17 BB Cream

(available from Boots for £6.99)

Blemish Balms are becoming a lot more popular recently. Their whole aim is to cover up imperfections but in a lightweight way that foundation doesn't as such. This specific 17 BB cream describes itself as 'your no make up, make up' that 'gives your skin a complete natural, flawless finish'. Garnier launched a similar product a while ago and more are making themselves available on the market. At current they only have shades available in 'light' and 'medium' which is slightly disappointing but this is the case everywhere.

I've said that this year I want to use less make-up and I thought BB cream would be my answer to this as it's a lighter formula and the idea of it being that you know you're wearing make-up but it's very subtle and moisturising whilst achieving coverage and 'barely-there beauty'. This seemed perfect for me as I could feel I was wearing make-up without it looking as extreme as foundation. For example, I don't need a full face of make-up when seeing friends or popping out to town.

When it came to application I'd say it had very light coverage and felt as though I wasn't wearing much at all. This is definitely something I'm not used to and didn't feel confident stepping out of the house with it on. It covered up some little imperfections I had but without the use of concealer, primer or powder I felt like my face was naked. I would recommend it for those that welcome the concept behind it and feel confident without wearing too much make-up. I'd wear it again for a day out when I feel like my skin needs a break but other than that I think I'll be sticking to my foundation ritual. This definitely doesn't have a heavy enough coverage to give me the confidence to go out without other products and made me feel more like my skin needed another layer rather than feeling 'flawless'.

Good for: Feeling as though you're not wearing make-up with the relief of actually wearing it at an affordable price

Bad for: Heavy coverage and long-lasting: it transferred a lot