BB and CC... a popular question, what is the difference??

Starting from Asia, BB creams (Beauty balm or blemish balm) became the number one selling skincare item! Its innovative formula that wowed everyone slowly crept its way into the North American Fashion and Cosmetics scene. In the last year, almost every line including Too Faced, Clinique, Smashbox, Boscia, Bobbi Brown, Dr. Jart, Dr. Brant, Peter Thomas Roth, Dior, Stila, Dr. Murad, Lancome, and so many more to list have released one. The reason why it is so popular is because its a super quick and easy application and has multiple benefits so that you can do everything in literally just one step. Now I know there are also BB haters, and usually those are the people that prefer a more fuller coverage. But on your days off, why not let your skin breathe with either nothing on, or a BB cream that makes your skin imperfections look blurred out, but look like you have nothing on.
I personally am a BB lover, so I could go on and on about how much I love it. You can find BB creams which are more of a lighter coverage and focus more on its skincare benefits and sunscreen protection, while others who like to focus more on coverage and smoothing out those fine lines.
Just very recently, brands started to release CC creams, which stands for colour correction or complexion correction. And I know everyone says this.. but wait till the DD, EE, etc... and I've already heard rumors there really is a DD cream coming out xD I read it on Michelle Phan's blog, and I am waiting for it to come out. Alright, so today's big topic is... what is the difference between a BB cream and a CC cream? I'll let you know the differences, and benefits, so you can choose to see what is more suitable for your skin types and what kind of coverage you would like.

BB creams:

- Have sun protection (of an SPF from 10-50)
- Helps to blur out wrinkles, blemishes, pores and imperfections
- Light weight, with a natural finish
- Easy and quick application
- Very hydrating
- Act as a perfecting primer
- Some are rich of antioxidants (ex. Boscia BB cream)
- Is a skincare and makeup all in one

CC creams:

- Helps to heal:

     - Dark spots
     - Hyper pigmentation
     - Redness
     - Dullness

- Contains sun protection (because if you want to correct, you need to protect as well)
- Very hydrating
- Light weight, with a natural finish
- Easy and quick application
- Is a skincare and makeup all in one




Alright, so now that we've laid out all the differences and similarities to the two amazing products, the next question is... how do you know which one is more suitable for you?

Ask yourself these questions...


1. What is your main skincare concern/concerns?

a. For treating/covering up fine lines and wrinkles - BB cream

b. Treating dark spots/ sun spots/ hyper pigmentation - CC cream

c. You are someone who is busy and needs some sort of coverage, but something fast - BB cream

d. You have large pores - BB cream

e. You have redness concerns, and is very sensitive - CC cream

f. You want makeup that will also help to hydrate - BB or CC cream


Now that you've chosen your main concerns and are now much more familiar with this current trend, go ahead and give it a try! If you've already tried it and didn't like it, I dare you to give it another chance. If it was not enough coverage for you, try something with more coverage, like Smashbox and Clinique. If you thought it was too oily for your face, try an oil free BB cream like Boscia. Figure out what wasn't working out for you, and what you would like in your products. Do a little bit of research so that next time you go shopping for cosmetics, it makes it easier for both you and the person who is helping you out.
Skincare and makeup is probably the best accessory you could add on to your whole outfit!

Have fun trying out and playing with this trending hot item! See you soon.

- Carol


#nowplaying - Tomorrow: Tablo ft. TaeYang

Completed photoshoot - pinup and super hero inspired!

Hey guys!

Remember couple weeks ago, I blogged about my styling project that was inspired by pinup girls, superheroes and all that jazz? Well, I finally received my pictures, completed my project, so sorry I wasn't able to upload the pictures until now. It was super fun to do the photoshoot, and it was absolutely a pleasure to work will everyone, whether it be the model, photographer or the makeup artist. Everything ran smoothly, and we were able to finish an hour early than the predicted time which was awesome! The people that I worked with will be credited at the end so stay tuned (:

Pinup inspired:

This is the photo that I chose for the final look and put on my project. I did adjust the photo a little bit, because she was kind of leaning against her arm a bit, so I got my friend to help me edit the photo to bring in the sides a little bit. The top that I used for these series of photos were actually from a vintage store downtown, and I was super lucky to be able to find it. It was so hard being able to find a corset that was the very classy kind of look I wanted. I kept finding ones that were either super trashy or costed like $300, which I wasn't able to dish out at all. And a corset being a lingerie piece, I believe it was non refundable.
But since the one I got was vintage, I still had to keep it, but $40 was nothing, so I won't complain. For the bottom, I chose for her to wear a sheer chiffon skirt that was higher cut on the front and longer at the back. The shape of it made her legs look even skinnier than they already were and elongated them as much as the heels did.

The day before the shoot, I was absolutely stressing out, and super terrified because I had no idea what to expect. But the moment my model sat on the floor and started shooting, I could feel a sigh of relief, because my model already absolutely knew what she was doing with the reference pictures that I had given her. The photographer was also very helpful with helping to adjust her poses and took beautiful pictures from different angles and using different props for effects.

Next, this is the super hero inspired:

Here is the final photo that I used for the second look. It was just a super sleek, sexy and leather look. A super hero I would relate her to is someone like the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. They both kind of have this sexy but a powerful look to them, and that was exactly the kind of look that I was looking for. And I just decked her out with a bunch of Sexpot Revenge accessories to emphasize the look even more (courtesy of my best friend who was once super into punk). 

Here is a focus picture on her makeup:

For her complexion, we just gave her a nice flawless face with a dewy finish. Using light contour on her cheeks and highlighted her cheekbones for that illuminated look. For her eyes, we did a bold crease cut using a champagne colour for the base, and a dark purple for the crease. We kept it a matte finish with no glitter or sparkles. To add even more drama to her eyes, we double stacked lashes. Finally for the lips, we used a powerful and bold red to define her beautiful full lips. 

The first and second looks were both the same makeup, except the second look we adjusted the eye makeup a little by adding the halodium powder by Makeup Forever to add the extra glamour to her look. 

The photoshoot was absolutely successful, I was super happy with the results, thank you so much for everyone who helped out, it wouldn't have been possible at all without you guys! You have no idea how relieved I am to have finished it. Now I got this huge project off my chest, and I can work my butt off for the rest of the remaining semester. Just two more semesters to go! I can do it!

My lesson learned from this shoot is that even though it's something that you've never done before but it's something you love, just be confident and do your best. Even if it doesn't work out the first time, it will in the end. So just keep trying and trying and trying! Through all the struggles I went through not being able to find a location to shoot, not finding the clothes I needed, i had a beautiful photoshoot that was completed. So remember, when there is a problem, stay calm to resolve it, because when you're frantic, you'll never be able to think of something when your head is a mess. So good luck to everyone with everything you do! Stay positive!

Thanks for reading everyone!

Oh yes, I didn't forget, all the people I worked with are Vancouver based, just in case you were wondering.

Credit listings:

Photographer: Matthew Burditt

Stylist: Carol Chen

Model: Stephanie Twarog

Makeup artist/hair stylist: Andrea Szeto

I hope everyone has a wonderful and sunny day! Cheers!

-Carol

#nowplaying: Trap - Henry (on repeat lol)