When BB creams first started coming out, we got a little bit excited about the concept and took to the cute name very well. Despite being founded in 1960s by a German dermatologist, the BB cream craze came only took hold after it made its rounds in the South Korean beauty industry. Slowly but surely, European and American companies picked up on the trend and started developing BB creams of their own.
But then things started to get a little out of hand, and we started seeing the arrival of CC creams and DD creams. It was only a matter of time before the alphabet soup continued down the line, and Estée Lauder took it upon themselves to release an EE cream under their Enlighten range.
The EE in this little number stands for “Even Effect,” which is short for Even Effect Skintone Corrector. Part skincare and part makeup, this product has a sheer tinted finish that’s designed to be worn alone or under a foundation, and it even comes with SPF 30. The two other products in the Enlighten range are a spot-reducing nighttime serum and a moisturizer that evens out the complexion, so this cream serves as a nice addition to the range.
The website states that “This ultra-sheer skin-transformer gives a hint of healthy color and creates an overall even effect. Immediately helps minimize the look of dark spots, sun spots, post acne marks, redness and pores” — so the appeal lies in the product’s alleged ability to improve your complexion over time while wearing it (which already offers sheer coverage).
While I think these are promises already made by similar products before it — products that offer coverage and skin care benefits — has our obsession with the alphabet soup of makeup gotten out of hand? Will we ever finally all sit down and admit that all this stuff is glorified tinted moisturizer?
I think the answer to that is a loud, resounding No. As long as brands continue to bottle promises for better coverage and improved skin tone, we will keep wanting more and will continue to buy whatever it is they’re selling; this is a physical law of the universe. Despite being wary of the promises made by this product, I probably will go out and buy this product if it ever hits Indonesian shelves, because skin care products are basically bottled hope.
But what do you think: are we really going to keep buying the same products when they evolve and become known as XX creams, YY creams, and ZZ creams? And more importantly, which alphabet will we turn to once the beauty industry runs out of letters to exploit in the Roman alphabet?
