Photo: Getty If you’ve set foot in Sephora, a drugstore or anywhere near a cosmetics counter lately, chances are you’ve been bombarded by a bewildering array of flesh colored fluids. The alphabet formulations--like BB cream, CC cream, and soon DD creams--have joined tinted moisturizers and standard foundation on the shelves as potential skin-perfecting options. But what do they all (supposedly) do? What's the difference between them? And most importantly: Which should you use? We break it down for you. Related Articles Korean Skincare: The Difference Between Serums, Essences & Ampoules The Comprehensive List of Where You Can Return Opened Beauty Products How to Find the Most Flattering Nude Lipstick for Your Skin Tone Tinted Moisturizer: The name is pretty self explanatory: The product gives you a bit of color with a moisturizing benefit--the color is usually pretty sheer. My sense is that they may be headed for extinction, or at least hibernation. While tinted moisturizers are still on the market and probably still have many fans, I haven’t seen a new launch for one in quite a while--alphabet creams are all the rage now.

Editors' Pick: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer, $45, available here. BB Creams: BB creams are an Asian import that have become super popular in the last two years here in the US. BB creams provide coverage with added skin care benefits like SPF and anti-oxidants--the list goes on depending on what brand you choose. They're lighter than foundation but heavier than tinted moisturizers. While the additives in BB creams can have the same efficacy as they would in stand-alone serums, be careful about counting on BB creams for adequate sun protection. "My only concern is that since BB cream is generally tinted, women use less on their face," Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Heidi Waldorf said. Meaning you won't slather it on the way you do--or should--with a more traditional sunscreen, resulting in inadequate protection.

Editors' Pick: Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF 35, $46, available here. CC Creams: The difference between BB and CC creams is subtle--CC generally stands for “color correcting” and the products are meant to address issues like redness or sallowness (usually with light-diffusing particles), whereas BB creams are like lighter foundation with a few skin care benefits thrown in. “CC cream is a color corrector and will be lighter on the skin [than a BB cream],” celeb makeup artist Nico Guilis told us. “They have more of a whipped, light, fluffy feel and finish--kind of the new and improved BB.” While BB and CC creams are marketed for separate issues, and are theoretically different, I've tried many BBs and a few CC creams--and honestly, they're almost the same. Where it gets most confusing here is that BB/CC benefits and coverage vary greatly among different brands. For example, Clinique's CC cream is definitely more opaque than some BB creams I've tried from other brands. So go figure. You have to be diligent in reading ingredients and most importantly, trying them out (like we did) to figure out what you want and need. (Allure has a great list here detailing which BB/CC brands are best for which type of skin issues).

Editors' Pick: Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Hydrating Colour Corrector Broad Spectrum SPF 30, $39, available here. DD Creams: And now get ready for DD creams (sigh). Julep is releasing what it's calling a "Dynamic Do-All" cream this summer, and it kinda sounds like a BB/CC hybrid. Weirdly, the cosmetics industry was predicting something completely different for DD creams. Back in November of 2012, a cosmetics industry analyst told Cosmetic Design (a trade website) that a number of DD creams, called "Daily Defense" creams were poised to launch, but they aren't for your face--rather they are "heavy duty body and foot creams." So it will be interesting to see if Julep single-handedly just changed that category with its forthcoming launch.