I doubt that you guys haven’t heard of BB Creams by now, but just in case I will give you a very brief history. BB Cream, better known as Blemish Balm and more recently Beauty Balm was originally used as a skin protectant with light coverage after laser surgery. It became very popular in Asian Markets in the 1980’s after being endorsed by Korean Actresses. The cream became a hit due to it’s multitasking properties- anti-inflammatory and soothing, moisturizing, priming snd sun protection, all while providing light coverage. With Asian Skin being the target market, BB Creams did not come in a variety of shades. There were basically no shades for dark skin. Recently BB Creams are gaining popularity in Western Markets and some companies are now providing shades for deeper skintones, Maybelline included. I’ve been searching for the Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector for weeks and finally got my hands on it last week. I’ve been testing it out since then and I am super impressed. It’s awesome!
The Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream combines skincare and makeup in one step. With Broad Spectrum SPF 30, it protects skin from both UVA and UVB rays. Nice! It boasts 8 skin enhancing properties.
- Blurs Imperfections
- Enhances
- Brightens
- Adjusts to skin-tone
- Smooths
- Hydrates
- SPF 30 protection
- Oil free
It comes in 5 shades Light, Light/Medium, Medium, Medium/Deep and Deep. I picked up Deep. For reference I am NW45 in MAC and Cappuccino in Revlon ColorStay. Deep is a great match for my skin. At first it looks a little light but it blends in nicely. It has the texture of a creamy gel, is very light weight and sinks into the skin like a moisturizer.
The first day that I used this BB Cream I did not really like it. I cleansed, toned, moisturized and primed my skin and applied the Maybelline BB Cream with my fingers like a regular tinted moisturizer. I did not use a setting powder and within a few hours my t-zone was oily and my skin did not look so great. The next day I tried a different method. I cleansed, toned, and primed my skin… I skipped the moisturizer since the BB Cream has hydrating properties and I applied my regular concealer to brighten under my eyes. I then applied the BB Cream with a stippling brush and this made a huge difference. It blended into my skin seamlessly and I only used a small amount. Since I am very oily in the t-zone, I applied a light layer of Ben Nye Neutral Set all over my face with a fluffy powder brush and I was all set. I’ve been using this method of application everyday since and it looks great and wears well. No matter what I use my nose shines after a few hrs so I just apply a little more Neutral Set throughout the day to absorb the shine. Here is how it looks on my skin…
The Maybelline Dream Fresh Beauty Balm hydrates well and really does brighten and enhance the skin, giving it a soft glow. It also adjusts to skin-tone as it sinks into the skin. As I mentioned earlier, it looked a little light at first but as it blended in it was seamless. It is so lightweight that it feels like you aren’t wearing anything. Now some things to know ahead of time, if you are expecting full coverage you will not like this. It is not a full coverage foundation and gives light coverage just like a tinted moisturizer. If you have really bad acne scarring or textured skin this will not cover. Even the heaviest foundation doesn’t completely hide texture so this is expected. To cover acne scarring and deeply pigmented blemishes you will need to apply a concealer to them first and then use the Maybelline Beauty Balm. Also if you have very oily skin you will need to set this just like any other foundation. Since I know that I tend to get oily I always use a setting powder, even with tinted moisturizer. If you keep these things in mind you will go in without any unrealistic expectations. The Maybelline Dream Fresh does exactly what it claims and nothing more. I love the way that it looks on my skin and it is perfect for those hot Summer days when you don’t want to wear much of anything, and the weekends. It’s great for everyday wear as well. I would definitely repurchase.
Maybelline Dream Fresh 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector retails at about $8.99 for 1.0 FL OZ and can be found in your local drugstore that sells Maybelline.
41 Responses
Looks great on you….really light and airy….
Thanks sherry. It very light on the skin.
I was pretty sure I didn’t need this, but after seeing your post I’m torn again! It looks lovely on you!
Thank you. I say try it out and if you don’t like it return it. It’s the perfect way to at least try out BB Creams.
I’m so happy that you did a review on this! I have been wanting to try it but was skeptical on the claims…we wear the same color foundation and I have an oily t-zone as well so this review felt like it was custom made for me! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Tiff
No problem at all Tiff. I am glad that you found the review helpful. I can’t stand having an oily t-zone because it seems as if nothing works as it should. That is why a good setting powder is my best friend! 🙂
Looks great. I’m sold. I’ll go buy my daughter some for the surprise going away box. I hope I get her the right color…..
If you do a google search you can find swatches of the other shades to see which will suit her best
I’ve been doing my research on BB Creams for African American women. This looks really great on you Erica, thanks for posting!
No problem at all Kelly. I need to find more to try!
Thanks so much for the thorough review and the details on how to wear it. I’ll def give it a try — the benefits listed are impressive and the results look great!
No problem at all. I hope it works out for you!
This looks really pretty on you! I’m gonna be sure to purchase some & give it a try! Thanks for this post!
Thanks Jessie and no problem at all!
I just purchased the same one in the exact same shade (Sheer Deep) on Friday and am in LUUUV as well. It has been sweltering and I am happy to say it didn’t melt off even after a Memphis day party. I have no idea how the shade changes to “match” my skin, but it did so PERFECTLY! It has greatly simplified my routine- undereye concealer and BB=fabulosity!
So glad to hear that it’s working out great for you!
I have never heard of this before but skin is looking flawless.
http://the-renaissance-of-inner-fashion.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you!
Gonna have to give this a try. It looks great on you.
Thanks Kimmy. Yes girlie, you should definitely give it a shot!
You look gorgeous! What lipstick are you wearing (it’s perfect)? Can you recommend a good drugstore stippling brush? Thanks!
Thank you. I am wearing MAC Girl About Town, one of my favorite lippies. Ecotools has a very good stippling brush. I have one in my collection.
I am in love with my Maybelline BB cream. I purchased mine about a week ago and have used it everyday. I also purchased the Garnier BB cream in medium/deep and I love that one as well.
I want to try the Garnier one but they need to make some deeper shades
I just bought this before seeing your review. I’m in the UK so the colour range and names are different but I bought ‘Dark’ and I’m NC45 in Mac. I’ve only tested a little of this but I’m feeling it so far.
I too have oily skin and despite trying a lot of products geared to minimising it, nothing really last all day. So I also have blotting paper and pressed powder on stand by.
I look forward to trying this though and I’ll definitely try out your tips
Let me know how it works for you!
Great review, i might check it out.
Hi
great review, I know i’m super late but does maybelline sell this shade any more?
I cant find it anywhere!
Thank you. I’m assuming they do but I haven’t had to replace mine yet so I’m not 100% sure
I Really Liked Your Review, I’m So Glad To See This From A Women Of Color, (Like Me)Point Of View. Thanks, This Really Helped. 🙂
No problem 🙂
This post was soo helpful. I just bought this product and like you, used my hand to apply it. Didn’t like it that way too much. Next time I will try your method.
Glad I could help!
Great review. I love the detail you give and it looks very nice on you!
Thank you!
Hi Erica, what do you carry in your purse daily for makeup?
Hi Jozlyn. Surprisingly not much… whatever lipstick I am wearing for the day, blotting sheets,translucent powder and a mini kabuki, an eyeliner pencil and mini mascara. Think I’ll do a what’s in my makeup bag post 🙂
im 14years old and my acne is really bad in the face area .! But today i went to the Dollar store right around my corner and i just bought the MayBelline New York Dream BB Fresh 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector and i got the 140 deep sheer tint and i didn’t think it was my tone and when i found your review i seen that you had the same skin color as me and you had the exact same tone of the BB Fresh ! I thank you for giving out this review on you! you looked really nice in the color you’re actually glowing! 🙂 i hope mine turns out like that <3 .
Thank you so much, and you’re very welcome. Let me know how it works for you! 🙂
If I am NW in mac, what would be my shade for this bb cream?
NW is not a shade, but an undertone. I’m unable to color match you without seeing you