BB cream, CC cream, DD cream?? It's enough to send you to AA.

I know that in some countries they don't have running water, but in the world we live in we are spoilt for choice as to what to put on your face. We have come a long way since 200BC when the Egyptian women used to put lead powder on their faces. Queen Victoria said foundation was only suitable for prostitutes,loose women and actresses. Apparently those three things were interchangeable. 

Maybe if she popped on some foundation she wouldn't have looks so grumpy.

Many other things were used to give a "lady" (or prostitute) a delicate pale complexion, including eating chalk and putting bird poo on your face. Foundation as we know it today was made by Max Factor in the 1930's. It was called Pan Cake and is still available today.

The decision used to be easy. It was either foundation, or nothing. Then the world discovered sunblock was a good idea ( and still is) Then there was the option of a tinted moisturiser, then we had sunblocks that could double as light foundation ( invisible zinc, and Clinique City Block). And then they went and introduced BB creams, then there came CC creams and now DD creams. Really???

Lets start at the beginning.

Foundation. The most traditional form and most widely used. This gives you a polished look and will cover up blemishes and give you a perfected skin tone. I use foundation when I am going out , or when I am doing something important, or I feel like shit. It makes you look better.This comes in many different "strengths" depending on the coverage you need. You can buy it in any coverage from Cake Face through to " not really sure why you bothered". There are a kazillion brands and shades for any budget. Personally I think foundations are personal. Buy whatever suits. Shop around, don't get stuck using the same. Lifes too short. To select a colour try it on your face, and you made need a darker shade for summer, but not too dark because that looks silly, and if you wanted your face to be darker- that is why God invented bronzer.

The best way to get the right colour. Try a shade darker, a shade lighter and what you think is right. The one that is invisible is the best. 

Brands to try- MAC, Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Becca, Armani, Revlon and  Maybelline

BB Creams - These are new and were developed in South Korea. What the BB stands for is open to intereptation. Some say Blemish Balm some say Beauty Balm, I say whatever. It was originally invented by a cosmetic person for people to use after surgery. It has caught on in the last 3 years in Western Worlds, and it is good because it is light, and smooths out the complexion, making you skin look smooth, blemish free and beautiful by evening out the skin tone but looking very light and natural. They normally have an SPF, and make your skin look better without a heavy made up finish. I like them for every day wear when I am not doing anything to flash. You can wear foundation over the top but really why bother?

Great brands are Garnier, L'oreal, Clinique.  Pretty much every brand does a BB cream, so just try a few and see which one you like. 

Just a little selection of BB's on the market.

The latest addition is the CC cream and this one is primarily concerned with being a Colour Corrector. The should have an SPF and works to correct sallowness and redness in the skin. CC creams are lighter than a BB cream and because their job is to correct colour I would probably wear this under foundation.

A little selection of CC's. Green corrects red, orange corrects sallow and the purple is to illuminate.

The latest is a DD cream (and no it is not for ladies with big boobs). A DD cream is dynamic do-it-all cream. It does everything a BB and CC cream does as well as having some anti ageing properties. I actually don't think we have DD creams in Australia yet.

A tube of DD cream for this young lady please, and a hairdresser to fix the dodgy weave. And maybe some lippy.and a berocca for tomorrow.

Tinted moisturiser and tinted sunblocks- An oldie but a goodie. This is just what it says, it is a moisturiser with a bit of colour in it. It won't give you any coverage, but will just even up the skin tone a tiny bit. Nice for every day wear. I would if I was choosing to wear "nothing" because we know that "nothing" means sunblock go for the highest SPF. 

A little selection of good sunblocks. I wear Invisible Zinc on it's own, but would put the City Block and Ultra Sheer under foundation.

And if all this has driven you to AA just remember this.