Benz on a budget: Garnier BB Miracle Skin Perfector

So as of late I've been in SERIOUS skincare testing mode.  I have oodles and oodles of skincare products that I've been dying to tell you all about.  The thing about researching skin care products is that, even though you generally see results within the first few times of using a product, you really have to stick with it for at least a month before you can properly tell the story of how your skin reacts to said product.  It takes SO much longer to tell a skincare story than it does to tell a makeup story, and I've been testing products from drugstore steals to department store indulgences.  All that being said, I was immediately impressed, and am quite surprised that I continue to be impressed, with Garnier's affordable BB Miracle Skin Perfector ($12.99).

BB Creams have been all the rage this spring season, evolving from the one-shade originators, to the new school of beauty balms that come in multiple shades or are made of more natural ingredients.  Now there's finally a more affordable option in the Garnier cream that offers the same benefits as some of the more expensive counterparts.  Garnier's version of the Asian-born Beauty Balm craze is made of tinted mineral pigments that sort of melt into the skin when mixed with the Hyaluronic Acid and lipids that are  the moisturizing components.  Mix those ingredients with the master of evening out skin tone, Vitamin C, and you've got a lightweight skin cream that evens you out during the day, and then gives you the benefits of even, moisturized skin over time.
On a personal note, I really like the fact that this is a somewhat lower SPF than some other BB Creams out there (this one is an SPF 15, but others out there can go all the way up to 45).  For my skin, with its freckles and olive undertones, often looks chalky when using a face cream with an SPF that's too high, and sometimes will feel a little sensitized as well.  This SPF 15 version manages to be lightweight, non-chalky, and feels comfortable on my skin.
I don't mess around when it comes to my skin, so I can safely say that I don't remember the last time I was THIS impressed with a skincare item that's available at a drugstore.      





Many thanks to Garnier for sending me this product to test.