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!