May 26, 2012

The Summer Series: Face

Summer is right around the corner! I have oily skin, so of course the fewer layers I have on my skin, the better. This is especially the case in the summer. Part one of my new summer series is focused on face products!

In the past, I've relied on tinted moisturizers or powder foundations during the summer. This year I've been trying out different BB creams and I'm pretty impressed. I have yet to try an Asian BB cream, but I might do so because I hear they are better than the Western BB creams that have been released. As many people already know, BB cream stands for blemish balm, beauty balm, or beblesh balm. I will link to a more complete history of BB creams at the end of my post because so many other people have written about it and have been using authentic BB creams for a long time. Now, back to face products!

Three items I personally recommend are the Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream, the MAC Studio Moisture Tint Tinted Moisturizer, and the Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm. Neither of the BB creams I mention are even close to what I've heard authentic BB creams are like. Apparently the ones I'm mentioning are much more like tinted moisturizers because they do not possess the skin-helping benefits of typical BB creams.

The Smashbox BB cream is probably my favorite face product at the moment. The shade "Fair" is light enough for my very fair skin and it has medium coverage (it also comes in five shades). It is a 5-in-1 product: it moisturizes, primes your skin, perfects your skin, protects your skin from the sun (SPF 35!), and controls oil. It's quite pricey though - $39 for a 1 ounce tube. I have oily skin and I definitely recommend this for other people with oily skin.

The MAC Studio Moisture Tint comes in seven shades and has light to medium coverage... it has more coverage than other tinted moisturizers I have used. It also has SPF 15, which isn't much, but it is better than none. A tube of this costs $30 for 1.3 fluid ounces, so while it is a tad expensive for what it is, it is definitely worth at least getting a sample from the MAC counter. This product is great for normal to dry skin, but it's probably not ideal for somebody with very oily skin (like myself). I actually use this more in the winter, but I know people who love it for the summer.

The Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm was featured in my April Favorites post. I still adore this product because it has light coverage and it gives me a nice glow. The lightest color is a tad too dark for me, but it doesn't look orange. This product comes in four shades and costs $32 for a 1.5 ounce tube, which is a nice value for what it is. It also only has an SPF of 20 and has some light shimmers to it, but when the product is on my face I don't see any shimmer. This can also be used as a primer under foundation.

Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream in Fair, MAC Studio Moisture Tint in Light, and Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm in Vanilla Glow
I don't own a great concealer I can use on my face, but I do have the Revlon PhotoReady concealer, which I use under my eyes. It doesn't cake for me and it has an SPF of 20. It has a little more coverage than my Rimmel concealer, so I've been using this one more often. This can be found at drugstores for $8-10 and comes in 6 shades.

Revlon PhotoReady Concealer in Fair

Urban Decay's De Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray is a product I highly recommend for somebody with oily skin. I didn't expect much when I purchased this because most products I've used in the past just make my skin oilier. I only have the miniature bottle of this, but when I run out I plan on buying the full size (which costs $29). I actually save this for days I know I'll be in a hotter environment for a long period of time because it is expensive for what it is.

Urban Decay De Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray

I don't wear many cheek products because I'm still experimenting with colors and figuring out what really looks good on me, but one thing I have found that I love is the Revlon PhotoReady Sculpting Palette. There are four different palettes from this line and I have it in "Pink" and I am impressed. These cost $10-14 at drugstores. If you already have a favorite blush, then I recommend either Benefit High Beam ($26) or the Maybelline Summer Glow Luminous Glow (I have it in Blissful Pink, but there is a yellowish shade as well - these are $6-8 at drugstores). Both give me a healthy glow without looking like a disco ball. The final cheek product I have to recommend is Benefit Posietint ($29). It lasts all day for me and for those who don't like pinks, there is also the classic red Benetint and the new mango Chachatint.

I honestly do not have any bronzers to recommend because every bronzer I have tried is the wrong color for my skin and I personally don't feel the need to even bother with bronzer. 

Revlon PhotoReady Sculpting Blush Palette (Pink), Benefit High Beam, Benefit Posietint, Maybelline Blissful Pink
I think the fewest layers possible is still very important, but I also think that if at all necessary, a good face powder can make a difference. I love (and have loved) Maybelline Dream Matte Powder for years. It was the first powder I purchased nearly four years ago (back then it has at least 10 shades, but it doesn't offer much coverage so Maybelline now offers this powder in four shades and I believe this wonderful powder costs $6-8). Another great pressed powder is NYC Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder. It's translucent and only costs $3!


Now, as for an explanation to what a BB cream is, I think Musings of a Muse distinguishes the difference between a BB cream and a tinted moisturizer quite nicely.

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