BB vs. CC

I'm still recovering from Sephora's recent VIB 20% promotion, an annual delight. I tend to stock up on favorites at this sale, as well as experiment with new products, secure that returns are painless (yes, you can return cosmetics! To Sephora, and to department stores, and yes, USED. So try!). 

Wintertime is a thorny issue for me in terms of everyday makeup. In the summers, my combination skin favors mineral makeup, but that's too drying for the winter months. Tinted moisturizers are too moisturizing, leaving me uber-shiny by noon. 

Enter the BB and the CC—Smashbox Camera Ready BB Water Broad Spectrum SPF 30, and IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+. 

What usually happens when I buy two similar products, I either become attached to one and spurn the other, or I find both disappointing. In this case, I'm actually torn.  

I like them! Both! There are pros and cons, however. 

In terms of performance, both provide enough coverage to even skin tone and shield minor boo-boos. Both do not make my skin oily—no need to blot my face midday. Both go on light, and do not smother my skin, yet it feels . . . nourished, dare I say? 

The cons of the Smashbox is the packaging. Products, ideally, should not be exposed to air and contaminants until application; the rather liquidy cream dispenses with an annoying dropper, opening the whole bottle to contamination.

Whereas the IT is a breeze in sensible, responsible, easy-to-operate tube.

In terms of color, though, the Smashbox in Fair/Light is probably a better match for my skin than IT in Light. The IT goes on looking ideal, but it is slightly too dark. Yet perhaps the touch of extra warmth is flattering? She hopes? Looking a tad orange?

And so I dither between the two. Worst come to worst, I suppose I can be hedonistic for once (ha!) and keep both.