Showdown: Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Maybelline BB creams

Showdown: Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Maybelline BB creams

I didn't want to jump in to this new BB fan craze so somehow I was there the day these hit the drugstores. Originally this was just going to be a comparison between the L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream and the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream... however after going to Nordstrom I got this generous sample of the Estee Lauder Day Wear BB Cream so I decided to test the three of them.

Let's hit them all individually. I should say that these all come in a squeezy-tube which is perfect.

Estee Lauder:

• Cost: $38
• Claim: This lightweight BB Creme delivers: An instant, even-toned, healthy look. Powerful protection with our proven Super Anti-Oxidant Complex and SPF 35. High-performance, oil-free hydration for All Skintypes. This comes in two colors; light and dark. I used the light and I'm NW25, olive complexion.
• Scent: It's got a foundationy-scent. I don't mind it at all.
• Results: This product, I have to say was my favorite of the three. For the following reasons: it wasn't liquid-y, it gave the most coverage though I still needed foundation, had SPF35!! The best protection thus far, and it helped control the oil in my face, I used it instead of my favorite primer. I was very impressed with this BB cream, I still would've preferred better coverage - it felt like a tinted moisturizer but with more oil control. So if you're looking for a tinted moisturizer for like oily skin you might like this, pick up a sample at your local Estee Lauder counter and see if this works for you.

L'Oreal:

• Cost: Around $10
• Claim: This multi-tasking beutifying cream delivers multiple beautifying actions: hydrates, corrects, evens and perfects. It's ultra lightweight and blends in seamlessly for a perfect natural finish.  This comes in 4 different colors ranging from light to deep which I think will serve all skin tones. I thought the "light" was going to be too light for me but it ends up blending in perfectly to my skin.
• Scent: It also smells like foundation type of scent, I don't mind it.
• Results: My biggest problem with this is that it's got no SPF. This, I think, is the worst of it all because it's encouraging you to use this as a moisturizer. What I ended up doing was using my regular moisturizer which has SPF and then this on top. I thought that once you get used to the 'grittiness' that the formula has this was a very good product. It covered like a tinted moisturizer, it controlled my oil and it didn't feel heavy at all. I still would've liked it to have a bit more coverage because I need it. But if you've got pretty good skin and have SPF in your moisturizer this is a good buy. 

Maybelline:

• Cost: About $8
• Claim: BB creams combine skincare + makeup in 1 simple step 8-in-1 Skin Perfector: Blurs imperfections, Brightens, Evens skin tone, Smoothes, Hydrates, Enhances, Protects with SPF 30, 0% oils and heavy ingredients
• Scent: I had no problem with this scent, smells like a tinted moisturzier.
• Results: This is a tinted moisturizer, it's as simple as that. I didn't feel that it burred anything, didn't even out my skin tone, didn't prime or control oil. It does have SPF which most tinted moisturizers do which is why I think it should be used as such. I didn't like it, it was even messy to apply because too much product came out of the top and it was very liquidy. I don't even think I'm going to finish my bottle, it felt too greasy on my skin as the day wore on.

Final Thoughts and Verdict: If you can afford it, get the Estee Lauder one. If you cannot, go for the L'Oreal one. However, if you have dry skin you might like the Maybelline product. Remember to use moisturizer with SPF if you're going to use the L'Oreal one. Hope this helps some of you, I've added some shots below!

Left to right: Estee Lauder, L'Oreal and Maybelline. Click to enlarge.

UPDATE: Today I went out and used the L'Oreal BB cream as foundation by applying 2 coats instead of one and set it with loose powder. It looked GREAT, I think this is my clear favorite over the Maybelline. 

Showdown: Fekkai's Technician Color Care 3-Minute Mask VS Ojon Revitalizing 2-min Hair Mask

Showdown: Fekkai's Technician Color Care 3-Minute Mask VS Ojon Revitalizing 2-min Hair Mask


I'm a certified sucker for any 'deep conditioning' treatments. I love them all, from high end to cheap $3 ones. I decided to showdown these two because they're relative in price and they both claim these 2-3 masks will make a world of difference to your hair.

I will start out by stating that I LOVE both of these products. To me, it's only a slight difference between the two and will really depend on your own hair which you will prefer. There's specific things about each that I love and there's things about each that I wish the other had.

Let's get some facts & opinions, shall we?

Fekkai:

• Cost: $32 for 7oz
• Claims: An intense and instant treatment designed to deeply nourish and protect color-treated hair. The luscious creamy formula helps extend the life of color treatments and maintain healthy, shiny hair. The triple-color protection complex helps protect hair from UV rays and color from fading, while it helps keep color looking radiant and lustrous. It is the perfect solution for just-colored hair that delivers a vibrant, silky feel without the "wait."
• Scent: It's got a musky-sweet scent, very nice though my roommate isn't too keen on it so I'm guessing it just depends on the person, however I do smell it a good day after my treatment. 
• Results: My favorite thing about this is how long this thing lasts. You get 7oz but you basically need a quarter size of product. I have long (mid-to-lower back) hair, fine and wavy. Admittedly I don't have a lot of hair so if you have a lot of hair and it's thick you may use this twice as fast as I do. But really, a little goes a long way. I work it into the lower part of my hair and leave it on for about 5 min while I continue my shower. Once I rinse there's no need for any 'leave-in conditioner' as I feel my hair has gotten plenty nourishment. More than moisturizing it, I feel this product does really deliver to keep my colored hair looking fresh and vibrant. I've gotten various compliments in the past month that I've been using it that my hair looks darker and the thing is that my hair is dyed a dark brown but as the weeks go by it fades to med brown but this stuff really keeps the vibrancy of that dark chocolate brown I like. That alone makes it worth while for me. I do this treatment about once a week, twice if I've really fried my hair with my curling iron :)

Ojon:

• Cost: $36.50 for 6.6oz
• Claims: An intensive in-shower treatment that hydrates, smooths and detangles. In just 2 minutes, this nourishing creamy mask improves the condition of dry, dehydrated hair. With the appeal of a light refreshing fragrance this formula helps replenish hydration and detangle hair leaving it silky-smooth and shiny without weighing it down.
• Scent: I love the scent of this so much, I cannot even describe how good it is. It smells like sweet exotic oils and that scent really stays on your hair for 2 days. A year ago I bought this and used it completely and my boyfriend back then was infatuated with this scent, and admittedly I was too.
• Results: I think the one major problem I had with this product is that it's not as thick as the Fekkai one and I use it up in no time at all! It's a more creamy consistency while Fekkai is a more sort of 'paste'... so I've gone through 3 jars of this before I had to find something that would last longer and that's when I found the Fekkai product. This is just really awesome for hydrating dry hair, I do leave it on for more than 2 min, I leave it on for as long as I can. It's really brilliant stuff, once I blow-dry my hair after the treatment you can just tell that my hair is healthy and bouncy. Like I've stated I have fine hair so it doesn't take away what little volume I have. I also did this product about once a week but I've only just started using a curling iron regularly so my hair wasn't as tortured back then as it is now.

Final Thoughts and Verdict: I think at the end of the day it's going to depend on your hair type which of these you should try. If you have thick, coarse or color-treated hair I would go for the Fekkai. If you have fine, limp or frizzy hair I would go for the Ojon. Regardless, both products are really amazing and give you in a few minutes what salons charge you much more for. I wish... that Ojon sold their product in small sample sizes so that I could just have a small one to treat myself once in a while. And keep an eye out in TJ Maxx because I found my Fekkai one there for $15!