2 Beauty Editors Swapped Their Full Coverage Foundation for BB Cream and CC Cream — Here’s What Happened

There comes a time in one’s life when you must make the difficult decision to change your makeup routine. Maybe it’s because your skin hasn’t been cooperating lately, your foundation formula isn’t working as well as it used to, your favorite product has been discontinued or maybe you just want to try something new to see what happens — like we did.

Well, two Makeup.com editors decided to put their trusty, full-coverage foundations to the side for a month and swap in lightweight alternatives — BB and CC creams. A skin care and makeup hybrid, these lightweight foundation-alternatives promise to do the job of five or more products in one. They pump skin with moisture, many formulas contain sun protection, act as primers, concealers and coverage — all while actually treating skin to heal breakouts, discoloration, uneven skin, fine lines and smooth out overall tone and texture for brighter, healthier looking skin. In the beauty world, they’re the jack of all trades, master of all.

The idea of getting coverage and skin care benefits in one little bottle had us jumping at the challenge, so we committed and made the switch. Here’s why we did it, and most importantly, what happened next.

Angela
What She Used:

The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream in 01

Reason For The Switch:
Angela’s main goal for the switch was to find something that gave her coverage, without the heavy feel. "I've always struggled with breakouts and acne. For the longest time, I only felt comfortable and confident if I had a full-face of foundation, concealer, powder …  the works! I began to realize that I was just clogging my skin with makeup and not allowing it breathe.

Substituting my foundation for BB cream for a month was a huge step for me, and, to be honest, I was not feeling hopeful about the outcome. I'm happy to report the experience has been a positive one,” says Melero.

Results
“The Body Shop BB Cream actually delivers more coverage than I expected and doesn't clog up my skin! I've noticed my complexion has a more natural glow and my blemishes have been less frequent. I love that this experiment has helped me embrace a more natural look and feel more confident in my skin. I still love my foundation and know there's a time and a place for heavier coverage, but it's nice to switch gears and let your skin just be once in a while."

Diana
What She Used
Giorgio Armani Luminessence CC Cream in 2

Reason For The Switch:
Diana was looking for a product that would fast track her morning routine and leave her with glowing, not oily, looking skin.

“While my skin doesn’t typically tend to get itself into too much mischief, I do notice that after a (ahem, few) weeks of unhealthy dietary decisions that it starts looks splotchy and dull. I feel like I’m always looking for a miracle — a product with full-coverage feel, but is so fluid, it’s almost transparent. Like a foundation mixed in with highlighter,” she says.

Results
“Let me tell you, when I asked for a foundation and highlighter in one, I found it. The Luminessence leaves my skin with a rosy glow and can still cover just about anything.
Full disclosure though: If I do get a more aggressive breakout, I mix in a dot of my cream-based foundation, so I may have cheated a little once or twice. The best part is that I just squeeze some out on the back of my hand, dip my beauty blender in it and then dab it all over my face in seconds.

My routine has never been speedier and I love how light and natural my makeup looks, which is mainly because my skin has been brighter so there’s less for me to try and conceal. I’ll definitely stick to this CC cream for the everyday, but that porcelain-finish feel you get from foundation will forever have a place in my heart and on my face when the occasion calls for it,” she says.