MAKE UP | VICHY's Idealia BB Cream

L-R Bare skin, with VICHY's Idealia BB Creme, with VICHY's Idealia BB Creme + concealer.

I've never been a fan of the Western BB creams. You're probably sick of me saying that so in short I'll just say that I believe they're a waste of time. I am however, a VICHY fan so when I heard that they were releasing their own BB cream, despite my hatred of the dreaded double B's, I had to get my hands on them. And I'm bloody glad that I did. I mentioned the VICHY Idealia BB Cream* in my June Favourites post and I didn't go into much detail as I do believe they deserve their own post.

This is the BB cream that changed my mind. It contains pink mineral pigments which help to instantly extinguish grey tones, conceal imperfections and even out and illuminate the complexion. The comparison pictures above do the talking on coverage and as you can see, it's pretty damn good. I wouldn't say it's full coverage at all which for me, is a little bit scary. But it's definitely medium coverage that feels light on the skin. That's the reason why I love this product so much. It covers the majority of my imperfections without making my skin feel heavy - perfect in this current weather.

The fine, light texture melts into the skin beautifully and gives a soft finish with natural looking coverage and the true feeling of bare skin. When it comes to foundation, I tend to find that they settle into my dry areas around my blemishes but this BB cream doesn't as it provides 24 hour hydration. It leaves the skin looking like skin - glowing, beautiful and natural. I've even been complimented on my the condition of my skin when I've been wearing this which never, ever happens to me.

This has helped me get through the hot weather we've been having recently without breaking down and making me look like an oil slick. Unfortunately, there are only two shades available and as you can see from the swatches above, they're quite similar in colour so those with darker skins probably won't get away with it. It's suitable for sensitive skins and comes with SPF 25 and UVA and UVB protection.

What's your favourite BB cream? Have you tried the VICHY one?
*PR Sample
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What Is A BB Cream?

Working in Boots means that I get asked the question 'so what exactly is a BB cream' a lot. I answer this question by simply saying; 'it's pretty much a re-formulated tinted moisturiser.' I split up BB cream into two categories - the original ones and the new ones. The new ones are the BB creams from brands like Garnier and Clinique - basically Western BB creams. And the original ones are those that were originally introduced into the Asian market from brands like Skin79 and Missha. 

Western/New BB creams:

To me, these are tinted moisturisers with added skin care benefits. They don't provide any coverage and you're lucky if these cover up redness never mind blemishes. They have a high level of SPF in them and they don't irritate your skin but what is the point in them unless you have perfect skin to begin with? Apparently you don't have to wear moisturiser or primer with these BB creams either but I've seen no end of reviews disagreeing - once again, maybe you don't have to if you already have perfect skin.

Original/Asian BB creams:

These are very lightweight in texture but provide coverage that is on par with foundation. These also have a high level of SPF in them and the skin care benefits are great as they were originally formulated for those who had had skin surgery in Asia. The only problem with these is that they aren't available in a variety of different skin tones so if you're anything darker than light/fair then you'll have a hard time finding one in your shade. I have one of the Skin79 BB creams and you can see how wonderfully is covers here.

So I guess you could say that this is a 'harsh' way to describe what BB creams are. I'd recommend the original BB creams if you require more coverage and are fair-light skinned. But if you just want something to mix with a heavy foundation to make it thinner, go for one of the new BB creams as the skin care benefits are great but the coverage is shocking.

What are your thoughts on BB creams? Are they worth the hype?

xxx

How I Fake (Almost) Perfect Skin with Comparison Photos

My skin is one thing that I hate and really lack confidence in however, I've now found the perfect skin care routine for me and the perfect foundation/base routine to cover up my imperfections. Don't get me wrong, it's taken me about 6 years to find this out through a lot of trial and error but in the end, it's so worth it. So after my skin care routine, I thought it'd be nice to show you how I apply my base/face products to create what I can class as flawless skin.

L-R

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - £11.99

I use all of the following products with this brush as it's so versatile and products full coverage with every single product that I use. I stipple these products onto the skin so that they're really packed on and then I buff them into the skin using a circular motion (except the concealer) to make sure that they look seamless. I absolutely love this brush and cannot recommend it enough. I'm saving up my Boots points for the face set from Real Techniques as I really want the Buffing Brush too!

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

This is my all time favourite concealer and it's so cheap. It's high coverage and lasts throughout the entire day. I use this on my spots, scars and also underneath my eyes and everything is covered. I use this after my MaxFactor Pan Stix has been applied.

Skin79 Super Beblesh Balm BB Cream - £16.00

This is amazing and you can see how well it covers alone here. I use this after moisturiser and primer as a sort of base to my foundation. It provides very good coverage alone but when it comes to night time and going out and I really want flawless skin, I'll just use this as a base. It's also a skincare product so it doesn't irritate the skin which is always a bonus!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation - £26.50

I always, always try out new foundations and I'll always say 'this is my new favourite!' But I will always end up back at this one. It's full coverage and lasts throughout the day. It literally does not budge until you cleanse it away. It isn't heavy even though it's high coverage and it blends in like a dream with the stippling brush. I use this after my BB cream.

17 Shine Control Loose Powder - £5.49

I'll use this after my concealer as an all over face powder. It doesn't cake on the skin and provides a lasting shine-free finish on the skin. It just literally melts away into the skin and I cannot recommend it enough. I don't think I'll ever use another face powder!

MaxFactor Pan Stix Foundation - £6.99

I use this after my foundation but just on my scarring and the areas that need extra coverage. It can be used as an all over foundation but I do find that it can get heavy and budge if it's used like that. So I just use it sparingly and it provides incredible coverage and when powdered, doesn't move.

 As always, this is a nasty picture of my skin after it's just been moisturised. It isn't a pretty sight and I barely ever go out without make up on as I can't stand the sight of it. It has gotten better recently and it did used to be a lot worse. I found a terrible picture of my skin from 2010 on my Twitter account and I literally burst into tears - it was so bad!

And this is a picture of my skin after all of the products above have been used and applied. The change is incredible and the greatest thing about this is that it will last throughout the day. I won't ever do this during the day time though unless I'm going out all day.. During the day, I'll just wear my BB cream alone. But on nights out, I always go through this routine and it's fail safe and my skin will always look incredible in photos!

What products do you use to create flawless skin?

xxx

Monthly Favourites: April

I don't normally do monthly favourite posts but this month I've discovered (and rediscovered) some really lovely products so I thought I'd show you all.

Xen-Tan Perfect Blend Custom Self-Tan* - £34.99

My and fake tan don't usually get on but this month I've been loving this fake tan. Before this, I'd never tried Xen-Tan before but it's really amazing and fool proof. You can see my full review of this product and find my fake tanning routine here.

AEOS Refreshing Hydrating Mist* - $89.00

This is becoming my favourite toner and I'm so sad that this is only a small sample as I'm unsure as to whether or not I'll be able to repurchase it as it is expensive (it converts to around £55). You can see my full review of this product here.

Skin79 Supper Beblesh Balm BB Triple Function - £16.00

I absolutely love this and it's become my favourite foundation recently. It's provides perfect coverage and leaves a lovely finish on the skin. You can see my full review of this BB cream and see how it applies here.

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover* - £4.99

I've been seeing this making its rounds on the blogosphere and I didn't quite believe how good it was until I tried it myself. It really is so quick and easy and it also smells quite nice compared to the usual nail polish remover smell.

17 Shine Control Loose Powder - £5.49

I bought this for just £2 thanks to the Advantage Card machines in Boots and I love it so much. I've used it every day but it just doesn't seem to go down as there's so much product inside it. It doesn't cake the skin and melts away to keep shine at bay throughout the day. My favourite powder ever.

Britney Spears Cosmic Radiance - £29.00

I have all of the Britney perfumes and I always change which one I use on a day-to-day basis. But this month, I can't stop wearing the Cosmic Radiance perfume. It reminds me of freshers week as it's all I wore throughout it which of course, is a happy smell! You can see my full Britney perfume collection here.

Renouve Anti-Aging Every Day Defense* - £22.00

I think I've become addicted to this product. It's a hand cream/anti-ager/sanitiser in one and I just can't stop using it. I have two of them (a gold and a pink one) and one sits on my desk and the other goes everywhere with me. Perfection in a bottle. You can see my full review of this product here.

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle - £4.59

I've been wearing this lipstick every single day without fail. It's the perfect nude colour that makes lips look super glossy! You can see my full review of this lipstick and a swatch here.

Collection 2000 All Day Colour Mascara in clear - £2.99

I use this as a brow set and I can't believe I've gone my entire life without them. It keeps my eyebrows in place all day long and it's super cheap. I'm a convert!
What products have you been loving this month?

xxx
*PR Sample

Skin79 Super Plus Triple Function (Hot Pink) BB Cream Review & Comparison Photos & Giveaway

As you all probably know right now. BB creams are massive in the make up industry. I've seen no end of blog posts about ones that have been popping up lately but to be honest, none of them have taken my fancy. Most reviews claim that they're just tinted moisturisers and if you read my blog then you'll know that I like my coverage. I love medium coverage and I love full coverage even more so for me, BB creams never caught my eye. That was until I was offered one of the original BB creams that I first saw back in 2011 on Ingrid's channel. After seeing Ingrid rave about it, I couldn't say no.

Although Ingrid raved about this BB cream, I wasn't expecting much. I wasn't expecting a lot of coverage and I was expecting it to be super shiny and make me look greasy just like tinted moisturisers. So you can imagine my shock when I first applied this and got this result..

So this is my bare skin. I must apologise for how disgusting it is and yes, I have enlarged pores, spots, acne scarring and redness. It's awful and this is the reason why I love my coverage.

And this is my skin after I had applied just one coat of the BB cream. I was in complete and utter shock. It's very blendable, suits my skin tone lovely, it's definitely full coverage yet it's extremely lightweight and I can't feel that it's on. Not a lot covers my scarring but this does. It even makes my pores look smaller which foundations don't tend to do. I don't know how it's done it but it has. I've also wore it all day for work and it's lasted without budging at all and also stayed matte. I actually shed a few tears when I first saw the finished result - my skin quite frankly looked as perfect as it could get. As soon as I get my student loan, I'm buying this in full sized. I have so many foundations but I have to say, I think this is better than them all!

So a bit more information on this product; it's a triple function blemish balm cream that helps shield the skin from premature ageing as it contains SPF 25. It whitens the skin and reduces any existing lines and wrinkles. The formula is very creamy and covers up skin imperfections so that a perfect base can be created for make up. The finish is matte and it stays matte all day long without even needing powder.

I also have four £5 off vouchers to give away to you guys that you can spend on the BB Cosmetics website until the 31st of May. Please do not enter though unless you 100% plan on spending the £5 vouchers as it means someone could miss out. All you have to do is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this blog post and also leave your email address so that I can contact you. I'll be picking a winner before the 22nd of April (next Sunday) so make sure you get your entries in!

Have you tried this BB cream before? What do you think? Make sure you enter my giveaway!

xxx

*PR Sample