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Monday, May 13, 2013

BB Cream Overview!

To start off the product reviews, I decided to pull out the BB creams that I am using/have used before and provide my opinion. Pictures of swatches and comparisons included! :)

MISSHA Perfect Cover BB Cream in #23
The infamous Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream! This product is highly raved about for its great coverage and lightweight consistency. 

Here's my review------- 
  • Packaging
    • comes with a pump for controlled application! :)
  • Shade selection
    • Depends on location. 
      • Korea (its country of origin)- available in #13, #21, #23
        • catered to people of lighter skin
      • United States (sold online and in select stores)- available in #13, #21, #23, #27, #31
    • #13- fair
    • #21- light
    • #23- light to light medium
      • gray tone
    • #27- medium to medium-deep
      • strong yellow tone
    • #31- medium-deep 
      • peach-yellow tone 
    • My shade is in #23. For reference I am an NC30 in MAC. #23 is very gray looking, but it does oxidize on your skin about 10 minutes after application. Blends into my skin tone well. 
  • Consistency/Texture
    • Thicker than some other BB creams I've tried, but not overly thick. 
    • Applies smoothly and is very easily blendable.
  • Coverage
    • Medium
    • Can be buildable, but I don't think it has full coverage
    • But by no means is it light.
  • Fragrance
    • Does have a perfumey scent. It's relatively strong (but not overly so). It doesn't bother me too much because once it is applied I can no longer smell it. But others might be sensitive to the scent. 
  • Wear
    • Semi-matte. I have oily/combination skin and I MUST set this with a powder (otherwise............) 
  • Other factors
    • Has SPF42 PA+++ (sometimes I skip my sunscreen and just wear this) 
    • Will definitely give you a white cast in flash photography
  • Availability & Price (in the United States)
    • Missha US website 
      • They have a lot of promotions. Right now they have free shipping over $10!
        • 50 mL- $29.99 (the size that I have pictured)
        • 20 mL- $12.99 
    • Ebay, Amazon, etc....
      • Will probably require airmail and is more complicated and probably more expensive than ordering from the Missha website
      • Also, issues with authenticity (yes.. people make fake BB creams.. =_=) 
  • OVERALL
    • Great product for the price and size. Convenient and easy to wear. 
    • Would recommend to those who need medium coverage, but not full. Does not replace a concealer (at least not for me). 

Red tube with plastic pump for application. Shade #23.

One pump of bb cream. 
Top- flash, Bottom- without flash. 
Can see the grayness here. 

Etude House BB Magic Cream
(only one shade available)
Not very well-known bb cream from Korean brand Etude House. But still worth a mention! 

  • Packaging
    • same as Missha, tube with plastic pump. Feels lighter than the Missha though. 
  • Shade Selection
    • only one shade available (common in many bb creams) 
    • It is a really light shade but the purpose of it is just to even out the skin tone. 
    • It would most likely blend well into skin tones that are fair-->medium.
    • It does have a neutral/beige undertone (unlike most bb creams that are pink/gray). 
  • Consistency/Texture
    • SUPER lightweight, feels kind of whipped. 
    • Very easy to blend out
  • Coverage
    • Almost nothing, lol. 
    • Meant to just even out the skin tone 
    • You will definitely need concealer....
  • Fragrance
    • Very light, pleasant fragrance. Much lighter than the Missha.
  • Wear
    • DEWY finish!! Not matte by any means. 
    • If you are oily like me....you will need a powder to set it.
    • Does not last particularly long because it is relatively slick.
  • Other factors
    • SPF 30
    • Does give you a slight white cast in flash photography, but it's not too bad because the product itself is so thin and lightweight. 
  • Availability 
    • Currently, there are no Etude House stores in the US
    • Can be purchased on Ebay, Amazon (recommend finding reputable sellers though!)
    • Also can be purchased on Korean website www.gmarket.co.kr (requires airmail)
  • OVERALL
    • It's a nice product to replace as sunscreen or for people who have like nothing to cover on their skin. But for me, it's not worth it to use as a BB cream and I always need a ton of concealer after application. And it is way too oily for my skin, even with powder. 

Light blue tube with plastic pump. 
(I did use almost all of it lol)


One pump of bb cream. 
Top- without flash, Bottom- flash.

Comparison Swatches of MISSHA & Etude House BB creams: 

One pump of each bb cream. 
Left- Etude, Right- Missha. 
Top- flash, Bottom- without flash.
Blending process
Left- Etude, Right- Missha.
After blending
Left- Etude, Right- Missha

 Holika Holika Color Change BB Cream
Appealing to those who can't find a BB cream to suit their skin tone! Claims to change magically into any skin color. 
  • Packaging
    • Same as Missha and Etude. Tube with plastic pump.
  • Shade Selection
    • One shade fits all concept
    • It starts out as a white cream with little microbeads, and once you start applying the cream turns into your skin tone
    • For me (NC30), the bb cream does turn into my skin tone. I think this would only work for up to ~NC42, though, bc on any shades darker, this bb cream might look pasty and white
  • Consistency/Texture
    • Kind of liquidy, lightweight
    • Dries to a semi-matte finish, leaning a bit more on the dewy side
  • Coverage
    • Light-medium
  • Fragrance
    • Does have a scent, but does not bother me (it is also lighter than the Missha one)
  • Wear
    • Does break down in a few hours on my skin
    • I need to wear with a powder
  • Other Factors
    • No SPF 
  • Availability & Price
    • Currently, there are no Holika Holika stores in the US
    • Can be purchased on Ebay, Amazon, and also PrettyandCute.com
  • OVERALL
    • Better for people who already have good skin and would just like to even out their skin tone. I definitely need concealer with this. Also, it would suite normal skin tones more than oily or dry.


One Pump- blending process 

After blending
Top- without flash
Bottom- with flash

I have tried a couple other BB creams but no longer have them because I either threw them out or gave them away. I may update this post later to just mention the other few that I have tried. 

Thanks for reading! : ) More review posts to come!





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