Maybelline Dream Fresh Skin Perfector vs. L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier
the latest craze in the beauty world are bb creams (the bb stands for blemish balm or beauty balm depending on who you ask). what is a bb cream, really? whelp, it's a tinted moisturizer that incorporates properties and benefits normally seen in skincare products. and a few weeks ago while in Ulta i got my hands on L'Oreal's Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream and Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB Skin Perfector.
i was pleasantly surprised that each brand made an effort to include deeper skin tones, although L'Oreal didn't go as dark as Maybelline. but, each makes similar promises of its ability to:
♥ smooth/enhance the skins texture
♥ brightens
♥ even the skin tone
♥ hydrate
left to right: L'Oreal BB Cream & Maybelline BB Cream
L'Oreal's version comes out of the tube a pearlescent white and utilizes "encapsulated pigments" which adjust to the proper shade (in my case, "Deep"). the encapsulated pigments also give this cream a somewhat gritty texture. the Maybelline version is much more similar in appearance to a tinted moisturizer.
L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream blended out
once applied to the skin you do feel the grittiness, although not as "rough" as an actual exfoliant. that feeling went away pretty quickly as i began to blend and buff the cream into my skin. it's extremely lightweight, almost like you're putting on moisturizer and nothing at all. after a minute or so i began to notice the change in color and how it completely disappeared into my skin. it did help to minimize the appearance of my large pores and evened out my skin tone nicely. one other thing i noticed and loved about L'Oreals formulation is that it worked almost like a mattifier, which is perfect for my oily skin!
Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream
Maybelline's version is much more like your traditional tinted moisture, both in appearance, texture and weight. in comparison to L'Oreal it is much heavier. i got the Deep shade, which seemed a little on the orange side when i first put it on my skin, but as i blended & buffed it actually matched my skin pretty well. it did a nice job of evening out my skin tone, but very little to minimize the appearance of my large pores and by the end of day i was a shiny, greasy mess. but, if you have dry skin, i think Maybelline's version would be great for you.
the verdict
after wearing both of these alternately for the last 2 weeks i prefer L'Oreal's version. it's more lightweight, i like the "glow" it gives and it works better with my oily skin. and on the days when i haven't really felt like wearing much or anything heavy (mostly because we've had too many 100+ degree days) i found myself reaching for the L'Oreal version more often and it stood up against the heat and humidity.
the Maybelline version just didn't impress me much, it's too much like all the other tinted moisturizers that i have and i honestly would reach for the other tinted moisturizers over Maybelline's BB Cream.
L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier retails for $10.99 and Maybelline Dream Fresh retails for $8.99; both are available at your local drugstores and Ulta.
have you bought in to the BB Cream craze?
Great review!! I might have to go pick up the L'Oreal BB cream now, thanks!
I haven't tried any BB creams other than the Korean ones. I may have to try this.
I've tried the Maybelline BB cream and it's not bad, but definitely need to keep an eye on shine. I was disappointed by L'Oreal's new foundation.. but when I can finally track down the BB cream - will definitely have to give it a go.
Thanks for such a great comparison.
LOVE this post. Thanks for giving an honest rundown of the two latest drugstore BB Creams.
i totally did! i tried out garnier first, and i liked it but the fact that there's only two tones, i wasn't impressed. it was also too thick for what i need it for (i don't need a lot of concealing/coverage). it works well for me during cooler months, i wore it in hot weather (with setting spray on), that thing separated on my face, and i don't even have oily skin.
i particularly like maybelline bb cream because it is similar to my sephora perfecting tinted moisturizer. it blends well on my skin and the color matches perfectly. i did purchase the l'oreal one, but it hasn't arrived yet, so the verdict is waiting on that one.
I have been wanting to jump on the bandwagon with these drugstores BB creams. I tried out the garnier one but found it too greasy for my skin. I will definitely have to give this one a try and would review it too! Thanks for the recommendation!
yay for a comparison! i'm returning my maybelline, do you suggest giving loreal a go or just skip it all together?
Hi! I found your blog searching for reviews on L'Oreal's BB cream and now I'm hooked! I too am a woman of color and I'm soo happy I found your blog! So many awesome products for me to try knowing that they will actually look good with my skin tone!
Great review