BB Cream…I’m sure by now you’ve all heard of this innovative product…and if you’re like me, you’ve had some questions! (Umm like, what does BB stand for?) Today I have the pleasure of being on Smitten With Pretty where I will be giving you the whole BB Cream Breakdown: what is it, what makes it special, and who should buy it! So make sure to stop by Smitten With Pretty so you can get the 411!

I have definitely been on the BB cream bandwagon for some time now…testing and trying and comparing. I wanted to know what all the fuss was about! So here are the ones I’ve tried so far (in the order I tried them) and what I think about them…

 

 

 

1. Smashbox $39: I liked it. “Hmm…so this is BB Cream, huh!” Felt nice, covered well for something that doesn’t call itself a foundation, and it’s oil absorbing properties were a pleasant surprise! Didn’t feel slick or overly shiny like I do with tinted moisturizers. Great to know that despite the SPF it is camera friendly. I was intrigued to try other brands to compare…

 

2. Estée Lauder DayWear $38: A little sticky, didn’t spread as nicely as the one by Smashbox. “Perhaps I bought too dark of a shade?? I think I’ll go back to using the Smashbox one.”

 

 

3. Clinique $37: “Hellooooo BB cream I officially love you!” Covers amazingly, anti aging benefits too? Yes please! I didn’t feel the need to wear foundation and loved that it was actually bettering my skin. Stays put all day. Instant love!

–insert me trying the Lauder one again, “I’m a little more tan now, maybe I’ll like it? Nope.” Even more dissatisfied after trying the Clinique.

 

4. Diorsnow $60: “Dior you never let me down!” Texture was great, I love that it’s in the Diorsnow line (corrects tone) and the SPF 55 packs a wallop! Only currently available in one tinted shade tho. So if you have deeper skin it’ll look ashy. And if you’re tan, your face will look lighter than your body. So for most this will not be a stand alone product, you’ll want to use it under foundation. But if your fair complected, it’s perf! Consider this your sporty BB, your go to the gym or hiking or beach makeup option! I’m curious to try their Hydralife BB now… 

–insert me trying Lauder again, ” I will like this, I will like this! Ugh, no I feel splotchy and like it just doesn’t settle right!” Boo! I really wanted to like you! BUT what I will say is that I think a dryer or more mature skin may really like it. Just not right for me I guess.
–Continued to alternate between the Clinique and Dior. Oh ya what about Smash? Used it again for a couple days…nice! I still think Clinique is better tho.

5. Garnier $12: “Ok my drugstore dare, what do ya got? Hmm…” Not bad, definitely a good budget friendly option. But not as good as the others I tried. More sticky, not as great of coverage. Reminiscent of tinted moisturizer–insert Lauder flashbacks–So comparable to Lauder’s I suppose.

Well, there is my honest detailed journey with BB cream…which took well over 2 months by the way! I definitely liked Clinique the best, and loved the Dior for those extra sun-filled days. When it’s all said and done, I’d say BB is a must for everyone! Make it your Summer best friend (It’ll probably end up being your favorite for every season! It will be for me!). You just can’t beat the benefits!

Cheers to BB Cream, Best Friends, and Benefits,

 

Meet Gina Scheiber, makeup artist extraordinaire! Gina studied makeup and special FX at Make-Up Designory, and you’ve seen her amazing work on music videos, commercials, TV (like a little show called American Idol) and has collab’d on major motion pictures (like Pirates of the Caribbean!)!

She can do everything from monsters to movie stars!

I am honored to have her on P&P today and excited that she is letting us take a peek in her makeup bag! Here are the things she cannot live without…

 

 

 

 

Gina’s advice? “Know your tools. The better they are, the better your application will be. You’re only as good as the tools you use, so spend a little extra on durable high quality products!”

 

Cheers to Makeup, Movies, and Monsters,

 

 

The Makeup Show is an annual pro-only event put on by The PowderGroup (if you’re a makeup artist, do yourself a favor and google TPG!) Last year was amazing so I knew I could not miss this year!

The show is in a handful of major cities (NYC, London, etc) and luckily Los Angeles is one of them! So I took a roadtrip with fellow artist Maya and fellow beauty vlogger Tree!

The body art and special fx were amazing!

Of course with all of the shopping I was on cloud nine! Clockwise from left: shopping at the Inglot booth, Tree examining part of her loot, even though I knew I’d be buying more I couldn’t resist packing a decent amount to go with me, you never know right?

I was able to meet some amazing artists: clockwise from top left: Alex, me, and MJ meeting celebrity makeup artist Troy Jensen (who’s worked with a ton of celebs including JLo, Rachel Bilson, Megan Fox), Me and Momma Makeup Sharon Gault (has worked extensively with Lady Gaga), Me with the lovely Lori Taylor from Smashbox (I just LOVED her sequined jacket!), and legends Byrd Holland and Maurice Stein (They’ve worked on legendary actors and movies including Jimmy Stewart and Planet of the Apes).

It was so incredible to hear from all of these artists, and the perspective of the last older artists was invaluable! Hearing about how Byrd motioned and fought for female makeup artists to be allowed into union and industry gave me chills!

Snippets from the trip, clockwise from top left: Mario Dedivanovic (Kim Kardashian’s personal artist), the big wall of FB statuses (I had to add Polish and Pout to the wall!), our room at the Marriott, me and Maya striking a pose!

One of the highlights from the weekend was hearing from artist Bill Corso. You know his work from Lemony Snickets, The Grinch, and recently John Carter. He explained the creative process behind the makeup in John Carter, even showing us the concepts that got tossed! Clockwise from top pic: sketches of the tattoos drawn onto the actors, the princess of Mars before and after makeup, the artist himself speaking.

The show has a heavy educational focus, which I love! So much information, advice, and ideas swirling in my head now! So this week I will catch some time on the beach to process it all!

The plan is to attend next year in NYC! I cannot wait!

Cheers to Makeup, Movies, and the Marriott,