We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
12 Of The Best BB Creams For Dewy, Radiant Skin
From lightweight liquids with in-built SPF to acne-fighting formulas, these are the best 'beauty balms' on the shelves
It’s likely you’ve heard of BB Cream - perhaps there’s one already nestled in your make-up kit. But do you know what, exactly, it is? If you don’t, you’re not the only one.
Like many beauty game-changers, BB cream was born in South Korea. The letters were originally an abbreviation for ‘blemish balm’, but are now widely recognised as standing for ‘beauty balm’.
Winter is usually the time we hail the return of full-coverage foundation, but things feel different this year. All the time we've spent this summer getting to know our bare faces has made us more inclined to embrace a lighter, more breathable base: the kind that illuminates and unifies without feeling like a mask. If this resonates with how you're feeling, it's a BB cream you want. But which one? well, we know that too: ahead, see everything you need to know.
BB Creams: The ELLE top five
What is a BB cream?
First, what is a BB cream, exactly? It might masquerade as something buzzier and more exciting, but it’s essentially tinted moisturiser, souped up with good-for-skin bonuses like pollution-shielding extracts, moisture-grabbing humectants and that all-important SPF. The best ones out there will unify your skin tone and keep you hydrated, meaning you can streamline your routine while still looking put-together and pleasingly glowy.
BB vs CC cream
As with all big things in beauty, the overseas success of BB creams has spawned a host of secondary family members. Most notable is CC cream, which is generally considered to stand for ‘colour correcting’ cream. Some say CC creams are more coverage-focused, while others (this editor included) believe you should ignore the alphabet – it’s all marketing jargon anyways – and instead focus on the formula itself, and whether it meets your key demand, be it extra glow or mattifying coverage.
What I can promise is that, whether you opt for a BB or a CC cream, you’re in for a skin-boosting treat: the best of these clever formulas deliver the coverage of a foundation without the potential cakiness or powdery residue that settles in your pores. You may even get your sun-protection chucked in for good measure. Below, see the best BB creams the beauty team have tested: and believe me, we’ve tried the lot…
The Best BB Creams For Easy Glowing Skin
Yes, that Trinny is now a major make-up player, thanks to her incredibly successful eponymous beauty brand. The star of the show – so much so, it continually sells out – is the BFF SPF 30 Cream, which is one of the lightest, glossiest beauty balms we’ve come across.
The white cream contains encapsulated pigment, which bursts on application and adjusts to your natural skin tone. Flower extracts work to bounce the light back out from dark circles while neutralising redness and, to top it all off, there's SPF 30 in there too. Consider every single box ticked.
Dr. Jart's latest launch sits somewhere in-between a tinted moisturiser and a foundation. It's cushiony and moisturising, yet heavily pigmented, so masks redness and pigmentation with ease.
Korean brand Erborian pretty much owns the floor when it comes to BB creams, and this one is the first thing you should try from the brand. It contains niacinamide to control overactive oil glands and reinforce your skin barrier, and has just enough pigment to unify and brighten.
Anyone who struggles with sensitive skin or frequent breakouts should try Kosas. The brand formulates all its products with sensitive, acne-prone skin in mind, and this gel-textured BB cream is the future.
Available in 24 shades, it uses zinc to calm redness and irritation and copper peptides to support collagen production without feeling heavy or settling into enlarged pores.
This innovative new launch from RMS is billed as a 'tinted serum' - essentially, it combines satiny translucent colour with SPF30 and a host of skin-fortifying ingredients, including peptides and niacinamide. The pigment here is glowy and bronze-tinted (but thankfully without shimmer), so it's ideal for those days you simply want a radiant glow with minimal coverage (and minimal effort).
Iconic London Radiance Booster
This underrated gem from Iconic London looks intimidatingly shimmery in the tube, but somehow melts on contact with skin to deliver a dewy, intensely luminous finish that looks entirely natural.
Rather than an obvious 'make-up' effect, it reflects the light without glitter or pigment, leaving your natural skin to shine through. For that 'just back from Barbados' glow, this is the one.
Don't let the name fool you here: this is a brilliant all-rounder that everyone should try. Offering SPF50 alongside hydrating, redness-concealing coverage with a bright, dewy finish, it might just be the best complexion launch of recent months.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF50
We know, we know...It’s technically a CC cream. But let’s be honest, there's no real difference (aside from marketing jargon) and this one absolutely deserves a mention here.
This cult formula boasts proper SPF 50, enough coverage to tempt even the most foundation-fixated, and the kind of creamy consistency that melts into skin beautifully.
So popular was the original, there’s now an illuminating version that offers more of a shimmery glow, and an oil-free iteration for those who prefer a more matte finish.
Complexion products at this end of the price spectrum can be hit and miss, but Elf rarely lets us down. This absolutely brilliant formula delivers the hydration of a moisturiser and the glowy pigment of your favourite foundation. The coverage is higher than most, as is the SPF: there's factor 30 in there to keep you protected.
L'Oreal Paris Magique CC cream
A green-tinted cream is ideal if you're hoping to cover red acne scarring, rosacea or thread veins. Big on Tiktok (and for good reason) this one gets the balance just right, bringing down redness without veering into chalky territory.
A staple in Alexa Chung's 10-minute makeup routine, Code8's beauty balm offers barely there coverage, so it's perfect if you're after a super-natural result. It's glowy and radiant, yet doesn't veer into greasy territory.
Roberta Schroeder is the Senior Ecommerce Editor at Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire, overseeing shopping strategy and content across fashion, beauty, and travel. Roberta has reported on everything from market-leading skincare brands to the world’s most iconic fashion pieces, while also regularly updating a range of shopping guides, including LED masks, heritage cashmere brands and niche new dress brands to know.
Roberta has more than 15 years' experience in the luxury sector, spanning editorial consultancy, trend forecasting and journalism. Over the years, she has worked for global brands including Farfetch, Chanel, and Vogue.
When not testing beauty products, trialling trends and curating content that spotlights the very best in fashion and beauty, Roberta can usually be found trawling resale sites and vintage stores for a long-coveted designer find. Follow Roberta on Instagram at @roberta__schroeder
Kara is the Ecommerce Editor, Women’s Lifestyle at Hearst UK. Leading Cosmopolitan’s digital shopping strategy, she shares style advice for life’s big moments, reports on the latest fashion collaborations, and creates beauty reviews across skincare, makeup, and haircare.
Kara’s most popular guides include ‘Affordable Jewellery Brands to Shop’, ‘Ski Wear to Shop, According to an Editor’, and ‘The Best High Street Wedding Dress Brands’, while covering deals events such as Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day. When she’s not behind a laptop screen, she’s hosting shopping videos and livestreams for Cosmo’s TikTok Shop. Kara also creates shopping content for Red and Prima, and was previously contributing Fashion and Beauty Ecommerce Editor at ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar.
Since starting her career as a journalist in 2018, she has held the role of Fashion Content Editor at NET-A-PORTER’s Porter Magazine, Associate Editor at PopSugar, and written for Refinery29 and LOVE Magazine, where she covered fashion and beauty news, trends, and features. An experienced interviewer, Kara has spoken to Zendaya, Alicia Keys, Simone Biles, and Tyla about life, work, and style. Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Kara lived in Toronto, Canada before moving to London.
Follow Kara on Instagram @kara.kia
15 Of The Best Beauty Travel Sets For Summer
ELLE Edits: Best LED Face Masks For 2025
The 7 Best Salty Perfumes For Summer And Beyond
Here's Why You Should Probably Join Beauty Pie
