Best BB creams 2022: For oily, dry and combination skin

Best: Overall

Rating: 9/10

Just as its name suggests, this truly is a glow-boosting formula that leaves skin with a healthy luminous finish. The Australian beauty brand uses native Kakadu plum in the formulation, and is packed with skincare superstar vitamin C, as well as nourishing and moisturising ingredients such as shea butter and avocado oil. Expect the formula to come out as two textures, a milky oil and a foundation-like coverage, but they blend together seamlessly to provide skin with a light, barely-there coverage that doesn’t sit in lines or pores. There are five shades to choose from, which very naturally even out skin tone and leave your complexion oozing radiance. The only disappointment is the low level of sun protection.

Best: For mature skin 

Rating: 8.5/10

This is a brilliant option for those looking for a skincare and base hybrid with a medium coverage. There’s 4 shades to choose from, though we found they come up on the warm side, and as our tester has light skin we preferred to go down a shade opting for the 00 fair option. Skincare benefits include soothing aloe vera extract to balance the skin, hyaluronic acid for its moisturising abilities and a high mineral sunscreen for UVA/B protection. Coupled with a semi-matte, lightweight finish that glides on like silk, you’ll find this covers imperfections and evens skin tone but still appears super natural.

Best: From the highstreet 

Rating: 8.5/10

One of the first beauty brands to popularise the use of BB creams here in the UK, Garnier have recently launched their new and improved range of formulations with one to suit every skin type. Improvements include adding hyaluronic acid to the already much-loved formula, for better skin hydration that makes skin appear smooth and plumped, as well as comforting aloe vera to soothe and calm. Plus, for bonus green points it now uses 49 per cent less plastic with a cardboard integrated tube.

The classic is available in light, medium and dark, and while you might find the light too dark on the first squeeze, it fuses and adapts to your natural skin tone instantly. The new skincare benefits, teamed with the your-skin-but-better coverage and SPF20 protection prove this formula has become even harder to beat.

Best: Matte finish 

Rating: 9/10

Turn to this Korean-French beauty brand for a true BB cream that’s become a cult classic. It evens skin tone, hydrates and protects with SPF20, leaving skin with a beautifully velvety-soft, matte finish. Drawing on herbs used in traditional Korean medicine for their anti-inflammatory, moisturising and all-round skin-loving benefits, you’ll find the likes of ginseng for its firming abilities and liquorice and ginger to help protect the skin from free radicals.

It comes in four shades that adapt to your skin tone, and you’ll find this one easy to build if you want a little more coverage on certain days. Plus, we love that it comes in a travel-friendly 15ml size so you can try it out before committing to the full size.

Best: For dry skin 

Rating: 9/10

It may not be a BB by name, but it certainly is by nature, and is now a firm favourite with our tester. Just like Clinique’s best selling moisture surge moisturiser, this nourishing formulation leaves even dry skin types well-hydrated all day, and is powered by moisturising hyaluronic acid and aloe water.

With a high SPF25 for UV protection, and a high tech formulation that promises to be sweat and humidity-resistant too, this makes a great option for summer, holidays and gym sessions – we can confirm it doesn’t budge no matter what you put it through. The five shades use new tech that adapts to skin tones, so they actually cover a wide range of tones flawlessly. Expect smooth, plump skin teamed with a natural, dewy finish.

Best: For sun protection

Rating: 8/10

If you’re looking for a BB cream to take away with you for some winter sun, this is a top choice. The high SPF30 will protect your complexion from those skin-burning UVB rays and, crucially, the 5-star UVA rating (which not all sun creams have) provides high protection from the rays that penetrate deeper and cause ageing in the form of lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation.

Like the brilliant No7 serum of the same name, it offers skincare benefits including standout skin-firming and wrinkle reducing potent peptide matrixyl 3000. Our only bugbear is there’s just two shades to choose from, and the fair shade is too dark for most pale complexions so stay clear if you’re on the porcelain side.

Best: For complexion warming 

Rating: 9/10

Just like Guerlain’s iconic bronzer this coverage, which sits somewhere between a tinted moisturiser and a foundation, warms up a winter complexion with a beautiful, subtle and healthy glow. This is a must-have for dull, lacklustre winter skin that needs a little pick-me-up, with added ingredients that boost radiance, nourish the skin and SPF20 to protect it.

Pick from five shades that glide on and blend so seamlessly, you don’t even need a mirror to apply. Think of this as your summer skin all year round, and if you shut your eyes the dreamy floral fragrance will even transport you there.

Best: Vegan formula

Rating: 8/10

Packed with nourishing skin oils, including squalane, avocado and jojoba, this sheer coverage leaves skin feeling comfortable and well hydrated throughout the day. It delivers a super light, natural-looking dewiness to the skin, while still being able to see freckles and your natural skin underneath for the no make-up, make-up look.

There’s a broad range of shades to choose from – 14 in total – and it comes in a handy rollerball pen for easy application. And don’t worry, as this doesn’t go to waste – when you run out you simply buy refill cartridges with £10 off the price. The high SPF30 is coral-reef friendly too, as you’d expect from the cruelty-free and eco-conscious brand.

Best: Shade range 

Rating: 9/10

This modern classic is another “tinted moisturiser” that acts just like a BB cream, as it’s skincare, tint and mineral-based sun protection with SPF30 all in one. There’s a sizeable 18 shades to pick from, and a pearl sized drop will leave a light and radiant finish, but you can layer easily to build it up to a medium coverage. Infused with power moisturisers squalane and hyaluronic acid, expect all-day hydration paired with fresh and glowing skin.

Best: Foundation alternative

Rating: 7.5/10

This lightweight and sheer coverage acts more like a BB cream than a foundation, with nourishing skincare benefits to keep skin feeling comfortable and well moisturised all day, thanks to superstar skincare ingredient niacinamide. It leaves you with an even complexion that looks naturally dewy, and delivers SPF20 too to protect from premature signs of ageing. This is a great option no matter what your age, as it doesn’t sit noticeably in pores or lines. And all this comes at a purse-friendly price.