glambunctious!: REVIEW! | Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream

Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream

Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream is an "8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector". According to Maybelline, the 8 skin perfector benefits are:

1) Blurs imperfections

2) Brightens

3) Evens skin tone

4) Smoothes

5) Hydrates

6) Enhances

7) Protects with SPF 30 (via 1.15% titanium dioxide)

8) 0% oils and heavy ingredients

I've heard good things about this particular BB cream. I saw it on sale at my local Target for $7.89 so I thought I'd give the Light/Medium shade a whirl! It's available in 5 shades (Light, Light/Medium, Medium, Medium/Deep, and Deep) and Maybelline recommends it for Normal Skin (mine's normal with an oily T-zone). I also picked up L'Oreal Studio Secrets Magic BB Cream to see how it compared and will review that one in the next few days. Ü

Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream offers sheer coverage but I did find it to be modestly buildable. I was able to stipple some additional product on to cover the discolorations on the sides of my face sufficiently. Were they still visible? Yes, but they weren't very noticeable. I applied the cream with a makeup sponge at 7:30 a.m. the first day I used it and I found the coverage had faded significantly and my forehead was shiny by 3:30 p.m. The second day I used it, I applied it (again, at 7:30 a.m.) with a blunt-cut foundation brush (I use this one from BE and love it!) and I definitely got better coverage. By 2:00 p.m., the coverage was still going strong and I only had a slight bit of oiliness on my nose. Nothing a little bit of powder couldn't take care of! By 5:00 p.m., I needed an all over dusting of powder to tamp down the shine, but for me, this is typical.

I've been slow to board the BB cream train. I typically prefer a medium to full coverage foundation to cover the acne scarring and skin discoloration on the sides of my face. To

me, BB creams are basically just tinted moisturizers with a few added skincare ingredients, and, like tinted moisturizers, they are a great option if you only need sheer coverage. The Next Big Thing is CC creams, so get ready to hear a lot about those!

One thing I liked about this BB cream from Maybelline was that it shaved a nice little chunk of time off my morning routine. I washed my face, applied this cream, and then did my eye makeup. It simplified my typical 3-step process of applying moisturizer with SPF and waiting for it to sink in, applying primer, and then applying liquid foundation to simply applying this cream and being done. Anyone who is not a morning person will appreciate that!

One thing I didn't like was that I couldn't find out from the Maybelline site what ingredients in this product were supposed to do what. How does it brighten skin? Is it via a skin care ingredient or via adding shimmer to the formula? I didn't detect any shimmer in the cream, so I still have no idea. From what I can discern, this is simply a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen.

Overall, I liked this BB cream, and the price is nice. I probably won't reach for it every day unless I use self-tanner or actually get a little sun (tsk tsk, I know!) and my skin tone is more even. I think this is a great product for anyone looking to save some time in the morning who prefers sheer coverage.

My rating: B

Price: $7.44 MSRP

Where to buy: CVS, Drugstore.com, Target

Ingredients (Active): Titanium Dioxide 1.15%. Inactive: Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Pentylene Glycol, Octyldodecyl Xyloside, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isohexadecane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 80, Potassium Sorbate, Propylene Glycol, Methylisothiazolinone, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides.

Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB Cream