Pretty much everyone already knows what BB cream is, but for the people that don't it's kind of supposed to be a miracle product. Face makeup that multitasks and saves time but also improves skin condition. LOL YEAH RIGHT... I know, it sounds crazy. BB stands for blemish balm (or "beblesh" balm in the case of Skin79), basically it's supposed to help get rid of blemishes. BB cream is supposed to also take the place of moisturizer, primer, sunscreen and foundation. Some do other things such as skin lightening, anti-aging, etc. Basically it's supposed to be awesomesauce for your face.
I bought my Skin Food Red Bean BB Cream off Ebay from a Korean seller for about $20 and paid only $2 for shipping. The bottle is 45 ml so it's a pretty good price. The front sticker is completely in English and gives the product name and SPF 20 PA+. The back sticker gives a small blurb in English that says the shade (mine is #1, it only comes in two) and explains what kind of BB cream it is. Red Bean is supposed to be moisturizing with buildable coverage. The rest of the back is all in Korean and I have no idea what it says. I looked around for a translation but couldn't find one. All I can gather is it has some kind of red bean extract among countless other ingredients.
DAY 1
Application was very easy, it spreads on just like lotion. The consistency is a littler thicker than most liquid foundations (thicker than Revlon Photoready, Illamasqua Skin Base, Maybelline Pure but not nearly as thick as Covergirl Clean). The coverage is pretty good and even and it's easy to build. The one problem I have is, as I was expecting, the color is not right at all. It's passable at least. It feels very "lotiony" and definitely needs to be set with a powder, I used Fyrinnae Fluff. I found that putting Illamasqua Skin Base foundation over it gives me better coverage for my rosacea and makes it match my skin much better.
Overall it made my skin look really good. My oily areas at the end of the day were shiny but not greasy to the touch while my dry areas were still a bit flakey but not as bad as usual.
I am hoping I will see some improvement with the blemishes on my chin by the end of the week but I'm not expecting any miracles.
I had some difficulty washing it off, my makeup remover of choice, St Ives Fresh Skin just couldn't handle it. It's not a very strong makeup remover but I like it because it's gentle and doesn't dry out my face. I wound up finishing the job with a stronger face wash.
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| close up |
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| yay, stupid faces! |
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| click to enlarge |
* lips: Fyrinnae Fanservice + NYX Strawberry Milk
DAY 2
I really like how it doesn't look like foundation, it looks like skin. The finish is very natural and not too matte or too shimmery. The color is still just a bit off but not any more than the average drugstore foundation. It shouldn't be too bad for people with light complexions. I'm not sure how much this bothers me yet.
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| Day 2, natural light |
* lips: NYX Strawberry Milk
At the end of the day it's mostly gone from my forehead and my nose is starting to flake. My chin is mostly ok, but the product has definitely slid off and is starting to look kinda cakey. It does oxidize a little bit which makes it look even darker but I'm not sure most people would even notice. At this point I've been wearing it for almost 8 hours. I'm hoping I can make it through a full day of work with this stuff.
As far as removal, I found splashing some of my eye makeup remover on my cheeks worked to loosen the BB cream's grasp on my skin.
DAY 3
How did it hold up to a busy day of work? Did I sweat it all off before lunch? It held up pretty well actually. My T-zone is oily and it's slid off my chin a bit but that's about it.
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| oily forehead at the end of the day |
END OF THE WEEK
I can't say it's done much to improve my skin. I'm still breaking out on my chin and most of my face is still on the dry side. I'm going to continue using it and see if there is improvement further down the line. This is certainly not a long wear foundation but it holds up alright to a full day of work with out touch ups. Overall I feel it's a decent product but I'm not sure if it's something I will repurchase. I think I will check out some oil control BB Creams instead.
WHAT I LIKED
+ Easy to apply
+ Natural finish
+ Fairly moisturizing
+ Lasts long and looks fresh on non-oily areas
+ has sun protection
WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
- Not enough shades available (this is a common theme amongst BB creams)
- Oxidizes slightly orange
- Rubs off easily, especially on oily spots
- Difficult to wash off with my makeup remover of choice
Interesting review, I haven't tried one of these yet. Also, thanks for the tip about wrapping fabric around your buns for dread support. I usually make my buns, then tie the buns together, then put in my falls, and tie the falls together in the middle of my head and as long as I've placed them in the right spot on top of my head I don't lose any hair. Sometimes they don't go in right and then I've got problems, lol. I wear about 30-40 double-ended dreads on each side when I go out so they can be quite heavy, I have never weighed them, though.
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