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

Smashbox 3 PC Bestseller Mini's (Ulta Exclusive Gift)

Ulta, must you keep me coming back with your awesome gifts? We all love freebies right? Well check this one out, because i'm really loving this promo lovelies. I placed a holiday order with ulta.com and in addition to receiving a nifty little beauty bag full of goodies, I received this as well. It's free with any $35 Smashbox purchase and I must say amazing. It comes with a makeup bag and includes samples of photofinish primer, lip enhancing gloss (sheer color version) and full exposure mascara. The samples are tiny but are still pretty good size and they are absolutely perfect for throwing in my makeup bag for class or any other sort of travel. This is a great way to try a few different products with enough uses to make a final decision about purchasing. There's nothing I hate more than a single use sample because it's almost impossible to form a solid opinion about it, especially with a high end brand item. No one wants to spend $30+ on something they may or may not end up loving.

 Photofinish and I are old friends. this was the first makeup primer that I ever used before I moved onto the NYX Shine Killer & Pore Filler versions. Even though i'm well acquainted with this product, i'm glad to see it and I will be sticking it in my on the go makeup bag. The size is 0.25 oz.

Shimmery lip products are not something that I normally go for, i'm a matte lip kind of girl but, I will say I've really been enjoying this lip gloss and it is absolutely chock-full of shimmer (seriously..it is) When used sparingly though, it creates a nice little sheen to my lips. I really like that it's non-sticky and pretty long lasting, I only use a couple of swipes and it stays on for hours. I can't see myself purchasing though only because gloss is something that I just don't use enough to buy, especially a high end one. The color I received was "Radiant". The size is 0.14 oz.

I had high hopes for this mascara but it did absolutely nothing for my lashes and when I say nothing, I mean it. My lashes were one micro step up from being completely natural. It separated my lashes nicely and I didn't have any clumps or flaking but, I suspect the reason for that is no matter how much I applied, the mascara just would not build up. Somehow, the fifth coat looked just like the first. The size is 0.14 oz.

Even though the mascara was a dud for me, i'm still happy about everything else. While they could have easily packaged the samples in a plastic baggie, they went the extra mile and included an actual makeup bag and since it's a freebie, you can't beat it. Thanks Smashbox & Ulta!

You can check out the bag and add it to your cart here, i'm sure quantities are limited so snatch yours up soon. Ulta stores have a nasty habit of not having their promo gifts in stock or having so few that they run out, if you're looking to redeem this offer in stores, I suggest calling ahead and making sure that they have it.

If you recently placed a qualifying order but didn't receive this, print out your receipt, call your local Ulta and explain the situation. You should be able to go and pick it up. This also applies to any other promo or free gift item, provided that it is not an online exclusive and is in stock.

Update: This promo is no longer available

Much love and Happy Holidays xo