smashbox camera ready BB Cream: Swatches + Review!

Considering I just posted a first impression/review video on this BB Cream up on my YouTube channel, I figured I should probably put together this blog post that was kind of sort of supposed to go along with it… I refuse to sing "Nobody's Perfect" for you all at the moment so just take my word on it: I'm flawed. Which is actually the perfect transition into a BB Cream review if I do say so myself!! Funny how stream of consciousness writing works out like that sometimes (I'd like to think I'm innately clever but the other 99% of my life proves otherwise).

Like I mentioned in my "What I Got For Christmas 2013" video this BB cream was actually one of the main reasons why I splurged on the Sephora SUPERSTARS kit in the first place. It was something my mom had purchased back in the day (she had gotten a lovely 'makeover' by a smashbox lady at Sephora one day and this BB cream was one of the things that impressed her) so, as you do, I had tried it out for myself and remembered really liking it as well. Now that I know 'makeup things', however, I wanted to see if my memories were as accurate as I often like to think.

The first thing that I noticed and remembered was the shade; I'm fairly positive when smashbox first released this line of BB creams they only had three shades available (light, medium, and dark) but now that they've gained popularity in the beauty community the line has expanded to eight shades. It's not the perfect shade selection but it sure is better than the original three! Another thing that I remembered was the thickness of the BB cream itself. I'm far more used to using runnier (though far from watery) foundations so the utter body in this cream was quite new to me. It's hard to say why exactly it's such a thick formula but I've got a feeling it has to do with the moisturizing and SPF (this stuff smells like straight up sunscreen so be wary if that's something that bothers you) qualities involved in the BB cream.

The first time (okay it was the first multiple times but who's counting?) I applied the smashbox camera ready BB Cream it was a bit of a mess… or, if I'm being honest, a lot of a mess. This stuff definitely has a learning curve involved if you're used to using foundations rather than tinted moisturizers (which is all American BB Creams are if you haven't figured that one out already); it settles into nose pores extremely easily and can also look streaky if you're not meticulous with blending. At first I thought it was because I had used a primer underneath but later found out through experimentation that this stuff looks much worse on my skin without any primer at all. So, overall, it just takes some work on the user's part. Using a very dense, flat angled foundation brush has made blending a bit easier and provides more 'flawless' results while the bit with the nose pores… well, I'm still working on that (I basically just try to avoid that area of my face while I figure it out).

Overall though I think the results look quite nice for days when you're not really trying to impress anyone but still want to look semi-put-together. The smashbox camera ready BB Cream evens out skin while providing a nice dose of moisture and sun protection. It's not the best at controlling oil (my nose and forehead definitely feel greasy a few hours in) and, if you have dark spots or redness, you're going to want to use a separate concealer on those areas because this BB Cream will fade a bit throughout the day and allow those areas to peek through.
I'm not sure that I'd repurchase this BB Cream but it's definitely not something I'll be suffering through while using it up. I think it's worth a try if you're looking for a decent tinted moisturizer though! And remember: samples from Sephora are always your best friend *wink wink*.

Have you tried the smashbox camera ready BB Cream?
Love it? Hate it?
What's your favorite face product for lazy errand-running/class lecture-filled days?
Do share!

xoxo - Cassie