I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of wearing a lot of makeup on a daily basis and in the summer, the thought of a heavy foundation is particularly unappealing. However, I still like to feel put-together, so on those days when I can’t be bothered, I find myself reaching for a BB cream to get that “your skin but better” kind of look.

So here is some quick background on what a BB cream is. BB creams are actually an Asian concept that has become increasingly popular in the US over recent years. They provide light coverage and SPF in one product. Most BB creams also claim to provide other benefits to the skin like antioxidants.

This summer, I picked up the Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer by Tarte in the shade Light-Medium. The product retails $36 at Ulta for a 1.7 oz tube. The formula is oil-free, vegan and provides SPF 20. It also states that it contains soothing chamomile and A, C and E antioxidant vitamins to help “nourish” the skin. The product is supposed to be buildable and provide a light to medium coverage that can smooth out lines and blur imperfections. Here’s my experience with the product….

PROS:

• Ingredients: I love that this product contains no parabens, animal ingredients, triclosan or sodium lauryl sulfate. The anti-oxidant rich formula is a plus and though it’s probably too soon to claim any noticeable change in my skin, I will say that the clean ingredients keeps me from breaking out. The Amazonian helps skin stay hydrated which is a must for my normal/dry skin.

• 3-in-1 coverage: The fact that this product can replace my heavy foundation and provide coverage, SPF and antioxidants is really convenient and helps make my morning routine that much easier.

• Formula: The product doesn’t feel heavy on the skin and stays in place throughout the day without settling into fine lines.

• Packaging: I like that you can see how much product is left in the tube and you can easily squeeze out the amount you need. It’s also convenient to keep in your purse or carry-on for easy touch-ups and travel.

• Color range: Comes in 7 colors on the Tarte website, which is a wide range for a BB cream and I like that the shades come with different undertones to accommodate more skin tones.

CONS:

• Coverage: I know that BB creams are supposed to provide light coverage so that’s what I was expecting, but the product claims to be buildable and that wasn’t my experience with it. I feel that it provides light, natural looking coverage.

• Formula: The formula is a little thicker than I expected, and in my case, it applied better with a brush. That may or may not be important to everybody, but since I know some people like to apply BB cream with their fingers, I thought that I’d mention it. Also, I felt like the color changed on me a bit as the day went on and started to give a grey undertone, which is unfortunate because the light-medium color was a good match for my skin. In comparison, the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour full coverage foundation that I’ve used for a while, stays true to color throughout the day and still provides SPF 15.

• Price: As expected with a prestige brand, this BB cream is on the pricier side at $36 for 1.7 oz of product but to be fair, that’s more product than other competing brands provide for the same price range.

Overall, this is a good BB cream that provides light coverage and SPF without drying out or irritating the skin. The 3-in-1 feature is definitely convenient and two thumbs up for the wonderful list of ingredients! I do wish that the product’s color didn’t change on me, especially because the color is a good match when first applied, but I may try out a different shade and see if that works out better. I hope you find this helpful!

Take care,

Saba