Annabelle • bb cream • BB Cream

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bldsgrsxmgk on 4/8/2013 7:49:00 PM more reviews by bldsgrsxmgk

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

One of the better drugstore BB creams I've tried! I find it a bit too yellow for lazy day use; my skintone is neutral so I find that I need a bit of blush or bronze to make it look more like my skin. The finish is very nice though, in my opinion this is medium coverage.. some people say it is light but then I really dislike heavy foundation, on me or anyone else. This product is a liquid but is still creamy and emollient. It goes on nicely, wears nicely. Didn't make my skin react, didn't cling to imperfections. One complaint would be that in my slightly-oily t-zone the weartime is not amazing without a powder; it's not so much that it sinks in or wears/melts off, it is that once the oil in my skin starts to come out after some hours, the product becomes extremely transfer-prone. Second complaint is packaging; after having this for awhile the black on the outside began to flake off onto my hands whenever I picked it up, and then onto my face when I applied the bb cream if I didn't notice! Also, I brought this to work with me at a ski resort several times and the pressure from the altitude made product shoot out every time I opened it up. Great bb for normal, yellowtoned skin, comparable to the more expensive Marcelle BB cream in quality.

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*TOP REVIEWER* charb3 on 3/31/2013 2:42:00 PM more reviews by charb3

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This was the better of the bb creams that I purchased. Thicker consistency with a nice yellow undertone. It did not break me out which is always a plus! The coverage is fairly sheer, but I am still on the hunt for the perfect bb cream - but this one is close!

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karebeaarr on 3/13/2013 8:20:00 PM more reviews by karebeaarr

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Overall this product wasn't too bad. It only has an SPF of 15, which is on the lower end. I have oily skin, and this product didnt really help control the oil, especially my nose area. I found that the oil around my nose that was secreted, actually made the product kind of break apart, to the point where I could see the oil mixed in with the cream. It's not too much coverage; it feels light and covers some redness but not completely. I have a yellow undertone to my skin and this product also has a yellow tone to it, so it looked very natural. Whereas other bb creams usually has a pink or ivory tone.

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PaulaBenoit on 1/29/2013 6:01:00 PM more reviews by PaulaBenoit

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Olive, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I found this BB Cream in comparison to the Marcelle BB Cream had a slightly thinner, lighter consistency and not as much coverage, more light/medium where Marcelle is a solid medium coverage. But it is build able if you let the first layer dry. I usually apply a layer, let it dry and then reapply a bit more to my cheeks. The finish is a lovely satin finish. I love how it perfects my skin without making me look made up. I have dry skin with exception of my t-zone and I found this did not accentuate any flakes, fine lines or dry skin. Just moisturize well prior to applying. This wears well and lasts me through a full day, I only need to blot my t-zone mid day.

I prefer this BB Cream better than the Marcelle because the color suits me better. Since it is more yellow toned it covers my redness better. I am also half Asian so I have more yellow tones to my skin. I have very sensitive skin and this did not break me out or cause my eczema to flare. Overall a great product that has become my daily staple. I purchased this in Med/Dark. For reference I am NC37(winter), NC40(summer).

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cassy2790 on 1/27/2013 12:15:00 AM more reviews by cassy2790

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I love all Annabelle products so when I was looking for a BB cream and found out Annabelle had one, I bought it thinking it would be amazing... Sadly, I was wrong! I have Ivory skin so I bought the lightest one which is Light/Medium. It blended out fine on my hand at the store but when I went to use it on my face it ended up being a lot darker than my actual skin tone (possibly because of the yellow undertone). I tried applying it a few times with different brushes, but it just never turned out right (I think because my skin has a pink undertone). I always set my foundation so I did the same thing and set this BB cream with a powder since I have combination skin and can sometimes get oily in my T zone. After about 3 hours of wearing the BB cream with my powder, it looked horrible up close in the mirror. Some parts of my face were darker than others and it looked like it was coming off my face in spots!! Thank God I was at a dark pub, other wise I would have freaked!
Another thing was that it looked like I was wearing heavy foundation (which it says it's suppose to have skin matching blendable pigments). I'm upset that Annabelle only came out with 3 shades...Especially since the light one isn't right for anyone with an Ivory skin tone that has a pink undertone. I'm sad that this BB cream didn't work for me because it got really good reviews.
The packaging is nice, you get a decent amount of product (40mL), and SPF 15 is always a good thing; it just didn't work out for me as I'd hoped.

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Glossifyed on 1/14/2013 4:22:00 AM more reviews by Glossifyed

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I love this product. It comes in a hygienic tube. My shade is light/medium which has a yellow tinge but suits me fine (I'm from Pakistan so olive skinned). It has a smooth, creamy consistency that doesn't feel heavy once applied. If you apply too much at a time it could feel greasy so I would suggest letting the layers dry if you need to apply twice. The coverage is light-medium but great for evening out skin complexion and brightening. Never broke me out. Paired with Rimmels Stay Matte Powder and a dab of concealer here and there, this has been my face makeup for the last 6 months. I would highly recommend!

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veritas11 on 12/23/2012 9:32:00 PM more reviews by veritas11

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I love this BB cream! I picked it up during the summer on a whim -- normally I like to read reviews before I pick up a product like this, but the packaging was so darn similar to the Smashbox BB cream that I just couldn't resist! (I had tried a sample of that one and liked it as well, but can't justify the price.)

This product probably shouldn't suit me, but it does. I'm quite pale (not porcelain, but usually one of the lightest makeup shades), and have cool, pink undertones. This product is yellowish, and the lightest shade is darker than my skin, but as soon as I start blending (I like to use a stippling brush), it disappears into my skin.

I also have somewhat oily skin, and while this does give a bit of a dewy finish, it doesn't make me overly greasy. It stays well, although I do set everything with powder.

It's a bit pricier than most drugstore BB creams, but I would repurchase it. I think it's neat that Annabelle has come out with a whole line of BB products, not just a cream. I love the concealer!

I'd say the coverage is medium. It's not as light as some BB creams. For a North American drugstore BB cream, I'd say the coverage is pretty good, actually. It's buildable too -- I usually put an extra layer over my cheeks where I've got some light acne scarring and it covers pretty well.

I've also gotten compliments on my makeup when I've worn this. Granted, I don't wear foundation every day, so when I do it's more likely to generate comments, but still, a compliment's a compliment, right?

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Lionessque on 11/3/2012 4:00:00 AM more reviews by Lionessque

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Tan, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Amazing bb cream ive tried. from drugstore to high-end this is a keeper! im super oily and most bb creams dont last, even with powder, but this is different!

PROS:
-amazing oil control
-great lasting power
-spf 15
-good for sensitive, break out prone skin
-sleek packaging

CONS:
-2 shades available
-spf smell

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rynamyn on 11/1/2012 10:35:00 AM more reviews by rynamyn

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I really like the Smashbox bb cream but due to price I was looking for a cheaper alternative. I picked this one up on sale for $13.99 which is a good deal for a good amount of product. The cream looks yellow-tinged but my skin is pink-toned & it still matches well. It's very light coverage but enough to even out the skintone & feels nice as well. No miracle product but the price I'm quite happy!

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shar2011 on 9/25/2012 4:56:00 PM more reviews by shar2011

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I was looking for a light BB cream so I could give my skin a break from foundation and I think I found what I was looking for in this product!

The price of this product was fairly cheap for how well it performs. I think I purchased it for about $17.00 but I can't remember exactly how much it cost. It's available at most places in Canada where makeup is sold.

This BB cream is pretty yellow toned, which is good for me because I have yellow undertones to my skin. I purchased this in the shade medium-deep, the darker colour (there are only two shades) and it matches my skintone pretty well. I apply with my fingers and it goes on pretty smoothly and blends in great, with no cakeface look. Sometimes I'll apply a second layer just on areas where I need more coverage and it still doesn't look cakey.

My skin is very dry after I wash my face but then gets oily by the end of the day so I need a moisturizing product that lasts long and stays matte. If I apply this product by itself, some areas of my face look very flaky and my face will still feel fairly tight from dryness. However, if I apply a light layer of my Cetaphil moisturizer, my skin looks and feels great.

As for the coverage, I would say it's light-medium for me. I have really acne-prone skin and plenty of scars and hyperpigmentation so I still have to use concealer (MUFE Full Cover Concealer in #10) after I apply this BB cream but I feel like I have to use less of it than I usually would without this product. I also apply a powder (MAC Studio Fix in NC40) because this does give a bit of a glowy look and I like very matte makeup.

Throughout the day, this BB cream lasts pretty well and I've only had to blot once a day which isn't a huge deal. It doesn't feel very heavy either.

Overall I think this is a nice product and I will definitely be repurchasing. And no, it did not break me out, it is non-comedogenic and oil-free.

For reference, I'm an NC40 in MAC liquid foundations :)

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dustdrops on 9/15/2012 8:32:00 AM more reviews by dustdrops

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Normal, Fair, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I found a sample of this BB cream inside an Elle mag and I immediately tried it on. I have to say I'm amazed and went out to buy a full tube. It looks and feels incredibly natural, the coverage is good, and it imparts a glow on the skin without looking shiny. You should still use a translucent powder to set it. This BB cream is the closest to an Asian BB cream out of the other Western BB creams I've tried. The coverage is not as good as the Marcelle (which would be medium to full) but this one is quite buildable, and coverage is not much of a problem to me anyway, since all I have are old and rather faint acne scars and some redness. I am Asian and my skin is NC20-25 (NC20 in the winter, NC25 in the summer) and this matches me very well because of its yellow tone. Usually I don't have a problem with Asian BB creams and their infamous grey casts, since it oxidizes to match my skin tone anyway, but they take awhile for it to happen (around 15-30 mins.). With this BB cream all I have to do is slap this on and add some translucent powder, then my do my other makeup like blush, mascara and a light pink lip stain, and I'm out the door. Doesn't take much time at all!

As for cons, I have to say that it's not as hydrating as it suggests, because it did somewhat emphasize flakes, but that was also because the first time I wore this, I did not put on moisturizer, so applying moisturizer is a must. The other con is the packaging, which is the common squeeze tube. I preferred Marcelle's pump tube because I am a germophobe when it comes to makeup and I still get a little paranoid when I put this on the back of my hand. But because this product performs so well at this price, I will definitely purchase this BB cream again.

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scunliffe on 9/13/2012 7:01:00 PM more reviews by scunliffe

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

Heavy on my skin. Did not enjoy this product

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*TOP REVIEWER* mirageangelhope on 8/27/2012 3:20:00 AM more reviews by mirageangelhope

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I like this one so much better than the garnier bb cream.I think that this still needs a power to set it but doesn't end up anywhere as greasy as garnier.This has a decent coverage and staying power without any shimmer.This also has a squeeze tube and comes with 1.4 ounces way more product than your average foundation.
If you are pretty fair this will be to dark for you even if you go light/medium since it on the darker side

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*TOP REVIEWER* ginger9 on 8/16/2012 4:19:00 PM more reviews by ginger9

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Firstly, I am C35 and even darker in the summer, so most Asian BB creams are too dark for me. I am happy that BB creams are finally widely available in North America and I hope for more variety of shades for ladies of color. Now on to my review:

I picked up med/dark, however I could have worn the light/med as well (I tested both). So the good news is if you are darker than me don't fret med/dark will likely still work, so it's worth swatching testers at the drugstore. The coverage is adequate, I would say light, however it has a nice brightening effect. When I first read about brightening abilities my initial thought was, does this mean it'll make my skin look "white" and "ashy" like I'm wearing too light of a foundation on my face? Well, turns out it's not like that at all! The brightening effect, makes your skin tone look more even, close to glowy. You do look a tad lighter but not unnatural like you are wearing a wrong shade of foundation. I like this for the summer. Because of the heat and sweat, I like something that allows my skin to breath and not breakout. With BBC I just apply to face and I've got SPF, light coverage and brightening all in one.

My cons or things to take note of - I found the BB cream can be greasy, almost oily at times. I do not have oily complexion. I think it's the silicone. However this problem was alleviated once I stopped moisturizing beforehand and a dusting of powder helped. However, if you are oily prone, this may be an issue. Lastly due to the light coverage, naturally it is not adequate for all occasions.

Conclusion: Good product for giving skin a break, brightening effects (I do see the difference!) make up for light coverage. Convenience is superb, moisturize, spf, coverage all in one! Overall positive experience with my first BB cream. Curious to try other brands now.

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DesignerMel on 8/12/2012 9:11:00 AM more reviews by DesignerMel

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I got a sample of this bb cream in light/medium in a magazine, along with a $3 off coupon. I was leery, as I haven't found a North American bb cream that suited my skin tone or skin type... The sample lasted 4 applications, and I enjoyed it so much, I purchased it. I have used it for over a week now, and am really enjoying it. I have dry skin, that lately, due to hormones, has been sensitive to products (causing break outts). So, I am cautious trying new things.
Side note: I really like MAC Face and Body Foundation (I am shade C1), with a tiny amount of Cover FX Skin Prep under it. But for summer, I wanted to find a single step, with SPF, that I could apply with my fingers and go. Hence the search for a good bb cream.
This product, for me, does what it claims:
- blendable pigments improves skin tone, blurs imperfections - check. This gives light coverage that blends out and blurs red and dark spots without covering them too much and looking cakey. It looks like my skin, much improved. I only use concealer under my eyes (I just purchased their Skin Retouch Crayon to smooth under my eyes and hi-light my tear duct area - will review separately once I have had a chance to use it a week or two...) and a very light dusting of sheer powder in my t-zone, and I look like I have great skin, and no makeup on.
I can even tap a little more into spots for added coverage and it still looks natural.
- boosts skin with instant radiance - check, albeit slight. I don't see an obvious radiance, but, I do see a very subtle glow to my cheeks.
- helps to minimize pores and controls shine - check. I don't have to touch up or blot, ever. I put this on at 6am, and it still looks great at 11pm when I take it off.
- long lasting moisture - check. I always wear moisturizer under foundation, tinted moisturizer or bb cream, as I have dry, tight skin. But with this I can use a lighter day moisturizer and use it sparingly, and my skin feels smooth and hydrated even at the end of a long day. And it never looks or feels greasy.
- protects against UVA/UVB rays - check, although its only SPF 15. I'd prefer 25, but I understand it's difficult to put high SPF in a cosmetic product and keep the same look and feel... (Plus my skin can be sensitive to certain sun blocking agents, so it's a double edged sword...).
I am using light/medium and I find it's the perfect neutral for me. (NW20-25). I don't see the yellow that the other reviewer commented on. (It is more yellow than pink, but I never want any pink in my makeup, even though I have cool-neutral skin). This blends perfectly into my skin tone. Garnier's light was way too orange for me. Too Faced's lightest shade was too light and their second shade a touch too dark (and too dry) for me.
Lastly, and importantly for me, I have experienced no irritation or break-outs since using this product. That is a great bonus, since it is hydrating. I notice no scent, which is often the culprit...
So, overall I'm very happy with this product and I will repurchase. Maybe only in summer, we will see...That is the only reason for 4 lippies, as I haven't used it long enough, or through any other seasons (than summer) to know if it's a HG product for me. I will update once we get into the colder, drier (moisture-stripping) months.

Update/tips:
For those with dry to very dry skin like me, you only need a light application of a lightweight moisturizer under this. For normal skin, you probably don't need any additional moisturizer. For oily skin, this is not your BB cream, sorry. Primer is definitely not needed.
Use your fingers to apply, not a brush or sponge. The warmth of your fingers helps it melt into your skin (disappears, but still covers/blurs imperfections). I usually rub it in, and then pat over my face to blend it further.
Use a small amount. A little goes a long way, and you can add more as needed.
I also like to spray my face with 2-3 sprays of a mist, like MAC Mineral Charged Water and then pat my face again, when I'm all done with my makeup application.
It truly looks natural and flawless this way.
Hope this helps!

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*TOP REVIEWER* princess101 on 8/4/2012 12:03:00 AM more reviews by princess101

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I have had a couple of weeks to test this product and feel that I have a good grasp of what it claims to do, and what it actually does do. This new product by Annabelle is closer to an Asian BB Cream than most of its Western counterparts available today. This product claims to improve skintone and blur imperfections, bring radiance, minimize the look of pores, control shine, provide hydration and protection against UVB rays.

I have to say that I am quite impressed with this, especially seeing that it a drugstore brand and sold at a reasonable price. This retails for $16.99 and is packaged in a sleek black squeeze tube, with a clear strip to show approximate shade (although it does have skin-matching blendable pigments). You get 1.4oz of product rather than your standard 1oz of foundation.

I have this in the shade Light/Medium which matches perfectly with my NC25 skintone. Fair skin ladies may have a hard time, as the base colour seen in the tube won't get any lighter.

I generally have an oily tzone with normal to dry cheeks and have found this to work well. This applies like a thin cream, and dries to a slightly tacky, but matte finish. I like to add a highlighter or sometimes concealer under my eyes, and then set with a loose powder. With the summer heat, and this products hydrating benefits, I'm sure I would be an oily mess without the powder. Currently I do have to blot at the 5 hour mark, but results may change as the seasons do.

This did even out my skin, provide moisture and minimize the looks of the pores on my nose, but did not offer much in terms of controlling the shine on my forehead, nor did it seem to give me any glow and radiance, hence the two lippies off (in addition to lack of shades).

My bet is that this would work well on normal to dry skinned ladies/men, and best for oily skinned girls in the colder months, when your skin generally requires hydration.

Darker skinned ladies/gents will have to look elsewhere, as this is only available in two shades and the darker shade is not that much darker.

This line is also accompanied by a BB powder (a brightening setting powder---has a slight sheen), a concealer (available in 3 shades, quite pigmented, reminds me of Revlon photoready concealer) and a line eraser/highlighter pencil (white end applies clear and fills in lines/wrinkles with a silicone-type product and other end is like Anastasia's brow highlighter).

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LinhNguyen on 8/2/2012 10:45:00 PM more reviews by LinhNguyen

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Annabelle's is my first BB cream and I couldn't be happier! I purchased the Med/Dark and it looks great on my NC35 skin. It replaces my moisturizer, sunscreen, primer and foundation. Olive skinned beauties, give this one a try!

It may be a negative for some but I chose this one over it's well reviewed sister product, Marcelle's BB cream, because of its subtle yellow tone, which is perfect for my Asian skin with redness problems. It's nice to see a cover up product that doesn't have hint of the rosy tone.

Instead of using my Aveeno Brightening Moisturizer followed by my Bare Minerals, I apply about a dime size amount of BB cream with clean hands, patting the product into my skin before using a sweeping to blend it in. Since I have a great deal of redness and acne scars, I use an additional half dime size amount to go over my nose and cheeks. I love the medium coverage and how silky my skin looks afterwards. Since I have dark under eye circles, I pat on a tiny bit of MUFE (6) concealer and top off with my Korres mineral setting powder. This product performed great for my 12 hour day. However, I do have to do a powder touch up mid day, that hasn't changed.

Also important: this product is oil free, no parabens, has SPF and has not broken me out!

There was a $2 off coupon at Shoppers so I picked this up for $14.99, very affordable compared to most bb creams and high performing tinted moisturizers out there (I'm looking at you Laura Mercier).

Reference: MAC NC35, MUFE 127 HD Foundation, Bare Minerals Golden Medium

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snugsmontreal on 8/1/2012 6:24:00 PM more reviews by snugsmontreal

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

pros: decent coverage (for a us bbcream), pigmented, smooth, matte finish
cons: yellow toned, cakey, streaky application

this was not the right color for me, and not by darkness but it is VERY yellow toned. i am a neutral skintone and usually within the first 3 shades of a foundation color, this was ok shadewise but tone it was WAY off. it left finger prints when i blended it into my skin, the coverage was light/medium but it looked heavy on the skin. it made my skin look fake, and i don't mean that to say flawless,, just unreal. it settled into any larger pores i had, and it left an overall appearance that i would liken to the heavy cream foundations you would use on a corpse to give them normal looking skin with blood pumping into it. i wouldn't buy this especially not at the 13$ pricetag. for a drugstore product it is more expensive than the maybelline and and loreal ones i have seen. it did have a nice matte-ish finish but it didnt match at all. also a bit of a strange application, when you rub it in vigorously (trying to smooth out the obvious streaking) it actually seemed to become more pigmented and even more yellow looking. a little does go a long way with this one though.

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