Before I begin with the review, let me share a little history of my experience of BB Cream. Believe it or not, this is only the second BB Cream I tried. The first one I tried was Shill Cherry Blossom BB Cream, a few years ago. Oh my gosh, as soon as I put this on, within an hour, my skin is severely dehydrated, flakey and worst of all, break out in “patches”. It literally took me almost 2 weeks to fully recover. I didn’t want to believe it so I tried it again and again; I broke out like the first time. Ever since, I swore off BB Cream despite all the hype. The only reason I bought this BB Cream is because it is available in Sephora and they have great return policy. Well, not just that, but I was pleasantly surprised that a Western distributor is “finally” carrying BB cream so I just have to try it. Will I have better experience with BB Cream the second time around?
Price: $32 for 1.7oz, available at Sephora.com
Pros: This is a thick cream that has an ashy brown color to it. Once blended out, it gives my NC20 skin a healthy, translucent glow. I would say it is a good color match for me. I love it because it is an all in one product for me. It is moisturizing, has high enough SPF level, tinted, provide light coverage that reduce redness and even out my skin. I do wear a light moisturizer underneath but I do that every day regardless of what sunscreen or foundation I use. I like how comfortable this feel throughout the day, it never dries out or give me any flakes. Another great thing is how well it covers my large pores; they are not invisible but much smaller and smoother.
I have a lot of freckles, it didn't cover them much as you can see (personally I don't mind). I do like how dewy and natural my skin looks though.
This is after a 10 hours day, no blotting or touch up. Still dewy and comfortable, not oily and no caking at all.
I was really excited about this and I wanted to write a review after the first day but I held off because I wanted to make sure I can wear it for a while without getting breakouts. On the third consecutive days, I got some breakout on my chins and side of my nose but mind you, nothing as bad as what happened with Shill BB Cream. I am not sure if this cause of the breakout or my skin is just acting up. For the past 6 months or so, my skin has just been acne prone, either due to clogged pore or dry skin. Yes, I break out when I don’t hydrate my skin enough, which is kind of weird. Also, my skin is very sensitive and reactive, if it doesn’t like something, within hours, I’ll know, not after 3 days. Therefore, after a few days of rest, I was comfortable enough to give this another go. I have been wearing for a few consecutive days now and no breakout or irritation. I think the first breakout incident was just a fluke and this is safe for me to use.
Cons: None from me personally, but I wonder if people who are darker will have problem using this as a substitute for your regular foundation because it only comes in one shade.
Overall: I mainly love this for the convenience of a sunscreen, skincare and makeup in one. Also a plus that it hydrates and keep my skin comfortable all day. Most foundation, even if it contains high SPF, I can only wear a thin layer otherwise it would look too heavy. But we all know a thin layer is not sufficient for sun protection. This BB Cream allow me to layer without feeling heavy and it actually fill my pores in very nicely. Do keep in mind if you need medium-full coverage, you will need concealer or something else on top.
Rating: 5/5.
Disclosure: The product(s) being review was purchased by me for personal use or review purpose.
