True to form, Clinique Super City Block BB Cushion Compact Broad Spectrum SPF 50, $35, is a high-performing product at an easy-to-swallow price point. This BB cushion won't blow your hair back with fancy anti-aging ingredients, but it offers a high SPF, skin-nourishing antioxidants and natural-looking pigmentation. It's also fragrance-free, which women with sensitive skin will appreciate.

IT Cosmetics CC Plus Veil Fluid Beauty SPF 50+, $38, was the first cushion compact created by an American brand, and it's just as good as the Korean iterations. Given that rubbery sponge applicator is not very porous, it blends the fluid-like formula surprisingly easily (it even completely covers pimples). Plus, it's packed with good-for-skin ingredients like hyaluronic acid, algae and vitamins A, B, C and E. Together, these antioxidant ingredients and SPF 50 provide powerful protection against the sun.

Michelle Phan likes Amore Pacific Color Control Cushion Compact, $60, and after looking at its bevy of bells and whistles, like green tea and an antimicrobial, cooling puff application (not to mention SPF 50), it's easy to see why. "It contains a special pressed puff used to soak up the formula through a springy netted surface," she says. "This sponge-on-sponge technique gives you a light application so you can reapply all day without it getting cakey."

3Lab Aqua BB, $100, does the miraculous: It provides heavy-duty coverage and moisture without making you feel like you dipped your face in a vat of coconut oil. The velvety formula sets to a dewy, but not shiny, finish that stays put all day long. It's infused with rosewater, which, in addition to sounding fancy, keeps skin hydrated.

Pur Minerals Air Perfection CC Cushion Compact Foundation, $43, isn't technically a BB cream, but a lightweight, mousse foundation. The application, however, is the same: Dab the sponge onto the compact and then gently pat into skin. Even though it dries to a semi-matte formula, it doesn't draw attention to dry patches thanks to superhydrating Brazilian babassu oil.