Garnier Skin Renew BB Cream

I've been wanting to jump on the BB Cream bandwagon for a while now. It took a good friend to post some before and after shots of her face before I got serious about it. She introduced me to Garnier's Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector for Combination to Oily Skin.

The Highlights:

• Affordable - Average price is $12
• Contains SPF 20 sunscreen
• Non-comedogenic, non-acnegenic, oil-free, and non-greasy
• Provides light/medium coverage for those of you who have flawless skin
• Will purchase again - replaced my current foundation primer

My skin type: I have a mess of a face. I don't say that to be funny. It's actually quite irritating LOL. I have an oily forehead, and chin. My t-zone is like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. It really does flip-flop its oil quantities on a whim. I have hormonal issues as well, so sometimes, my face decides to throw in a little cystic acne. With that said, I have areas that require heavy coverage. I purchased the light/medium formula in oil-free. I had no expectations that this BB cream would act as a foundation for me.

Not all BB creams are created equal, and if you are considering purchasing a BB cream, I'd be happy to shed some light on the subject. BB creams are NOT foundation. Let us be very clear on that. BB creams are actually closer to foundation primer or tinted moisturizer, but some of us are blessed enough to be able to use BB creams as foundation. At most, you will only get medium coverage from a BB cream. I've read many web reviews of BB creams, and it is clear that many are confused as to what a BB cream actually is. Main complaints have been the lack of coverage. Well, that is because a BB cream is NOT a foundation. My only caveat is if you already have flawless, healthy skin and can get away with light coverage. The handful of friends I know that can put on BB cream, dust with powder, and walk out the door are fair skinned with no blemishes.

Garnier advertises their BB cream as a "miracle skin perfector". It claims to even tone, hydrate, renew, protect, and brighten. No where on the bottle, or packaging, does it advertise itself as a foundation, or boasts claims of "coverage". I'm driving this point home because I want you to make an educated decision on the type of product you need so that you can have realistic expectations of the product you're purchasing. I'd hate for you to waste money because you heard you can use it as foundation, and then be disappointed with the results.

With that said, let us go back to the Garnier product and hit up its claims:

1. Evens tone - I immediately saw a difference. It was a bigger difference than the expensive foundation primer I was using. It also reduced redness that I wasn't aware I had.
2. Hydrates - Yes. I have noticed that my dry spots have become more tame.
3. Renew - I honestly cannot verify this claim for you. I can say that my skin feels more moisturized and healed since I started using this product in place of my former primer. My problem areas seem to be doing better, but I cannot fully account that to the BB cream.
4. Protect - It contains SPF 20. I'm going to assume that it protects.
5. Brighten - I honestly cannot verify this claim, either. I have to apply foundation on top of the BB cream, so any brightening effects have been compromised.

With all the above in consideration, I definitely recommend this product. It is a great product at a great price point. It performs well as a primer. I feel like my skin breathes better in comparison to my old primer. It is also a significant savings vs. my other primer and has better benefits for my skin. I have also been able to retire my moisturizer, and I don't have to worry about sunscreen products because it already has SPF 20 in it.

The only thing I would change with this product is the consistency and the SPF level. It is pretty thin, even for a moisturizer. I wish it had the consistency of a light facial lotion, and not like hot, liquid foundation. My dermatologist recommends 50 SPF for my face, so it would be nice to have a higher SPF rating, but 20 should be okay if I wear a hat.

If you are looking for "full coverage" or "pore reducing", this is not the product for you. BB creams, at the most, give medium coverage when layered. Due to the thin consistency, this product does not fill in pores like a primer. If you are looking for a product that will help give you an airbrushed look, turn to a true primer.

I apologize that I have no pictures to support my claims. I took some with my iPhone and as you can image, the quality was pretty poor and you really couldn't see the big difference it made before and after. I just haven't had the time to break out my DSLR and take good before/after pictures. I may amend this review to add pictures at a later date.