Which BB cream to believe in?

More than a year ago, BB creams burst onto the UK market and immediately started creating a buzz in the beauty world. Since then, every brand seems to have come out with their own versions, with some now on their second or third lines and with the new CC creams trying to take over as the latest must have multitasking product.

Being a beauty product addict, I've tried quite a few BB creams over the months and have to say, all the mainstream brands offer something to suit almost every skin type.

The original UK launch cream was Garnier Miracle Skin Perfecter and I did like this as it gave good coverage and was easy to blend, but having very fair skin, the light version still wasn't quite light enough for me. A good all-rounder product. Next I tried Boots' 17 All-in-One Magic Make Up and Skincare. At around £5 and always part of some offer or another within the range, this is a good shade for lighter skins and gives very good coverage, particularly if you suffer with red tones like I do.

I then picked up the L'Oreal Nude Magique BB tube. For anyone who has some colour to their cheeks, this product is amazing. It's a pearlescent colour when squeezed out with a purple tone until blended. Best worked in with your figures, and quickly too, this product feels so light to wear yet seems to transform your skin instantly. Seriously, it looked like I had a new layer of fresh, blemish free, radiant skin - but the downside was the tone was far, far too dark for me despite choosing the lighter of the two tones. So, if you usually use medium toned products or have a bit of a tan (I dislike you either way!) then try this, I promise you won't be disappointed. It's more of a wonder product than a BB cream in my opinion so I would still use your usual moisturiser base.

No7's BB cream has been my favourite to date as its easy to blend but gives really good coverage and leaves you with a radiant glow - perfect for those days when you're feeling a little grey.

Today I bought the new version from Maybelline - Dream Pure BB 8-in-1 Cream with 2% salicylic acid for oily skin. I haven't tried Maybelline's BB creams before but thought I would try this. As Superdrug and Boots both currently have an offer on - buy one get one half price - I also picked up their Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer Wand. Having a newborn means my under eye area needs even more of a helping hand than usual and having tried various products across the price ranges, I thought one more purchase couldn't hurt.

You can certainly see a difference between the before and after images - the cream evened out the red areas, was smooth to apply and blended well into the skin. For a busy mum on the go, this is a handy handbag item to have but if you're having a bad skin day, like me today, you may still need some concealer here and there.

Next, the concealer. Again, I think you can really tell the difference between the before and after photos. At first, I was worried the shade (ivory, naturally) was too orange but this blended into the under eye area to counteract the grey / blue tinges. Subtle but effective, this concealer doesn't feel heavy but does the trick. For £6.99, I'm very pleased with the result.

These two products helped this new mama to get ready in a fraction of the time. I'm also trying the new Maybelline Superstay 14 Hour Lipstick in Stay With Me Coral (what can I say, I'm a sucker for a special offer) as shown in the above pic. Love the colour, it feels smooth to apply but with good coverage that feels like it will last yet I don't feel like I'm wearing heavy lipstick. Will have to see if it lasts 14 hours though...

* Note: this is not a sponsored post and I bought these products myself to try.