I am going to start off by saying that I am not a fan of BB creams, not that I have anything against them, it's just for me, it isn't effective as I have a few problems areas around my face and I feel it doesn't give me enough coverage.

BUT if you feel comfortable, then this would be perfect for you. If you are the kind of person that wants that natural looking skin, and doesn't like the usual type of foundation then this would be great! It is very lightweight!

The way I apply it, is random but it works for me! I apply my moisturizer, then I apply this BB cream, and then my foundation! The reason I do this, is because I find the BB cream conceals my redness and blurs out some of my imperfections and then by the name I apply my foundation, I won't need to conceal further.unless if I go out at night and want extreme full coverage!

I bought this cream when BB creams were all the rage as I wanted to see what they were like without paying a fortune.

I have since realised that as I like fuller coverage, BB creams are not the route that I should be going down!

The colour was good on this BB cream, but as the coverage was so light, I hardly wear it.

I cannot give it low stars just because I don't like BB cream as on the whole it is good for a BB cream. It is great for those of you who don't want to look like you are wearing makeup and want a more natural look, or if you are blessed with perfect skin and don't need to cover up!

For all those beauties on a budget who don't want to skimp on quality, the Essence BB cream is your solution. This BB cream lives up to its expectations to even skin tone, hide imperfections and keep skin moisturised. This BB cream comes in a 30ml tube in a cream and flesh colour packaging with the pretty pink Essence logo.

I did find the cream to be slightly runny upon squeezing it out of the tube, but aside for that it goes on smoothly and feels incredibly lightweight on the skin. It gives excellent coverage too! For the small cost of R54.95 for a BB cream, this product is definitely worth a purchase and see for yourself!

Was actually quite please with this product, it was on par with the Garnier bb cream as far as results are concerned. Provided good coverage and stayed on all day.

I was unsure of this BB cream as it was super cheap, but it pleasantly surprised me, it has a lightweight texture and smells delicious! My only gripes are that if you put foundation over the cream it feels quite sticky? On its own it is fine but is not enough coverage for my skin! The colour is also a bit reddish which isn't what i want from a BB cream. Overall it is good for the price but I'm not raving about it.

I was a bit sceptical at first as i have very sensitive skin and would normally spend alot more on products to ensure it's quality, but this product is an absolutely amazing buy, at a very affordable price. I chose the universal shade,it glided onto my skin perfectly and gave it a perfect dewy finish. I will for sure be purchasing these amazing bb creams forever!

It is cheap and can cover well, it is such a pity about the terrible smell!

I have to mix it with a fragranced bb cream to cover up the smell.

I would not recommend buying this product before testing the smell in store first. Some people are more sensitive than others to smell.

This BB cream by Essence is what I've been wearing the most on my skin over the last two months. I initially picked it up for a trip where (a) I didn't want to wear a full face of foundation and (b) I didn't want to have a glass bottle of product in my bag. At only R54.95, it's definitely the cheapest BB cream I've seen on the shelves and I figured - I might as well give it a bash to see if it's any good. This cream comes in three shades: Natural, Medium and Universal. My skin is pretty fair, and based on a couple of reviews I'd read, I decided to go with the Universal shade.

As you can see in the swatch I've blended onto the right side of the back of my hand (heavy swatch), the colour is fairly warm toned and I was at first worried I would come out orange! However, once I put it on my face, it magically blended in nicely, giving me a lovely healthy glow, without any hint of orange and no visible border lines! It really does blend beautifully and gives you that "like your skin, only better" look. While it does even out skin tone and hides redness a bit, you'll still have to apply concealer if you have any spots, blemishes or dark circles. I also liked that this cream was fragrance free, moisturizing, non-oily (the problem I had with the original Garnier BB cream) and has an SPF of 30. I typically set my makeup with a mattifying powder and I found that this way, my face seems to last decently throughout the day. I can see this being a product I'll be repurchasing once my tube is empty!

I didnt like this at all, it was too grey on my skin. The colour range needs to be expanded.

I have tried 3 different BB creams since the BB cream fad came in to play.

In all honesty, I don't know what the big whohaa is about.

At first, I might have seen the appeal, but there is nothing new about it, and nothing normal make up, primers, or powder and a good foundation can fix.

BB cream is just another word for tinted moisturizer, and this one in particular was quite a let down.

Where there are 3 colours available, SA only brought in one universal colour. Which, if you have an abnormal skin tone such as myself, a universal colour will not fix the appearance of your natural tone. I looked like an umpaloompa. The scent is also not wonderful. In essence, pardon the pun, not a wow product.

Love you, Essence, but not hitting 10 on this.

I have JUST started using this and I am in love!This was my first attempt at a BB cream and I wasn't prepared to spend a small fortune of "experimenting"

What a pleasant surprise. Goes on easy, feels great and light on my skin, evens out my skin tone and a very very good match indeed!A bit more concealer on trouble areas and its great for everyday use.The added SPF is a bonus and for someone with very oily skin, so far I am impressed!

Give it a try!

This is a very affordable BB cream and has a good coverage.

Finally, a BB cream that matches my skin tone almost 100%! I don't have to blend out any lines near my jaw line to avoid the dreaded "mask" look. This really made my girl problems better and that's all I really need.

The moisturising properties were really enjoyable. My skin did not feel dry or tight, in fact it gave my skin a slight glow. This is fantastic to liven up dull winter skin but might be a problem on hot summer days. Luckily I don't need to worry about that now and it works just fine!

I am also loving the SPF 30 in each tube of Essence All-in-one BB bream. Don't forget that even though it's cold, the sun can damage your skin and give you horrible dark sun spots. I honestly don't think I would buy a BB cream if it didn't have an SPF. *High-five to Essence*

More awesome news? This is the cheapest BB cream you'll find on the shelves right now. Retail price is only R54.95 for a 30ml tube. Yes please!

One major downer is that it smells terrible. The Essence All-in-one BB cream is oil and perfume free which is fantastic for your skin but can be rather grotesque once it's applied and it's stuck to your nostril area. This scent (or lack thereof) does fade within like 30min but might be too much for some ladies to initially overcome.

This is a great BB cream because the quality you get for the amount that you pay, is totally worth it.

This is the new multi-talent for your skin. The formula is light and creamy in texture with no scent, PERFECT for sensitive skin.

The balm comes in 3 shades, which doesn’t accommodate the diverse range of skin tones South Africans represent. Luckily the medium(03) shade suited me perfectly and left my skin looking and feeling amazing. The balm blends easily whilst hydrating and moisturizing your skin. It hides small imperfections, ensures a radiant glow and a natural looking finish.

This cream cares for skin, all while allowing it to breathe. It is oil and perfume free, ensuring care and the gentlest of approach to great looking skin. It also contains an SPF of 30, this is great as maximum protection against the sun provides protection. This is also great if youre an outdoor person who wants to look good whilst breaking a sweat.

When it comes to the packaging, I love that Essence has stuck true to their young, youthful teenage look. The tube is a peachy tan colour with vibrant pink writing.

In the end, I love this product and have added it to my now growing BB Cream collection. Its gentle and delicate on skin all while hydrating and protecting. Definitely one to try, and at R54.95 it’s a cheap investment to vibrant covered skin.

This is the first BB Cream that I have tried, and I was excited to get in on the trend finally! It costs R54.95 and comes in 3 shades: 01 Universal (orangey), 02 Natural (the lightest shade) and 03 Medium (the darkest shade). As I am quite fair, I got 02 Natural to try out.

I was quite shocked at the colour when I first squeezed it out of the tube as it seemed really dark to me (see photo), but once it was on it did blend in quite well. It went on really easily and had good coverage, although I admit I did put two layers on as I thought it looked a little too natural with just one layer.

My skin does have a pinky/reddish hue to it naturally on my cheeks, and this cream did even the colour out to a point, but if you are looking for flawless coverage, then I don't think that this will impress you very much. It definitely does not cover up pimples etc! I would use this more on weekends when I don't feel like looking too "made up".

It feels light on my skin, even with two layers, and I like the moisturising effect.

There was a slight unpleasant fragrance that I noticed, but the tube was sealed when I bought it so I don't think it was because it had been exposed to air/bacteria. Maybe I just got a bad batch, I am not too sure as it is supposed to be fragrance-free! The smell does disappear quite quickly though.

In short, here are my pros and cons:
Pros
Great Price
Blends well
Moisturising effect good for winter
Light on skin
SPF 30

Cons
Not great at covering up
Slight unpleasant odour

I would recommend this to a friend.

Essence BB Cream

Yes ladies it's true, South Africa's most affordable beauty brand has brought their own BB Cream to grace South African skin. It's a force of habit to stare at the Essence make up stand, even if I don't really need anything, however this time I didn't just purchase one product, I purchased three exciting new products!

The first is definitely the BB Cream of course. How could I say no? The packaging was brilliant white top which blends into a cream/beige colour with the words "BB" in hot pink and all other details in small writing but with that attractive and eye catching hot pink.

The BB Cream is available in the following shades:
01 Universal
02 Natural
03 Medium

Super excited to try it out, I grabbed the tester and squirted some of the BB cream in the shade medium on my hand. The BB was cool on skin, and blended so effortlessly into my skin, I was so impressed. I couldn't see any caking or any lines, just silky smooth cool skin with a lovely glow to it. I was so excited I had to purchase the BB Cream. The BB Cream is also SPF 30 which means skin will be protected during those hot summer days.

I used the BB Cream for almost a week now and the results are absolutely amazing. The BB Cream isn't dry and contains a lot of moisture in it. The BB Cream blends effortlessly and gives skin a flawless dewy look which is what everyone wants. The BB Cream hides imperfections and flaws leaving you looking beautiful and amazing all day long, without the need of powder! So there's no oily look at all!

PRO's and CON's

PRO's
Fragrance Free
Oil Free
Available in three shades
Blends smoothly on skin
VERY affordable
SPF30
Doesn't leave skin oily
Gives a medium coverage

CON's
The only problem would be that medium is the darkest colour available.

I would really recommend you give this product a try because it's the most affordable BB Cream available - Retails at R58. It leaves skin velvety smooth and beautifully dewy. It's a MUST for winter because the product has enough of moisture and doesn't leave skin dry at all.