The One Product I Rely on for a Truly Low-Maintenance Makeup Routine

This is the best product a girl could ask for.

Moisturizer, primer, foundation, highlighter–no, shoot. Moisturizer, foundation, blush–wait, I forgot a step. OK, starting over. Moisturizer, primer, foundation, blush, eyebrow gel....

When did makeup routines become so extensive? In 10th grade, I discovered eyeliner and since then, it seems like every year of my life adds three new steps to my morning and nighttime routines. Five years ago, however, my whole vision of makeup was turned on its head when a makeup artist I knew gave me one of Dr. Jart's BB creams. I have owned Dr. Jart's Black Label Beauty Balm ever since–it is the only makeup product I have used consistently for this long, and I can't see myself ever living with out it. We are makeup soulmates, and I just want to shout my love for Dr. Jart BB Cream from the internet rooftops.

BB cream is the ultimate makeup multitasker, moisturizing, priming, and protecting your skin while giving you the right amount of coverage. According to New York makeup artist Moani Lee, "BB creams offer a bit more coverage than the traditional tinted moisturizers but have the added skincare benefits, like SPF and anti oxidants, etc."

While a lot of tinted moisturizers can leave my skin a little shiny and are a tad too sheer to really mask any redness or spots, BB cream is thick enough to replace foundation but not too thick that it ends up caky. I've also had a lot of trouble matching foundations exactly to my skin tone, ending up with it blended farther down my neck than is ideal, but BB cream seems to absorb into your skin rather than sit on top like some other, more matte textures.

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If I'm running out of my house, the only bit of makeup I need to look presentable is this BB cream. It evens my skin tone and covers enough redness while letting a bit of natural flush show through. It doesn't leave too much shine, so you don't have to go over it with powder. On multiple occasions, people have told me how amazing my skin is while I'm wearing Dr. Jart BB Cream, and I have to sheepishly admit I'm wearing makeup. BB Cream is truly my saving makeup grace and has turned a complicated beauty process low-maintenance.

I've tried a variety of BB Creams, and while I'll always go back to my one true love, Dr Jart Black Label ($36; sephora.com), I understand different skin has different needs. The company also has Dr Jart BB Dis-A-Pore Beauty Balm ($36; sephora.com) and Dr Jart Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 ($39; sephora.com).

The last one is actually one of Lee's favorites "because of its anti aging properties but also because of it's SPF protection and its dewy finish. It's a moisturizer, sunscreen and a treatment serum all in one making it a go-to favorite for myself and anyone who wants one product that does it all."

The main issue with these BB Creams, however, is they only come in one to three skin tones. For more options, Smashbox offers eight shades of their Camera Ready BB Cream ($42; sephora.com), Clinique's Acne Solutions BB Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 40 has five ($40; sephora.com), Maybelline's Dream BB Cream has five ($7; amazon.com), and Bobbi Brown has nine ($48; bobbibrowncosmetics.com).

Target also just added more than 60 shades of foundation and tinted moisturizer to its beauty aisles by bringing on eight cosmetics brands founded by a diverse group of women. Hopefully your makeup routine is about to be whittled down into one, effective and amazing, step.