 4. Superdrug BB Cream 5 - in - 1 Skin Perfecting Day Cream SPF15 50ml £8.99

Shades are only available as Light or Medium. Which again is quite limited.


This a lovely everyday use BB Cream. Its a nice not so heavy consistency and the price is brilliant! The colour range is limited with only 2 shades available. I use the Medium as you would expect and find that its not too bad maybe just a tad too dark but because its quite sheer you can add it to other BB creams in your collection to change it if you wish.This BB Cream is also on the more greasy side as its supposed to provide 24 hour hydration I think and its also not too bad in terms of concealing minor blemishes. The other very plus point in my book is that it contains UVA and UVB sun protection which is always a must for me. It also has added antioxidant protection which is beneficial to your skin.





No 5. Garnier All - In - 1 BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector SPF15 50ml £7.49

 
Shades Available are Light or Medium again limited to 2 shades only


This was one of the 1st ever commercially launched BB Cream and has been around for a couple of years now.
This is a must for a few of my closest friends and they look amazing!! 
The shade that I use is Medium but I only use it once in a while as I find that I break out if I use it too often. 
It is again a multitasking as the others I have mentioned and is a creamy BB Cream to use. 
It is I find the greasiest out of the 5 that I have listed but it has such great coverage and is so great at blurring imperfections and giving a beautiful glow that its still worth a mention.
This BB Cream also has UVA protection of 15 but not UVB so its not a broad spectrum protection as my 1st choice the Clarins Tinted Cream. It provides 24 hour hydration as the others. Its a good fall back product and is cheap enough and available almost everywhere.

The Difference between Blemish Balm aka BB Cream and a Tinted Moisturiser.


On your appearance anyway specially the European/US commercial manufactured BB Creams. But the Asian BB Cream is a completely different entity and was created in Germany more for patients who had gone through Laser Skin Surgery.
The Trend of BB Cream in short came from Korea and spread to Singapore, China, Japan and gradually came into our part of the world in a slightly changed version which includes lower SPF and in most cases doesn't have the greyish cast that most Asian BB Creams have due to the high SPF of 35 and over

BB Creams in theory has Soothing & Healing properties along with being a Moisturiser, Primer, Foundation, Concealer all in One product.

A Tinted Moisturiser is exactly what it sounds like a Moisturiser with a hint of colour or a 'Tint' are thinner in consistency then most BB Creams. 
Majority are more expensive and are not as multi tasking as a BB Cream for example needing an additional concealer but you will find that the 2 Tinted Moisturisers I have mentioned above are just as multitasking as any BB Cream but in a different way.