Is BB Cream worth the hype?

If you've read any beauty magazines, blogs, watched TV, or checked anywhere online, BB cream is all the rage! Recently, I was given the opportunity to try L'Oreal Paris Magic BB Cream thanks to my friends over at She Speaks. Here's what I think about the product:

Let me start by telling you that I have fair skin. Not just fair, but almost translucent! You know those sparkly vampires from "Twilight"? Yea, just like that...only much less sparkly! It's been a struggle for me to find a makeup that actually matches my skin tone & doesn't make me look like I slathered a bunch of crap on my face. That may have been fine when I was a teenager (trying in vain to cover blemishes), but in my mid-30's, I prefer a more natural look! 

I was SO excited to test the BB cream for myself to see if it was really as great as some might have you believe. There was a lot to be excited about:

1. The L'Oreal brand (who doesn't love them?)
2. "Natural" look promised
3. How it's supposed to moisturize skin
4. How it can be used as a base under makeup (diminishing pores/evening skin tone)
5. The thing that I was most excited about - how it starts out white & blends in with your skin tone. 
6. The fact that you can pick it up at your local drug store or mega-mart (under $10) is pretty great too.

So, I tried my BB cream after I'd showered, as I would normally apply my makeup. I didn't put any moisturizer on as the cream said it was "moisturizing". I also have combination/oily skin & didn't think I should slather any more grease on my face than needed. I squished a bit out of the tube & spread it on. The first thing I noticed was how heavy it felt going on. I was expecting a lighter feel I guess. As I spread it onto my face, I was watching how it was "blending" with my skin tone. To say it was not a good match is an understatement! It was way too pink/orange. Not natural at all! Well...unless you're a cast member of "Jersey Shore" of course. I continued to go about my application in the hopes that it would be better once I was done. I got my whole face covered & noticed that every single bit of dry/flaky skin (that I didn't know I had) was a thousand times more visible after applying the cream. While the BB cream did blur out any large pores/redness/freckles that I have, it left my face feeling sticky & an odd color. I thought if I put some powder on top, that it would help. Well, it did for a very short time, but then my face started feeling like I had caked a ton of makeup on. Natural? Nope. I wound up wearing it for about 2 hours when I couldn't stand it anymore & decided to scrub my face & start fresh. What a bummer! I really had high hopes, but alas, just as many other products that have come (and been thrown away) before...I was let down :(

Is L'Oreal Magic BB Cream right for you? I absolutely would NOT recommend this if you have oily skin, prefer a natural look, or have a fair complexion - maybe it works better on darker skin tones? I really don't know. But, I do know that I have no intentions of using this cream again. Good luck lovely ladies! That's what I think!


*Disclaimer: I was provided a tube of L'Oreal Magic BB Cream from She Speaks in order to test & post a review here on my blog.