This is kind of a double post, a Friday Favorite and a Budget Beauty. I did not like the original Maybelline Dream BB but once I saw they had a bronze one, I had to try it out of curiosity.

The first thing I thought of was, oh could this be a dupe for Stila's Bronze Beauty Balm (which I love but it's $32)? Well so far I wouldn't say it's an exact dupe but maybe the darker shade would be. I really like this so far. It's the perfect amount of glow for a quick makeup look during the week or just a touch of sun for a laid back weekend.

I would say this has very sheer coverage. It adds more of a veil of warmth to the skin. I think this would be nice in the Winter too for some life during those pale sunless days. It is available in two shades, Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. I chose the Light/Medium shade. I think the Medium/Dark would be nice to use to warm up a lighter foundation in the Summer so I might try that out.

Stila has always been a favorite brand of mine from their amazing liquid liner pens to their bb creams. I have recently fell in love with their bronzing BB cream. It is an easy way to add glow (no shimmer) and warmth during your quick morning routine.

I really love how it treats my skin and find that it does help improve my skin's condition over time. It is pricey at $38 dollars but you only need the smallest amount of product at a time. This week I've been mixing it with my morning moisturizer and then going on my glowy way.

Tarte's BB Tinted Treatment 12-Hour Primer with SPF 30 (wew a mouthful!) is a new found favorite of mine. I love the mousse-like texture and the silky feeling on my face. It has build able coverage so it can be worn as more of a BB/tinted moisturizer cream but also doubles as a primer underneath your everyday foundation.

While away on vacation I found myself wearing this by itself with just my Mac Mineralize Natural powder on top to finish. It gave a "my skin but better" finish and I didn't feel like I was wearing any makeup.

Tarte states that it is also a skin treatment (like BB creams usually are or are supposed to be) and I do think it has been helping my skin look clearer. If you have been looking for a BB cream this is definitely a great option.

I don't think it lasts 12 hours but I think it does have some staying power especially underneath foundation or a powder. I can see this being a great product in the winter time as well as summer because the texture is light but also moisturizing.

I'm not sure if someone with oily skin will like this or not because it can feel slippery but those of you with normal/combo to dry skin will love it.


Here is the breakdown from Sephora's website:

What it is:
An innovative BB treatment with multiple skincare and makeup benefits in one eco-chic tube. 

What it does:
- This state-of-the-art BB cream offers numerous benefits for smooth, youthful-looking skin 
- Features SPF 30 sun protection 
- Comes in five shades 

Indulge your skin with this powerful multitasker that works as a primer, moisturizer, light foundation, antiaging treatment, and sunscreen to give you a youthful-looking glow. Worn alone or as the perfect base for makeup, this 12-hour, age-defying, oil-free primer offers light-to-medium, buildable coverage that helps even skintone and other skin imperfections while diffusing light to minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. The creamy, silky formula goes on smooth and blends easily, leaving you with a natural-looking, flawless finish with a broad-spectrum, chemical-free SPF 30 that offers ideal protection from the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays. 

What else you need to know:
Beauty Balms or BB Creams were originally developed as a perfect post-procedure cream used to treat, hydrate, prime, protect, and camouflage the skin. Great for all skin types including those with sensitive skin, these versatile “five-in-one” formulas are designed to do it all: treat with high levels of active skincare ingredients; moisturize and smooth dehydrated skin; prime and perfect skin’s surface; camouflage and color correct the skintone; and protect skin from the sun with SPF. They can be used as a last step for their skincare benefits or used on their own as an instant beautifier.

This product is powered by tripleB complex, a proprietary blend of natural diamond dust, plants, and lipoamino acids that diffuses light and minimizes the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pores while improving the appearance of skin luminosity. 

Research results:
In a consumer panel study:
- 100% of women immediately saw an improvement in the surface texture of skin for smoother makeup application 
- 97% of women saw and felt smoother, softer skin 
- 91% of women said fine lines appeared minimized 
- 94% of women said pores appeared less visible after 4 weeks

This will be a new series of posts for products that I feel are NOT worth the hype or money. If I can save someone else from buying something that is a waste, I want to.

The first product is Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Cream. I originally had this in my dry skin series as a good BB cream but have now taken it off. I just find that it has zero coverage on it's own. When I pour some into my hands it feels like the thicker consistency would work well but I just didn't find that it gave me anything. I don't think it made my skin any better either.

The whole point of a BB cream is to have skincare and makeup in one product. I didn't see either in this one and wouldn't repurchase.

Save your money ladies...