This summer, I've been trying out three new BB Creams and they're all very different from each other. So I thought I'd do a comparison post because no matter what your skin type, one of these will likely work for you.
Let's take a look!
CoverGirl Clean Matte BB Cream ($8.49)- As dry-skinned gal, I was prepared to totally hate this one. Most matte formulas tend to cake up and accentuate my pores and fine lines, so I try to avoid anything with the word "matte" in it. That being said, a lot of you have been asking me to review this product so I purchased it...but didn't have high hopes. I have to say, I'm extremely impressed!
It provides light coverage that can be built up to medium very easily and it disappears into my skin with a very natural finish, not the powdery one that a lot of matte products have. In fact, once it sets, I don't feel anything on my face at all...there's no sticky or tacky feeling and no dryness. It's also incredibly long lasting! 9-10 hours later, my skin still looked great, which is really amazing for a BB Cream. If you're oily, it's hard for me to say whether this will control oil (because my skin is pretty much devoid of it) but I can tell you that it gives a true matte finish, unlike other matte products that end up looking more satin.
bh Cosmetics Forever Nude Illuminating BB Cream ($9.50)- Where the Cover Girl Clean Matte is meant for oily skin, the bh Cosmetics Forever Nude Illuminating BB Cream is meant for drier skin types. It contains skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E to help minimize fine lines and plump up the skin. It also contains illuminating properties that don't appear glittery or shimmery, just give a lit-from-within glow. Out of the three formulas in this post, this one is the sheerest, but it can still be built up to almost medium-coverage if you add a second layer. I love the way my skin looks in this and have probably worn this one the most this summer. Even when I'm having a not-so-great skin day, adding a little concealer on my trouble areas (under eyes and around nose) make up for the lighter coverage. This one has the shortest wear time at about 7 hours or so unless I set it with powder or use a primer underneath.
Circa Beauty Color Balance BB Cream ($14)- I picked this up at Walgreens a few months ago and was really impressed for a couple of reasons. First of all, the coverage is amazing for a BB Cream and not at all what I was expecting. I can liken it to IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream in terms of coverage...it's a solid medium out of the tube and can be built up for even more coverage. It dries down to a beautiful satin finish and blends seamlessly into the skin with no sticky or dewy feeling. I reach for this one when I need the coverage of a foundation with the lightweight feel of a BB Cream. It also has great wear time at 8-9 hours!
Swatches:
In the swatches, you can really see how the finishes differ. The CoverGirl Clean Matte doesn't have any shine, while the bh Cosmetics Illuminating BB has the dewiest finish and the Circa Color Balance falls in between the two.
Also you can kind of see the coverage levels, with the bh Cosmetics being a bit more sheer, the Circa having the heaviest coverage, with the Cover Girl Clean Matte in between.
As far as colors go, the CoverGirl and bh Cosmetics are in the shade Light, while the Circa one is in Light Medium (it's a little too dark on me and next time I will get Light).
CoverGirl Clean Matte:
- Finish- Matte
- Coverage- Sheer to Medium
- Great for- Normal to Oily skin types
- Wear time- 9-10 hours
- Finish- Dewy
- Coverage- Sheer
- Great for- Normal to Dry skin types
- Wear time- 6-7 hours
- Finish- Satin
- Coverage- Medium to Full
- Great for- All skin types
- Wear time- 8-9 hours
Overall, I'm enjoying all of these formulas for different reasons! Have you tried any of these yet, and if not, what's your favorite BB Cream?
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Wow! First of all great post and second, I need to try that Circa BB cream it sounds perfect! I have dry skin like you and medium to full coverage foundations always crack on me and look hideous. I always wished I could find a BB with more coverage because it would be the best of both worlds. I'll be going to Walgreens tomorrow to get this. My skin is a little deeper/warmer than yours and the Light Med looks perfect. Thanks again.
ReplyDeleteHi Brenda, it's awesome I think you'll really like it!
DeleteOkay I kind of want to try all of these! Good thing they're affordable, lol!!!
ReplyDeleteYes!! Haha!
DeleteI haven't tried any of these yet, they all look amazing!
ReplyDeleteI'm really liking them all, even though they're so different from each other. I feel like I can use one of them in just about every scenario, whether I want more or less coverage, a matte finish or a dewy finish, etc. :)
DeleteGREAT post! I love the Cover Girl Clean Matte and I have been using it all summer. It has really good coverage and keeps my oily skin shine free all day without setting powder. By the end of the night, I sometimes have a little bit of oil around my nose but that's it. And that's after about 8 or 9 hours. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteThat's great Fran! I'm so happy to hear that you love it and thank you SO much for giving us the oily skin perspective! :)
DeleteThese all look great but I need that BH Cosmetics BB in my life. I have been all about glowy products lately and this one is really affordable. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIf you like a glowy dewy complexion, you'll love it! I think it adds just enough glow without being too shimmery. :)
DeleteThanks for the review! I recently purchased the Cover Girl Clean Matte from Ulta, haven't tried it yet, but I'm hopeful. :) I wish the free shipping threshold at BH wasn't $50.
ReplyDeleteI find a lot of BB creams just too moisturizing for my skin. I don't normally wear foundation, but I sometimes like a BB (or CC) cream for light coverage. I do like Urban Decay "Naked Skin Beauty Balm" and of course, I think they are phasing it out! Argh! I think the replacement is their "One and Done Complexion Perfector". I'd like to have a drugstore option in my hip pocket...
You're right, most are very emollient, so I was skeptical that the Cover Girl one would truly be matte, but it really is! And it sinks right in, which is great. I've been using UD One and Done a lot this summer too. It doesn't feel like BB Creams (at least the ones that feel like tinted moisturizers) because it's thicker. It kind of feels like a BB and silicone primer mixed together, if that helps! :)
DeleteDo any of these have spf?
ReplyDeleteNone of them claim to on the packaging so I layer on an SPF before applying these. :)
DeleteI'm really liking the cover girl clean right now! I think my favorite bb/cc cream is still Mary Kay's cc cream, but this is so much cheaper and more easily accessible.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad to hear you like it! I haven't tried the Mary Kay CC, but I have a friend so sells it so I think I'll ask her about it next time I see her! :)
DeleteI really liked the Covergirl clean matte BB cream but unfortunately the lightest shade is still to dark for my skin tone🙁
ReplyDeleteI love the Circa BB Cream; it's one of my favorites! (I have oily skin.)
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that you like the Cover Girl
ReplyDeleteClean Matte BB cream, given that you have dry skin. My skin is very oily during the summer and I also love this Bb cream.
MarinaD
So strange, right?? I was prepared to hate it and wasn't even planning on buying it, but I got so many requests for a review, I figured I'd give it a go. My skin leans more toward normal in the summer so I'm not sure if I'll like it in the dead of Winter. Still, it doesn't have that cakey feel that a lot of matte products have so that's probably why my skin gets along with it so well.
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