Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream Review and Swatches

What is a BB cream? BB creams have been popular in Asia for a number of years and they're just now popping up in North America. "BB" stands for blemish balm or beauty balm and they were originally developed for laser surgery patients to apply to their skin to help soothe, protect and heal it.  

BB creams designed for the public have the same idea. They're multifunctional products, designed to hydrate, protect and heal the skin. While different brands will vary slightly, a BB cream will give you some or all of the following: no-makeup look, an even complexion, hydration, sun protection, soothe sensitive skin, conceal blemishes and offer anti-aging properties.

Garnier recently launched their BB cream, called Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream, and as far as I know, it's the first mainstream brand, widely available BB cream in Canada. 

It retails for approximately $20 CDN and comes in two shades - Medium Light and Dark Medium - and one size - a 75 mL tube. 

The package box has quite a bit of information, which is why I photographed it for this post. According to the packaging, the BB cream is a hybrid formula that offers advanced skincare and immediate skin perfecting coverage that is becoming popular all over the world. It combines several beauty routine steps in one single product. 

Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector (aka the Garnier BB cream) is an all-in-one product with results your can see and feel instantly. Skin appears airbrushed, beautifully sooth and even. It's lightweight and comfortable texture blends perfectly into skin for a sheer flawless finish. This all-in-one formula combines intense moisturing skincare with Vitamin C and Mineral Pigments for an instant skin transformation:

• renews radiance
• brightens complexion
• evens skintone and blurs imperfections
• hydrates for 24 hours

Formulation facts:

• Tested under dermatological control
• Non-comedogenic - won't clog pores
• Gentle to skin
• Non-greasy

Problem:

Skin concerns, such as discolouration, dullness, blemishes and even dryness can come from a number of different sources. It's hard to find just one product that addresses all these concerns at once. 

Solution: 

Garnier introduces Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream that immediately and effectively fulfills your skincare expectations.

Save time with just one multi-benefit product that combines advanced skincare and immediate skin perfecting coverage.

Results:

Instantly: Skin looks naturally more even, radiant and smooth.

After just one use:

• 90% saw a more even complexion.
• 93% saw a healthier looking glow.
• 96% saw smoother skin.

Phew! That's a lot of information. Too much information and it's confusing and seems unfinished. It's almost like Garnier wasn't sure how to explain or promote this product so they just threw everything onto the box. 

So how does the product look and work?

I bought the Light Medium shade. It's definitely a bad thing that there's only two shades. Shame on you, Garnier! I'm lucky that the Light Medium shade works for my skintone. 

The texture of the BB cream is interesting. It comes out a little on the stiff side and smooths out to a very thin liquid when massaged with the fingers. You can definitely feel its slippery smooth properties as you smooth it out.

I swatched it on my hand first, working a little bit in to test the texture and coverage.

Slightly smoothed out

Almost completely worked into my skin

Completely worked into my skin

I was curious about the coverage the BB cream might offer - would it be like a tinted moisturizer or like a liquid foundation? Since it claims to hydrate, could it replace using a moisturizer and a foundation? 

The texture is interesting, not like any tinted moisturizers I've tried. It's almost like a primer, that silky feeling but wetter and it smooths into my skin readily, rather than simply sitting on the surface. 

A little goes a good way and it can be layered on areas that need a little more than others. Apply this like you would a moisturizer rather than a foundation.


One important thing to note is that unfortunately, the Garnier BB Cream, like most other drugstore cosmetics, is heavily fragranced. If you're sensitive to fragrance, you will want to bypass this product.

In the below photos, I've applied the BB cream to the right half of my face. Underneath I have on only my Boots No. 7 Protect & Perfect Serum and some Kiehl's Facial Fuel Eye De-Puffer under my eyes.

BB cream applied to the right side of my face

The right side of my face with the BB cream applied

The left side of my face without the BB cream applied

As you can see, the BB cream provided my skin with light coverage, eliminating a lot of the natural pink of my skin and evening it out. 

The BB smooths out my skin so that anything added on top goes on very smoothly and evenly. The coverage offered is light to medium on my complexion, similar to what I'd expect from a tinted moisturizer. As a result, I need less foundation and concealer, expect for areas such as blemishes and around my nostrils.

I give the Garnier BB cream a thumbs up for instant skin perfecting. It works well as moisturizing, smoothing base for makeup or for just a very simple, natural skin perfecting look. 

Garnier claims that this cream give 24 hour hydration and while I can't 100% verify that, I can say that my skin certainly feels less dry after washing it at night. I have fewer dry spots as well. Whether that's to do with the warming weather or the BB cream, I can't say just yet. 

I prefer the Garnier BB cream to the tinted moisturizer I have been using for a few reasons. One is the sun protection the BB cream offers although it is only SPF 15, which is the bare minimum you should wear. Ideally this would have an SPF of 25 if you're using it in place of a sunscreen or a moisturizer with sun protection. Still, it offers SOME sun protection. 

Another reason is that it provides a barrier between the oils in my skin and my makeup, so that it doesn't melt as much during the day and requires fewer touch-ups. 

I quite like the way it makes my skin feel and how it allows make-up to be applied.

I think the Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream will remain in my make-up routine from now on. I hope that they come out with more shades however. It's ridiculous that only two shades are available. 

Has anyone tried the Garnier BB Cream? What do you think?

C.