What are BB creams?
Does your beauty bag or vanity drawer at home resemble a heaving jumble of products, many of which don't see your face very often?
Cosmetic manufacturers want to simplify our lives by streamlining products, merging them into one label and taking the guesswork out of what goes where.
And in step the BB and now the CC creams.
"We normally exfoliate the skin, moisturise it, protect it, put a primer on, put foundation on, then put concealer on spots we're trying to hide," Jana Emery, owner of Jana Beauty, says.
"That's where the BB comes in - it's a beauty balm that does everything all in one."
Karen Skewes, owner of Le Beau Day Spa, says the BB cream is a great summer product.
"It's easy," she says. "If you go to the pool, the gym, on holidays - you take that and don't have to take your moisturiser as well as your make-up. I think it's fantastic."
BB cream was first developed more than 50 years ago in Germany and was used by dermatologists following surgical procedures - as well as to help with acne scars and other blemishes.
"The popularity of BB creams really took off in Korea, when they made the technology a daily, accessible cosmetic product," Brownyn Fraser, national education manager at L'Oreal Paris, says.
Ms Emery says although she would still use layering techniques for a make-up shoot or modelling, BB cream is perfect for everyday use.
"For everyday use, I find that it's an easy product to retail to clients - they're happy they can just use one product compared with three or four," she says.
Ms Fraser says BB cream's technology is well suited to the Australian climate and lifestyle.
"It helps cover blemishes and spots, combined with skin-hydrating and moisturising properties - plus UV filters for sun protection," she says.
"BB creams offer a perfect all-in-one product for everyday use."
Ms Emery says BB cream is a vital product to add to your make-up bag. "It's one of those products you wouldn't go without," she says.
The CC cream is designed to include everything a BB cream has, only with added sunscreen and anti-ageing properties.
