Review: L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream

I wanted to do a little review of a new (ish) product that has come into my life that I'm totally loving. Its been out for a while, but it hasn't really caused much of splash in the beauty blogging world, and I think that's because of the misleading name that they've given it. But its underrated and I wanted to show it a little love!

It's called Nude Magique BB Cream, by L'Oreal, which I think is the first mistake. It seems that every company is jumping on the BB Cream bandwagon these days, rushing to get a buzzword product on the market without really stopping consider what a BB cream really is, and if their product qualifies.

To my mind, a BB Cream should be a light foundation with lots of skin-loving goodies crammed into it. This product is neither. A better name for it would be what they have chosen to use as a subtitle: the 'Bare Skin Beautifier'. This would be a much more appropriate moniker, because its a lot closer to describing that the product actually does.

The package goes on to explain the product 'mimics the texture and tone of bare perfect skin' and promises '24hr hydration & SPF12'. And that, in a nutshell, is what makes this product so brilliant. It doesn't look anything like a foundation on, but somehow, it just delivers smooth, soft, glowing skin. The cream is made with 'smart pigment capsules', which comes out of the tube as a white cream with small lilac spheres that feel a little gritty. But as you massage it in, it adapts to your own skin tone, providing a seamless match (and it really was seamless on me!). My skintone is a sort of medium beige (NW20) and I realised when I got home that I had picked up the version for 'light skin tone' (there is a medium one too) but it didn't seem to matter at all.

L'Oreal claim that this product delivers:

•  Flawless coverage
• Perfectly even skin texture
• Fresh dewy glow
• 24hr hydration
• Protects with SPF12

While I wouldn't describe my skin after as 'flawless' (lines and dark circles still very visible), it was a massive improvement without looking in any way as if I was wearing a foundation. I also did think it made my skin glow.

What I love about this cream is how smooth and even my skin looks after application. It will never replace a foundation- it's not meant to- but its perfection for those times when you just want to run to the corner shop without putting make-up on, or if you're going to the gym first-thing and you really can't face leaving the house without a little something. It fills that gap in my cosmetic secret weapons and for that reason I love it to pieces. I've also found something else- it makes a cracking primer as well. It leaves a really great base that make-up clings to.

Before applying

After using the cream

In short, this cream really is a 'bare skin beautifier' that is perfect for those times where even a light foundation is too much and you just want to look a bit more rested. Combine it with a wonder concealer and some Nanoblur and you really have a viable alternative to full make-up. A true unsung hero of the beauty counters!