BB cream vs. CC cream

If you are entirely confused by the title of this post, you are not alone! 2012 was a huge year for BB creams in the US, so you might be used to seeing this term, but what is BB cream? BB stands for "Blemish Base" or "Blemish Balm." BB cream has been very popular in Korea and Asia since the 80's, but originated in Germany in the 60's. Ugh, why is America always the last one to receive new trends?!? Still, what the heck is it? Very simply put, "BB cream is an all-in-one cosmetic beauty and skincare product. Depending on the brand you choose, this cream can act as foundation, concealer, sunblock, and moisturizer all in one."  for the whole history/science behind BB creams, check out this article on Squidoo.

I recently received my first sample of CC cream in my December Ipsy Glam Bag. At first I thought it was a BB cream (which I am still curious to try), and then when I read CC, my mind went into a tail spin. I had no clue what these products were, and I knew I had to start researching asap!

When I turned to Google, I found that CC stands for "color control" cream, which was developed in Korea. It's basically the improved version of a BB cream. Most CC creams have a high SPF and are touted to even out every skin tone... sounds to me like foundation. I don't know how revolutionary either of these products are, I wonder if it's all just a marketing ploy and a new name for liquid foundation/tinted moisturizer? We'll see how it all plays out over the next few years.

The CC cream sample I have is by the brand Juice Beauty. I actually do really like the effects the CC cream. If my face wasn't so broken out, I would only use this cream and forgo foundation altogether. The down fall to this specific cream is that it smells awful! Like wet dirt and leaves. It's an organic brand, so maybe that is exactly what they were going for? Anyhow, this sample and all my research on these double letter creams intrigued me to figure out which ones I should try. I hope the other brands smell better!

I counted 21 BB creams sold at Sephora alone, but there aren't very many CC creams out yet. I imagine in the next coming months CC creams will begin to show up just like the BB creams. Here are the top 10 rated BB creams on the market right now: (Sources: Huff Post/ Allure Magazine)

1. Estée Lauder - Great for Oily Skin $39.00

2. Garnier - For Dry Skin $11.99


3. Dr. Jart + - For Sensitive Skin $34.00


4. Flexitone - For Dull Skin $39.00


5. Clinique - For Uneven Skin $37.00


6. Too Faced -  For a Natural Look $34.00


7. Stila - For Mature Skin $38.00


8. Iman - For women of color


9. Smashbox - For a camera ready look $39.99


10. Maybelline - For the cheapskate (me) $7.44

Depending on your price point and your skin tone, you should be able to find a BB cream that was created just for you (or someone like you). I will be setting out this afternoon to pick myself up the Maybelline brand (because it's the cheapest). I might even pick up Olay's CC cream since it is the first of it's kind and the only CC cream available at large retailers.

Olay Total Effects CC Cream

What do you think about these creams?
Have you tried them? Would you?

You can also find My Thrifty Chic on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

{Link Ups}
Aloha Friday 

Me + The Moon 

From My Grey Desk 

That Friday Blog Hop

Friends to Followers
 Random Wednesday
The GFC Blog Hop