Cover: ABCDE….. what’s next for skincare
By Jo Phillips
You may well be au fait with the terms BB and CC creams but do you know what they are, and indeed what they do? Fear not as we felt the same with the current glut of new launches, variants of our trusty tinted moisturisers and general confusion in those beauty aisles and wanted to cut through the swathe of products to bring you our choices based on the .Cent team’s personal reviews.
We’ve been trialling a whole host of lovely new skin tints, BB creams (Beauty Balms) and CC Creams (Complexion Corrector), so whatever your alphabet preference here are our thoughts of the next generation of skincare:
Creative Director Jo tried out Darphin’s Instant Multi-Benefit Care CC cream and loved it instantly; “I have to say that my initial feeling was how excellent it was. It goes on nice and easy and gives a good coverage. I tried for the first few days without moisturising first to see what it was like. As it has built in SPF 35 in it I did wonder if it would be moisture filled enough. I would say that it goes on easily and spreads well giving a good coverage. After a couple of days I moisturised first and found that it was certainly better with a soft skin first. I found it a really good product for an every day easy fix to give me good all over coverage and felt safe knowing my skin was protected.” Buy it here.
Alexis our Beauty Editor tried out Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream, which promises to improve the skin’s tone and texture over time and use. “Part of the Kiehl’s Dermatologist solutions line, this BB cream has really made a difference to my skin in little over a week. It’s a dream to apply, blends in pretty much straight away and you almost see the face improve right before your eyes. It’s like the photoshop wizards have popped out of the computer, done their magic on your face and then popped back into the computer. This has jumped straight into my makeup kit, and as freckles are friends with my face, I am grateful for the high SPF of 50 to help protect me from sun damage as I run around town.” Buy it here.
Mary tried out Lancome’s brand new City Miracle skincare with an SPF of 50 in shade 2, which is a medium tan colour. This has been specifically tested by Lancome’s experts in some of the most polluted cities in the world so its bound to stand up to London’s own levels of dirt and grime. Stand up it did, with a radiant and glowing finish, Mary said she felt no need to retouch or worry about her face all week despite numerous trips on the tube, bus and running from location to office. It went on very easily and blended just as a foundation would but appeared to improve over time rather than disappear. A city miracle indeed.
Fashion chief Donna got to grips with the Rodial’s Instaglam skincare and put it through its paces during the annual pilgrimage that is Glasto.. She found it really wearable and sunk in immediately giving no clue she was wearing anything but that her complexion was flawless and glowing. Containing both Hyaluronic acid for plumping and adding youthful radiance, Rodial’s patented Hydromanil ingredient increases moisture levels for long-lasting hydration and skin softness. Buy it here.
Our go to girl in editorial, Aina, tried out Nip + Fab’s CC cream which has an SPF of 35 as well as hyaluronic acid to promote youthful radiance upon each application. Here’s what she said: ” Its made my skin look flawless upon application and has a gorgeous glow to it. I’ve got more radiant skin and the cream gave a nice bronzing colour in the finish, making me look and feel healthier.” Buy it here.
Art & Design editor Angelina tested Avon’s CC cream, which we felt, of those we saw, had the best range of colours available to cover all skintones. So already a huge thumbs up. Angelina says “This cc cream matched my skin tone perfectly. I don’t really use these kind of skin bases, so it’s my first experience and I’m impressed how light it felt on my skin. The texture was good and it went on nicely. I enjoyed the trial and I’m still using it as it gives good coverage and offers a whopping 50SPF protection.” Buy it here.
We all fought over luxe beauty brand Omorovicza‘s CC Cream offering pictured above. Famed for its foray into high tech skincare using its native healing waters (amongst other ingredients), the Hungarian brand has created a silicone free skincare variant, resulting in a luminous finish and still managing to reduce imperfections and soothe irritations. Even better is the inclusion of zinc oxide to help protect the skin from UVA and UVB rays. Clever stuff eh.
We thought that whilst you digest all this skincare enlightenment, you might be interested in a bit of beauty gossip…. Yes, later this year an EE cream will be launched by beauty barons Estee Lauder. We will of course keep you updated when we find out more! Hot off the press!
