3 New Ways to Wear BB Cream

Allure Daily Beauty Reporter
Courtesy of Smashbox
Courtesy of Smashbox

Renee Trilivas, Allure magazine

By now, I bet you know all about BB creams. (If not, here's a refresher course: they're supercharged tinted moisturizers, usually with anti-aging ingredients and SPF-and they've become a beauty-bag staple for women on the go.) But instead of just slathering it all over your face, try some of our favorite new ways to wear a BB cream.

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Sheer your foundation. If you need coverage, but don't like the heaviness of foundation, use makeup artist Christophe Dachshund's trick to boost your foundation with a BB cream (he used it on Marion Cotillard at the Golden Globes). The cream will sheer out the texture without compromising coverage much-plus, it gives skin a subtle glow. Mix a pea-sized dollop of your usual foundation with an equal amount of BB cream like Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream (less if you need more pigment) and blend before applying.

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Diffuse your blush. To make blush look like a natural flush, layer it under a BB cream. After applying blush (yes, even powder formulas), dab a lightweight BB cream like Dr. Jart+ Water Fuse Beauty Balm SPF 25 PA++ onto the apples of your cheeks and blend with your finger for a fresh, dewy finish. This tip also works to soften too-bright blush, so reach for the BB cream when you overdo it. If you're prone to breakouts, use an oil-free formula.

Highlight your skin. Remedy dull skin by using illuminating BB cream as a liquid highlighter. Try Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Illuminating Moisturizer or mix your own makeshift creamy highlighter by adding loose iridescent powder to your usual BB cream. Smooth it over your cheekbones, down the center of your nose, in your cupid's bow, and on your collarbone to add a hint of candle-lit shimmer.

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