A new BB Cream on the block from Guerlain that fells all others in one Beauty Booster swoop!

After railing away at BB Creams recently, my next encounter with a BB Cream was to buy one LOL! To be fair it was not called a BB Cream as such, and I was very intrigued. You see, my favourite BB Cream to date is the Diorsnow BB Creme. As a light foundation, it does everything it says on the box and more. I love it to itty bitty bits. My next favourite brand is Guerlain so naturally, when I saw the Guerlain Lingerie de Peau BB Beauty Booster I just had to give it a go. I wanted to see if I’d love it as much as I love the Diorsnow BB Creme.

Let us just say that Dior has just been dethroned by this one, whether or not it is called a BB Cream. I put them both right at the top of the BB heap and I love this!

I originally did not even realise that Guerlain had come out with their version of a BB Cream quite aptly named Beauty Booster. It was while making a purchase at the Guerlain counter that the SA casually asked if I had seen it to which my answer was “Erm… no? Guerlain has a BB Cream?” There are 2 shades available – Light and Medium. I didn’t jump right in at first. I had to know if Light would suit my skin and when I saw it did, off to the cashier I went. Thankfully, this is one of the last big purchaes I’ve made. On a diet now 😛

Seriously though, if you are in the market for a light foundation, without all the weight of a traditional liquid foundation, yet want to even out skin and just, in the words of Guerlain, give your skin that beauty boost, you will love this. L.O.V.E!

The Guerlain BB Beauty Booster comes in a long 40g tube that is quite large. The dispenser is a pump that works very effectively and I find that due to the texture, I only need half a pump to cover my skin.

There is SPF30/PA+++ which is less than what Diorsnow BB Cream offers but still better than none. Then again, isn’t that the core of a BB Cream? That is also has sun protection qualities? Like the Diorsnow BB Cream, this Guerlain one contains Oxybenzone as well. A little bit of controversy over whether it is safe or not, with opinions being fairly divided.

The texture of the cream is a little thick. Definitely thicker than the Lingerie de Peau liquid foundation and coverage is also higher. In fact, I’d advise you to not use too much because it can look far too thick on skin, which makes the texture of this product come quite close to that of a traditional BB Cream.

I usually pump about half a pump on the back of my hand and use a brush with that flawless foundation technique I told you about before. I find that using a brush sheers and spreads the product out more evenly in a thin layer because you really only need a thin layer on your skin. The product is opaque enough to take care of the rest.

You can use fingers too, which I do occasionally. I do find the coverage is thicker using fingers, but the spreadability (is there even such a word?!) is wonderful. A little stripe on your cheek enables you to cover the whole cheek very effectively and it covers up redness and blemishes to give you picture perfect skin.

Here’s a before and after picture to show you what I mean.

On left is bare skin after applying my skincare and sunscreen. On right is after a thin layer of the Guerlain BB Beauty Booster and you can see just how much evened out my skin is. The redness on the undereye area and around the nose are pretty much concealed, The freckles on my cheeks are semi-concealed (I usually just dot on some concealer and it’s pretty much perfect!) and my skintone takes on a very natural, smooth appearance. If I’m wearing this to work (and I do) then I apply a dusting of Meteorites all over just to finish off the look and it does make my skin look much better. Natural but better. In fact, I had this on when I had my NHK interview and it surprised me just how well it turned out on TV considering I’d crossed the 7 hour mark by then. It does stay on very well without turning oily, looking heavy or drying out my skin.

Here is a swatch of the BB Beauty Booster Light in comparison to other BB Creams I have in rotation

(1) Bobbi Brown BB Cream Extra Light (2) Guerlain BB Beauty Booster Light (3) Diorsnow BB Creme 010 (2013 version) (4) Clinique CC Cream Natural Fair (5) Nars Tinted Moisturiser Finland (6) Kiehl’s BB Cream Fair

The Guerlain BB Beauty Booster has significantly more pink tones, which is something I notice in most Guerlain bases, so it suits my skintone well. However, if you have a yellow undertone then this may not be right for you because you can risk looking ashy. In which case, the Diorsnow BB Creme might suit you better because the Diorsnow version has more yellow tones. You may be able to see that the texture is quite creamy and opaque. This was spread out from a tiny little dot. By comparison, the texture of the Bobbi Brown BB Cream is lighter as is the Kiehl’s BB Cream, both of which have a sheerer texture.

Of the 6 products featured here, I’d place the Guerlain BB Beauty Booster, Diorsnow BB Creme and Nars Tinted Moisturiser in the same category of opacity and creaminess. The Clinique CC Cream comes next and the Kiehl’s and Bobbi Brown have the lightest texture. Much will depend on what you prefer and your skintone.

So what don’t I like about this? Well, 2 things. Firstly the scent. As with all things Guerlain, fragrance sits high on their list so this product has a strong fragrance. And it lasts. So I will have to warn you about that. If you are sensitive to fragrance in your base products, chances are you won’t like this one. Secondly, it takes a while to set and can be a bit tacky to the touch. This is why I apply a light layer of Meteorites over. It helps it set on my skin while infusing it with a lovely glow. On days when I want better coverage and longevity, I go over with a thin layer of RMK Pressed Powder N which makes any base impervious to sliding off and leaves a smooth, velvety touch to the skin.

I love this one, I even forgave it the fragrance, and I love just how much better my skin looks with it on. Like it just had a beauty boost! 😀

In a nutshell

The Guerlain Lingerie de Peau BB Beauty Booster Invisible Skin-Fusion Multi-perfecting Makeup SPF30 PA+++ is Guerlain’s offering for a BB Cream except they don’t call it that. The product comes in a 40g tube with a pump dispenser. The texture is creamy and it is quite opaque so I recommend using only a thin layer on skin. The product does have a pink tone which may not suit everyone. What it does for me is even out my skintone, cover up redness and some blemishes and just give me very impressive looking skin. It isn’t drying nor does it turn oily, and it stays on me all day which is seriously amazing in our hot and humid weather. Downsides are the strong fragrance and the fact that it takes a while to set so it can feel tacky. Nothing that a light dusting of Meteorites or loose powder won’t help. In a nutshell,  absolutely freaking love this!

Pros: Only very little is needed for even toned and smooth looking skin, Medium coverage allows you to wear this alone for an almost flawless complexion, Longlasting, Not drying, Does not turn oily on me

Cons: Pricey, Pink base may not suit everyone, Strong fragrance, Can feel tacky on skin for a while

Who will like this: Anyone with a pink base skintone who wants a lightweight foundation with medium coverage

Here is the ingredient list for those interested.

Here’s one more thing I like about this Guerlain BB Beauty Booster. If you look at the full name, it is called a makeup. So while the BB bit can and will make people think this is yet another BB Cream, they don’t make any bones about it being one. It is, to them, makeup and that is what I have been saying about BB Creams all this while. It is makeup, folks. Don’t pretend otherwise!

Have you tried this Guerlain Beauty Booster? Are you bummed that many BB Creams have yellow or, for Asian brands, grey tones?

I am actually. For some reason, few brands make bases with pink tones and I need bases with pink tones. I don’t care what people say about Asians using yellow toned foundations or bases. When I do, I look awful. While I have a neutral skintone, it does lend itself better to wearing a pink base so I’m very happy with Guerlain for coming out with this one for all the pink toned ladies out there! 😀

Paris B

Guerlain BB Beauty Booster comes in 2 shades – Light and Medium Price: RM165/40g Availability: Guerlain counters at Isetan KLCC, The Gardens, Parkson Pavilion KL, Parkson KLCC