There's a new hype in the beauty industry and it comes from the Asian makers of BB creams...CC creams! CC cream stands for color correcting cream and it is basically a BB cream filled with loads more anti-aging ingredients and better coverage. These were introduced by the Asian market mid year and have just hit the states last month. Top ones raved about so far are from Chanel (only sold in Asia) and Rachel K. Being so new to the market, they are still hard to come by; but I am sure they will become readily available in 2013. Olay has just released one to drugstores in October in the USA which is very inexpensive.

411 on CC Creams

- Corrects any pigmentation issues, age spots, scars, blemishes

- Is oil free and has lighter texture than BB cream

- Longer wearing 

- Contains more skin nourishing ingredients, vitamin E and anti-oxidants to help with aging

- Has higher SPF of 50

- Contains whitening agents to diminish age spots

- Fuller coverage than BB cream, yet still lighter than a foundation

- Best on sensitive/oily skin

- Not available in many shades yet (3 so far)

- Retail price from drugstore to high end $21-80

  It's no surprise Asian women have great skin, as they have access to the latest technology in cosmetics. Being one step ahead of the game really helps in having the best variety and results in beauty products.  Asians have excellent skin care and take their overall health very seriously. They keep away from the sun, use an umbrella when outdoors,  eat healthy and all this reflects in young looking, even toned, bright skin. If we'd follow in their foot steps and were more disciplined with our skin regimen, our skin would reflect this and look fantastic as well. But it's never too late to start caring for your skin; as they say... better late then never ;) 

  
For those of you who have been living under a rock and have no idea what BB creams are, I will fill you in so you can determine if buying one is the best for you.

  A BB cream is a beauty balm or blemish balm, which originated in Germany in the 1950's by Christine Shrammeck. She created this for patients who underwent facial chemical peels, as a healing moisturizer which would also protect them from the sun and cover scars/blemishes all at once. This cream was used by dermatologists ever since, but in 2010 it was brought out to the mass markets in Asia; specifically Japan and South Korea. Between 2011 and 2012 it started gaining popularity in the US and Europe, and now the success is world wide. It became an instant hit and there was a lot of hype around it...a cosmetic product with the properties of a medical cream??!!!

BB Cream 101:

- All in one product:  primer, moisturizer, SPF and foundation
- Hydrates like a moisturizer, soothes as an anti-inflammatory, corrects age spots like serums, conceals like makeup
- Light to medium coverage (tone wise- heavier than a tinted moisturizer but lighter than a foundation)
- Thicker texture as it's very moisturizing; many contain silicone
- Best on normal to dry skin
- Evens out skin tone and texture 
- Has SPF 15-30 
- Contains serum like anti-aging ingredients such as vitamin C, aloe  vera, caffeine, ginseng, soy beans, etc.
- Good shade range (fair, light, medium, tan, dark) 
- Retail price (drugstore to high end) $10-60

  Be aware that now due to marketing tricks, all BB creams state they do all of the above; yet many of these do nothing more than a tinted moisturizer. The best BB creams are still Asian ones, as they have all these healing properties; but they might be hard to get a hold of  or are very expensive to have shipped.
There are many great BB creams from both drugstore such as Garnier, to high end such as Chanel. I personally love the ones from Too Faced and Smashbox, and they are midway in brand names and and price.

So if you like to wear moisturizers that contain color and nutrients that will help you have better looking skin, you should try a BB cream. It basically is a cream, serum and foundation all in one. Don't miss my next post as I'll be reviewing CC creams...the latest skincare product worldwide.

Have you ever worn a dark or bright colored lip, gone out and hours later realized you have it all over your teeth? I know...talk about embarrassing! Unfortunately, this happens to women all the time and the reason is because they apply too much lip product. Luckily, there is a simple way to prevent this: after you apply your lipstick or gloss, simply put your index finger into your mouth, press down on it (as if sucking on a straw) and pull out. Any excess color will show up on your finger, not your teeth. So you can say goodbye to those awkward stained teeth moments now!

  Many gorgeous brunettes have a hard time knowing what makeup styles look best on them; especially those with tanned skin and  brown eyes. If you want to know what colors and makeup trends you can pull off with your exotic beauty, keep on reading.

  First of all,  always make sure your skin looks great. This means covering any dark circles, pimples and spots with concealer and foundation. Tanned skins have a yellow undertone, so it's important to cover any imperfections and balance this yellowness using other colors on the rest of the face.

These are the colors which best compliment your features:

Eyeshadow: Gold, purple, dark peach, browns, dark greys, taupes and blues.

Blush: Dark pink, dark peach, soft brown, terracotta, rose and bronze.

Lips: Medium pinks, berry, red, brown infused shades (nude brown, pink brown).

 Try a smokey brown or taupe eye with pale blush and nude lips for a sexy look. The warmth of the neutral eye shadow will bring out the brown in your eyes. This makeup can be suitable for day or night, depending on your personality.

 This is more of a night time look and it looks beautiful on exotic brunettes. Dark lips are very bold, so you have to wear soft eyes and cheeks. Apply gold and/or bronze eye shadow along with a soft brown or dark peach blush to tone this look down.

 If red is too much for you, try a berry lip as it is a bit softer; fuchsia looks great too! Pair it with nude eyes and heavy black eyeliner and mascara.

 Never feel restricted with makeup styles for your type of beauty, as there are tons of options out there that will make you look even prettier than you already are :) 

   Many women are terrified thinking makeup ages them, as this is what they’ve heard from their moms and grandma’s from generation to generation. But in reality, makeup does not interfere with your own natural aging process. Makeup ingredients today are far more gentle and natural than what they were back in the day. Many contain vitamins and anti-oxidants which help the appearance of your skin. Although you do have to keep an eye out for certain ingredients, as some chemicals are not so great for your skin; but in general makeup is very safe to wear. It is recommended to avoid talc in cosmetics because it dries out your skin, resulting in more fine lines and wrinkles. The safest option ingredient wise for makeup is always organic and mineral makeup; just be aware they expire much faster than regular cosmetics.

   The main issue with wearing makeup is that having these chemicals/ingredients  on your face for long periods of time can clog your pores and cause break outs or allergies. To prevent this, look for cosmetics that are labelled as non-comedogenic (won’t clog your pores) or hyper-allergenic (won’t cause allergies).

 What some dermatologists believe happens with certain ingredients in makeup is that they that lead to negative effects in the production of collagen; which is what ultimately gives you the firmness and flexibility of your skin. It’s the decrease in collagen which begins the sagging and wrinkles on your face, and they believe some makeup ingredients speed the aging process. This has not been proven with research yet, so it is simply their opinion.

 Tips to prevent aging:

-Remove all your makeup and clean your face thoroughly at the end of the day. NEVER sleep with your makeup on.

-Use anti-aging moisturizers with SPF every day. 

-If wearing SPF makeup, make sure it contains both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide as they protect from both UVA and UVB sun rays.

-Use natural/mineral makeup for safer ingredients.

-Avoid alcohol, smoking, sun exposure.Do eat healthy and exercise.

-Apply makeup with clean brushes and never wear expired makeup.

   So do not fear ladies, as makeup is not a huge factor in how you age. It is more about how well you take care of yourself and genetics. Some women chain smoke all their life and look great, while others take great care yet do not have the best skin; and you can thank your family genes for this. But if you drink and smoke, sleep very little, tan regularly, don’t wear SPF, eat junk food and never exercise….you are most likely to have dull, dry, aging skin; so don’t blame cosmetics for aging you when you don’t take proper care of your body. You’ll see that a skin regimen and a healthy lifestyle will improve your skins appearance and prevent the aging process as much as possible.