#madetomakeup

Hello beautiful people! If you didn’t catch yesterday’s post on primers I suggest scrolling down. To my followers: welcome back! Let’s continue onto Part 2 of 3: BBs! What is a BB and what does it do? BB stands for “Beauty Balm” and can serve multiple purposes, allowing for a faster beauty routine (aka, more sleep)! Now for those of you thinking “Ew, all-in-one products are terrible” rest assure these are a-maaazing and ideal for both the minimalist and full-coverage makeup wearer! So what does it do? Let me break it down for you… 

Hydrates     BBs provide moisture for your skin. Now don’t get me wrong, I still highly suggest moisturizing (day AND night!) after cleansing because hydration is a huge preventative step in premature aging but if you have normal skin or want to save some time, these bad boys can be pretty nourishing. Besides, you can always replace lost moisture with a toner which can also reset your makeup.

Primes     If you’re too lazy to scroll down, here’s a quick reminder: primers help you face retain moisture, minimizes your pores, protects your skin from potential breakouts & environmental damage, promotes both the blend-ability and longevity of you foundation/makeup, and lastly, acts a base for makeup to adhere to (like a nail base coat), creating velvety smooth skin which allows for better coverage with less product.

SPF      Most BBs have SPF in them to help protect from UVA/UVB rays, thus providing an Anti-Aging aspect to them. This (along with moisturizing regularly!) should be considered the most of the most important (yet unfortunately, often neglected) part of your morning routine! Unprotected exposure to the sun is the #1 contributor to signs of aging – ask any esthetician! To quote Michael Jackson (may he rest in peace): it doesn’t matter if your black or white! So REMEMBER: Protect yourself before you wreck yourself, foo’. Truuuuust.

Color & Coverage        Most BB creams can be worn like a tinted moisturizer, however, some, like Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Beauty Balm ($34), actually diffuses light to blur imperfections, reduce redness and enhance your own beautiful natural complexion. Most, however, like this one from Smashbox ($39), are tinted, so depending on the amount of coverage you desire, you can wear it alone or underneath your favorite powder/liquid foundation for better coverage with less cake!

 So that’s the jist of it all. How to choose? Here are some additional options: Too Faced ($34) Available in 5 shades, diffuses light and offers sheer but buildable coverage.

Benefit ($38) One of the newest around, Benefit markets their product as being “Bigger than a BB” because it sets to powder and also helps balance moisture and controls oil production so it’s ideal for oily skin and warmer weather. Available in 5 shades.