Product Review: Garnier BB Cream

Garnier- Miracle Skin Perfecter BB Cream- Light/Medium

I Love This.

BB Creams are a new revolution for the United States, but have been in existence since 1967. They were developed in Germany to protect sensitive skin following laser treatments. It found its way into the beauty world in the Asian markets when Korean actresses recommended it. It is said to heal skin while working like a foundation to provide coverage; boasting qualities such as anti-wrinkle, anti-acne, skin tone evening, and lightening scars all while providing a decent SPF to protect.

After using this product, which I picked up on a random Target run for about $11, I am definitely interested in learning more about all BB Creams. As soon as I got in my car I put it on (I had gone out with no make-up that day) and was impressed with the immediate results. I have always been a fan of tinted moisturizers for the warmer months, but have found that they sometimes lack the coverage I'm looking for to make my skin look natural and flawless. This is a great alternative, after a couple days my skin is glowing and I really like how it feels. Its a very light product, though until it dries (5 minutes MAX) it looks a bit greasy.

I expect we will be seeing a LOT more of these being released in drugstore brands, and they have already been released in a lot of our favorite American brands such as Clinique, Too Faced, and Smashbox. There are also many ways to order the Asian brands, which are widely considered to be the "real thing" and these new ones are just a knock-off. The Asian brands such as Skin79, Missha, and BRTC are known to have more yellow undertones as well as being more opaque to reach the porcelain skin look that is popular in many countries in Asia.

I have hardly set foot in the BB Cream scene, picking it up more out of convenience and curiosity than anything else. I am very pleased by what I have seen so far and will definitely be reading reviews and testing as many as I can. There will be more reviews to come comparing brands. As for the Garnier product, if you are a tinted moisturizer lover like me but generally use foundation to get the coverage you need I would give this a try. I have read a lot of reviews on it saying that it is not a true BB cream, rather a glorified tinted moisturizer. I haven't tried any other creams so I cannot say for sure but I love this product.  Especially as I'm rushing out the door to pick up the kids I nanny, I am so excited to be able to just throw this on and feel beautiful with no fuss and not have to worry about whether it is applied perfectly.

Brands I Love: Brandy Melville

Last summer I spent a WONDERFUL month studying fashion branding in Florence, Italy. I went with a bunch of girls from my school along with our amazing professor; it was as if we took our class and plucked it out of boring old Virginia and dropped it 3,000 miles away. While we were there we toured the Tuscan wineries, hiked Cinque Terre, rode gondolas in Venizia, and of course shopped until we were living off a sparse diet of pasta, pesto, and prosciutto (or was that last one just me?)

One of our hands down favorite places to shop was the Brandy Melville shop a short walk from our classroom. It screamed California chic with a European flair. Since coming to the United States in 2008, three stores have opened nationwide; New York, Santa Monica, and Honolulu. Unfortunately being in the DC Metropolitan area, I am nowhere near any of these locations. I was heartbroken upon my return to America until Brandy Melville opened an online shop which not only sells their gorgeous, soft, and fashion forward pieces, but adds new items weekly! The pricing is just as affordable for a college student/recent graduate as they were across the ocean. I put in an order on a Monday and received it by Friday using the cheapest shipping choice.


Pieces I'm Craving:

Asymmetrical Skirt
I've been slowly getting into the asymmetrical skirt trend, which I find to be a fresh and interesting way to stay cool in the warmer weather while remaining work appropriate as a nanny. Brandy Melville is offering a few colors, prints, and fabrics; I can't decide which one to buy! I'm leaning towards the one in the middle because I feel like my closet is lacking interesting prints.

                           

Stackable bracelets and rings

The jewelry offerings range from $3.00-$30.00 although most hit around $15.00. The charming bow ring below is only $4.00!

Tops

Something about this sweet, floaty, sheer tank is really appealing to me. I love that they paired it with denim shorts, however it could so easily be dressed up or down.  Of course the skull trend is going strong and the edgy back of this shirt would look great with a floral skirt and girly jewelry.

 

This already cult favorite among fashionistas in the know is sure to grow to a broader base as word gets out. I ordered this tank and it fit just like the picture suggested and the cotton/modal blend makes for an incredibly soft and touchable piece of clothing. Brandy Melville has yet to disappoint and you should check them out NOW!