WHAT IS B.B. CREAM?
It stands for Blemish Balm, a type of tinted skin treatment; it's like make-up and skin care in one tube! (who doesn't like that?) Primarily sold in Asia(i.e. Korea, Japan) and because of the growing trend, large cosmetic companies in the west have released their own as well.
Blemish Balm, Blemish Base or Beblesh balm claims to do a lot of skin enhancements. In general, it has anti-aging and whitening properties; and other nutrients that helps improve skin or even lighten acne scars, not to mention that it also provides a decent amount of sun protection(SPF); imagine all of those combined in one container! However, there is a downside, color selection is very limited and the colors are usually light to medium.
Quick history, B.B. Cream was initially formulated in Germany. It was made to protect the skin after going through laser procedures and surgery. Many Koreans discovered its wonders so they decided to include it in their skin care routine and thus became the era of B.B. Creams.
I have yet to try BB creams from western markets but as far as my Korean ones go, they are the BOMB! I LOVE THEM WITH A PASSION! Seriously, I haven't used foundation since my first BB cream arrived in the mail. The thing that got me hooked is probably the fact the it is lightweight at the same time having decent coverage(at least the ones that I have.) Well I never really needed a full coverage anyway, also I rarely have to apply concealer with this - that's a huge plus! Additionally, I love that some B.B. creams offers to give skin a dewy finish (or matte) depending on your preference.
BATTLE OF B.B. CREAMS:
from L-R: Skin Food Mushroom Multicare; Skin Food Peach Sake Pore; Skin 79 VIP Gold and Missha M Perfect Cover
MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB Cream in #23
Pros : I have 4 bb creams and this by far, has the best coverage. I'd say it is medium-full coverage.
Moisturizing and leaves my skin a dewy look.
I only needed a pea size to cover my entire face. The tube will last me forever :-)
Pump tube packaging is a nice touch
Price is super affordable, got mine from Amazon for less than $19 including shipping! yay!
Cons: This might leave a grey cast so I usually set this up with Etude House's Miss Tangerine Veiling Powder in peach(#2) and that kinda controlled it from oxidizing.
Some may not like the smell so I added that on the cons for me though, it's ok.
Not very buildable as it can turn cakey if you apply too much.
May need to blot oil off your face from time to time
*Note: Oxidizing is a term that describes the skin from turning orange or darker. Some say that oil is the culprit of these changes. Hence, you are prone to this if you have oily skin. My advise is to pick products with oil-free formula.
SKIN FOOD Peach Sake Pore BB Cream in #2
Pros: Love the smell. Fruity but not overpowering.
Color matched my skin perfectly and felt natural, like i had nothing on!
Staying power is good too
Moisturizing and brightens up complexion
Packaging is also a pump so that's awesome!
Dirt cheap, got mine from ebay for less than $11 US!
[I will list down my favorite ebay sellers at the end of this review]
Cons: Coverage is light, almost sheer. (personally, I don't mind a sheer coverage but to some that's a big deal so i added it on the cons)
Did not cover my dark circles, had to use concealer
SPF 20 PA+
SKIN 79 VIP Gold Collection BB Cream (FAVORITE!!!)
Pros: Scent is nice, kind of addicting! hahaha, yeah I'm like that. LOL
Coverage is pretty good. Didn't need to apply concealer on my dark circles.
Brightened my skin in a gorgeous dewy way!
It is meant for dry skin thus moisturizes really well.
Matched my skin 100% (oh yeah!)
Has caviar!
Ordered from Amazon for $16 so again, really affordable!
SPF 25 PA++
This DOES whitens skin
Cons: I didn't like the packaging, I know its cute and all but it kinda bothers me that I won't know how much product is still inside, and that I can't do anything to pump everything out of the bottle.
Can get you oily especially during the hot summer days.
SKIN 79 Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream #2
Pros: Moisturizes and leaves a just enough dewy finish
Coverage is light but that's okay since it still managed to hide some redness
Packaging is cute like most Korean products, and its also a tube so there's no chance of spilling. Awesome! hee hee.
I haven't used this consistent enough to tell if the whitening is effective, although I heard it did for others
Cons: The smell is a little bit grassy for me, but that's just my opinion :-)
Consistency is kinda thick compared to the other 3 (although it blended well once applied.)
Has SPF20 PA+
OVERALL, my favorite is obviously the Skin 79 Gold. It was actually my first BB Cream purchase and I am so happy to have found it on Amazon! Let's face it, these BB Creams are not easily accessible, luckily there are sellers on Amazon and ebay that carry these. ^_____^
Ebay Sellers:
rubyruby76
cosmetic.love - offers free samples!
zinopark
Amazon Sellers:
CP Cosmetics
Emma's Cosmetics & Skincare
Feel free to leave a comment or suggestion if you know of a BB Cream that's made you happy like these bad boys did to me! :-)
