If y’all remember, I did a review of Younique 3D fiber lashes, eye pigments, and brushes about a year ago. I was really impressed with everything I tried, so when my friend, Crystal, whom I’ve known since middle school, asked me if I’d like to try out Younique’s BB Cream, I couldn’t say yes fast enough.

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{Such a pretty girl, inside and out}

The fact that I’d just bought a drugstore BB Cream that was not working for me at all miiiiiight have contributed to my eagerness to test out a more high-quality product.

Here’s the thing. I don’t have the best skin in the world. I don’t have the worst skin in the world either. But it’s just not naturally flawless (or even unnaturally flawless…never flawless is the idea). I’m super-fair (but with the 5,348 pictures of me on this here blog, I’m guessing you already knew that), which means that I’m prone to fine lines and wrinkles. And pretty much constant blemishes + splotchy redness scream, “Hormones were here.” (Hormones? Me, a mother of 6? Never). Not to mention my under-eye circles that stick around long after my babies start sleeping through the night.

Enter my skin’s saving grace: BB cream. I can’t do full-on foundation. It’s just too heavy for me. I end up looking like I have stage makeup on. And while, with three girls 4 and under, there’s enough drama for a dozen Tony awards a day up in here, I’d really rather one of them not be for “Best Cake Face.”

But a good BB cream gives me the right base I need for adding powder or one of my other fancy tricks…like, I don’t know, concealer (I know! What’s next? Contouring??).

Of course, a bad BB cream…well, that just makes things worse.

But I am very happy to report to that Younique’s Flawless BB Cream is not a bad one. It is, by far, the best one I’ve tried, in fact.

Here is my face au naturel. Well, there’s some leftover Sunday morning + afternoon nap eye makeup, but I’m not wearing anything on my skin.

no makeup

Honestly, while I did nothing to this picture except lighten it a bit, since it was taken in a rather dark room, it’s kinder than it should be. I didn’t get a chance to take pictures until late afternoon, and the lighting just wasn’t there for a super-sharp picture. So, feel free to imagine lots more wrinkles and blotchiness because they’re there.

Normally, I would apply a layer of moisturizer with sunscreen before anything else, but I wanted to show how smoothly Younique’s BB cream goes on unmoisturized skin, so I skipped that step this time.

bb cream

It’s not a huge difference (which I like; I still want to look like me), and I have yet to tackle my under-eye circles in this pic, but my skin is considerably more even-toned and less ghostly (but not orange! not a fan of the orange look) after nothing more than a layer of BB cream.

Just so you know, here is my entire arsenal of skin makeup.

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After concealer, a good pass with the powder/foundation sponge, some mascara, and lip gloss, here is what I end up with.

full makeup

Yes, I realize that it looks like I got all sneaky and changed lighting on purpose, but, honestly, my photographer (AKA Shaun) was out working in the garden with the boys, and by the time I finished my primping, we had lost our light for photos anyway, so a yellow bathroom light selfie it was!

So, here are my thoughts on Younique BB Flawless Complexion Enhancer:

PROS

  • It’s super creamy and has a nice “weight” to it, which means that it slides across my semi-dry skin with ease and soaks in nicely
  • It matches my skin tone perfectly. Like spot-on. Crystal told me she uses this shade (Bisque) for tons of her clients, and it works well on a variety of skin tones.
  • It smooths/evens out my blotchiness and tones down blemish redness.
  • It covers much better than any other cream I’ve tried (which are all a little too sheer) but isn’t thick and cakey like foundation.

CONS

  • It doesn’t come with a built-in sunscreen.

That’s really it. I love everything else about this cream, and I plan on reordering it as soon as I run out.

Also, I read recently that it’s a common misconception that when you layer moisturizer with sunscreen + makeup with sunscreen that you can add the coverage together for a combined total of the two SPFs. The actual truth, apparently, is that they cancel each other out a bit, and you can take an average of the two (ergo: 50 SPF + 20 SPF = 35 SPF).

So, I’m actually better off wearing a moisturizer with high SPF as my base (which is what I do anyway) and adding a BB cream without SPF on top of that.

Now, if only I could find a concealer that banishes under-eye circles to the 7th level of you-know-where…where they belong. (Feel free to throw suggestions my way).

ANYhoo, after that glowing review (har, har…glowing…for a skincare review…good one, Abs), I’m sure you’re all dying to try some Younique products for yourself.

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

One lucky duck will win a Younique lip gloss in their best-selling shade (read: universally flattering), Luxe.

lip gloss1

AND I’ll even send it to you in an adorable pouch of your color choice!

lip gloss

Also, if you’re interested in getting some other products for yourself, Crystal’s got you covered! (You can also contact her at cmada{at}aol{dot}com. And she has tons of great pics and tips on her Facebook page).

All you have to do to be entered to win is answer the following question, using the options I’ve provided.

Have you ever tried any Younique makeup products?

A) No, but I would like to

B) Yes, but I would like to try more

C) No, but my interest in Younique products ends with the giveaway

D) Yes, but my interest in the Younique products ends with the giveaway

{If you answer A or B, Crystal will follow up with you about getting your hands on products!}

Just be sure to leave some way for me to contact you if you win!

0 Comments

  1. Man! I’d LOVE to enter the contest but I’m just now seeing this! Can’t really afford this stuff being on disability and supporting a little girl and other family living with me to help me when i have my joint replacement surgeries, dint have enough $$ to buy anything accept cheap makeup for $1 on Wish which you’ll never know how it’s gonna be! and I have a friend selling it so I do contests. I won something yesterday but don’t know what yet. I think a shimmer Eye shadow. I’m currently doing another contest today which is the silhouette contest. So far I’m killing it! But wanna try the cream. I have issues with all over foundation as well. Oh well. Enjoyed seeing you review, Even if I missed the contest by a year! Haha 😉

  2. C…you should try Maybelline age rewind dark circle eraser in brightener. It is awesome under foundation or your bb cream. It applies awesome with a twist up spongehead applicator.

  3. A – never tried or heard of Younique but am a product junkie and always interested in trying new things!

    1. Have you tried IT cosmetics bye bye under eye concealer? It really does wonders for me! I have horrible heriditary dark circles!

  4. A. I’m with you though. I had a lot if trouble with blemishes when I was younger but even now, my face doesn’t look smooth and nice without makeup (or really ever) so i’d love a simpler option for a quick skin smoothing.

  5. A. I’m a little paler than you Abbie, so I’d love to find a BB cream that would actually work for me. BTW, I like the name of the company and am surprised I’ve never heard of them before.

  6. A. I’m always hesitant to buy new make-up products because I’m afraid I’ll waste money and hate something…which means I’m in a rut.

  7. Probably C, but not because I’m being a cranky pants. It’s just that I use Arbonne and I really love it and it works for my skin. You look beautiful, though! And, I’d love to win the giveaway!

  8. A. Also, have you not liked Bare Minerals foundation? I’ve been using that for years but am beginning to feel it’s too dry… my skin sounds very similar to yours…

  9. Check out Angela Lanters blog…hello gorgeous. She is gorgeous and has dark under eyes so she recommends slot of great stuff some pricey some not.

  10. I’m between A and C. 🙂 I’ve seen the mascara reviewed on different blogs, but the price is a big deterrent. Also, if it worked really well, would I be content going back to using regular mascara? 🙂

  11. B – Yes, but I would like to try more. I have some of the eye shadows and LOVE them. I’m curious about their mascara but my eyes are super sensitive. Having not-so-great skin myself, I loved reading your review.

  12. A-I would love to try the cream! Your skin looks amazing! I, too, am very fair-skinned and have a problem with blotchiness, fine lines, and those horrid undereye circles.

  13. I love Pixi’s brightening peach correction concentrate (it’s sold at Target). It’s great for canceling out the darkness on fair skin. Plus it’s waterproof and only $12… it’d be perfect for layering under that Bare Minerals concealer. Meanwhile, I fall into category C for the giveaway. 🙂

  14. a. never tried them. are they only available via individual representatives as opposed to retail stores ??

  15. A- I have never even heard of this company. I would love to find something that leaves me looking natural. I usually end up ghostly white or a lovely shade of orange.

  16. B) Yes, but I would like to try more

    I just starting using the mascara and really like it. I am having a little bit of a hard time removing it at night but otherwise love it.

  17. A- I haven’t tried Younique products before and I would love to try this cream. I don’t have great skin and have trouble finding makeup that doesn’t amplify blemishes.

  18. I have tried some of the products, the mascara was not for me. But I do like the powder. Would love to try the BB cream.

  19. My answer is A, I have heard a lot about their products, but have not seen them in real life. I’m wondering if they sell samples? 🙂

  20. I’d love to try this cream! With 7 kids under 11, my skin can use all the help it can get. 😉 As for the question…. A!

  21. I have tried two Younique products so far: #1- 3D FIber lashes, which I absolutely adore. #2 – some sort of Mineral powder foundation, which I did not love. It was not nearly enough coverage for me as a stand alone (I’m also a Bare Minerals lover) so in comparison to BM, I would stick to my usual.

    As a side note: my daughter who is almost 7, starts her first ballet competitions in a few weeks time. We are instructed to use false lashes for them, but I a) have a hard time getting them on her, b) she finds them very uncomfortable. So, we tried the 3D fiber lashes and they are phenomenal for her. Normally, I would not endorse mascara for a kid, but since we HAVE to do something, I felt like this was the lesser of two evils. 😉

  22. D. I have only used the mascara. I loved the look but found it smudged under my eyes. I must have been doing something wrong.

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