BB Creams in India – Comparison

BB Creams in India – Comparison

By Kadambari Srivastava

Hello everyone!!

This is my first ever review on IMBB and really hope that you all find it useful.  BB creams – this term was alien to us a few years back; however, the market is flooded with them right now.  Almost every brand has come up with their own BB creams ; Maybelline, Garnier, Revlon, L’oreal, Colorbar, Pond’s to name a few.

First of all, let me tell you about my skin type. I have super oily skin in summers which somehow turns into a complicated kind of combination and dry type in Lucknow winters. Also, I am a warm toned person i.e., my skin has more yellow undertones with a fair to medium complexion (more on the medium side).

Today, I am going to do a comparative review of 5 BB creams (yes FIVE!!! God knows why, I guess I was always unsatisfied, so I kept on buying, I had to gift some too :P). These are:

BB+Creams+in+India+Comparison

From Right to Left : Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream
L’oreal True Match BB Cream – Gold
Lakme CC Cream – Beige
Colorbar Perfect Match BB Beauty Balm – Vanilla Crème

Maybelline BB cream

Maybelline Clear Glow BB Stick – Fawn (Sorry for the separate picture. I had almost forgotten I had it).

Now, the comparison:

Texture and Ease of Application:

Maybelline Stick : This one is a boon for oily skinned beauties in summer. Its an oil-free stick. You just have do some quick swipes on your nose, forehead, cheeks, chin and neck and spread it quickly. It blends without any hassle to give a matte finish. Also, you can skip the compact.

Garnier : This one is a Liquid BB cream. The texture is very light and soothing on skin. It spreads beautifully and quickly giving a slight sheen to the face thereby giving it a perfectly natural look. I would suggest you use fingers to apply it as a flat foundation brush or even a kabuki would eat it up.

L’Oreal:  Its more of a cross between liquid and cream. Its thicker in consistency than the Garnier one, but still on the liquid side. However, when spread, it takes up a powdery kind of form on face. It does not spread easily and takes time. Also, it leaves a whitish cast, which can be attributed to the high SPF.  Also, one has to be careful with the quantity applied or else it would give a truly ashy effect. The cast disappears in half an hour.  This can be applied with either brush or fingers. The application has to be quick or else it is a pain to blend (personally for me it was).

Lakme : This one has a thick, cream like consistency.  It spreads better than L’Oreal one for me. The texture is thick and blends easily. However, although it spreads better than L’oreal for me, would suggest to blend it quickly after application or else it would also be a pain. Like the L’oreal one, you have to be careful about the quantity used. You can use a brush for this.

Colorbar:  More of a latest addition to the BB brigade (wow! I just invented a nice term , pat on my back), this one has the consistency of a mousse. This blends beautifully and quickly. I love how this feels on my skin. It never feels uncomfortable and does not leave a white cast (you have to be careful with the quantity though). It gives a glow to the skin. I am loving this one. You can apply it with a brush or fingers whatever makes you comfortable.

Shade Selection and Undertones:

Maybelline BB Stick : Ahhh, this is where I was not satisfied. This stick comes in two shades – Fawn (the darker one) and Radiance (the lighter one). SeriouslyMaybelline, just two shades? And what about the medium colored damsels like me?? After Radiance looked too ashy on me, I bought Fawn, and instead of being yellow toned, it turned out to be orangey? It made me look all muddy. So, all in all, although I loved the texture, I had to drop this because of the poor shade selection. Ahh Maybelline “Why did thou do this to me??” Sob! Sob!

Garnier : This comes in only one shade. However, it is universally flattering as it is nothing more than a tinted moisturiser which just gives a nice sheen to the face when applied. This was one BB cream I always came back to because of its light texture and natural glow till the day my friend asked me was I ill? I was looking dull and dark and she just used to ask me this when I had applied this BB cream and Lo and Behold! I had to drop the second BB cream I loved.

L’Oreal:  This one comes in three shades ; Ivory (Cool), Gold (Neutral) and Honey (Warm). Yippeeee, finally a medium shade, I was so happy till I got to see the actual thing. I bought this in the shade Gold as Ivory was too light for me and Honey was a shade or two low. However, even Gold turned out to be more of a cool-toned shade. It looked ashy on me and left a white cast. The cast went away in half an hour after I had set it with compact and blended it again with my kabuki to tone it down a bit. After an hour, when the makeup had settled down, it gave a nice overall glow. Still I wasn’t satisfied. I like light products which don’t feel heavy and this one certainly did. Also, all that trouble I had to go through to tone down the shade.

Lakme : This one comes in two shades – Beige (lighter one) and Bronze (darker one).  Again, I had the shade problem with this one. Bronze was a tad darker and Beige was a tad lighter.  I could have mixed, but I am basically a lazy person who thinks that if I am spending money I should get its worth. Again, the shade selection let me down.

Colorbar : Now, this is where my love for colorbar grew. This one also comes in three shades, but these shades are more apt as far as Indian complexions are concerned. In the order of light to dark, these shades are ; Vanilla Crème, Honey Glaze and Cinnamon Swirl. I chose the shade Vanilla Crème, and boy! I am so glad I did that. This shade is a perfect match for my skin tone. It has got more yellow undertones than the rest of the BB creams mentioned above. Also, this is one BB cream where the darker and dusky skinned beauties will find their perfect match.

Coverage:

Maybelline BB Stick : If you find your match, this has light to medium coverage. It will not cover stubborn marks, but it will cover minor discolorations and redness. The coverage is buildable. This, of course if you are lucky enough to find your match, unlike me.

Garnier : The coverage is absolutely minimal. You can wear this if you want a quick five minute makeup on your good skin days and want your skin to breathe with nothing heavy on it. It gives a nice natural glow, but only if you have a perfectly flawless skin. Unlike its name, its not a miracle skin perfector, its just a moisturizer with tint.

L’Oreal:  This gives a medium coverage if you can find your perfect shade.  One has to be careful with the quantity used or it will give a caked up appearance. It leaves a white cast on initial application which settles in half an hour. It settles in powdery texture once applied on skin, because of which it does not feel comfortable if you want to apply some more BB cream or on certain areas to build up coverage. It can end up spoiling your whole look. So, I am saying it again, please be careful of the quantity and try that you don’t need to apply it again on certain areas.

Lakme : This also gives a medium coverage which is buildable because of its creamy texture. One has to be careful with quantity as this can also leave a white cast. This, of course, if you find your shade match.

Colorbar:  This gives a medium coverage. It is perfect for me. Basically, it gives a dewy kind of a finish with medium coverage and doesn’t even feel heavy on the skin. The coverage is buildable because the mousse blends like a dream. It gives a flawless but natural look.

Staying power and Sun Protection:

Maybelline BB Stick : This has stayed on my oily summer skin for a maximum time of around 6 to 7 hours, which is pretty good considering the price (I so wish they had my perfect shade).  It comes with an SPF of 21 PA+++. I would advise using a sunscreen beneath it as for North Summers which are harsh, this is low if you are going to be out for long. However, if you have to stay indoors, you can just use this after your CTM routine.

Garnier : This has an average staying power if used alone. It just wears off after 2 to 3 hours and my face is all shiny and dull. However if set with powder, it can wear up to 4 to 5 hours. It comes with a higher SPF of 26 but no PA protection.

L’oreal : This one has excellent staying power. It stayed on my face for whole day. However, my t-zone was oily after 4 to 5 hours, but that is manageable if you just dab with compact. This one also has the highest SPF of 35 PA+++.

Lakme : This has medium coverage, and once set with powder, it stays on for 6 to 7 hours. The t-zone has to be topped up with compact after some time. This one has SPF 20.

Colorbar : This one stays for the whole day, and that too without setting with powder!!! Also, it did not make my skin oily, just a little bit of shine which can be taken care of with tissue. I cannot say how it will work in summers, but I am very happy with it in winters. It comes with the broad spectrum of SPF 20 which is enough for winters. However, in summers, I will have to use sunblock beneath it.

Paraben Content:

Maybelline BB Stick : Contains Parabens.

Garnier : Contains Parabens

L’oreal : Contains Parabens

Lakme : Contains Parabens

Colorbar : NO PARABENS!!!

Packaging/Price/Its Worth My Rating:

Maybelline BB Stick : It comes in a 10 gm twist up stick form at Rs. 250/-. Its totally worth the price if you get your shade match. 4/5 (-1 for shade)

Garnier : It comes in two sizes. 18 gm tube for Rs. 99/- and 40 gm one for Rs. 199/-. Its packed in a cardboard box with its attributes and pictures on it; nothing extraordinary. Its the cheapest alternative among all the BB creams and if you want something very light, this is totally worth it. 3/5

L’oreal : This comes in a 30 gm tube at a price of Rs. 550/-. The packaging is very classy in gold and cream.  Personally, at this price, it was a colossal disappointment for me.  It was a below average experience and, well, all I can say.  Because you are (so not ) worth it. 2.5/5 (with a very heavy heart).

Lakme : This comes in a 30 gm tube at a price of Rs. 250/-. The packaging is nothing extraordinary. It comes packed in a pink cardboard box and the tube is beige colored with a silver cap. Again, if you find your shade, then its a good option at this price. 3.5/5

Colorbar : This comes in a 29 gm tube at a price of Rs. 550/-. It comes in a very cute and attractive packaging of creamy yellow and silver. The tube itself is very sleek and pretty. Trust me guys, this is totally worth every penny and personally for me, the best among all the aforesaid BB creams. 5/5 (whoa!! Drumrollls!!!!!)

Below are the swatches : (R to L : Garnier, Lakme, L’oreal and Colorbar)

swatches-all bb creams

As you can see, Garnier one has a liquid consistency, Lakme one has cream, L’oreal somewhat a cross between the two and Colorbar with a mousse texture.

Blended :
With Flash

swatches blended - with flash

You can see the almost invisible tint if Garnier, Lakme and L’oreal both have left a white cast because the quantity was a little bit more. Colorbar has the most yellow undertones and a decent coverage. L’oreal and Lakme do not photograph very well, especially in case of L’Oreal, there is mostly a white cast which is embarassing.

Without Flash:

swatches blended - without flash

You can see that Colorbar is most natural.

Maybelline BB Stick Swatch:

swatch - maybelline bb stick

You can see it is so orangey on my hand.

Swatch Blended:

swatch blended - maybelline bb stick

Please do tell me how you liked my review and give your inputs so that I may bring in improvements.  Till then, bubbyeee and love you all 🙂

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46 thoughts on “BB Creams in India – Comparison

  1. awesome posssstt!! plz keep writing kadambari..
    however i would like to burst a universal myth here. use of sunscreen should not depend upon summers or winters. the difference is intensity of heat, not intensity of uv rays. uv rays is there all year round..even when cloudy. so plz dont skip sunscreen in winters 🙂

  2. Oh Kadambari, you have soo tempted me to buy the colorbar BB cream.. I have already been reading great reviews about it and your comparison has made it even more convincing 🙂

  3. Thank youuuuuu everyone I am literally dancing with excitement right now. *happy dance* *happy dance* .
    Jyoti I will certainly keep that in mind when I step out in the sun this winter 🙂
    Sumathi please do buy. It really is a perfect match and texture is dreamy creamy 🙂
    P.S. Everyone. Thank god I could do something with so many unfinished BB creams. My mom was horrified to see so many, but your comments have made my day and now shes happy 😀 😀

  4. Wow! *jai ho* I can never write so much. 😛
    Great work. I have tried the Maybelline BB stick which I think broke me out in spite of having salicylic acid as one of it’s main ingredients. None of the shades of the colorbar bb cream suited me. Not even the lightest one which was too yellow on me. *waaa*
    And, the last one I tried the garnier bb cream also broke me out. *headbang*
    However I really liked the Deborah BB cream. It’s a gift from the gods for oily skinned beauties with so many shades and a matte finish. However, they’ve almost doubled the price now *nababana*
    So, I’m BB cream-less. *waaa*

  5. Oh my!! Nandini thats really sad *shock* So many shocks to just one person?? Bahot nainsafi hai *pan* Have you tried the Revlon and Rimmel London ones?? I have heard they are good. Sad that Colorbar dint work for you. Its the best for me n trust me, I have super oily skin and have done some experiments which give me nightmares to this date. Dont worry, you will find your match in some other brand 🙂

  6. Thank you everyone !!! *happy dance* *happy dance*
    Rati Ma’am it is a great thing to get appreciation from someone you have been following *haan ji*
    your comment made my day 🙂

  7. By the way, since I joined yesterday (officially *hihi* ) I did not know about the sale *headbang* . Can anybody tell me when can I next get the opportunity to put up my items for sale??

  8. Hi Rati, I sent you one guest review some time back but dint receive any response 🙁 🙁 plz let me know if you received it or not..or does it dont fit in any criteria..m wondering! thanks!!

  9. Hi Kadambari 🙂

    Great post! I have same skin type as yours, oily in summers. I have been using coloarbar bb cream since last 2 months, and it is indeed very effective. Gives me a light and even toned complexion. Although my face does look bit shiny after sometime, I use tissue to dab it away. But otherwise, colorbar is very good.

  10. this post is AMAZIN. soo many thanks… good work and lots of logic that u have used… 🙂 🙂 😀

    loved every bit of it… this is the true way how comparison should be done of products… :* :*

    i hated lakme beige cc cream a lot.. it oxidises a lot on my dry combi skin…wore it once for a function, i was looking so dull .. when i come back after 2 3 hours. ewwwwww….

    1. Thank u so much for the appreciation 😀 I had the similar experience with beige shade 🙁 but the bronze shade of lakme cc gives a subtle glow fr daily look.. Though I wouldn’t recommend it for marriage functions as it is not that long lasting 🙂

  11. Hi,I wanna ask you something that my brother is getting married in April 2015 in Chittorgarh,Rajasthan.u know the temperature☺.my skin type is oily.now I am confused what to buy for my face.I wanna buy instant makeup.can u suggest what to buy(bb cream or cc cream of which brand# & one more thing do I need compact powder.plz help I want to try before wedding take place.Tia☺

    1. Hi Chhaka 🙂 Sorry for the late reply.. I was just going through my old posts and read your ques.. If you want something to wear for marriage purpose, then I would suggest one of these three :
      1. Colorbar Full Cover Stick Spf 30. It is long lasting and gives medium to full coverage.
      2. Colorbar Bb cream. If you want a subtle but natural glow, use this. Dab on concealer on ur problem areas of face and top it with compact.
      3. Lakme Absolute Mousse. It is extremely light weight. Again this will give you sheer coverage, so I recommend using a concealer along with it.

      Since you have oily skin, a good compact is something you should have handy. Lakme Absolute Wet and Dry compact is too good for oily skin. It keeps the shine out for hours.
      Also, buy some oil blotting sheets. Clean & Clear and Beauty Formulas are the two brands that manufacture it, at least these r the two that I know. Just use these very lightly on areas that you get oil on, as there is a risk these will wipe off your makeup too. So use these with a very light hand.

      I hope I have answered you query. Sorry again for the late reply 🙂

  12. Very good post..well written n great compilation..
    I personally love The Body Shop all in one BB cream..it has an awesome universal shade. 24 hrs stay and moisurise the skin without flaking..doesnt leave ur skin look dry neither unnatural. .excellently blends with skin…i have an oily skin on my T zone hence apply The body shop insta blur over my t zone n the bb cream..

  13. Thanks dear for such a interesting comparison….. I am not using any bb or cc cream yet..but ur review tempted me to by color bar..little confused between garnier and color bar..can u please suggest me which one is better for me ..I have fair n normal skin type..I am working women..so I want to use it regularly.. I want to know abt any cream for parties also..which can give a natural shiny face….or bb cream is enough for parties also….I like light make up..please help me out..:-) looking for ur valuable suggestions

  14. Hi all
    i am using maybelline bb cream currently and am tempted to buy the colorbar one. i have dry skin and i HAVE to apply a normal nivea moisturiser everyday before applying the bb cream. i have read many reviews of colorbar stating that it is not suitable for people with dry skin. should i try the colorbar bb cream??

  15. My age is 20.I live in tamil nadu. As u know its too hot here…currently im using ponds bb cream.its disappears in a short time approx. 1 hr and makes my skin dull untill i wash my face.so the whole day is a dull looking face for me.i hav combination type skin.it sweats too much here…so i need u to suggest me a good bb cream with gud coverage n which satisfies most of my needs said above….please do reply!!!

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