Skin79 Intense Classic Balm SPF 20 PA++

A reader friend reminded me that I haven't reviewed that many BB creams recently, and asked if I have stopped using them. Yes, I have not used BB creams for the last two weeks, but it was because I was trying out a skincare line, which interestingly asked its users to only stick to a few very basic products within the line for the first 4 to 6 weeks of use, and begged that one use no facial makeup (but eyes and brows and lips and blush are okay) for the first 6 weeks, so that you may experience the full effects sooner. I was hooked on this skincare line by my Korean derm, who loves all natural lines with minimum ingredients and no preservatives, and I won't say anything more about this line until I've finished my 6 weeks, and can give you a better idea. :P

Anyhow, that is why I have not used BB creams in two weeks and forgot to review them. However, my suitcase is packed with BB creams I bought in Korea, and this is just another BB cream I could not resist picking up at the skin79 counter. 

To be fair, I was somewhat acquitanted with this BB cream since I bought it from Korea almost a year ago, and planned on using it. However, my young teenage cousin (male) came to visit and was so sick of his acne issue so that no girls would talk to him. He snatched the most masculine looking BB cream on my vanity and used it. He liked it so much that I gave it to him. So this is actually the first time I'm trying this BB cream on myself. 

So enough of my rambling and on to the actual review. :)

Skin79 Super Plus BB Cream VIP Gold Review

Many people have trouble distinguishing this BB cream from the VIP pink BB cream. They are after all so similar, with almost the same description, the same bottle structure, except for the color. I couldn't find that much difference between the two BB creams either, except for one thing. I discovered that this BB cream just might be the Hot Pink's twin sister for different skin types.

Skin79 Super Plus BB Cream Hot Pink Triple Functions Review

As I mentioned before, since I'm staying in Korea, I might as well try out some other BB creams. This is just another BB cream sample I picked up at the Skin79 counter with my purchase. I actually used this before for two weeks, but I wanted to get a sample to refresh my memory before I do the review (I actually tried a total of 60ish BB creams before :P) I didn't really expect much out of it. Skin79 is a good brand, so I expected it to be safe, but it's targeted to teenagers and people in their 20s, so I didn't really expect anything too great either. I guess I was just curious since I liked skin79's diamond total BB cream, and wanted to try out the entire line-up to see if there is something better out there. Well, I wouldn't say this is my favorite BB cream, but it is much more than I expected

Skin79 Lovely Girl BB Cream Review

Since I'm pretty much stuck in Korea for a while anyway, I decided to try out a few more BB creams, since the Korean counters are pretty generous with samples (when you buy another full sized product). So I went to the skin79 counter to buy another bottle of my beloved Diamond Total BB cream and asked for a few samples of a few other BB creams they carry. The samples are small, but since I only use a little BB cream anyway, each sample should last a week, which should be sufficient to do a review.

First off, this BB cream is designed for young girls between the ages of 17 to 22. I thought I barely fit into the age range, so I tried it. (lol, I'm not telling you my age, sorry). I can see how this BB cream would be targeted to the younger age range, because....

Missha Shiny BB cream Review

Sorry if it seems as if I reviewed Missha exclusively in the past few days. I just realized that I had so much unreviewed Missha product that I tried and wanted to review, but eventually forgot about. This is perhaps due to the fact that I am a little biased towards Missha. I'm a little skeptical to most popular products, and the fact that my coworkers in Korea told me that Missha is not that respected a brand made me a little unwilling to try and review the products. But now that I tried it anyway, I should share the reviews with you. 

Now on to the BB cream. I always thought of this BB cream as the little sister to Missha Watery BB cream. I think it's funny that some bloggers love Watery and hate shiny, and it's the other way around with other bloggers. I think shiny functions just as well as watery, but it's definitely for different people. 

Coverage: This offers medium sheer coverage. The color is much lighter than Missha Watery. I'd say between N20 to N25?

Finish: This is probably why the BB cream is called Shiny, the finish is SO glowy. It felt as if you mixed an illuminator with your foundation. I rarely fell that anything is too glowy since I love a glow, but this is a little over the top for me, but of course, I love natural makeup, and too much glow looks unnatural. However, I found this is really good for brightening your face after a night of little sleep (which is something beauty conscious people like me aren't supposed to do...). It doesn't make your face look like a disco ball, but it just looks not very natural. The glow photographs badly but looks fabulous in videos. A Korean coworker joked that some Japanese actresses in adult videos like to use this BB cream on their face.....and some other places...I didn't verify if it's true, but I can imagine it working well. 

Oil Control: The oil control is mediocre, not too bad, just like Watery. Around 8 hours or so. 

Spreadability: This is very spreadable, a little thicker than Missha Watery, but not by much. 

General comments: This is a pretty good BB cream that I will keep but not use for everyday. It is ideal for a night out or when you need major brightening of your skin. This is one of the few kinds of base makeup that I consider inappropriate to use in professional situations, but I'm very conservative. :) 

Missha Real Complete BB Cream Review

This is a new Missha BB Cream that came out not too long ago, and I bought it the last time I was in Korea. I couldn't wait to share this with you, but I thought to be responsible, I should wait the requisite 1 month before reviewing it so as to give you a full review. First off, a little something about this BB cream. Missha originally marketed this as a upgrade/replacement of the very popular Missha Perfect Cover BB cream, which I reviewed several days ago. However, as the campaign progressed, they realized that Missha Perfect Cover's popularity was welcome, and they didn't want to fix what wasn't broken. Therefore, they now market it as their first luxe BB cream. It promised 12 hours of wear time and a lot of benefits to the skin (just general nourishment, nothing specific, which is what I hate most about ad campaigns, promising nothing too specific). 

Coverage: The coverage is very similar to the Missha Perfect Cover BB cream, but I think it's a little less than the perfect cover. If you applied a tiny amount, it can give you a good sheer coverage. This comes in three colors, the normal #21 and #23, and a lighter color. If you can't a BB cream light enough to suit you, try the lightest color of this product. The product claims that the coverage is buildable and can give you the max amount of coverage without looking unnatural. I think that while in terms of coverage, it is buildable and covers well, it's not like your max coverage natural looking foundation. 

Finish: This gives a matte finish that can turn chalky if over-applied. 

Oil Control: Is the oil control as good as it promises? I found it to be not too bad, but really just the same as Perfect Cover, around 8 to 10 hours without powder and blotting. 

Spreadability: This is very spreadable, a little creamy. 

General comments: This is a pretty decent BB cream, but I was let down because of all the big promises. The tube may seem very artistic to some, but to me, it's meh.. Also, I think it's horrible that it is priced so much higher in the US than in Korea. Yes, I am an economic major and I understand the whole concept of price discrimination being beneficial to both consumers and producers, but come on, the difference is too much to be fair. 

Missha Watery BB Cream Review

Hi, girls :) I'm going to Korea on the 25th, so as I was making my shopping list, I saw this BB cream lying in my vanity drawer. I was surprised that I had forgotten to share this gem of a BB cream with you! This is a BB cream that is highly controversial. It is either highly loved or hated by some BB creams gurus, I don't recall reading anyone saying it is just a so-so product, hehe. And I'm not going to start. I have a somewhat love and hate relationship with this product that is solved by my Laneige BB cream. Sound mysterious, doesn't it? Well, read on!

Coverage: This has medium coverage. I don't think it's layerable, but partly because of the color of this BB cream is quite dark, and to layer it would be too much for my N20 skin. I'd say the color is N30ish, but if you are lighter, it oxidizes in half an hour.  

Finish: This gives a very natural glow finish, that I think looks perfect anywhere except in pictures. :( In pictures, the glow seems to be magnified so that my camera won't focus on my face, and there is always a white spot on my cheeks when I turn on the flash, so it acts as if my cheeks were a reflective surface. :)

Oil Control: The oil control is pretty good/normal. It's hard to find a word for it because it lasts perfectly until the 8 hour mark, and deteriorate very rapidly after that. I'm not concerned of that because when I tried it, I always remove it at the 8 hour mark, because like some other bloggers said, this is not the best thing for sensitive skin. When I wash this after, my face is always a little red, and if I don't wash it off at the 8 hour mark, my face is much redder..

General comments: This is a very good BB cream, except for the color and sensitivity issues. The coverage and finish are both great. The SPF is mediocre but welcome. It is supposed to be very moisturizing for your skin. I'm not the best judge because I tend to rely on my moisturizer, so I can't tell if this adds moisture to your face. 

Spreadability: This is very spreadable. A little watery like the name says, but not runny at all.

Overall, a great product I would recommend for darker people and people with not so sensitive skin. (Mine isn't that sensitive, but oh well..) So why does Laneige BB cream solve the dilemma for me? Well, I kind of liked the finish and the watery consistency of it, but not the color and the sensitivity issues. I can get the same thing out of the Laneige BB cream, for a lot less risk. 

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream Review

I've probably promised you this review for a month, and I am finally going to do it. This has the honor of being the most popular BB cream in the U.S., but not in Korea, because I hear the coverage is a little too heavy for that, but regardless, this is a good BB cream. To be honest, I first picked this up for a girl who asked me to CP it for her from Korea, and didn't think of getting it for myself despite its popularity because its coverage is supposed to be very heavy. Well, the girl who asked me to CP it didn't have money to pay me for 7 months and I thought I'd use it myself instead. I have been using this for 2 months now (not exclusively, even though I did use it exclusively in the name of research for 2 weeks).

Coverage: Very good coverage. A sheer layer gives you light medium, while a regular layer gives you a little more than medium coverage. The coverage is very buildable too, making it capable of acting as a full coverage BB cream if you layer it up. However, I've found that it doesn't last as long with many layers. This is most full coverage BB cream I've ever tried, and I've heard that some Koreans buy this as a concealer to use with other Missha BB creams. 

Finish: This gives a semi-matte glow finish. It's hard to describe. It's not as natural as your bare skin, but I think it tries to mimic it. I found that if you pat it in, it's a semi-matte finish, and if you rub it in (which I don't like to do), it gives you more glow. Weird isn't it? 

Oil Control: Oil control is pretty so-so. It lasts about 8 hours without powder and blotting. However, my readers tell me foundations and BB creams tend to last longer on me by about 2 hours or so, so it might last not quite as well on you. I can see shine on my nose by midday, and the corners of my nose are quite oily by the end of 8 hours. For this reason, I was really glad when the two weeks were up and I could stop using it. 

General comments: This is one of the BB creams that I don't like very much, but can't find a good reason to hate. I don't like it for its coverage and lack of oil control, and the weird, less than perfect finish. Yet, I imagine those very same qualities may make this a HG for someone else, as it had for my cousin. What I like is the SPF, which is 42 PA++. However, I find that I only use a small amount of this as I don't need that much coverage, so the SPF wouldn't protect me well enough. As for healing abilities, it improves some red marks, but not as dramatically as some other BB creams I've used. I've heard that this is more acne prone for some people than most other BB creams though. 

Spreadability: The spreadability is excellent. It doesn't create any drag on my skin, so that's good. :) 

Who I recommend this for: Someone who wants an almost natural finish with heavy coverage, and someone not very acne prone (although with BB creams, you really have to try it to know if it causes acne for you). 

Laneige BB Cream review

As many of you may know, Laneige recently introduced its first BB cream. While Laneige had multi-functioning creams for a long time that actually act like BB creams, this is still very exciting news for me. So early last Saturday morning, I got in line to buy this amazing product.

(Note: this information is not updated on the English Laneige website yet, however, you can see it in the Korean website: http://www.laneige.co.kr/product/prd_view.jsp?prdtCd=115248011).

The BB cream has an SPF of PA 41 ++, and claims whitening, smoothing, makeup base, and foundation properties. I was surprised that such a major brand like Laneige would come up with such a "basic" BB cream while even its multi-functioning cream had 5 functions!

However, my disappointment was gone as soon as I tried the BB cream. It looked wonderful on my skin, providing the promised brightening effect instantly. The effect it had on my skin was similar to that of Laniege snow crystal base +foundation combined. It's quite refreshing to see a BB cream that delivers all its promises.

The BB cream comes in two colors, #1 promises to give "shimmer" and a brightening effect. #2 promises to give a no makeup look. I am ashamed to say that in my excitement, I bought both colors. I was at first frightened at the #1 shimmer effect because I dislike shimmers. However, I found that it is just a very good brightening effect which gives a very glowy finish that I love. #2 really look very natural, gives no glow or matte finish. It is really as if I had nothing on my skin.

Coverage: same as any laneige foundation, light coverage buildable to medium coverage.

Finish: #2 gives a no makeup finish while #1 gives a glowy finish.

Oil Control: Like I said, it's really as if I applied laneige makeup base and foundation. It lasts for 7 hours without oiling up without powder. However, the light coverage seemed to disappear after 10 hours. 

General comments: For once, I don't know what to say about this BB cream. It delivers all its promises, but its promises are very minimal (I mean even hanskin had 8 promises..). The price is cheaper than Laneige's base and foundation, and delivers the same effects as if I applied both the base and foundation. However, it gives no more than that. 

Spreadability: Both are very spreadable, a cross between a liquid and a gel. It's a very creamy consistency that I love.

Verdict: I will use this on days I don't feel like applying both makeup base and foundation. I will use #2 when I meet family members who would prefer I wore no makeup, and will wear #1  for its brightening effect on days I am going out to dinner, etc. 

Hanskin Super Magic BB cream

So as promised, this is my review about the Hanskin Super Magic BB cream.
I always heard Hanskin is the first brand to make BB creams. I know this doesn't mean they are good at it, but it's still very tempting to try to "forefather" of BB creams. Also, if you google BB cream images, this tube is the first thing that comes up. Kimoko also mentioned that this BB cream has the best healing properties. I need no more reasons to convince myself to buy this particular tube.
My friend Julia says this is the little black dress of BB creams, something that's so classic that it will always be in. While I am sure this is not for everyone, I liked it very much.
I was shocked at the Hanskin counter when they told me the retail price was $36. My mouth hang open. That's almost the equivalent of a Chanel foundation. That day, I skipped dinner and bought this BB cream.
The tube claims 8 functions:
1. whitening
2. prevents/treats wrinkles
3. color correction
4. protecting and repair
5. provides nutrition for your skin
6. oil control
7. moisturizing
8. concealing

I am going to comment on each of the above claims and how well it does.
1. whitening: As I always say, by whitening, Korean brands usually mean evening your skintone, which basically means fading freckles and acne marks. The hanskin BB cream fades acne marks remarkably well. I had a few pimples after I first started using this product, and stayed clear ever since. Those pimples did not live any marks after they disappeared, something that hasn't happened to me for 3 years!

2. Prevents/treats wrinkles: this is essentially anti-aging. I can't really comment on that since luckily, I don't have wrinkles yet :)

3. Color correction: On the few occasional days when I have red spots on my skin as a reaction to overusing salycic acid, this BB cream covered the spots very well.

4. Protecting and repair: This got rid of a few bumps that were small acne. This has a SPF of 30, so I guess that's enough protection for most days. This also claims to be a protection against pollution.

5. Nutrition for the skin: once again, this is not something that's very visible. Even though my skin feels good when using the hanskin BB cream, i can't really say whether it's nutritional or not.

6. oil control: The oil control of this BB cream is remarkably good. Without powder, this lasts for 8 hours without oiling up at all, and oh, I never blots, so the oil control is really good.

7. Moisturizing. At first, I was like "what?", moisturizing and oil control at the same time? But this really does moisturize. Usually after using DHC cleansing oil and my cleanser, I have to apply moisturizer right away or I will feel tight. I am happy to say that my skin feels quite comfortable without moisturizing after removing this BB cream, but I still apply night cream as a precaution.

8. Concealing: the coverage of this BB cream is really good. It's certainly above medium if you put on a normal amount. I put on a very sheer layer, and this is enough coverage for me.

So as you can see, I really like this BB cream. I still haven't decided if I love this yet, but so far, this is the BEST I've ever tried.
The only fault is that as many other bloggers said, this is harder to spread than most BB creams but it is not very thick. I try to apply this directly after moisturizer.

Samples:

$8 for a 5ml jar plus $2 shipping. Sorry this is so much, but I bought this BB cream at $36 for 30ml, and the sample jars and shipping supplies are costly.

Skin79 Diamond Total BB Cream Review + Samples

This is the much awaited review of the skin79 Diamond BB cream in the dark pink bottle.

I first saw this online at the skin79 website. Since my friend, Lisa, was not impressed by the former "light pink" diamond collection, I thought nothing of buying it. However, while walking through a mall in Korea, I saw this on display at the skin79 counter, along with the rest of the collection. This collection was so beautiful that I couldn't drag myself away. I believe the whole collection contained three different kinds of BB creams, pressed powder, loose powder, twin cake, concealer, and blush. If I bought the entire collection, it would have been around $120. Frankly I was tempted, but recalled that I never cared for powder blush, concealer, or powder. I checked kimoko's reviews, and found that the BB cream that came in the bottle (not the tubes) was highly raved.

That afternoon, I bought this bottle. It contained powders of five precious stones, including diamond, which did not mean much to me. I love diamonds, and I take serious pleasure in wearing engagement ring consisting of diamonds and aquamarines, but it means nothing to me to wear diamond powder on my face.  To be honest, I was even afraid of the powder making the BB cream coarse, which would damage my skin. However, the BB cream is very creamy, and did not have beads, fragments, or anything of the like in it. 

The next day, I tried to put it on. I had some trouble at first, because I did not know that you were supposed to twist the head of the bottle before you could squeeze anything out. After I finally figured out how to open it, I spread a thin layer of BB cream on my face with my fingers. The result was a natural-matte finish. The coverage was sheer medium, since it covered some of my fading pimples, but did not cover the new ones. (I was getting pimples from my trial with the clarisonic, which turned out to be not so good. I'm sure it did not damage my skin, but.... well, I'll post a review soon :D)

My Quick Take:

Coverage: Sheer to medium. Very blendable, but not as layerable as some BB creams I've tried. What I mean is, you can pile on a pretty thick layer without caking, but the coverage would not increase dramatically (although it would increase some).  

Oil-control: I started oiling up around my nose after 7 hours without blotting or powder. However, the coverage and natural-matte finish lasted till I washed it off (11 hours after I put it on). 

Color: This has a sort of yellow undertone that would look quite flattering on most people, especially on photos. I feel it would be good for N15 to N35. 

Finish: No glowy look, just a very natural-matte finish as though I am wearing nothing. Very very natural. 

Special properties: Protecting, slightly moisturizing, evens skin tone, and good anti-aging properties. High SPF factor of 37, which I like. 

Overall: For a while, I was ready to acknowledge this as my HG since it is so pretty, and fit all of my criteria. However, I found that the healing properties are not as prominent as that of some other BB creams. The healing property is as good as all the other ones (VOV, Jadilla J) I've tried, but I've heard of more "miraculous" creams, so I'm still on a search for those.

Generally, however, this BB cream does shrink my pimples, and fade my pimple marks faster.

In a word, this BB cream is really good for mostly clear skin (or not inflated skin with whiteheads and blackheads) needing sheer medium coverage. It looks VERY natural, and GREAT in pictures!

Samples:

5ml: $6 plus shipping (can be combined, and should be under $3)

email me for larger samples or the whole bottle

Going wild shopping in Korea!

Of course, this is not all my stuff. I CPed some of those for my lovely friends back home. :) I am still in Korea...more reviews coming up!

Update

Hey girls! I am still in Korea because of some messy business. However, my coworker is bringing back all the CPs for me, and they should arrive at your places by next Friday. :) I will probably stay for another two weeks, but I am busy testing (and I might add, buying) a lot of BB creams and lipsticks. I am also checking into quite a few liptints and lipstains. I've found that some work very well with my natural look, and lifestyle. I can apply stain twice a day and apply lip balms on top when I'm extra busy.
I got a clarisonic pro for $90 at a Korean promotion, yay!
BB creams I am loving:
1. Hanskin BB cream Super SPF 30

As many bloggers said, this one is pretty thick in texture and will give you full coverage if you are not careful with application. I don't like going full coverage even though I might have a few pimples lurking around due to the purge clarisonic is giving me. Hanskin clears them up very fast. I like to apply directly after skincare so that I can easily apply a thinner layer. I usually wait a few minutes between moisturizer and BB cream.
2. Skin79 Diamond Total BB cream SPF 37

When I looked into this BB cream, I was incredulous. It has most of the things I look for in a BB cream and sounded perfect. Plus, it has pretty good reviews. When I tried it, I was not disappointed, and for a while, I was ready to acknowledge this as a possible HG. Not to sound shallow, the packaging looks like a HG product. :)

This is just a sneek preview. Reviews will be coming up within two weeks, after I've thoroughly tested the products. Oh, and btw, I've also got half a dozen of other BB creams that are not bad either. :)

Mamonde BB cream

Okay, sorry this has lots of Korean. I can't read either. My camera is broken right now, so I am making do with the photos I can find that does not have copyright. :)
Some of you may know, Mamonde is a line I LOVE. So naturally, when its very first BB cream came out, I bought it. I thought of this as a last resort. If I like nothing else, I can come to this and love it. This is how much I trust mamonde products.
However, this is nothing like I expected, even though it was still nice. When it came to me, the liquid and the cream separated in the tube. I don't know what happened. I shook it, and shook it, they did not miraculously come together. However, when I squeezed out a little cream, and a little water, mixing it on hand and applying it to my face, it was good.

My Quick Take: 

Coverage: Sheer, buildable up to sheer medium

Oil-control: 7ish hours? this is kind of sheer, so you can't really tell how long it lasted. 

Color: conservatively, would suit NC/NW 15 to NC/NW 30 skins. It has a slight pinkish grey undertone that fits most tones, and has no shimmer. This is lighter than most BB creams, and much easier to remove. 

Finish: very natural skin look

Special properties: very moisturizing, SPF 22

Overall: I guess this didn't start out good since the liquid and cream separated, but I imagine it should be good for people with good skin looking for a more basic tinted moisturizer type BB cream that can help maintain your skin. I just prefer something more balmy, more typical of BB cream. 

Samples:

5ml: $3 plus shipping (within $2)

Jadilla J Original BB cream review + samples

This is recommended by my lovely friend Julia. Even though she found her HG in the Jadilla J Whitening BB cream, she liked this one also, and thought I might as well. Well, it was interesting if nothing else. :)

No, it was actually a very decent BB cream, just very unusual in that it comes with a sponge applicator. My camera is broken, but I promise to take a picture of the applicator and post it up here. I am just going to briefly describe it here. Like most BB creams, this one comes in a squeezy tube, but in front of the opening of the tube, there is a sponge like thing with a whole in the middle. Theoretically, when you squeeze out the BB cream, it would be on the sponge, and you can apply it on your face with the sponge. This is supposed to be more convenient for those who are used to applying with a sponge. However, I find that I don't like this as I've always been a fingers person. It also seems that I use up much more product when using the sponge applicator (which happens with all sponge applicators anyway). Approximately 1.5 times the product I use when applying with fingers.
However if you don't like it,  you can easily take the sponge off.
Other than that, this BB cream seems pretty normal. So here comes the review.

My Quick Take:

Coverage: Sheer to medium. Very easy to blend and layerable. 

Oil-control: 8 hours without powder. I started oiling up around the nose on the sixth hour, but you can't really see it. 

Color: conservatively, would suit NC/NW 15 (or much fairer) to NC/NW 30 skins. This is the lightest BB cream I've tried so far. I actually really love the color. It has a sort of yellow undertone that looks like a foundation. When applied, it gives me the most wonderful color match. It's natural, it's my color, only better. 

Finish: slight glow, leaning more towards matte--a very natural matte. 

Special properties: Protecting, slightly moisturizing, evens skin-tone slight anti-aging, SPF 30

Overall: I like this BB cream, but I just know this is not my HG. First off, I am not crazy about the packaging. I much more prefer princessy ones :) However, packaging is not the most important as long as the BB cream is good. I can't find any obvious faults with the BB cream, but it just looks a little too matte for me. It looks natural enough that people could believe that you are not wearing makeup, but it does not give that also very natural and healthy glow that I love. It does brighten skin as good as any others though.

Samples:

5ml: $4 plus shipping (should be under $2)

email me for larger samples or even the whole tube if you want to try the sponge tube :) 


I am selling the whole bottle (95% left) for $20 plus $4 shipping if anyone's interested. I find that I love the glowy look too much to use it because this gives a natural matte finish. 




Update: I've found that this product is actually pretty good at healing whiteheads. When I put on the makeup on, there's some whiteheads, and when I take it off, the whiteheads are gone! 

VOV Anti-Trouble BB Cream Review

This BB cream came from the esteemed korean brand VOV, and was on sale, so I gleefully bought a tube of it in the lightest color. Anti-trouble also sounded quite appealing. Turns out, the product name accurately describes it if you remove the "anti"--trouble bb cream.

It wasn't quite that bad, considering I was sane enough to try it on the back of my ears first. The coverage was sheer medium, which is fine, and it gives a semi-matte finish that I am not very found of. It just don't look that natural. The oil-control was unbelievably good. The first time I tried this, it lasted 18 hours (with the coverage nearly gone), however, my ears did not oil up at all, which is not so normal for me, considering I used rich leave in conditioner on my hair that day. After I removed it, the area behind my ears was a bright red.

I thought that maybe I left it on for too long (although frankly, if a makeup causes strange reactions after a certain number of hours, one should not use it). The second time I tested it, I promptly washed it off after 6 hours, but I still had that redness.

I gave this to my friend Julia's young daughter, who was brave enough to do a whole face. She told me that she had dry patches surrounding where she has acne, and got red bumps under her nose, where she applied a lot considering the oil control. She has oily skin, by the way. She left it on for a whole school day, which is around 8 hours, and the coverage was somehow gone by midday.

I have not tried a full face of this yet, and I do not plan to. I am not selling samples of this because both me and Julia's daughter, Lucy had bad reactions. However, if anyone want samples or even the whole tube, which has 99% of product left, please comment or email me. :) I would advise against trying this unless you are very adventurous. I am sure that a BB cream from such a famous brand would work for some, but I am just not sure who.

Jadilla J Whitening BB cream review + samples

So my quick take is:

Coverage: Sheer to medium, safe texture as the VOV castledew one. The coverage is buildable up to a little more than medium.

Oil-control: 10 hours without powder. Since I don't like powder, and I think 10 hours is enough, I haven't tried it with powder yet.

Color: conservatively, would suit NC/NW 15 (or fairer) to NC/NW 35 skins. It looks a little darker than the VOV Castledew BB cream, but upon application, I can't see the difference.

Finish: believable glow

Special properties: slightly moisturizing, whitening, evens skin-tone slight anti-aging, SPF 30

Overall: Very similar to the VOV castledew BB cream except for the higher SPF. I think sensitive skins should stick with the VOV Castledew BB cream. I did not react to the Jadilla J BB cream, but the VOV BB cream contains jojoba oil, whereas this one contains sweet almond oil. Jojoba oil is supposed to be less possible to clog pores. On a scale from 0-5 of which oils are more likely to clog pores, jojoba oil rates a 0, while sweet almond oil rates a 2.

Price:

5ml--$4 + shipping (should be below $2 within US)

Please email me about larger sizes.

Review: So this is the Jadilla J Whitening BB plus with SPF 30, which is my friend Julia's HG, who introduce me to BB creams. It claims:

1. Super Sun protection, since it has SPF 30, with PA ++, which I suppose is sufficient for most of my days, since I spend most of my time in the office, and only go out for lunch, it should be enough for me.

2. Super Skincare, since it claims to contain superior moisture, sweet almond oil, and soothing ingredients aloe vera. Both are favorites of mine, since sweet almond oil evens skin tone, while I just love aloe vera for the moisturized, yet not sticky feeling upon application. The BB cream also contains Arbutin, which should be quite safe since it passed the Korean FDA regulations, and the Koreans seem to be even stricter on cosmetics than us.

3. Super Whitening. I noticed that "whitening" in BB creams is not so much lightening the skin tone as lightening spots, which will allow more even skin tone, although I imagine that with continue use, it might lighten the entire skin tone slightly, but I would not count on it, since Koreans use toner, moisturizer, serum and night creams for whitening, and sometimes even cleanser. Those skincare products contain much more effective whitening ingredients, so I think since no one counts on BB creams for "whitening" anyway, it would not contain very effective ingredients in that regards.

(Just a side note, Koreans use BB cream because 1. foundation is supposed to be damaging in the long run, while BB cream is supposed to be good for your skin. 2. it gives a much more natural look than foundation, which is why many BB creams give a glowy rather than matte finish; However, it also provides quite good coverage. 3. It is good for sensitive and blemish prone skin since it claim to calm the skin and not irritate it, hence the name blemish balm. 4. It evens the marks left by acnes, and freckles. This is a property I have witnessed first hand.)

4. Super Makeup: This BB cream can act as primer+foundation+concealer, if you don't need anything too heavy.

VOV Castledew Whitening BB Cream review + samples

Summary:

Coverage: Sheer to medium, but buildable to a little more than medium without looking unnatural

Oil-control: 8 hours without powder, and 12+ with powder. I washed it off looking flawless at 12 hours

Color: conservatively, would suit NC/NW 15 (or fairer) to NC/NW 30 skins. I suspect NC/NW 35 will look good in it too.

Finish: believable glow

Special properties: slightly moisturizing, whitening, slight anti-aging, SPF 15

Overall: Happy with this product

Price:

5ml--$4 + shipping (should be below $2 within US)

10ml--$7.5 + shipping

15ml--$10.5 +shipping

20ml--$13 +shipping

Now read on if you want to hear to whole story (which is rather long)

This is the VOV Castledew Whitening BB Cream, also the first BB Cream I have tried. As I explained in my earlier post. I was traveling in May for 10 days. Because I had to fly, I did not feel like carrying on board my morning cleanser, toner, moisturizer, serum, primer, foundation, and nighttime cleanser. I also know myself well enough to know that if I did not bring any of my essentials, I would buy them wherever I was. This is when my friend Julia introduced me to BB creams. As she helped me pick out which clothes to bring, she told me that I can actually bring along BB cream to substitute my heavy glass bottles of primer and foundation. Since she did not actually suggest I do without, I was open to suggestions. She was very generous, and gave me this BB cream to try out, since it did not work out for her, it being a little pale. (The funny thing is no one said the color is too pale when she was wearing it, but she herself felt it was too pale. I thought the color match was okay...)

I was skeptical, but since there was only three days till my flight and I refuse to check in a heavy case with only my cosmetics, I tried it anyway. It was surprisingly good. The color was just right for me. (She bought the first color, bright skin beige) I am NW20 (in mac terms), while my friend was NC 30. The color worked for me perfectly. Since BB cream changes color after being on skin, I imagine it would work for people from NC/NW15 to NC/NW30.

The consistency was medium, a little thicker than an average foundation, but it was really easy to spread--much easier to spread than foundation. It gave a glowy finish that's believable, not too dewy. The coverage was good, for me at least. I would say the coverage is sheer-medium, so it was enough for me. The coverage is buildable to a certain degree. I think you can get a little more than medium coverage without feeling heavy. The SPF level was 15, which is good enough for winter, but since it was May, I applied SPF 90 under it anyway.

Applying it on my hand, I found it rather moisturizing. After a day, I found that my hand looked just fine, without any reactions, so I deemed it safe enough to put on my face. I somehow got the courage to skip moisturizer under it, since like I said, it felt rather moisturizing on my hand. Surprisingly, my skin didn't feel too dry, although I would definitely not do this in winter.

So I went on my vacation with only my cleansers, serum, and bb cream (I bought sunscreen later). After ten days of usage, my skin looked good, and more even than it was before. The whitening ingredients in the BB cream lightened my past acne spots, and I did not break out even though it was that time of the month. I was very happy with it. However, my skin did feel a little drier although it was nothing serious. After slathering on some moisturizer, my skin was as moist as 10 days ago.

However, Julia (who has found her HG) said that this is mere puppy love for me. She said that when I find my HG, I should feel like I am using advanced skincare products. I don't know. I think this is pretty good, but I didn't doubt my friend. So I'm on the quest for my HG BB Cream!