Sunday, January 13, 2013

Jane Iredale Glow Time BB Cream and Smooth Affair Primer Review


I recently got samples of the Jane Iredale primer and BB cream, and I actually just also received the full size BB cream in the mail as well.
The Smooth Affair primer is tinted pink, but goes on clear. It is very moisturizing and glides on smooth, but not as smooth as your typical silicone primer(even though Smooth Affair does contain silicones). It feels more like a moisturizer on the skin, rather than that super slick slippery feeling you get with something like the Smashbox primer. It has a nice grapefruit smell, and although it is moisturizing, it is not greasy at all. It also does not make any visible difference when applied, there is no shimmer or pearl to the product, it is clear. I personally really like this primer because I have dry skin and it really helps moisturize and smooth away some of the rough flaky patches of skin and prep skin for makeup, without being greasy and breaking me out(I have very preakout prone skin, too much oil and it goes bonkers!). 

The Glow Time BB cream I got in the color BB #1, the lightest shade. And it is perfectly pale and neutral, just what I needed! It is thick and creamy like a typical Asian BB cream. It is also moisturizing, but not as much as the primer. It blends easily, I like to use an angled flat top brush. After I applied it, it gave me heavy coverage, yet did not look like I was wearing makeup. It was not cakey or heavy, and was not greasy. It also did not have any shimmery or pearly particles. It look like the glow of your natural skin, because it is not mattifying or drying. I really really like it for dry skin.
If you have flaky, dry, and rough skin the combination of the primer and BB cream will be perfect for you! Most other makeup makes dry skin look more obvious or makes it noticeable that you have makeup on, this is the exception. Since it is heavy coverage, if you do look hard enough and close enough in the mirror you can obviously tell that you are indeed wearing some makeup, but at a normal distance you really can't tell. 
I wore these products for a whole day, and it was actually  unexpectedly warm here(74 degrees, in January!) and ridiculously humid. I also happened to go for a walk outside. Probably not the best day to test how this would typically wear as I was sweating and even got a little oily in the T zone. The BB cream lasted well though, I did get some oil breakthrough on my nose, and it did make the coverage there fade a bit, but this really wouldn't happen to me on a typical winter day, and it is nothing a little powder can't fix. I also noticed that right after I applied it, it settled into a smile line I have. I blended it out of there using my brush, and it didn't come back for the rest of the day. 
I am super duper pleased with these products!
However, in the summer when my skin get more combination, I think these will be too much moisture for me, especially both primer and BB cream together. Maybe just the BB cream alone plus some powder will be what I will need to do. 
I also love that this is the first US BB cream that is actually what BB creams are supposed to be like. They are not supposed to be a primer or tinted moisturizer like pretty much all the other US BB creams have been(with the exception of Physicians formula, which is more medium coverage). They are supposed to be a multitasking, heavy coverage product, that gives you your sunscreen and moisturizer and skin care benefits all in one.
Both the primer and BB cream have plant extracts, vitamins, and anti oxidants, to care for your skin and improve its condition over time. So they are not just makeup, they are skin care, which I love the concept of. And the BB cream has a broad spectrum SPF of 25.
I conclusion, if you have dry skin I highly recommend both these products. If you have combo or oily skin and still want to try this BB cream, I recommend using a mattifying oil control primer underneath instead of the Smooth Affair, and possibly also setting with an oil control powder. 

Jane Iredale Smooth Affair Facial Primer & Brightener
Applied to my arm
Blended
Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream in BB # 1

Swatch on my arm(over the primer)
Blended just a tiny bit
Completely blended


I thought I'd show you the coverage up close on my face. Here is my chin, I have some problems with hyper-pigmentation in that area so I though it would be a good example.

And here it is with the BB cream on:
And finally, here is my full face with the primer, BB cream, and the rest of my makeup. I am not wearing any powder, just blush, as I did not want to change the look of the BB cream, so you can see it on its own.







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