Review: Garnier B.B. Creams - a miracle?

Looks like the typical tall and skinny,
short and squat pair...

Well, not only have I pretty much missed the boat on this one, it's had the chance to do a trip of the world before I so much as got to the pier. But I have tried out BB cream!

BB cream stands for 'blemish balm', originating from Asia. There, it is touted as an idol's secret, a superb miracle of skincare, skin-smoothening, soothing and sun protecting all in one! Sssss. Well, that's Asia, and whether these claims are true or not, Western ones are said to be a rather different beast, with fewer features but more of a 'baby foundation', maybe. No-makeup makeup.

I've not tried foundation before as my skin is fairly well behaved. I usually have maybe one or two spots and they are more likely to be little pimples (or ex-pimples...) than 'I AM CYST, DESTROYER OF WORLDS' type pustules. But England has been going through a cold snap (thanks, Siberia) and my usually oily skin has gone combination, drying out in random areas. Not much I could do about flaky eyebrows short of massaging half a bottle of Head and Shoulders into it, but I figured maybe I could give BB cream a go to cover up dryness on my cheekbones.

In a giveaway, I got a free bottle of Garnier BB Miracle Skin Perfector cream in 'light' and 'age-defying'. Age defying isn't what I really go for, but if it's free... Still, can I sue Garnier if I don't look 12 afterwards?

The colour was good (though surprising - I am not 'light' by most standards) but I wasn't terribly happy with the look - it was shiny! So shiny. But I dusted some translucent powder over it (incidentally, half the bathroom too) and soon both me and the sink had a lovely matte complexion. That is, until the next day, when I broke out. :/ And that never happens!

But it seemed like a pity. I bought a bottle in 'light' and 'oil-free' instead. The oil-free version was a lot more runny (more a liquid than a cream) and less pink. Also smelled more strongly of alcohol. However, it seemed that light actually was now light. Too light for me! :c I wanted the colour of the old one but the properties of the new... so I put blobs of both on my face! Science.

HELP, HELP, SKIN DISEASE

Aaaaand we're done! Just kidding. The next step is to blend it all in. I tie my hair back to do makeup, so... forehead warning.

FOREHEAD

The mix is pretty good! It helped conceal the remnants of spots past on my forehead. I'm not too fond of the SPF 25, because that would cause a cast in photos, but I'm sure for people who want to just wear it every day instead of foundation it would be useful. Using mostly the oil-free version prevented me from breaking out too, so I'd definitely recommend that for oily skin type.

All done!

So that's that. Pretty good for everyday wear, but I need something a bit better for cosplaying. I have a MAC concealer and really like it, so perhaps I will take a trip down to the store and get colour matched for some proper foundation sometime.