Beauty Fixation: June

Remember when I went through the differences between BB and CC creams? I feel like tinted moisturizers are a thing of the past, and BB/CC creams are taking over... and I'm not upset about it. I think summer is the best time to put away your heavy foundation in favor of something lighter. Just like we put away the soup tureen and bring out the salads, it's time to lighten the load on your face. That's where this little wonder comes in. It's the Peter Thomas Roth CC cream and they just recently came out with a lighter shade, so it's the perfect color for me (they also have 3 darker shades for all you non-pasty folks like me).  

It feels nice and lightweight, but there's great coverage and it evens out my skin nicely. I also like the SPF 30 and that it contains a high dose of Vitamin C, provided by the Brazilian Camu Camu Berry (which is supposed to have 30x more Vitamin C, per ounce, than an orange). 

Do you switch your foundations from season to season? Are there any BB/CC or tinted moisturizers that you're obsessed with?

BB and CC creams for the hair?!?!

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It was only a matter of time. The letter creams are taking over every beauty product from moisturizers to primers to foundation and now to hair and body creams. I talked about the difference between BB and CC creams for the face, but here I'm focusing on hair products that are becoming more and more prevalent on the beauty shelves. Here's why they're worth trying:

Pantene Ultimate 10 BB Creme, Alterna Caviar CC Cream, Keratin Perfect 3-in-1 Multi-Action Beauty Balm and Living Proof Perfect Hair Day 5-in-1 styling treatment are meant to help with hydration, shine, frizz, repair damage, add body and heat protection. Apply these in damp, towel dried hair and then apply a small amount after hair is dry for added shine. For thin, fine hair use these products sparingly as to not weigh down the hair. 

I've personally tried a couple of these brands and have been impressed with the results. Because my hair is thin and fine I've been really happy with the Living Proof one since it's for frizz and volume. Have you tried any of these BB/CC creams for your hair yet? If so, what have you had success with?

BB vs. CC... what's with all the letter creams? How to figure out which one is for you.

Tinted Moisturizers are a thing of the past, or so it seems. They’ve pretty much been replaced with either a BB or CC cream (I say pretty much because you can still find some tinted moisturizers, but they’re harder to find!).

For lack of a better term, I’m going to refer to them as “letter creams”. These letter creams are amped-up tinted moisturizers. The letter creams still contain the tint + moisture but now they add a sunscreen and some extra skincare benefits. Depending on the cream, it could consist of anti-aging peptides or antioxidants or blemish reducing formulations.

BB creams (aka Beauty Balms or even Blemish Balms) originated in Asia where they were meant to be one product that does-it-all; treats, moisturizes, protects and covers. America caught on to this and companies ran with the idea. It’s become a free-for-all between brands re-defining what they think a letter cream is or does. Then CC cream was invented and is becoming just as popular as the BB. CC creams, aka Color Correcting Cream, are supposed to have more treatment benefits to correct pigmentation issues (think dark spots due to sun damage or acne staining) and they typically have more coverage than a BB cream- in some cases feeling more like a foundation.

This is where it gets tricky: every brand has their own interpretation of what a BB or CC cream is so they can often be dramatically different. For example, the Urban Decay Naked Skin BB is more of a treatment primer- so it goes on over a moisturizer and under a foundation. Basically this is the new marketing ploy and every company is getting in on the letter trend (even hair brands are getting in on it).

For the most part, you would apply these letter creams as you would your tinted moisturizer, maybe with your fingers or a foundation brush, and then continue with the rest of your routine. Ideally these are supposed to eliminate you from too many steps and make your life easier. But here are the cold, hard facts: There is no such thing as a miracle in a bottle. If you're not happy with your skin, chances are, you're going to need more than 1 product to fix that. So, if you've got acne, you still need an acne spot treatment, acne-fighting cleanser, oil-free moisturizer, gentle exfoliator, deep cleansing mask and an oil-free BB cream. And that doesn't even include makeup! Same goes for dry skin- you will still need to apply a moisturizer underneath the letter cream because it may not be hydrating enough on its own, especially in the winter months.
(more after the jump)