Even those of who don’t blindly follow the latest trend have likely hankered after a BB cream. BB fever came to the US via Japan and Korea and these multi-tasking creams seem like such a good idea: primer or foundation, sunscreen, skin brightener and anti-ager all in one. What’s not to like? Well, the ingredients mostly. As we saw with the one by Dr Jart+, they can be full of silicones and irritants. Not so, Jane Iredale Glow Time Full Coverage Mineral BB Cream ($48 in the shop). This is a BB cream that deserves a B+ grade.

Glow Time hits all the bases by offering a natural looking foundation that doesn’t compromise on coverage, there is a mineral SPF 25 with titanium dioxide as the sunscreen active, and some botanical antioxidants.

Now, the observant amongst you will notice that there are silicones listed amongst the ingredients. Jane Iredale tells me that these vegetable sourced silicones are derived from coconut alkanes. They are supposed to be a “green” alternative to silicones while not losing the silky feeling and oil control that they typically give cosmetic products. And I would certainly say that Glow Time gives a matte appearance to the skin, while feeling soft and lightweight.

Glow Time is so lightweight that almost instantly I forget that I am wearing it. And yet this is no wimp in the performance department. Coverage lasts all day and into the evening.

Useful anti-aging ingredients include antioxidant green and white teas, vitamin C and apple extract. There’s even our friend radish root (a safe preservative). On the subject of natural preservatives, there is honeysuckle extract. This actually is a little controversial because it is said to contain para-hydroxy benzoic acid, which behaves in a very similar way to synthetic parabens. I haven’t gotten to the bottom of this yet and I will do some more research on this soon.

I am also at a bit of a loss to explain chlorella vulgaris/Lupinus Albus protein ferment. This is white lupin extract fermented with algae. However, I found a study that says that fermenting lupin extract causes the antioxidant components to drastically diminish. At the same time, I haven’t been able to find anything very substantial on what the actual benefits of this ingredient are.

Still, it wouldn’t be a BB cream if there wasn’t a teensy frustration associated with it. Hence the B+, rather than straight A, grade.

Active Ingredient:  Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891) 20%. Ingredients: Aqua/Water/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Maltodextrin, Camellia Sinensis (White Tea) Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Citrus Paradisi (Grapefruit) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Amara (Bitter Orange) Fruit Extract, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Pectin, Chlorella Vulgaris/Lupinus Albus Protein Ferment, Sodium Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Raphanus Sativus (Radish) Root Extract, Lecithin, Lonicera Caprifolium (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract (and) Lonicera Japonica (Honeysuckle) Flower Extract, Aluminum Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, May Contain: Iron Oxides (CI 77489, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288)