Tried & Tested: NYC Smooth Skin Matte BB Creme 5 in 1

Because we each have meticulous beauty regimes that likely involves primping, priming, layering, concealing and all kinds of time-consuming things like that, our curiosity is always piqued when a 2 or 3 in one product comes along. Cheats? We likey. So imagine our level of interest when the FIVE in one BB Creme from budget brand NYC dropped into our laps.

It's hard to believe that make-up that costs only €4.49 can do five jobs at once but NYC Smooth Skin Matte BB Creme 5 in 1 promises to brighten skin, banish shine, minimize the appearance of pores, fine lines and 'skin imperfections' and to leave skin with a healthy looking appearance.

I am going to give it to you straight and tell you I am not a fan of BB creams, not the ones that have been launched for the European market at least. I find the coverage far too light and speaking from experience, they never do what they say they will. For products designed to give the illusion of a perfect complexion they often do a better job of making you look like you've applied cheap foundation for the very first time.

But we always give products the benefit of the doubt here so here goes.

Well, the texture was as I expected, light and filmy. One layer was too transparent for my liking - isn't it supposed to cover skin imperfections? - so I decided to apply a second time. It's not a great blender. Applying a second layer caused the first to move around which turned the finish into a streaky mess. After about five minutes, instead of leaving a matte finish, it had an unpleasant cakey quality to BUT it dried quickly and stood fast.

I wasn't going to but the drying fast lesson made me want to try it on my face, which is full of 'skin imperfections'. Hurrah! (For this purpose only. Sniff.) Bear in mind I just tried a patch on my face and have my usual foundation on in other places.

To give credit where it's due, the 'light' colour is quite a good colour match for my skin. One layer doesn't quite cover imperfections but it does make them calmer. I let it dry for a few minutes this time and added a second layer. One word - unnecessary. As before, it just moved the first layer around and didn't offer any more coverage, in fact, it kind of made it worse. Too bad.

I just don't understand how the coverage of a product that is supposed to disguise marked skin is so light. I used to wear Korean BB cream that was practically a mask. It also made my skin look grey but that's another story. Those who wish to truly cover their skin up should stick to foundation and concealers.

NYC Smooth Skin Matte BB Creme will hit the shelves in January 2015 and costs €4.49.

This might be ok for if you're popping down to the chipper on a Sunday night but that's about it. Are you a fan of BB creams? Does this one look like it might suit you? Let us know!