I love beauty products so much, like I would marry them if I could. I started off my once illustrious career in PR/Branding in the cosmetic industry so I know the ins & outs and can speak of quality products with authority (I also am a beauty big mouth so let me have at it). Above is my new beauty/make-up regime, these are the products I have been using everyday so I won’t scare my husband or the neighbors–it has been working. I recently ran out of my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, it’s pretty spendy so I thought I would try a drugstore option that has been getting rave reviews–Garnier BB Cream. I have mentioned BB creams prior (I am a fan), I liked the Smashbox offering but I am in between shades right now so its been benched for the season. My skin is dry, so if you have oily skin this BB cream may not be for you, it has a very emollient texture, in fact I put it on in the morning without putting on any other moisturizer. BB Creams are different from a foundation or a tinted moisturizer (sort of in between in texture/consistency) so getting the feel for how much to apply may be a bit tricky at first, use a light hand and build. I am using the Light/Medium, it looks much darker right out of the tube (the very large tube), but it’s deceiving, it matches my skin quite well. It’s sheer but has good coverage. I have been using the Neutrogena Night Retinol cream and have been having good results with it lightening the hyper-pigmentation on my cheeks, I don’t think I would have been able to get away without concealer if this was a couple months prior, but today I am happy to say I just use the BB Cream (great because I have been both lazy & busy). Like a regular moisturizer you are going to want the product to ‘set’ before applying the rest of your make-up. I usually put it on and then make my coffee and come back to finish the rest. I have been foregoing the mascara–shocker and just curling my lashes, it’s easy and makes me look more awake than I feel. I think most women could use a little blush, it’s the easiest way to get an ‘insta-pretty’ look, it’s also the most wrongly applied cosmetic or the one one that women skip all together, gah! My motto? ‘No one blushes mauve’ so stay away from colors that look dusty, browny pink, they aren’t usually flattering. Tarte makes the best sheer cheek stains that will make you look like you have naturally rosy cheeks (this product will last you forever too). The best way that I have found to apply is with a brush. I learned that trick after seeing this gorgeous make-over and this video, I couldn’t replicate her results with that type of brush but was able to do so with the foundation brush shown above. With the brush you get sheer, luminous natural looking rosy cheeks. Lastly I swipe Burt’s Bee’s Honeysuckle over my lips, it’s a sheer nude lip tint, it feels nice and moisturizing without the stickiness of a gloss or lipstick. Altogether I take about 4 minutes tops (maybe) to look natural and like myself but without scaring anyone. If you have any questions ask them in the comments I am happy to answer them!
My order arrived yesterday…packed to perfection by exquisite you.
love, Love, and LOVE!
~Lynne
Yea, Lynne! Thank you for the update, I am SO happy you loved:)
I just love your blog! You touch on all the things that make my heart sing also. MCRNBar isn’t taking new orders…your mention probably swamped them. On waitlist….
Worrying that my blush is wrong…keep on keeping on!!
I use BB cream as well. Right now I’m using Hanskin “Caviar gold” – I know, it sounds ridiculous (but I find most Korean products have crazy English wording on them). It works great but I am looking for help with my dark spots and hyperpigmentation. I might try the neutrogena you recommended. I use Honeysuckle as well! It’s has just the prettiest hint of pink – very natural :)
i love your makeup posts. too bad i was stuck on that cara’s site all day and night the day you blogged about her… and i got another one of your sfs student’s elaine {lil girl big cam} hooked on cara too. good stuff you’re posting on the beauty side. love it.
How long do your lashes stay curled without mascara? When I first got an eyelash curler nearly 20 years ago (yikes!) I used clear mascara. Now I use the regular stuff but I’d love to be able to skip it occasionally. Is it the eyelash curler? Or maybe my eyelashes just aren’t talented in that way.
Heather
Thank you for the compliment Debe, WOW, that’s both great + bad news, about MCRN Bar subscriptions, so happy to hear that though:) Most women do choose a wrong blush, you need to try to find something a couple shades more vibrant than what you think you would like because your skin tone will take the color down a few notches, it’s a make-up artist secret!
Susan can I get that on-line? I haven’t tried a Korean BB cream, I wonder how different it is to the American version, I really want to. Hyper-pigmenation is just the worse! Also, if you drink red wine cut down on it, because that seems to make the hyper-pigmentation worse! You will see that some women get freckle ‘mustaches’ because of the wine. The Neutrogena is the only thing that seems to be working for that (and they have a new one with Vitamin C especially for dark spots). I have tried the Philosophy treatment with no success, Porcelana, a Dermatologist cosmeceutcal that cost a small fortune! Ambi and I can’t think of the others and nothing seemed to work. The Neutrogena wasn’t even supposed to be for that and I started to notice it getting lighter each week. So I am going to keep with it. You also have to remember not to hang out in the sun if you are doing this or it voids out the results!
Debbie, I.KNOW. I LOVE her! She’s a knock-out but doesn’t take herself too seriously and that she is willing to show herself WITHOUT make-up is flippin’ awesome! I have had no success with the curling iron though, I must be challenged in that arena, just a complete dolt!
Heather, you need a good lash curler:) My fave was by Shu Umera, but I can’t find it in my house. It’s hands down the BEST. It was made for Asian lashes that are usually straight (mine are straight too). The E.L.F. was maybe $1 or $3 and is pretty strong, I hold for 30 secs each eye and they will stay curled all day, which means for me that they will be flipped up instead of pointing straight which makes them look longer + thicker. You can use a tiny bit of natural beeswax balm on your lashes first to hep and I mean TINY, there’s a product called Waxelene:
https://waxelene.com/
That might help ‘set’ the lashes, but I think you just need a better
eyelash curler;)
Marking this as I do with all your makeup posts! Everyone is raving about BB creams now and I’ve never tried one. I’m still using the Korres foundation powder and I love it but I’m not sure it’s ideal for the winter because if my skin is dry AT ALL then it looks flaky.
I alternate between Tarte cheek stain and Benetint. And I have a little container of Urban Decay cheek stain that I keep in my purse for emergencies. I can’t go without blush or I look dead.
Since your recommendation, I started using the day version of your night product and love it. It has an SPF of 30. I use Miracle Worker at night. I think I will try the Tarte cheek stain. I use Fresh tinted lip treatment in Plum. I just love it. The Korres lip butter in guava is great for no color. So natural, but better! Your beauty product posts are great.
I seriously had not idea what BB cream was and just thought it was some weird initial/name that was being marketed. Thanks for the tip! I always appreciate when people enjoy drug store brands and not the over-the-top pricey versions (although I’ve been known to occasionally splurge). I’ll have to give some of these a go!
Rachel, I love the look of a good mineral foundation, I did after all choose the Korres for my elopement, my problem is the blush, I can’t find a good blush for the mineral foundation, the Tarte looks streaky and everything else looks ‘powdery’. I think if I can find a blush I would pretty much always wear the mineral foundation, because my sin always looks the most natural (and no pores) with it. My ’emergency’ blush is red lipstick a teeny tiny dab blend and instant rosy cheeks! I learned it from my Mom.
Kathy, that is so good to know! I am probably going to try it as well. I LOVE the consistency and feel of the Miracle Worker it feels like a drink of water on my face, so light but hydrating, if I could sub a Drug Store brand I would (just because I am on a budget). I never tried the Fresh lip products but I do like their line, I got a beautiful grapefruit body wash as a gift and it left my skin so soft, that never happens with a body wash!
Rosy BB Creams are AWESOME, you must go down to Ulta or Sephora and pick up samples to take home and try for yourself!!!
The new Nars lipstick pencils are AWESOME!
Still love their Orgasm ( blush) blush.
With the Korres, I find that the Benetint works best. The Tarte does end up looking a little streaky on top of the mineral foundation but the Benetint sinks right in and stays put for me.
I’m picking up some of the Garnier BB cream today, I think. As you pointed out, I can always return it if I don’t like it!