BB Cream, the multi-function miracle?

BB Cream is a relatively new trend in skin care and makeup. That’s right, I said skin care and make up, because BB creams purport to be both. From what I can gather, BB creams are like extra-functional tinted moisturizers: they are supposed to replace serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation, by incorporating ingredients that do the job of all those products. Since Sephora has jumped on the BB Cream bandwagon, the use of BB Creams has skyrocketed in the US (BB Creams have been popular in Asia for some time) but I’m skeptical.

I am not sure how one product can replace serum, moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation, when individual needs for each of those things vary. For example, in my case, I use an antioxidant serum (heavy on vitamins C and E) to protect and nourish my skin, a high-spf moisturizer (with both physical and chemical sunscreens) to moisturize and protect me from sun damage, and sometimes (on dry days) an additional, light moisturizer in the eye and neck area (applied after serum but before my SPF moisturizer.) I do not wear foundation, but prefer a medium-coverage powder to smooth things out (though often I go without.) Another woman might prefer an anti-acne serum and a very heavy moisturizer, then use a mineral foundation with SPF. Etc. Since we choose these various products based on the different things we want from them, I just don’t think a BB Cream can replace all of them.

If you think of BB Cream as a very good tinted moisturizer, then it makes more sense. If you’re going to buy a tinted moisturizer, wouldn’t you want the one that offers the most benefits to your skin? Choose a BB Cream based on the benefits you want from it alone, rather than replacing all your products. I personally don’t use foundation, but I’ve considered trying BB Cream to see if it might have mattifying benefits that last all day; almost like a tinted primer (of course, there are mattifying tented primers out there.) Or, I might use BB Cream when I expect to be photographed or on special occasions, to give my thin, pale skin a more substantial, flawless appearance. For everyday use, though, I can’t see why this is a product I need.

What do you think? Can a BB Cream really replace multiple skin care and makeup products? Has a BB Cream done this for you?

No Standardization! (At least, not at Fantasie.)

It’s very frustrating to those of us who wear hard-to-find sizes, that there is no standardization in bra sizing. This even runs true within a single brand, as I learned today, to my sadness.

Remember my post about new bras wending their way to me? Well, today they arrived. One fit me well- the Fantasie Savannah in Cafe Latte. I already have this bra in another colorway (pink and black) and I knew it would fit; technically it is too large in the band, but once the bands have stretched a bit, I will just take them in. I like this bra a lot, I have two now and I am keeping my eyes out for others.

These are the only Fantasie bras I’ve ever found that fit me well, but I didn’t think that was a problem with Fantasie, just with specific styles (I haven’t tried a LOT of Fantasie bras on), so I felt comfortable ordering another Fantasie bra from the same seller, a Lily Balconette (discontinued style 6100)  in deep crimson red. It is just a gorgeous bra. It has good reviews and the cup is made of simplex, and overall I was so looking forward to it! I was very disappointed to find that it just doesn’t fit. The cups are huge. Technically the cup of a 32H should be the same size as the cup of a 34GG, but these cups were much larger, almost an inch wider and deeper. They didn’t hold my breasts out in front of me, but let them fall to the side, and there was a big wrinkle in the top of the cup where I didn’t fill it.

It’s a shame, because not only is this bra very pretty, but it’s well-made too, I think. The cups are made of simplex, very strong, the powernet is heavy and very strong too, and the straps are not very stretchy. These are all atributes of a supportive bra!

I have read some people say that the cups in Fantasie run large.  Is this an example of that? Are the cups in the Savannah style an anomaly? I don’t know 😦 I do know that I have several other Fantasie balconettes bookmarked on eBay, and now I am afraid to buy them. There aren’t a lot of places around here where one can just try on Fantasie bras.  I did find a few styles at Nordstrom, but none that seemed supportive or fit me properly.

I personally love balconette bras in general, as I am petite and most “full cup” bras come up to my collarbone. I do wish I could find one by Fantasie that fit me.

I can understand why there is no standardization in sizing across the industry, but within a particular brand, it seems to me that sizing should be standardized to an extent. It just makes sense that I should be able to get fitted for a particular brand, right?

P.S.: I have written to Eveden, the makers of Fantasie, about this, and if I receive a response I will post it here!