Making My Very Own "BB Cream"

The hype over BB creams has been absolutely insane lately. Almost every major cosmetic brand and even some smaller ones have jumped on the coveted BB train; some brands have even gone so far as to re-package their already existing foundations and tinted moisturizers as BB creams. Crazy right? Well what if I told you that making your very own BB cream was as easy as combining some of the products that are already present in your makeup drawer?

If you're new to the BB craze, here's a little backstory. BB creams originated in Asia as an all-in-one or multi-purpose beauty product, the purpose being to make your skin look flawless by using less individual products, therefore saving you both time and money. These traditional BB creams contain foundation, sunblock, moisturizer, primer and sometimes a serum and some sort of skin whitening agent. The one flaw? They come in an EXTREMELY limited shade range, only two different shades at the very most. Naturally, once the BB craze came to America, the limited shades had to change and that's where everything else changed as well. American "BB creams" are hugely different from the original ones, to the point that they are really just tinted moisturizers and nothing more. They often don't contain any of the ingredients that made the original BB's so famous. Now, that doesn't mean that they're bad products, they just aren't on the same level that BB creams are known for.

As a person with dark acne scars, I've always been intrigued by BB creams but since I don't wear foundation they were a no for me. I do however use moisturizer, primer and pore filler so why not combine them? And that my friends is how it all started, my very own BB cream for my skintone and skin needs with no shopping or trying out additional products needed.

Please excuse my dry hands!

Always start with clean hands and materials! You can make this mixture in a jar, on a palette or the back of your hand. I don't have specific ingredient amounts, everything is completely custom and the amounts depend on what you specifically need for your skin.

Step 1: Start with your everyday moisturizer. I used my AHAVA Time To Hydrate and since I have combination to dry skin, I used more moisturizer than any other ingredient.

Step 2: Add your foundation. Since I don't use foundation, I used my trusty NYX Pore Filler which is tinted.

Step 3: Add your primer. The NYX Pore Filler is already considered a primer but for the extra oomph I added a bit of Smashbox Photo Finish (clear).

Step 4: Adding a serum. This is completely optional. I prefer my "BB cream" with just steps 1, 2 and 3 but, if you want to stick with the traditional route of using a serum, I added just a touch of my Philosophy Miracle Worker Anti-Aging Serum. I prefer my mixture without this because it's a lot less heavy.

Step 5: Adding SPF/Sunblock.This step is also completely optional. If neither your moisturizer or foundation contain SPF, you can add a touch of sunblock.

Step 6: Mix well.

So there you have it, I made my very own custom BB with ingredients that I already owned, used and were familiar with. The greatest thing is that no matter what ingredients or products that you use for your own mixture, you have peace of mind knowing exactly what you're using and you have the freedom to control the amount of everything. The final result of me using steps 1, 2 and 3 was a very light, silky mixture that made my skin look flawless and feel incredibly soft. Try it and see what works best for you!

As with anything, take caution and if any irritation occurs, stop.

Much love xo

Aubrey Elizabeth Apothecary Custom Soaps- A Review

I looked up this seller on Etsy after a friend of mine gave me a couple of her soaps for Christmas. One of the soaps that I was given was a delicious cherry and licorice scented ZOMBIE soap (EXTREME horror fan here!) I was so intrigued by this product that I immediately looked up her shop and that, my friends, is where it all started.

This shop literally sells almost every shape and scent of soap that you can imagine, from waffles and sushi to cupcakes and guns, all deliciously fragrant. I spoke to Aubrey on how everything worked and I ended up placing a pretty decent order on almost everything that caught my eye. My favorites were the cinnamon buns, Hostess chocolate cupcake and the American Rocket.

Most of her products are in the $5.00-$10.00 range and they last awhile so it's pretty affordable. Vegan and goat milk options are also available! My only gripe is I would order products in small batches because for the lighter colored soaps, the longer that they sit around in the cellophane, they become a bit discolored. They still smell pretty good though. Just something to keep in mind.

Overall, I really love these soaps and I'm looking forward to trying the sushi set next. There's no better pleasure in life than smelling like a chocolate cupcake. If you're wondering, yes the scents do linger, especially the heavier scents like cherry and chocolate. Not only did my bathroom smell amazing, so did I for a few hours. There's nothing I hate more than having a wonderfully scented bath product and the smell dissipates five minutes after using it. As far as moisturizing, the glycerin that these soaps contain did lock in a bit of moisture but nothing that lasted too long, I would definitely follow up with a body butter or lotion afterwards.

To get the most out of your soaps, I've found that it's better to cut them in half or more depending on the size. The is because not only is it easier to handle but you aren't worrying about the heat or shower moisture evaporating the soap and you get to use every little bit! That is, if you can handle ruining the cute designs.

Her soaps sometimes contain fresh ingredients like cinnamon, so if you have an allergy PLEASE read her listings, she lists all the ingredients right on the page. Her soaps also contain: glycerin, coloring, phthalate-free fragrance, propylene glycol, sorbitol, water, sodium stearate, sodium laureth sulfate, sodium myristate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, triethanolamine, titanium dioxide, mica and oxide.

*These soaps DO contain sulfates*

You can check out the shop here

Her products tend to go by season so if you see something that you like, don't hesitate to get it!

Much love xo