The BB: MAC Beauty Balm ($30)
They Say: The MAC website states “prep + prime Beauty Balm is lightly tinted in a nearly sheer beige tone to work on an array of complexions, it creamily re-texturizes the skin and then goes on to excel at being a face primer with high everyday UVA/UVB SPF 35 defense.”
I Say: I tried the MAC BB for 14 consecutive days. I think its important to mention that this product is not consider a true BB cream, since true BB’s are packed with vitamins and products to improve your skin. This product is marketed more as a tinted moisturizer that can double as a primer, with a super dose of broad-spectrum SPF protection. The price on this product is moderately steep. It can be a little more painful on your wallet, but still in the mid-range price range for a BB cream.
The MAC BB Cream’s do not come in a very wide selection of shades, which is disappointing. I tried the Light Plus shade because it was the darkest of three shades available. Although my complexion is on the lighter side, this shade was a tad bit to light for me. I know in some countries BB’s are utilized to make the skin appear lighter and porcelain like, but truth be told it’s not a good look on me. It almost makes my face look ghostly. The good part is since this product is intended to be used a s a primer, I then layered my foundation over it. It works great as a primer, but I definitely would not wear it alone.
As you can see, this shade is to light for my skin and does not match up with the rest of me : / |
The consistency thick and creamy and applies very smoothly. I found that it was best to apply with a foundation brush and then I used my fingers to blend it into some of my large pores and imperfections. The coverage is sheer, but I believe it is intended to be used as a tinted moisturizer/ primer, in which you would apply your foundation over. It feels very light, so it is perfect for layering over it. As for the smell, it smells just like your average sun screen. I felt like I was going to the beach when I was applying this stuff.
I know, I know my face looks gross! At least its getting better than when I started. |
Results: I love this product as an everyday primer/moisturizer, but I don’t love it as a BB cream. Then again it’s not a true BB and I knew that from the beginning. Since it does not contain skin enriching products like true BB’s,I wasn’t able to determine if it really improve my skin. Although once I switched to the MAC BB after the L’ Oreal Youth Code BB, I did see an improvement in my skin. The blemishes that had appeared during my L’Oreal BB experience started to clear up in just a few days. The MAC BB is also nice because it offers more benefits than your average skin primer. Not only does it lock down your make up for hours, it also provides SPF 35 to protect your skin. Just as reminder, this is a great product to use on a daily basis, but stay clear of it from photo ops, since the high levels of SPF can interfere with flash photography.
This BB will not become a go-to product for me, but can very useful to the right person.
My Overall Measure up!
GirlieBlogger@Beauty Fashion Blog Seattle says
Glad you liked it, as I am totally into BB creams these days. Not because of the hype, but because it’s 3-in-1 value make it easy to use. I love the Garnier BB cream, but definitely will consider MAC.
md Kennedy says
I can’t believe how great you looked after only 2 weeks! I may consider this as I don’t like foundation.
Kamella says
Love Mac !