Budget BB Creams

There are so many BB creams out there at the moment it is ridiculous. Even the luxury brands have  a couple to choose from and it is all a bit daunting.
For me, a BB cream is for days when you're in a hurry. They are glorified tinted moisturisers and spending a fortune on them is daft. By all means splurge on a good foundation, but for something you're slapping on when you have 5 minutes to get out the door, no man.
I've got 5 that I keep in rotation between my travel bag, makeup drawer, desk drawer and handbag. Yes, I realise that is a lot of el cheapo BB creams to own, but they're there for emergencies and on-the-go life. None of them are new to market - these are my tried and tested favourites from the past two years.

Here is my little dream team and why I love 'em.

Bodyshop All-In-One BB Cream - R199 at  The Body Shop: I love the dewy look this product gives me. It doesn't have any built in sun protection so you'll need to put on sunscreen first (I do that anyway - anything under UPF50 is not helping the cause in my opinion). It matches up to my skin tone perfectly. My only gripe is it is a small tube and it is the most expensive on this list.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream -R169,95 at Clicks: Technically not a BB cream, but I call bullshit on the CC, DD etc movement. They're all bloody BB creams/tinted moisturisers. Moving on....this has consistently been the one that gets the most compliments. I get the perfect natural semi-matt look, yet my skin looks so healthy. It manages to last all day and I took it along to Thailand last year and it survived pretty well in the heat. So yet again, it'll be a summer staple for me.

Sorbet BB Cream - R100 at Sorbet salons and Clicks: This has been one of my favourites since it launched a few years ago. It gives a flawless finish and really good medium coverage. I'll never not have this in my kit. I often use this instead of foundation, even when I have the time to apply foundation.

LA Girl Pro BB cream - R59,95 at Dischem: I discovered this gem after seeing a couple of our local beauty bloggers raving about it. For something so affordable, you'll be amazed at the coverage and how long it lasts. It routinely sells out so if you see it in your shade, I'd pop two or three into your basket. It is a handbag staple!

Maybelline Pure Dream BB cream - R92,95 at Dischem: Nice and sheer - I use a shade darker, especially going into summer. It has a tiny bit of salicylic acid to helps with blemishes. I use this when I am struggling with a breakout and want something light.

A full make-up kit for under R1500

About 4 years ago, I was unhappily surprised by some arse-hole at the robots who decided to smash my car window and whip my handbag from me. Firstly, I will admit that it was partly my own fault. I had both my laptop bag and handbag sitting pretty on my front seat and I was lucky that the thief didn't see the laptop bag. This isn't unique to South Africa. In any urban area, crime happens and you just need to be smarter. So ladies, if you are not already locking your valuables in your boot before hitting the road, I am begging you to start doing so.

The reason for my little story above, is that in my beloved handbag was my entire collection of MAC makeup that I had built up over a few years. I was devastated. And considering handbag insurance covered about 5k worth of lost items, I managed to replace my sunglasses, specs, the handbag itself and a new wallet - it didn't stretch enough to cover new make-up. Seriously, as a not-so-fun exercise, tally up the value of what is in your handbag right now. You might puke.

So there I was, starting over again. I know a few friends who have had a similar encounter and found themselves in the same position. So while you start building your collection up again slowly and beg everyone you know to buy you Edgars gift-vouchers for your birthday, I thought I'd share my drugstore favourites with you. These are all you need to create a flawless face, and a simple and classy day-to-day look. I carry all of these in my handbag now and never take my good stuff out with me. That way, if anything happens to my bag, I am not at a huge loss. In fact, you could easily carve out a portion of the 5k handbag insurance to cover these as the entire collection comes in at under R1500.

• Full Brush Set, R420 from 27Pinkx
• Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, R159,99 from Clicks (I LOVE this stuff. Amazing coverage and colour correction and lasts all day!)
• Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer, R210 from Clicks
• Maybelline All In One Powder, R79,95 at Clicks
• Essence Get Big Lashes, R38 from Spree.co.za
• NYX The Curve, R264,99 at Clicks (This solves your liquid liner problems. Just go get it. Get two.)
• Revlon Baby Stick, R99 from Clicks (Get "Pink Passion" and use on lips and cheeks. So pretty. Limited edition product so may be hard to find.)
• Revlon Age Defying Concealer, R159 from Clicks (Covers dark spots and blemishes like a dream.)
• Maybelline Baby Lips, R25 at Clicks ( I use these during the day instead of lipstick or gloss.)