ALPHABET CREAM
We have already crowned Korean/French beauty name Erborian to be the Kings of Alphabet Creams – but honestly, they go right into the Beauty Hall of Fame with three wins, their fifth year of sweeping the board in this category of complexion-brightening, skin-smoothing creams. (We are, meanwhile, pleased to welcome Monat to this category for the first time.)
There is, it has to be said, much less of a frenzy about alphabet creams than when they first launched – but we personally find them very useful as a primer, beneath make-up, evening out skintone without having to layer on lots of foundation.
A reminder: ‘BB’ is short for ‘Beauty Balm’), while ‘CC’ stands for ‘Colour Correcting’, addressing issues like sallow skin or redness, via the use of light-diffusing particles – essentially, creating an optical illusion of more flawless skin. ( ‘DD’ is supposedly short for ‘Dynamic Do It All’ – but to be honest, there are so few DD creams around, nowadays, that ‘DD’ might soon be short for ‘DoDo’.
GOLD AWARD Erborian BB
This has previously won Gold, scooped Silver – and here it is, back in the top slot with another stellar performance. This was Erborian’s original, debut alphabet product, taking inspiration from the rituals of Korean beauties. Using a ‘baby skin’-type primer is a key element there, and this moisturising, velvety cream works brilliantly when applied after your usual cream to even out skintone – as you’ll see from comments, often to the point that make-up really isn’t needed afterwards. Alongside the clever blend of light-reflecting pigments, it features stimulating ginger and ginseng, along with liquorice to target pigmentation, as well as an SPF20 (based on titanium dioxide). The range now spans four shades; our testers had the lightest, Clair, but we’re pleased to see a good deep shade, Caramel, for richer skintones.
£20.50 for 15ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Oh, YES! My new favourite product for my face; it balances my skin tone well, boosting my own radiance – everything you need for your face, in a tube: moisturising, hydrating, medium coverage, boosting radiance, easily applied, beautiful glowing finish. I give it 10/10’ • ‘My friend asked me if I’d changed make-up brand and I recommended it to her. She said it gave me a youthful glow’ • ‘I have combination skin, the most complicated skin of all skin types. Finding the perfect primer is hard, but this alphabet cream does the job. Also, it has an SPF, which is useful for me all year round, due to my skin pigmentation’ • ‘A must-have beauty product to add to your collection, great to use on its own, as a moisturiser or as a primer before applying your foundation’ • ‘I have been told that my skin looks healthier and people have even asked what product I have been using, so I have recommended this’ • ‘ I loved the fact it offers coverage while still having a fresh natural finish, and is easy to blend. It played well with the rest of my makeup and also had good lasting power. I still love Erborian Water CC for every day but would happily use this when I want a bit more of a polished finish; it gave a surprising medium coverage’ • ‘I have a small thread vein by my nose which it disguised and it took the redness away from small blemishes’ • ‘I found that using fingers to apply this product was so easy – like a normal face SPF; it blended well without leaving any marks, lines or patches on my face.’
£20.50 for 15ml - click to buy
SILVER AWARD Erborian CC Red Correct
As the name suggests, this Erborian winner is specifically designed to correct redness in the skin. And as the tube suggests, it’s green in tone, yet when applied to skin, magically morphs into a shade that matches your unique skintone, working magically to counterbalance ruddiness, broken veins, red spots etc. A true skincare product, it is enriched with Centella Asiatica, to protect and hydrate, boost radiance and refine skin’s texture, also boasting an SPF25. What we would say is: this is a quantum leap from the older style of green corrector, and if you gave up on those because they made you look queasy (or worse), you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised by this.
£20.50 for 15ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I have suffered from redness on my very pale skin; I have tried so many green- tinted creams across the price range and many are OK, some leave your skin chalky looking or like I've got a severe case of seasickness. This BB cream is a revelation. I can't praise it enough; it covers redness without looking chalky or heavy, but significantly enough that I was happy to use this without adding foundation or tinted moisturiser’ • ‘It lasted the day, didn’t need touching up, felt light especially on the hot summer days when you don't want to wear a full face. I absolutely loved it’ • ‘An absolute miracle for skin redness – I can't imagine using any other product, as this one completely ticks every box I have and those I haven't thought of yet’ • ‘I don't have to think too much about applying, I just put a small amount on the back of my hand and dab on with my fingers, and can build it up over the problem areas (red cheeks) and then forget about my skin all day, with no touch ups needed’ • ‘My husband commented that my skin was looking nice, when I wore without foundation’ • ‘For the first time in years I feel able to go out without make-up. It gives light coverage and just looks like skin only better; If I want a more polished look, I can apply foundation over it and it acts like a fabulous make up primer. I also love the fact it has SPF25’ • ‘Although initially green, the colour quickly changes on your skin, reducing redness, discolouration/darkness; worn over moisturiser gave natural skin a lovely finish with a gentle glow.’
£20.50 for 15ml - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Erborian CC Dull Correct
Another in Erborian’s alphabet lexicon, this one actually earned a Beauty Bible Silver Award in 2020, and is back for an encore. Skin dull and dingy? This is the one for you, with a blend of violet-toned pigments that counterbalance the dullness in skin, along with micro-pearls to bring light to the face and even out its imperfections, giving skin – as they put it – ‘that California glow, even when winter is on its way.’ Use it all over when skin needs brightening (or to maintain a holiday glow for longer), or as a highlighter. The skin-caring formula is powered by moisturising glycerine, Centella Asiatica to improve skin firmness and elasticity, plus antioxidant vitamin C. It won’t block pores, they promise. (Now available in a large 45ml size as well as 15ml, by the way, which is a clue to how popular this has become.)
£20.50 for 15ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I could fill the page with the compliments I've had. The first day I wore it, I went to the hairdressers and she asked me had I been away, what was I using on my skin and said she had never seen me look so good! Another friend said my skin looked "incredible" when I told her what it was, she immediately got her phone out and ordered a tube over the internet’ • ‘Would I buy? YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, a million times YES – OMG I cannot praise this product enough. It’s a miracle worker. When I first tried it, I was like, "WTF! Its purple!" But it just melts into your skin and transforms to match your natural skin tone, but evens it out and eliminates any imperfections, making you have the best complexion ever! ’ • ‘Illuminates – but in a natural lit from within way not a sparkly false way, blurring imperfections, fine lines and open pores’ • ‘I’ve stopped using my foundation on a daily basis and now just wear it over this cream when going "out-out"’ • ‘I have had endless compliments about my complexion and how fresh and youthful I look. It's like magic fairies have danced over my face sprinkling youth and vitality onto my skin. I never want to be without it! ’ • ‘Perfect base for us slightly older ladies! I will be purchasing this as gifts for several of my friends of a similar age I am so impressed with it.’
£20.50 for 15ml - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Monat BB Cream SPF30
Monat reference the phrase ‘tinted moisturiser’ in their description of this blurring product – and TBH, the best BB creams do hover in that territory. It certainly provides light but buildable protection (in a laudably wide range of nine shades, spanning the complexion spectrum), an SPF30 with broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB, plus Rejuvenique, their signature age-defying ingredient, vitamin E, rice bran and zinc oxide. Suitable for all skintypes, and fragrance-free. Monat have a nationwide network of representatives, who sell direct, but we always insist that products should also be purchasable direct from brands’ websites, to qualify for these awards.
£44 for 35ml - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘Many colleagues at work (NHS hospital) said I looked different – some said less tired-looking, others said younger and refreshed. I absolutely love everything about it. It actually works as a brilliant, tinted moisturiser but it’s so much more than that; coverage is great, and it leaves skin looking brighter and dewy and younger. It’s amazing as a primer but to be honest I would wear it alone, for a beautiful more natural look’ • ‘Really easy to build up the colour; it blended into my skin easily, even on the drier parts of my face (cheeks). Went on evenly and I didn't need to rub it to help it blend in. Friends commented how well I was looking, and that I had a nice natural glow’ • ‘I found this was much easier to remove at the end of the day than foundation, which is fantastic for busy mums like me. I also applied it before exercising - both cycling and running, to see what it was like when sweating; I was really pleased that it stayed put and I didn't look quite as red as I normally do! A great product and one I will definitely be purchasing again’ • ‘Very easy to blend with fingers, but for me, it was better when I blended it with a brush. I must admit my heart sank when I saw it was “buildable”; I am so cack-handed at putting make-up on, and when I do try and build my foundation it just clings to every wrinkle and pore (normally makes my pores stand out a mile so I look caked), but not with this! Another huge win for the Beauty Bible!’ • ‘Successfully covered small blemishes as well as thread veins at the side of my nose; friends noticed and complemented me on my smooth skin.’
£44 for 35ml - click to buy