Guest Post by: Sage Davis

Where is a woman of color to go if she wants to take advantage of a bb cream?  These multi-tasking skin fixers, made popular in Korea and Japan, replace primers, moisturizers, anti-aging creams, acne treatments and sun screen as well as offer sheer coverage for your imperfections. There are, sadly, very few choices for Black women.

Traditional Asian bb creams, or blemish balms, lack shade diversity. Some of their Western counterparts have tried to improve  but haven’t done the greatest job. If you’re two shades past tan you’re usually out of luck. So, bearing that in mind, here are my top recommendations of best and worst BB creams for women of color.

Best BB Creams

1. Iman BB Cream $20

Iman specializes in hard to match skin tones. Theirs is a very hydrating cream and I’d pick it up if your skin is dry. This bb cream features the most popular attribute of traditional Asian bb creams: skin-tone correcting properties.

1. Urban Decay  BB Cream $34

This transparent cream works for most skin tones. The semi-matte finish is ideal for oily skin but this cream also firms and repairs dry skin too. This is the closest to an Asian bb cream where healing properties are more important than color. You’ll need foundation on top of this for any coverage.

1. Smashbox BB Cream $39

One of the first to address darker skin tones but didn’t go quite far enough. The darkest shade is nowhere near what most Black women would consider “dark.” This one is best if you want some coverage but dislike foundation.

Worst BB Creams

1. MAC BB Cream $30

This only comes in 3 shades. Light, really light and boy is that light! Think I’m joking? Seriously, the real shades are “extra light, light and light plus.” You can’t make this stuff up. This is extremely disappointing for a brand that is usually so inclusive of deeper skin tones.

1. Clinique BB Cream $37

For a company that prides itself on its skincare I was so surprised by the unflattering chalky finish of the cream. Oh and it’s too light for anyone darker than beige.

1. Dr. Jart BB Cream $39

Women with very fair complexions swear by this nutrient rich cream. Too bad it’s way too light for even medium skin tones to reap the benefits.