maybelline dream fresh bb 8-in-1 beauty balm spf 30

Over the past couple years, a bunch of BB (“beauty balm”) creams have sprung up across North America. It seemed like all of a sudden, magazines were full of advertisements for BB creams from any and all brands. For those of you who don’t know what BB creams are, this page will provide you with a detailed explanation of the product origin and benefits.

So far, I have tried a couple brands and based on my experience, I feel like they have only slapped a new name on tinted moisturizers before pushing it out to the masses. Other than light coverage and sun protection (that may or may not actually be there – I’m not exactly slathering this stuff on my face), I have not seen any additional benefits to my skin. After digging around on the Internet, I read that not all BB creams were created equally – apparently the North American versions were not as beneficial as the original formulations from Korea and other parts of Asia. However, having actually tried a brand from Korea and not seeing any incremental benefits, I am a little skeptical of these claims. In addition, my makeup artist from a friend’s wedding actually warned me about ensuring I remove every trace of BB cream from my face before going to sleep, as some of the Asia exports do not allow skin to breathe easily. A scary thought, especially when you are supposed to cover your face with the cream…

Out of the two I’ve tried, the Maybelline version is the better one. I purchased a tube of this product in the light shade. The consistency is like lotion, leaning towards the runny side. However, this allows the product to smooth on easily and is very blendable. The BB cream provides light coverage, which is just about right for my freckles. However, scars and other imperfections will require concealer or something more heavy duty underneath to do the job. I found that 1-2 pea sized drops were enough to cover my face – this is not a lot, which is why I have my doubts about the effectiveness of the SPF 30 it contains. I would suggest putting on some sunscreen underneath before applying the BB cream. This product also did not feel very moisturizing – dry patches would still appear later in the day when used without any other moisturizer. On the plus side, the product dries/absorbs to an almost-matte finish.

I find it a bit hard to comment on the staying power of this product – the coverage is so light that it’s not very detectable when I apply it in the morning, never mind after hours of wear. However, cotton pads used to remove the product at night still contain quite a bit of the BB cream’s tint, so based on this, I assume the product stays on quite well.

Verdict: Based on the reasonable price and the ease of applying this product, I would purchase this one again. However, I would use it as any other tinted moisturizer - this product is definitely not a miracle worker. ~30ml tube, C$9.99