Tuesday, March 26, 2013

BB cream is a girl’s BFF


There was a time when the beauty innovation that is the BB cream was but a trend suited only for porcelain-skinned girls of the younger generation. Foundation for kids, as I once heard someone put it. But with every BB cream that has been launched, the formula has proven itself resilient, with staying power both on the skin and the cosmetic counter.

What I just learned, though, was that the BB cream was actually invented by a German dermatologist in the 1950s –– it’s not a Korean formulation, but a Korean actress popularized it when she used it to cover laser surgery scars after she had gotten into an accident. As Korean girl groups and dramas grew in popularity, so did the BB cream, its fan-base increasing particularly in Asia.

I have tried quite a number of BB cream brands to test if the product works on all skin types –– not just the already perfect ones of Korean pop stars. I have also given away many half-full tubes for the following reasons: 1) Too white, 2) Too sticky 3) Too orange. Yes, there was this one that I thought was going to be the right shade for me because it was a little darker, but it turned me a bright shade of Snooki. Or Mariah on American Idol.

For a time, I was using this drugstore brand because of its higher-than-usual SPF content of 20. I am a sunblock freak and also, lazy, so anything that offers the benefits of two products in one tube is good in my book. Just my luck, this BB cream formula was discontinued and replaced with a formula that is targeted more to teens (I know this because the packaging is now Barbie pink). Also, it has become too thick to my liking. So I am now back to foundation, but in this heat, it just melts and sometimes even streaks (Thank you, sweat!). BB creams are just the ideal makeup product for the summer because it provides coverage and SPF.

Pond’s recently launched their first BB cream formula, Pond’s BB+ Cream, in two variants, Flawless White for the lit-from-within skin and Age Miracle for those concerned with concealing fine lines and age spots. Pond’s Flawless White Whitening BB+ Cream has GenActiv cover formula which is said to lighten dark spots by inhibiting melanin production, while Pond’s Age Miracle Anti-Aging Expert BB+ Cream has Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex which stimulates cell regeneration to reduce wrinkles, fine lines and age spots. Both with SPF 30, Pond’s BB+ Creams provide better sun protection than most BB creams. It also goes on sheer.

At the launch held recently, Pond’s announced that they will be launching more shades to their BB cream lines to better cover the wide range of skin tones of the Filipina. Here, Pond’s BB+ Cream’s new ambassadors and members of the Pond’s Beauty Council share what they love about BB creams and why they choose to use Pond’s Flawless White Whitening BB+ Cream and Pond’s Age Miracle Anti-Aging Expert BB+ Cream.

source: philstar.com