Battle of the budget BB creams!

BB cream has become a craze in the past year! Both beauty and skincare brands have jumped in on the fun. BB Creams range from affordable to insane, from Garnier to Dior.

The first BB cream I bought was Garnier, then I bought Rimmel, and lastly Ponds. I then bought one by Erborian, which is not in a budget range, so I will not review that here. 

So, what is a BB cream? BB creams stand for blemish balms or beauty balms. They were first developed in Germany, to heal the skin, provide coverage and protect the skin from the sun. BB creams then boomed in Asia, and then the rest of the world caught up. BB creams can be worn alone, or under your foundation if you need more coverage.

BB creams are meant to make your life easier, an all in one moisturiser, sunscreen and foundation. What more could a girl want in our busy lives?

Lets start with Garnier, at R79.95 for 50ml from Clicks, Dischem, and even PicknPay, this is the cheapest one I have come across. Garnier has been providing skin care products since 1904, so I trust this brand. It comes in three colours, light, medium and dark. The formula is not very thick, and only covers minor imperfections, but it is easy to blend over the face. It also contains Vitamin C and mineral pigments which brightens skin. The finish of this BB is dewy and glowing skin, so if you prefer a matte finish, this is not for you. The only downside of this product is the low SPF of 15, which is not nearly enough, so it requires additional sun protection. The oil free formula has a higher SPF of 30, which is a great improvement, but that is more of a matte finish.

Garnier claims its BB cream is 5-in-1: 

Evens skin tone - Agreed, it does give sheer coverage.

Blurs lines and imperfections- Agreed, the coverage is sheer, but covers minor imperfections

Boosts a healthy glow- Agreed, definitely gives a glow to my skin!

24 hour mositure- Agreed, definitely moisturises

UV protection- Disagree, 15 SPF is not protection. 

I give this a 7/10.

Next up, Rimmel BB cream, R100 for 30ml, available from Clicks, Dischem, and online on rubybox.co.za. It comes in three colours that I am aware of, light, medium and medium/dark. The formula is quite thick, and provides good coverage. It also provides a slight dewy look. The best part of this BB is the SPF 25. I find that it applies better over a moisturiser than alone. This is my favourite budget BB cream. 

Rimmel claims its skin perfecting super makeup gives 9 in 1 results: 

Primes- I'm not sure what this means, since I don't apply anything over that needs priming. :O 

Moisturises- Agreed, but I find it doesn't spread easily, so I apply it over a moisturiser 

Minimises pores- Agreed, the coverage is good 

Conceals- Agreed, this BB cream offers more coverage than Garnier

Covers- Agreed 

Smoothes- Agreed 

Mattifies- Disagree, the coverage is radiant and dewy, not matte at all

Brightens- Agreed

Helps protect- Agreed, SPF 25!

I give this an 8/10. 

Lastly, Ponds BB cream. Pond's flawless radiance even tone expert BB cream, with SPF 30 is meant to cover imperfections, while visibly reducing dark spots and evening out skin tone with its Genactiv formula. It costs R90 for 25ml, and is available at Clicks, Dischem and PicknPay. It is meant to match your skin tone instantly, however I found it made me look grey. It comes in two colours, beige and chocolate. The product is matte, and oil free, which I am not a fan of, I prefer a dewy look. I think it will suit those with oily skin.

Ponds claims this BB cream provides:

Instant natural coverage- Agreed, but it is too grey for me 

Non-pore clogging- Agreed, since it is oil free

Light, non-oily texture- Agreed, the formula is matte and oil free

Reduces dark marks- I didn't use it long enough to tell

Evens skin tone- I didn't use it long enough to tell

Protects from UVA and UVB rays (SPF30++)- Agreed, definitely!

I give this BB cream 5/10.

And that is the end of the battle of the budget BB crreams, which is your favourite?

Unblended, from left to right, Garnier, Rimmel and Ponds.



Blended (I had the bright idea of labelling the swatches this time)