Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF35.

I am still completely enamored with BB Creams. Offering more than a tinted moisturizer with less coverage than foundation, these creams have taken over my vanity this summer.  I love that I don't have to pile on the products to get the skin care benefits I need, with the lighter coverage I welcome in the warmer months. I have waited for Bobbi Brown's BB Cream, because I am such a fan. I am happy to say that Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF35 was worth the wait.

Read More

Dr. Jart+ Beauty Balms.

With the recent onslaught of beauty balms, I have to wonder why they weren't introduced to us in the states much earlier. I for one, am wondering where they have been all my life.  Especially these beauties from Dr. Jart. Check out Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm and Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm.

First, let's take a moment to understand what a Beauty Balm is.

Beauty Balm "BB" is your skincare regimen in one tube, created by Dr. Jart. It moisturizes, protects, and corrects. No foundation needed. BB is your moisturizer, sunscreen and treatment serum, while hiding uneven skin tone so well that it minimizes the need for foundation or concealer. Skin looks smooth, perfect and natural.

I agree with that statement, but I would add in primer to the mix as well. The fact that I am not 16 anymore and have a very uneven skin tone, I need to tell you that these do not cut out the need for foundation on myself from the start. But it does minimize it.

Take a look at both of the Beauty Balms Dr. Jart has to offer and my opinions on each.

Dr. Jart Water Fuse Beauty Balm - $32.00 at Sephora
This beauty balm is made with 50% water with Dr. Jart's Advanced Water Bead Technology which hydrates and maintains healthy moisture for a dewy, fresh look on the skin all day long. This contains an SPF 25, which is essential. This formula is also oil-free.

The shade is a light- light medium shade. In the winter, I could get away with using just this on the weekends, but it is too light for my skin right now. As I smooth it on my skin, I feel a burst of hydration, as the water that is encapsulated in the formula bursts onto skin. My skin instantly looks more even even and feels extremely hydrated.  The balm is light, but it feels heavier than a primer. There is no silicone primer feel to it, but the coverage and moisture seems to adhere to the skin making it a wonderful primer.  I do not need moisturizer when using this right now. As I am much more dry in the winter months, I would probably use a daytime moisturizer beneath this then, but realize that I do get very dry in the winter. The end result is a much more flawless look, with or without makeup.  I have been using this alone on no makeup days and I look much more refreshed. With makeup, like I said, the look is closer to flawless than ever.  I have to wear less product and work less at concealing my uneven skin tone, age spots and freckles.

Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm - $39.00 at Sephora
This beauty balm is an all in one triple function balm that contains advanced brightening and anti-aging properties. This one creates the ideal base for other makeup application as it conceals and perfects skin as it is applied. It contains a higher SPF of 45 and contains antioxidant bio-peptides and adenosine.

The color is lighter and brighter, if not whiter with a pink undertone to it than the Water Fuse. It is much too light for my skin and it sort of left a white cast under a darker foundation.  Not that this is a bad thing, my skin tone is just too dark for this one.

I thought I would like this one more than the Water Fuse balm as my major skin concerns involve aging and brightening. The formula feels great on my skin, but I crave the intense water burst I get from the Water Fuse formula and the shade is more suitable for me.

I would hope that now that Dr. Jart products are available in the US, that maybe they will branch out and make some darker shades.  I realize that these are specifically made for Asian skin in Asian cultures, where the goal is have the whitest, most flawless, porcelain-like skin tone.