This BB Cream Thing is Getting Out of Hand

BB creams have been around for a very long time and it has always been the thing in Asia. I'm not sure which company first launched the BB cream campaign over here but it seems that everyone jumped onto the wagon (maybe Dr. Jart+'s entry into Sephora??). Anyways, it's a great marketing idea but a little bit late I would say. However, it's sometimes better late than never. What really bothers me is that not only did a whole swamp of BB creams emerge on the market, there are now CC creams and even DD creams. I would say it's quite an overload that leaves the average consumer extremely confused.

To be perfectly honest, most Western BB creams are pretty bad. There are a few good ones with original features but most are inferior in formulation compared to the Asian ones which usually are also much cheaper. The problem with those is that their marketing mainly reaches Asians who are somewhat familiar with a particular language or know certain websites that sell them. It's hard for someone completely new to this to figure things out. A lot of the good ones are from brands that are just slightly above drug store level. This is one of the reason why I love Asian bloggers, they keep me up to date.

Another problem with most of these products is that only people with light skin tones can use them. There are a few that came out with darker shades such as Dior and Rachel K but I would say, at this point, the selection is quite limited.

You can easily try the bigger brands at Sephora and department stores but the majority of the BB cream selection can't be tested in person. It's basically a trial and error approach if you are interested in something that doesn't have a counter in the States.

Don't be overwhelmed by CC creams and DD creams. They are all essentially BB creams. If you are even confused by BB creams, think of them as amped up tinted moisturizers with more skin care benefits and coverage.

Chanel decided that it wanted to be different and called this product the CC cream. It's a little snobby of an approach but I have to say it goes well with the company logo. Whomever decided to launch that DD cream is just being cheap and I would say, failed its marketing campaign. Someone should launch a ZZ cream just for laughs.

So do I recommend BB creams? Yes. Especially if you want something simple and lightweight to use on a daily basis. I think the main difficulty lies in finding the right product for you. Not only are there access issues, there are so many choices out there that kind of all hit you in the face at once. Be critical and take the time to figure out what you really want in such a product before you head out there to purchase one.