I had received a sample of the Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream by mail a couple of weeks ago, and since the forecast for today was super hot and humid (first day of a heatwave, yikes!), I decided to apply this to my face instead of my usual foundation. I know this Beauty Balm Cream has been out for a while, and I had heard mixed reviews ever since it hit the shelves. My take on it: I really like it! :) The fact that my sister walked into my room right after smearing it on my face and asked me if I had makeup on made it a done deal for me! She told me I had a nice glow and was wondering how my face looked so dewy, since my foundation leaves my skin really matte.
I got mine in the shade Light/Medium since the sample came in that shade and it matched my skin pretty well. Granted, I am a little tanned now, so if I were to use this in the winter I think it would be too dark for me. The consistency is hard to describe, it is not quite creamy, yet it is not runny - the closest consistency that comes to mind is that of a primer. It definitely gives a nice glow to the skin (see the last picture), evens out any discoloration, and is really light weight and moisturizing. What I really appreciate is that there is a SPF of 15, especially since I plan on mostly using it in the summer.
The coverage is not the best, I would say it is light to medium (if you apply a second layer). It didn't quite cover my acne as I would have liked, but it did cover some of the redness. I used a pressed powder to lock in the product, but this is optional. It also has a refreshing citrus smell.
I got this from Shoppers Drug Mart, and for anyone of you who would like to purchase this, it is on sale this week! Retail price is $21.99 (which I think is so overpriced), and it is now on sale for $16.49. I had a $3 off coupon which came with the sample, so I ended up paying only $13.49! I love saving money! :)
(Just for comparison, I saw the Smashbox BB cream and swatched it at the same drugstore - I found that the light shade was a little too light for me, and I found it harder to rub into my skin. Price-wise, it was $49! . . .that alone made me stick to my Garnier BB cream!)
Pros:
- combines many products such as foundation, moisturizer, sunscreen, and primer into one
- no need for makeup brushes or sponges, your hands will do :)
- lots of product (75mL instead of the usual 30mL for foundation)
- does what it claims
- super light weight
Cons:
- on the pricier side. . . although not as pricey as Smashbox and other high end brands
- not recommended for oily skin
- not the best coverage
So, bottom line: the pros out weight the cons for me! :)
Have you tried this BB cream? What's your take on it?
Nat xx
Essence has two tinted moisturizers too, I couldn't find one of them (the better one), but people say only amazing things about it, they say that's a lot better than the Garnier BB cream. I own the other one which is great too. It's got really light coverage and that's what I need, and since I have very light skin the Granier BB cream doesn't match my skin at all. However the Essence one is almost perfect :) And the price is... ridiculous! It cost about 2.50 CAD :D I don't know if you can find them there but if you can, they're worth a try :) Here's a review: http://allthingsfabulousblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/tried-and-tested-pure-skin-tinted.html
ReplyDeleteI see how even the light/medium Garnier BB cream can be too dark! It matches my skin now because I am slightly darker after having spent some time in the sun :) By the time I lose my tan, I know it won't match. The ones from Essence sound really good, and for the price, you can't go wrong! I was looking at their products at the drugstore a couple of days ago but I didn't see any of their BB creams :( The display is quite small so I bet they don't carry all of their products :( For my first time trying a BB Cream, I was pretty impressed with the one from Garnier, but I'm sure there are some other good ones out there :)
ReplyDeleteI was not brave enough to try the Garnier BB cream on my face, as a lot of people say it causes break outs :S
Deleteoh my goodness i can't believe the price difference from Canada to the U.S.! i reviewed this BB cream too and enjoyed it. since i have combination/oily skin, it did take me a couple of tries to get the application right. great review!
ReplyDeletehttp://katiegolightlyx.blogspot.com
katie x
I know, it's like that for everything here in Canada :( Everytime I go to the States everything seems so cheap lol! :P
DeleteIf you're still buying this, it's a lot cheaper @ Walmart
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