The Beauty Balm Boom

So if you are a frequent shopper of beauty places such as ulta, sephora, department store counters, you've probably noticed a lot of lines tend to come out with the same something new all at the same time. First lip plumpers, then primers, then gel liners, then...well you get the point. So this time Beauty Balms. In case you are wondering, this is what most lines are calling their "BB" Creme. It's intended to be the soft merriment of a primer, tinted moisturizer, anti aging Creme and SPF. And I've had the chance to try a couple. Everthing from Garnier to Smashbox has one. And I really wasn't too impressed.
My skin is pretty difficult to impress and as a makeup artist and acne fighter, you can imagine that I have high standards. I'm also going into my late twenties so even though I have an olive complexion, I have just a few hints of wrinkles (2 to be exact) hyper pigmentation, bigger pores and with oily skin I fight acne and blackheads.
There aren't a lot of products out there that can be oil free and moisturizing without causing me to breakout.......so I thought.
Urban Decay has once again blown my mind. Now I know it's on the pricey side (perks of a makeup artist/hairstylist) but its well worth the $34 for this Beauty Balm. They chose wisely to include it as part of their Naked line. I picked it up at Ulta and got a free gift of their 24/7 glide on black liner and their newer makeup setting spray which works pretty well too. So here's the scoop in why I love Urban's BB Creme the most.
*It only has SPF 20 which is actually healthier for you because of what needs to be in SPF to make it stronger is actually toxic to your body. So it does help provide a healthy level of protection.
* Its oil free but hydrates and helps improve proper hydration over time
* It primes so your makeup stays where it belongs and doesn't clog pores.
* It has a general pigment that will fade into any skin tone without dulling your skin so it can minimize pores, lines, wrinkles and redness
* It actually treats your skin to improve elasticity, firming and reducing spots as well!

If you are really dry naturally I would follow with your regular moisturizer. It's Demi-matte so no matte tour skin type it won't be oily. The consistency is also very liquid to Creme. Most primers are very creamy to help minimize pores and wrinkles but that doesn't work well if you are acne prone. Give it a try!