The Only Reason I Look Halfway Alive? The Secret Is BB Cream

Every day of my pre-mom life, I wore a full face of makeup. I don’t think my own mother remembered what my actual face looked like without filled-in brows and contoured cheekbones. (I have no cheekbones.) Upon having children, I had to start picking and choosing what from my old life was important enough to make it into this new adventure.

Sleep. I picked sleep.

If the choice is between doing my makeup and getting some extra sleep in the mornings, I pick sleep. I wear little-to-no makeup now, and it is purely because I am too lazy to care these days. If I’m going out or feeling particularly fancy, I’ll do myself up. Otherwise, I’m going minimal, or I’m wearing nothing but a bra and shirt and underwear and pants. I’m wearing clothes. But only because society is not friendly if I leave the house without.

On the days when I’m not completely overcome by a full-blown case of Can’t, I slather on some BB cream as a way to tell the world “I’m here, and I’m willing to make a minimal effort.” BB creams are anti-aging, moisturizing, they even out your skin tone with a tiny bit of sheer coverage, and usually have some good ol’ SPF. I love some SPF. If you’re not protecting your skin from the sun year-round, please start. I’m asking nicely.

Now that spring is here and we are all soaking up a little less light from a glaring TV screen and a little more sunshine, it’s important to make protecting your skin a priority. Always look for products that not only offer SPF but also have broad spectrum coverage to shield against a wide range of UV rays.

My go-to BB is a drugstore brand that comes in five shades. It smooths out your complexion and doesn’t settle into fine lines and pores. If you’re looking for coverage, this isn’t heavily pigmented, so you’ll still need concealer. But the sheer, dewy look is in for spring, so I roll with it. Plus, it has SPF 30, which is the minimum I use on my face.

Another option that’s a little more high-end but as easy as easy gets, this BB cream is magic. It’s only available in one shade and comes out of the bottle in one weird color, but is able to match almost any skin tone. I love this during the summer when, no matter how much SPF I’m slathering on, my skin gets a smidge darker. (Speaking of, this is SPF 30, too.)

The sheer coverage is perfect for making my skin look like I haven’t been up every other hour of the night because my preschooler has been having anxiety nightmares about sleeping too long and thinking he is waking up when tomorrow is already over. Instead, it freshens up my face without hiding my freckles that start popping out in the sun.

If you want effortless no-makeup makeup with loads of benefits, BB cream is an essential item in your bag. Before you know it, those days spent piling on layers of foundation and highlighter and everything else will seem like a faraway waste of time.

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