IMAN Skin Tone Evener BB Creme Review

Life seemed so much simpler before BB creams came into play. 

I was happy and relatively comfortable with tinted moisturisers, however when BB creams came out of their shells my curiosity got the better of me.

As with most beauty products finding a BB cream that was accessible, affordable and in my skin tone became a problem and to be perfectly honest it is still a problem, a big and stupid problem for women of colour to be experiencing in today's age however that's a rant for another time and place.

When I heard the message for bloggers to review the IMAN Skin Tone Evener* I jumped at the opportunity like white on rice! I had had a reader of DOS previously ask me to review this product last year and since then I've been waiting patiently for it to hit our shores. 

I responded to the request quickly and requested the shade Earth Medium.

Ok so first things first, let's get it out of the way, Earth Medium was the wrong shade for me, it has a bit too much red in it, NW45's or anyone with red undertones this may be the summer shade for you.

 Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty!

The IMAN Skin Tone Evener BB creme is paraben free with an SPF 15, not super high but the protection is there which is fantastic for those of you who love minimal make up in the summer, two birds one stone really.

Application

I applied this by squeezing a 1p piece on the back of my hand then I went in with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and buffed the creme into my face, adding more product where needed.

I then used my MAC Blotting powder to lightly blot my face as I have oily skin (a real pain for a BB cream lover) 

My Thoughts

The most important requirement of a BB cream differs from person to person but my main requirement is how it feels on my skin. 

This is where this product is a winner for me! I loved the texture! It was light and silky with sheer coverage, the complete opposite to Sleek's Beauty Balm which is a little bit more heavy duty.

If only it was in my skin tone!! Grrr!

This gives a gorgeous healthy glow to the skin and covers my blemishes relatively well. When I first wore it to work I received compliments on how my skin looked. This product really does even out your skin tone and creates a gorgeous and light natural base.

Lipstick: MAC Smoked Purple

I think this product would be absolutely PERFECT for those of you with dry skin who love the natural dewy look, it is nourishing but light enough to wear on warm days. 

Those of you with oily skin may want to avoid this one, as you can see even though I did blot there is still shine.

Where To Buy

The IMAN Skin Tone Evener comes in 6 shades (I may actually be more a of Clay Medium Deep but don't quote me on that) of which the lightest is suitable for caucasian skin.

This product is not yet available in the UK but keep an eye on the IMAN website where it will be available soon!

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Base Face

If you have watched my Great Expectations video you'll see that one of my main goals was to create the perfect 'base face.'

I've been on this mission since seeing how incredible Destiny Godley's foundation routine left her looking! Absolutely flawless but natural looking.

I think this is a very hard thing to accomplish nowadays, especially if you want to cover up blemishes however I set myself the challenge and I think I have finally found a routine that works for me.

I use this look whenever I am going out to a bar, club etc and I find it works great for me!

Obviously this wont work for everyone but I hope you can take bits from it that may help you achieve your perfect 'base face' too.

Firstly I moisturise.

After moisturising I apply a primer. The quality of primer really makes a difference and helps your make up to stay flawless all night. I use Tony Moly's Egg Pore Silky Smooth Balm and I apply this all over my face.

I then move onto my brows, I fill them in with my ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Dark and then clean around them using my Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette. For a natural looking highlight, I use a lighter concealer on the bottom outer half of my brow and blend out, I then clean up the rest with a shade that matches my skin tone. 

Now I move onto my favourite part, the foundation. 

I have recently starting using MAC's Studio Fix Fluid in NC50 for my full coverage foundation (no need for me to use concealer to hide blemishes when using this) and I LOVE IT! It's a perfect colour match and very long lasting.

I apply this by tapping out a bit on my hand, (I am sans pump) around a 10p size.

I then apply using my Real Technique's Stippling Brush. I buff the foundation into my skin using circular motions, insuring all product is blended in evenly.

Next step, the one made famous by Kim K. 

Highlighting!

I always opt for subtle highlighting due to flash from cameras.

I find the LA Girl Pro Conceal in Fawn is PERFECT for my skin tone. 

It blends in amazingly, allowing for the most natural highlight. 

I apply the concealer underneath my eyes in a triangular shape, down my nose, cupids bow as well as chin. I then blend it all in with a damp beauty blender until I am happy with the result.

I set with Ben Nye's Banana powder. 

I make sure I blend this in too. 

If I find I still have harsh lines with the concealer I go over lightly with my MSF face powder to blend the concealer even more.

Once this is done, I move onto bronzer.

I use Covergirl Queen Bronzer in Ebony Bronze Q120 in places that I would normally contour.

I would normally then go back in with my Sleek Contour Kit in Dark and apply the matte brown powder to the hollows of my cheeks making sure to blend out all the harsh lines.

Next onto blush!

I use two just because I love the look.

I first start off with NARS Blush in Taj Mahal (LURVVE) which I apply to the apples of my cheeks and with the remainder I apply this to the tops of my temples. I do the same with MAC's Blush in Format for a bit more warmth.

For a bit more glam, I apply a shimmer highlighter to the tops of my cheek bones, underneath my brow, down my nose and cupids bow.

Lately I have been reaching for ELF's Blush in Gotta Glow but from time to time I also use MAC's Cream Colour Base in Improper Copper or Accessorize Baked Bronzer in Bermuda Shade 4.

I skip powdering my entire face as I feel my face is quite matte after all of the above so I set with 

ELF's Makeup Mist & Set

(AMAZING PRODUCT, I love this much more than MAC's Fix +) to get rid of the powdery look and then...viola!

 I'm done!!! 

(wipes brow)

The rest (eyes and lips) are down to how I'm feeling at the time!

In the picture above I kept the eyes simple, just a coat of good ol' Maybelline's Great Lash mascara in Blackest Black.

My lips are lined with a generic brown lip liner, coupled with NYX's Round Lipstick in Minimalism and NYX's Mega Shine Lipgloss in Miami Babe over the top.

This all seems like a lot but it really becomes simple (and fast) after you get it down and the results are pretty thumbs up (if I do say so myself!)

I think it's just a case of working with products that you like and you are familiar with!

Do you have any tips to share that you use for creating a flawless base?

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DOS Real Techniques Brush Set Giveaway Almost Over!

The give-away is almost over, the winner will be announced on the 27th!

To enter click here and leave a comment below said post with the details stated!

Good luck!

:)

xxx

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