♥ BATTLE OF THE BB'S: Drugstore BB Creams - Overview/Review

BB creams seem to be everywhere these days; it was only a matter of time until they found their way to the drugstore. Rimmel, Garnier, L'Oreal, Revlon, and Maybelline have all come out with their version of the superfad BB Cream (as has almost every other makeup brand known to man woman.) Being that I am a sucker for face products, I had to swoop them up and give them a try. 

**Side note - Cover Girl has also released a BB Cream that I did not purchase. The reason for this is that it is the exact same product as their CG Smoothers foundation/tinted moisturizer. Not a BB cream - not included in this review.

So! To get started, let's run through them one by one.

♥ RIMMEL LONDON BB CREAM 9 IN 1 SKIN PERFECTING SUPER MAKEUP - $6.99 

♥ SPF 25

♥ 1 fl. oz.

PROMISES:

♥ Primes

♥ Moisturizes

♥ Minimizes Pores

♥ Conceals

♥ Covers

♥ Smooths

♥ Mattifies

♥ Brightens

♥ Protects

Well, it mattifies. I'll give it that. This is definitely not a product for anyone with dry skin. The coverage is probably the best of the drugstore BB's, but it is definitely a cakey, almost dry coverage. This product is in no way moisturizing or brightening, but the coverage is pretty impressive. I'd recommend this one to anyone with oily skin. If you're combination or on the dry side, stay far far away from this product. 

♥ GARNIER SKIN RENEW MIRACLE SKIN PERFECTOR - $12.99

♥ SPF 15

♥ 2.5 fl. oz.

PROMISES:

♥ Evens Tone

♥ Hydrates

♥ Renews

♥ Protects

♥ Brightens

This was the first drugstore BB cream I got my hands on and it set the bar for the rest of them. The coverage is light, comparable to a tinted moisturizer - maybe a little bit better - and the finish is nice. It isn't completely matte, but it isn't shiny or dewy either. It's a bit thick and can be tricky to blend, which is surprising given that its coverage is so light. This is also the largest of the drugstore BB creams in terms of fluid ounces at 2.5 (everything else hovers around 1 fl. oz.) My biggest complaint about the Garnier Skin Renew is the smell. It has an off-putting clay-like scent to it that doesn't go away. 

♥ L'OREAL MAGIC SKIN BEAUTIFIER - $10.99

♥ NO SPF

♥ 1.0 fl. oz.

PROMISES:

♥ Primes

♥ Perfects

♥ Hydrates

♥ Corrects

This BB cream starts out white and oxidizes as you rub it into your skin to "match" your natural skintone. According to L'Oreal, this product "instantly transforms to your perfect shade for a flawless bare skin finish." I wouldn't go that far. This product offers almost no coverage whatsoever - it's hard to even see a difference after putting it on. The oxidizing does happen almost instantly, but I wouldn't even say that it matches my skin - it's almost sort of orange. As a BB cream, this product fails miserably, and doesn't do anything it says it will do except prime. I strictly use this as a foundation primer, and it's great for that. Just don't expect it to be great on its own.

♥ REVLON PHOTOREADY SKIN PERFECTOR - $10.99

♥ SPF 30

♥ 1 fl. oz.

PROMISES:

♥ Hydrates 

♥ Smooths

♥ Covers

♥ Blurs flaws

♥ Protects 

Of them all, this one is the clear winner. Revlon's Photoready BB is by far my favorite of the drugstore ones I've tried. The coverage is decent, especially for a drugstore BB, there's no smell, it goes on evenly, it's creamy, and the shade is perfect for me. This one is a favorite for sure.

♥ MAYBELLINE DREAM FRESH BB 8-IN-1 BEAUTY BALM PERFECTOR - $8.99

♥ SPF 30

♥ 1 fl. oz.

PROMISES:

♥ Blurs imperfections

♥ Enhances

♥ Brightens

♥ Adjusts to skin tone

♥ Smooths

♥ Hydrates

♥ Protects

I wouldn't say that this product delivers any of the promises it makes on its packaging. If anything, it is somewhat hydrating, but that's what moisturizers are for. This one is just okay for me, I didn't think it did much. The coverage is lacking, even almost non-existent, which is fine for some people, but I prefer at least a little bit of coverage; otherwise, what is the point in putting any kind of makeup on anyway? This one seems to be a favorite amongst the beauty community, but it just didn't do anything for me.

♥ OVERALL OPINION ♥

First thing's first: none of these products are true BB creams. Not a single one. Real BB creams - like the Asian BB creams - do not yet exist in the US market. If anything, these are all glorified tinted moisturizers, with the exception of the L'Oreal only because I don't think that one can even be used that way. Each one has its own strength, though, and the ones that don't work for me may work for someone with a different skin type. The Rimmel is great coverage, but would be best for someone with oilier skin. The Maybelline and L'Oreal are so sheer, the only way I will use them will be as primers for  a real foundation. (I hate to let products I buy go to waste, so I will find a way to use them!) The clear winners here for me are the Garnier and the Revlon. 

Also, just as a side note, the prices notated above the pictures are what I paid for each one at CVS or Walgreens. I'm sure the price may vary depending on where you live/sales tax/etc.