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Perfect skin – that does mean different things to different people – for my combination oily and acne prone skin it means medium coverage, shine control and ideally staying power throughout the day. Does the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream ( or the Garnier Skin Active BB Cream Matt-Effekt All In 1, as it is called these days) provide all that?

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector in light

I have been testing that over the course of the last few weeks  – is the Garnier BB Cream a good option for oily skin? Yes, in parts – there is one thing I wasn’t too happy about.

What the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream claims

Our oil-free BB cream blurs pores and imperfections, evens skin tones and boosts your natural glow. Contains SPF 20 for UV protection, ultra absorbent perlite + mineral pigments. Non-comedogenic, oil-free.
Immediate results: Gives a radiant matte finish. Pores appear less visible, imperfections appear minimized.
Results after 4 weeks: Skin looks less oily, pore appearance is minimized, imperfections appear visibly reduced, skin radiance is improved.

Facts about the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream

Prize and size

One tube contains 40 ml and is available for around 9 € here – I say “around” because there is usually some kind of deal going on. It comes in two shades: Light and Medium.

Texture and scent

I got shade light, and as with most drugstore bases, truly fair skinned girls will find this way to dark. For your reference, I got matched NC 20 at MAC last winter, and can pull it off due to my summer tan. It oxidizes al little on me, getting a warmer and a tad darker within the first couple of minutes. (More info: MAC Studio Waterweight Foundation Review)

It is fragranced and I notice a plastic smell when I apply it that disappears quickly.

The formula is quite runny, which leads to the first and most annoying thing I noticed about the packaging: It leaks.
When first opening it and turning the tube upside down the product just started dripping into my sink. When you close it, even when you screw the lid on really tight, you will end up with the product all over the place.

How does the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream look on oily skin

On a positive note, the formula is really lightweight, as you would expect after it just leaks out of the tube, and sits on the skin really nicely. I apply it with my fingers (as they are already messy from opening the tube *sigh*) and it sets within a few minutes, leaving me without a sticky or silicony feeling. It is one of the bases you almost forget you are wearing.

Although it is this lightweight, the coverage is quite impressive for a BB cream. One application leads to a medium coverage, easily buildable by applying another layer where needed. Of course, you will never get red carpet proof full coverage, but if you were to go to the red carpet, you would probably choose a different base anyway.

The “radiant matte finish” Garnier claims is actually quite nice. Definitely matte, but not flat, it keeps your skin looking natural. If you are really oily though, you will have to set it with powder or blot throughout the day, as I tend to do in my T-Zone.

No foundation, concealer (except for the under-eye area), powder, blush

One layer of BB Cream, second layer on problem areas, no concealer, no powder, no blush

As Garnier makes no claims concerning the staying power, I did not have high hopes. And rightly so: After looking into the mirror (or in this case, camera lens) after 4 hours of running errands and carrying around my daughter, I discovered it was mostly gone.

After 4 hours, no touch-up, no concealer, no powder, no blush

It tends to last 2-3 hours on me, disappearing nicely. No creasing, no settling into my fine (*cough*) lines, no patchiness.

Ingredients of the Garnier Skin Active BB Cream

Aqua/Water solv, Cyclopentasiloxane emo|solv, Alcohol Denat amic|solv|vc, Butylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 1, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate sunsc 0 0, PEG-10 Dimethicone emu, Phenyl Trimethicone emo, Squalane sii|emo 0 1, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone emo|emu|surf, Parfum/Fragrance perf, Magnesium Sulfate vc, Talc abrasive/scrub 0 1, Nylon-12 vc, Maltitol h, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate surf, Tocopheryl Acetate aox 0 0, Ascorbyl Glucoside aox|sb, Citrus Grandis Fruit Water/Grapefruit Fruit Water perf, Aluminum Hydroxide emo|h|vc, Linalool perf, Benzyl Salicylate perf, Limonene perf|solv, Benzyl Alcohol pres|perf|solv|vc, Sorbitol h 0 0, Perlite, Propylene Glycol h|solv|vc 0 0, Geraniol perf, BHT aox|pres, Citral perf, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di- T – Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate aox|pres

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

To improve the skin, you have Vitamin E and a Vitamin C derivative as antioxidant (More info: Everything you need to know about Vitamin C), some fruit extracts and Squalane, as well as some sunscreen. You will also find alcohol as well as a few components of fragrant essential oils that might be problematic for some. (More info: Is alcohol in skincare really that bad?)

All in all it is a makeup product more than skincare.

Does it live up to its claims?

Some of them.

I like the finish, it does a good job at covering imperfections and doesn’t emphasize my pores.
But the long-term benefits?
Nope. I have been using it for about 4 weeks and my skin looks pretty much the same. But to be honest, the only active ingredient you get (apart from moisturizers) is sunscreen (it claims SPF 20, but you most likely get less as you don’t apply enough product), so I had not expected it to live up to these. (More info: Does SPF in makeup offer enough protection?)

Will I repurchase?

No.

I really like the texture, the coverage and the finish and I think you get good value for money.
But the staying power is just too short, as I can not be bothered with touch-ups during the day.
And, to be honest, the leaking drives me nuts. Whenever I use it, it gets all over the place.

My favorite light base is still the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Oil-Free. (More info: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free Review)

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