The ABCs of BB and CC Creams

Are you confused with the recent influx of double-alpha base makeup this year?
It was BB creams making waves last year that gave way to even more offerings this year and just as you’ve only gotten your head around the new product, the beauty market moves onto the CC cream craze.

Before we go into the actual products, let’s do a recap first.

• BB Cream fondly known as beauty balms or blemish balms has a primary function as a makeup base that provides flawless natural coverage with skincare benefits. 
• It’s generally multi-purpose acting as a all-in-one primer, concealer and medium coverage foundation product to provide a natural and flaw finish to skin
• BB creams generally have a gel-like texture and have a dry to touch finish. 
• On top of being a moisturiser, it has additional skincare benefits depending on variety (whitening, healing, anti-ageing)
• It has UV protection often means you don't need a separate sun block. 

Then what is a CC cream?
Being the new cream of the crop, a CC cream is a colour correcting cream and similar to a BB cream being primarily a makeup product but packed with additional skincare benefits like vitamin C and E that focuses on improving skin clarity and tone. CC creams normally contain colour pigment that specially correct redness, pigmentation and broken capillaries as well as higher concentration of skincare

Today I’ll look at a few a bunch of BB creams and one of the CC cream released this year. Let’s start with the latest BB cream offerings.

Clarins Skin Perfecting BB Cream - RRP A$50 45ml 
Texture:  light weight cream with floral scent very easy to blend
Finish: semi matte finish and contains optical pigment to created radiant (not shiny) skin.
Coverage: medium buildable coverage that is long lasting
Benefits: broad spectrum SPF 25 mineral sunscreen so don’t need a separate sunscreen when used alone. and contains kiwi extract for anti-oxidants, katafray and hyaluronic acid to restore the skin’s moisture level and improve its softness.
Colour matching: available in 3 shades (light, medium, warm) I tried the medium one which was slightly too dark and I notice that it is more suited for those with red/beige undertones than those with yellow undertone – great to achieve a tanned look in summer for me. I'll be going for the light shade next time.
Best for: anyone looking for a multi tasking base that is moisturising and those with oily skin.
Clarins is available in Clarins counters in Myer, David Jones and online at Adore beauty. 

Face of Australia BB Cream (6 in 1) - RRP A$8.95 50ml
Texture: creamy with a light citrus scent blends without too much effort.
This is more of a tinted moisturiser in texture than what I’m accustomed to in BB, work quite or it will dry up and become gritty during blending. It is also prone to balling up when layered with other skincare or makeup powders.
Finish: natural finish with a healthy glow on skin
Coverage: quite sheer, providing a healthy tint to skin to even out light imperfection and sallowness to enhance your natural complexion.
Benefits: very hydrating, helping to soothe fine lines and protect skin from irritations with aloe vera, vitamin C, green tea and chamomile extract.
Colour matching: available in 2 shades (light/medium, medium/dark) - the light/medium one I tried matches well with beige/neutral skin undertones.
Best for: those with dry skin or those with fine lines as it very hydrating and will fill those lines without settling and those with relatively good skin as it doesn’t provide adequate coverage on its own. You may need more UV protection as it only contain UV filters not enough to achieve an SPF rating.
Face of Australia is available in Priceline, Big W, Kmart and online at Fashion Addict. 

Natio Pure Mineral Skin Perfecting BB Cream SPF15 - RRP A$14.95 50g
Texture: light gel lotion. Takes some time to blend in but worth the effort lightly aromatherapy scented with lavender and ylang ylang.
Finish: provides a natural dry-touch finish with a light glow.
Coverage: light to buildable medium coverage.
Benefits: one of the more lasting hydrating BB creams in this selection with vitamin E, jojoba oil and shea butter. Really effective with soothing redness or blemish marks
Colour matching: available in 3 shades (fair, medium, tan) – I used the fair one and although lighter than my skin colour, it matches quite well once blended in, especially when warmed up with some bronzer on top.
Best for: looking for a light hydrating base that addresses conditions like redness and rosacea.
Natio is available in Myer, David Jones, leading pharmacies and online. 

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector for sensitive skin - RRP A$13.95 50ml
Texture: is a fluid cream that is quite creamy and takes some time to blend and absorb into skin. This is a fragrance free offering to avoid irritating sensitive skin. Unfortunately, this BB cream easily balls up when mixed with other skincare (layered underneath) or foundation (for extra coverage).
Finish: a soft dewy finish with a light glow.
Coverage: quite sheer and is a bit streaky so might need other products over it to provide adequate coverage.
Benefits: with SPF 15, it does a decent job of reducing redness in skin and allows skin to breathe with its light sheer coverage. On oily skin types, it can look greasy within a few hours.
Colour matching: available in 2 shades, light and medium. Both are beige undertone so are more suited to those with pink/cool undertones.
Best for: those looking for good hydration and covering redness on good skin days.
Garnier is available in supermarkets, Priceline, Big W, Kmart and leading pharmacies. 

Clinque Moisture Surge CC Cream - RRP A$45 40ml
Texture: an unscented light gel fluid, it takes some effort to blend.
Finish: provides a natural dry-touch finish with healthy glow.
Coverage: medium finish but on my oily skin, it doesn’t last. About four hours later, my face seems to just eat up the product and I look like I’ve not used any product other than a sheer tinted moisturiser. Setting the product with powder stretches its lasting powder by a couple more hours.
Benefits: with SPF30, this CC cream contains lavender tinted micro beads to help correct sallowness  that instantly brightens up skin and full of hydrating ingredients that includes hyaluronic acid, aloe and trehalose to keep skin supple all day long.
Colour matching: available in 4 shades (very light, light, light/medium, medium/deep). I’m using light and it matches well with my skin tone
Best for: dryer skin types who are wants a light radiant glow.
Clinique is on counters in Myer, David Jones and online. 

I love Natio and Clarins BB creams for meeting all the criteria of a multi-purpose makeup/skincare product, Clinique is nice but seems to not last on oily skin and I suspect those with dryer skin would see more longevity when using it whilst Garnier and FOA were too sheer for my liking but is great for the no make up look for anyone with good skin that just need evening out of skin tones.

Overall thoughts 
Whilst I haven’t tried too many CC creams yet (next on my list is the L'oreal Nude Magique CC cream), I can’t say I see enough differences between CC and BB creams to think that they should be categorised separately. The current CC creams just seems to provide that little bit more coverage than the offerings of BB creams available (excluding the Asian BB creams which gives great medium coverage)  and contains optical pigments to improve the appearance of skintone.

What do you think of BB and CC creams? Have you tried one you like?

De-stressing With Scent

Work has recently been very intense, political and downright stressful so I've been burning the midnight oil more than usual this month. Add in a relationship break-up, on-going estate work bogging me down it's little wonder my stress and anxiety levels are hitting the roof and causing me to break out in hives on a daily basis!

Whenever I'm feeling stressed or low in spirits, I try to surround myself with the people I love. I find solace in their warmth and comforting hugs.

I also turn to scented products to help lift my spirits as I find that scent often has a positive influence and effect on my mood.

Glasshouse Triple Scented Candle - Monet's Garden*  - RRP A$39.95

Nothing soothes as well as calming aromas. To have the room filled with callming and aromatic scent for hours on end definitley improves my mood. My current favourite scented candle is Monet's Garden from Glasshouse. A heady bouquet of tuberose, lavendar and ylang ylang, its a perfect mixed of warm and sensual - it's like spending an uplifting afternoon in a garden full of Spring blooms. 

Available at David Jones, Peter Alexander and selected specialties stores. For more including international stocklists, check here.

Natio  Mediatate Shower Gel 240ml - RRP A$12.95

I love the spiced woodiness of the narcssus attar that awakens and relieves. Even though this is a shower gel, it is also capable of giving amazing ubbles for soothing warm baths. It's versatility has seen me finish up the bottle in less than 4 weeks - a record for a shower product for me.

Available in Myer, David Jones and selected pharmacies.

The Body Shop Deep Sleep Pillow & Body Mist 100ml - RRP A$29.95

Lavender is said to be calming, stress-relieving and helps with insomnia - pretty much all the things I need right now. Who knew lemon and lavendar combined with camomile can make such a soothing scent like this bottle of goodness? I can't say that this has solved my sleep issues but I do feel calmer after spraying it into the air and onto my pillow before going to bed. It also helps to clear my airways and helps me breath better.

Avaliable instores or online at The Body Shop.

Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist 50ml* - RRP A$35

This rose mist is my all time favourite scented face mist. It gives the right amount of skin refreshment, especially on a hot day and acts as a wonderful toner morning and night. It calms irritated skin and even though don't relieve my hives symptoms, soothes and cools down my skin temporarily. Given Rose is my all time favourite floral scent, every spritz transports me to a mid-summer's rose garden where I temporarily forget my worries.

Available at Myer, David Jones and online. 

How do you de-stress when there is too much going on in your life? I'd love to hear your tips. 

Products marked * were provided for consideration. Others were purchased by me.

Win: Natio Berry Beautiful Collection and more Berry swatches

Following the Natio Berry Beautiful palettes swatch post, I’ll wrap up the rest of the Berry Beautiful collection today with their lip colours, nail colours, eye liner and mascara all of which are new limited edition shades. 

Lip Colours – RRP A$15.95 

I'm surprised and impressed by Natio's lip colour hydrating formulas that leaves lips soft and moisturised. They glides on relatively easily and lasts a couple of hours before re-application is required to freshen up the colour. Both these shades are very wearable shades. 

Baby berry, a soft berry plum colour that is more a satin finish with a sheerer coverage.

Natio Baby Berry

Velvet Berry, a deeper berry shade with a semi-matte finish that gives a fuller coverage as it is more pigmented. 

L-R: Velvet Berry, Baby Berry

Nail Colours –RRP A$9.95 for 13ml 

High gloss formula, these polishes were quick drying and very smooth and easy to apply. They are fairly chip resistant too which makes them even more awesome! 

Berry You is a deep cherry red – I love vampy shades in cooler months and this one is a classic stunner.

Berry You - 2 coats in indoor white light

Very Berry is a dark plum purple – 2 coats and it’s almost purple black. A very edgy shade for those who like their digits dark. 

Very Berry - 2 coats in indoor white light

Eye Liner - RRP A$14.95 for 3.5ml 

Midnight Berry is a navy black liquid liner with a felt tip pen. 

I find that felt tips don’t work too well on my eye shape as I need many strokes to draw the line across my eyes and the felt tip can make the liquid become streaky going over it too mulitiple times. But once I get it right, the sharp tip does give precise application and when the liquid dries, the colour is pretty much smudge proof and stays all day with minimal fading by late afternoon.

Super Long Lash Mascara in Black – RRP A$14.95 for 10ml

Gives clump free sculpted lashes that are lengthened and defined perfectly. It isn’t the most volumising mascara but if lengthening and lifting power is what you want and need, then this is one mascara you need to check out. 

Natio Midnight Berry eye liner and Super Long Mascara, fresh beige eye shadow on lid from  Soft Berry palette

Natio's Berry Beautiful colleciton is out now at your nearest Myer, David Jones or selected pharmacy Natio counter. 

Giveaway: 

Love what you are seeing and hearing about Natio’s Berry Beautiful collection? Yes? Well I’ve got a great prize for 2 lucky readers.
Natio has kindly agreed to give away two sets of Berry Beautiful packs away on Things I Love worth A$82.75 each.

The 1st prize pack is the Soft Berry pack for those who want a romantic and gentle foray into Natio’s berry world (contains the Soft Berry Mineral Beautiful palette, lip Colour in Baby Berry, Nail Colour in Berry You, Liquid Liner in Midnight Berry and Super Long Lash Mascara in Black).

The 2nd prize pack is the Dark Berry pack for those who want and crave more drama are daring berry shades in their life (contains the Deep Berry Mineral Beautiful palette, lip Colour in Velvet Berry, Nail Colour in Very Berry, Liquid Liner in Midnight Berry and Super Long Lash Mascara in Black).

All you need to be in the draw to win one of this awesome prize pack is: 1. Be a subscriber of this blog via Google Connect or email (either one will suffice). 

2. Comment below and tell me which Berry prize pack you want to win and why and note down your subscription method.
3. This giveaway is open to residents with an Australian or New Zealand address. Only one entry per person.

4. The total value of the prizes is A$165.50. The prize pack will be sent by Natio to the winner's chosen address.

5. This giveaway closes at midnight AEST 2nd April 2011. 2 winners will be chosen by Random.org. with the 1st winner awarded the prize pack of their preference. Winners will be announced on this blog no later than 3 days after the close of the draw.

These products were provided for consideration. 

Swatches: Natio Berry Beautiful Colour Palettes

Natio’s Colour collection just got bigger and better with the launch of the Berry Beautiful collection earlier this month.

This limited edition collection captures the change to bolder colours for the Autum/Winter season featuring fresh pink undertones and deep berry shades to suit all tastes. The Berry You collection includes 2 mineral colour palettes, 2 lip colours in Baby Berry and Velvet berry, 2 nail colours in Berry You and very Berry, a liquid eye liner in Midnight Berry and a super long lash mascara in black

You know my love for palettes so I'm swatching this from the collection first. 

These eye/cheek/lip colour palettes come in 2 shade choices – Berry Soft, a fresh palette containing soft pink eye shades and lighter lip colours that for those after soft romantic looks that suit daytime wears and Deep Berry which features bolder deeper berry shades for lips and warmer deep shades for dramatic eyes for when you want to turn up the drama. Both compacts contain the same shades for the blusher and bronzer.

Soft Berry Mineral Colour Palette

Lips:

Lip glow #1 is a pearly shell pink 

Lip gloss in lily is light shimmery pink shade

Lip glow in #3 is a warm shimmery peach colour

Cheeks: 

sunswept bronzer is a golden peach bronze shade, 

warm day – pink is a cool pale pink colour enhancer and highlighter for the cheeks for those with darker skintones. I like combining the 2 shades to create a contoured look.

Eye shadows:

fresh beige – a shimmery taupe beige for highlighting, 

fresh deep pink – a mid cool pink for all over lid colour,

soft day brown – a mid warm brown that is great for contour and crease work.

Soft Berry swatch - indoor white light on NC30 skin

Deep Berry Mineral Colour Palette

Lips shades:

Lip glow in #2 is a pearly cashmere beige 

Lip gloss in grape is pale shimmery berry grape shade

Lip glow in #5 is a shimmery rose berry colour

Cheeks: 

Sunswept bronzer is a golden peach bronze shade, 

warm day –pink is a cool pale pink colour enhancer and highlighter for the cheeks for those with darker skintones.

Eye shadows:

Subtle glamour - a shimmery light gold beige that is amazing as a brow highlighter.

Smokey eyes brown – a mid cool brown with shimmer for contouring and lid work

Smokey eyes black – a shimmery black that adds depth and dimensions.  

Deep Berry swatch - indoor white light on NC30 skin

My initial thoughts on these palettes

• Harmonious colours that complements each other perfectly and take all the guess work out for you when deciding on makeup looks this season.
• These mineral colours are soft and silky to apply with no fall out experienced. All have fine shimmer in the eye shadows that enhances and add dimensions to looks.
• The mineral blush and bronzer work very well together to give a defined contoured glowy look. 
• The palette has 2 sponge tip applicators and a mini blush brush in a handy glossy slimline compact with a large mirror. It is very sturdy and clicks when shut tightly and would easily takes a few knocks in the handbag with no issues.
• Both palettes are very versatile and wearable colours and would work well on almost any complexion. They are great quality in terms of pigmentation, blendability it is quite hard for me to pick a favourite. 
• My only gripe is that the lip colours are quite sheer so I use them more as a lip gloss than anything else. These shades are from their permanent minerals range.

As these are limited editions, I'd try to get my hands on them quick stat if I were you or check in again later in the week to see how you can win one of these palettes and other items from the Berry You collection.

RRP A$24.95 at your nearest Myer, David Jones or selected pharmacy Natio counter.
These products were provided for consideration.

Win: Natio's Pure Mineral Correctors Range

I was recently invited to Natio’s briefing for the launch of their Mineral Correctors range as well as some limited edition colour makeup for the current Autum/Winter season.

I've previously wrote how much I love the lip treatment but before I go further about their latest products, let me get you more acquainted with the brand.

About Natio

• Founded by husband and wife Max and Vivienne Ross in 1993, Natio’s heritage stems from a long line that has been in the manufacture of skincare and cosmetics business over the past 75 years and actually have ties with another great Australian brand - Face of Australia. 
• Is one of the fastest growing beauty brands in Australian pharmacies and department stores, Natio holds a strong belief of producing plant based, gentle and effective beauty products that are affordable and accessible to consumers.
• Does not promise miracles, just realistic beauty solutions that work for everyday people.
• Website contains full ingredients list of their products – something I love when brands are open and honest. 

Pure Mineral Correctors Range

The latest addition to the permanent range, I was given a low down of these new offerings by Natio product development manager Susheel Gandhi and MUA trainer Linda Ridell who showed how these product works to address the top beauty skin concerns today’s women have - namely dark circles, skintone, dullness and makeup slip. 

Star features of this range  

• liquid products for silky blendability, ease of application and long lasting finish to help disguise blemishes, and brighten complexions
• contains a blend of plant extracts like jojoba oil, vitamin C & E to hydrate skin and is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin. 
• has a product to address each concern in the range but you don’t have to use them all together, you can just pick the product that suits your needs most and complement it with your existing makeup. 

Fight redness with Pure Mineral Redness Corrector RRP A$14.95 for 15g

Has micro green pigments suspended in liquid to neutralise redness whilst luminous minerals deflect light away and helps to reduce redness. Can be worn alone or under concealer for added hiding powers. 

Fight dark cirlces with Pure Mineral Dark Circle Corrector RRP A$14.95 for 15g

Yellow base liquid formula helps to hide the trouble spot for many of us. Also has light diffusing pigments to help brighten up the skin area.

Fight blemishes with Pure Mineral Concealer RRP A$14.95 for 2g

Housed in a twist pen brush applicator to dispense pigmented light reflecting mineral liquid to help hide and conceal spots and imperfections. Available in light or medium to match most skin tones 

Fight tired eyes with Eye Brightener RRP A$16.95 for 4ml

Can be used as a brow highlighter, a brightening all over eye shadow, dotted along the inner corner of eyes as a highlighter or above the cheekbones to illuminate and show off your bone structure.

Fight dullness with face illuminator RRP A$17.95 for 30g

Adds a fine shimmery gleam to skin for radiance and a glowing complexion with this easy to use liquid illuminator. Available in 2 shades, soft glow for a soft radiant everyday look or bronze glow for a summery golden sun kissed look. 

Get fresher makeup with Pure mineral Face Primer RRP A$14.95 for 30ml

Oil free matifying formula has a light lavender scent and gives a good base for coloured makeup to stick to and stay fresh longer throughout the day.

Get more intense eye colours with Pure Mineral Eye Primer RRP A$14.95 for 15g
Make your eye makeup more intense and less prone to creases. This is light and easily absorbed cream that   makes a good base to coloured eye makeups. 

What I’ve found with the Pure Mineral Correctors range 

• Very pigmented products – a little goes a long way. 
• Easy to blend due to liquid form of products, it did give very seamless applications. Products can be easily thinned out for natural coverage or layered for fuller coverage. 
• My pick of the collection is the soft glow facial illuminator, dark circle corrector which has great pigmentation, eye brightener for natural looking eye enhancer and the eye and the redness corrector to combat minor redness I have around the nose area and around my cheeks. 
• I found the twist pen concealer packaging akward at times. Sometime multiple clicks yield no concealer yet another twist and a big gush of concealer would flow out, making it hard to dispense the exact amount for use all the time. 
• Although marketed to suit all skin types and tones, I found that it was slightly too light on my skintone when using all the products at once, and would need to warm it up with a bronzer to get colour back into my face. It would be more suited to anyone of fair to light medium skintone – eg. NC/NW 30 or below (I’m currently NC30-35) 

Natio's Pure Mineral Correctors range is out now at your nearest Myer, David Jones or selected pharmacy Natio counter. International readers, you can get their Natio skincare fix at Sasa.com 

Giveaway
And here's the great news. The lovely people at Natio has kindly agreed to sponsor a giveway with this post. One Lucky reader will win the entire range of the New Natio Pure Minerals Range - that's all 7 corrective products valued at A$112.65.

All you need to do is: 

1. Be a subscriber of this blog via Google Connect or email (either one will suffice).

2. Comment below and tell me which skin concerns you want to address with Natio’s Mineral Corrector products and how you are subscribed to the blog.
3. The winner will be able to choose the shade of their choice for the face illuminator and the pure mineral concealer. The prize will be sent by Natio to the winner's chosen address. 

4. This giveaway is open to residents with an Australian or New Zealand address. Only one entry per person. 

5. This giveaway closes at midnight AEST 31st March 2011. A winner will be chosen by Random.org. and announced on this blog.

~~~~This Competition is now closed~~~~

For those who love colours, I have some limited edition Natio Berry Beautiful makeup prizes to be won, so be sure to check that out too!

These products were provided for consideration.

Review: Natio Lip Treatment w UV Filters

Do you have lips that are in a constant state of dry, cracked mess crying for some TLC? We know the solution to that is to hydrate them with lip balms, glosses and regular exfoliation, but what's the best products to deliver these results and give you soft supple pouts?

I'm always in search for better products to rescue my super-duper dry lips, which are exposed to the crazy Melbourne weather and the daily air conditioning at work.  I have to exfoliate my poor pouts every day while showering because of the dry flaky skin but this makes them slightly raw afterwards and I need rich nourishing products to nurse them back to suppleness and not so bee-stung looking (sorry - overly fat lips do not look good on anyone other than Angelina Jolie, and lets leave it at that).

I find lip balms do an okay job but wanted to amp up the treatment factor and looked around and found this local Aussie goody.

Natio Lip Treatment with UV filters

Ingredients: Octyl Methoxycinnamate, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Ethylene/Propylene/ Styrene Copolymer, Butylene/Ethylene/ Styrene Copolymer, Octyl Methoxycinnamate, 4-Methylbenzylidene Camphor, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Tocopher yl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Flavour (Aroma) Menthol.

• Applies like a gloss but nourishes and protects like a balm. Shine and protection. Win-win!
• Contains vitamin E, aloe vera that gives deep long-lasting conditioning properties - easily gives me over an hour of relieved lips in the office which is almost double of most other lip products I've tried. 
• Not tacky or sticky on lip - in fact they feel rather slippery and my lips well lubricated - must be that aloe gel at work there. Just my kind of lip products
• Gives glossy  high shine - I love slicking this over my favourite lip pencil colour to add an new dimension to lip products. 
• Has UV filters to protect those your pout. You may not realise but your lips can get burnt after prolonged exposure in the sun, giving rise to more flaky lips which could lead to dis-colourations along the edges of lips or worse - abnormal growths that transforms to nasty things cancer on, so sun-protection on lips is a MUST like every other part of your body. 
• Does have a slight tingling feeling upon initial application from the menthol - I'm not sure I like the sensation but I'm willing to put up with it for all the other goodness it provides me. 
• Great hygienic squeeze-out tube applicator. No wand applicators that could contaminate products by dipping back into product after on-going use. 
• Tip: make sure you keep your hydration levels up during the day by drinking plenty of water to keep your puckers smooth. Whenever I don't drink enough, I definitely feel my lips going downhill faster than usual. 

I always reach for this lip treatment when my lips are chapped or cracked and need extra TLC. Believe it or not, I think this stuff is better on my lips than Lucas Papaw ointment and I love that for everything.  I keep one in my handbag, another at home and a third at my desk to make sure I always have access to it.

What lip treatments have you tried for super dry lips that flake every day? I'm keen to try other products that I may not have come across that do just as well and doesn't have the menthol tingling sensation.

Rating: 9.5/10. My can't live without for the past Winter season.
RRP A$9.95 at Natio Online, Myer, David Jones and leading pharmacies.