It takes a good foundation...

I humbly admit that I was blessed with pretty good skin. The only acne I really have had to deal with coincides with a certain week every month, but its nothing bad and it passes and for the most part I have weeks of good skin. I started using the Mary Kay skin care system in my early 20s, and have been happy with that. As I've gotten older, the usual effects of aging are starting to show (granted, I'm only 32, but I spent my years in highschool out on the track field in Southern California without sunscreen - shame!) I've got a few spots that are appearing darker, and a few wrinkles that stay around when I stop smiling. My husband is constantly telling me to stop crunching my brow when staring at the computer or reading a book (my eyes are fine, its just that when I'm concentrating I crunch.) So I'm always looking for a good product that makes a difference when I use it and doesn't cost a fortune.
Thus, I have joined the happy family of users of BB Cream.
I just started hearing about it a couple months ago, and started looking in to it, as it sounded too good to be true. Each brand is slightly different in their claims, but for the most part, they promise to prime, perfect, hydrate, protect and control oil all in one product. I've read reviews that it's basically just a foundation. And maybe it is, but I love the one I've been using more than any other foundation I've tried.
I use Smashbox Camera Ready BB Cream BroadSpectrum SPF 35. I love it. I feel like it does everything it says it will. I feel like even without additional primer my face is smoother and it doesn't settle in my pores and provides coverage but doesn't look make-up-y.
The key though, was getting a brush to apply it. I read the reviews and people were complaining that it didn't blend well on their skin. I don't know why that is, because it's creamy enough, but I found it true too. But I figured out the key, and now its easy and great. First, I learned from a Sephora consultant that you should pat it around on your face, not rub. He said something about rubbing changes the color. I don't know if that's true, but I still found patting it around all my face works better than rubbing. Its better for your skin anyway, because you're not pulling at it as a natural consequence of the rubbing motion (age and gravity don't need any help making things sag!)
After you've patted it all over, the tool to use to blend smooth is this brush: Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I was watching a makeup tutorial and the girl was using these Real Techniques brushes. Her skin looked great, so I looked them up and found them to be totally affordable. I ordered a couple and have been thrilled with them ever since. This is the best base/foundation brush ever. I've tried the kind that are called Foundation Brushes and they are flat and look like a brush you would paint with. But I don't find those blend very well. My foundation just looks streaky across my face. If you use this brush in a round, buffing motion all over, you won't have any makeup lines, and coverage will be even and light. I wish I'd had this brush years ago. I will pass this tip on to my future daughter(s), and here to anyone that's interested. :)