I'm pretty terrible when it comes to keeping up with this kind of thing, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. As a makeup junkie, I rely heavily on beauty blogs for swatches, comparisons, and overall reviews of products I'm interested in before I make the decision to go out and buy them. I figure there's no harm in adding another resource for others to seek, and I hope even one person may one day find something here useful.
To start off, I'm going to review the product that first sparked me to begin this blog: Skin79 Absolute Total BB Cream. As usual, I was searching for reviews of this product online before I purchased it, but unfortunately I came up short. There aren't many reviews of this out there, so I thought it was a good place to start.
First of all, let me briefly explain what a BB cream is. At it's simplest form, it's Asia's preferred version of foundation. It's heavier in coverage than tinted moisturizer but is much lighter than a regular foundation. However, unlike both, BB creams are supposed to have anti-aging and healing properties. (I personally doubt the latter claim since it is still makeup, but to each their own.) If you're interested in knowing more about BB creams, I suggest checking out Kimoko's blog. She explains it much better than I do, and I don't necessarily want to steal her words.
Anyway, despite being Asian, I was never interested in BB creams. I thought it was just another product that people had convinced themselves is more amazing than it actually is. What really caught my attention was a recent email I received from Sephora that showcased BB creams.
I was intrigued because I never knew BB creams existed outside of Asia. After a little help from Google, I finally gave in to the hype and decided it was time I try one out for myself. Instead of being rational and just buying one, I went ahead and bought three: Etude House BB Magic Cream, Skin79 Absolute Total BB Cream, and Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream. I might do reviews of the Etude House and Missha ones later, but today I'm going to focus on the Skin79 BB cream.
To be completely honest, I bought this because I thought it was pretty. I'm one of those sad girls who love packaging, and I can generally convince myself to buy anything if it's pretty enough. What kind of sent me over the edge was the ingredient list. It contains diamond, amethyst, pearl, tourmaline, coral, and ruby!
Now, I'm very much aware that the amount of each of these is so minimal that they most likely provide no sort of benefit, but I fell for the gimmick anyway.
I want to point out how to open the darn thing because I was confused when I first got it. You have to twist the top dial 90 degrees clockwise, and then you'll be able to push down on the pump. I really like this detail because it's hygienic, and, if you decide to carry it around in your purse, you don't have to worry about it hitting something and making a mess.
I decided to swatch it on my wrist because it's closer to my face color than the back of my hand. As you can see, it is much too light for me. This is one of the downsides of BB cream. Since they were formulated for pale Asians, they usually only come in 1-3 shades. This particular one only comes in one shade. BB creams are supposed to oxidize and blend into an array of skin tones, but I would take that with a grain of salt. I'm an NC30, and I can barely pull it off.* Here's what it looks like after thirty minutes:
As you can see, it is virtually undetectable, but I really do think my skin color is at the cutoff for how dark you can be.
Another thing I dislike about BB creams is how most of them tend to have a gray undertone. This BB cream definitely falls into that category. I've read that it's supposed to balance out the strong yellow tones of Asian skin, as well as help lighten the skin since Asians typically prefer pale skin over tans. In my personal opinion, I think it just washes people out and makes them look like ashy ghosts, such as in the example below:
That being said, my undertone is olive rather than yellow, so perhaps it just clashes more against my complexion. My Caucasian friend with NW20 skin tried this, and it matches her much better.
As for its advantages, it really does feel like nothing. I never wear foundation because I just don't like how it feels like I have something on my face. None of the BB creams I've tried have ever been detectable on my skin, to others or to me. I really must commend them on that, and to me that is BB creams' biggest advantage. It feels like a tinted moisturizer but with a touch more coverage.
Lastly, I want to mention some things that personally don't bother me but may be turn-offs to others. I prefer unscented products, but this has a rather pleasant floral scent. It doesn't really linger after you put it on your face, but it might be important to note for those with sensitive skin. The finish is dewy and essentially stays like that all day. I have normal skin and it's fine, but people with oilier skin may have to powder after application. It lasts all day from morning to night, but I've never found a foundation, tinted moisturizer, or BB cream that hasn't. If your makeup has a tendency of fading throughout the day, I can't really comment on its lasting power. Finally, BB creams are somewhat notorious for being hard to take off. It's beneficial because it's less likely to melt off or transfer onto clothes, but it can be a pain to wash off. I use a Clarisonic and don't have a problem, but I would recommend making sure that it's completely off before going to bed. Remember, despite BB creams' claims, it's still makeup and must be washed off at night!
I think that pretty much sums up all I have to say about this BB cream. Sorry for how lengthy and wordy this post is. I have a tendency to take something that can be summarized in a sentence and turn it into a novel. Here's a more condensed list in case I lost you somewhere in the middle (with a couple more points):
Pros:
- Creamy liquid texture that isn't runny
- Feels and looks extremely natural
- Dewy finish
- Medium coverage for a BB cream, which is still pretty light coverage
- SPF 37 PA+++
- Hygienic packaging with a pump
Cons:
- Only comes in one shade, which will probably fit NW20-25 the best given its undertones
- Grayish pink undertone
You can buy this BB cream at Skin79's US website for $38.00.
*If you are NC30 or above and are interested in BB creams, I suggest checking out the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream I mentioned earlier. Unlike most companies, they offer four colors, and the last two (23 and 31) are reasonably darker than most BB cream shades. My shade is 23, and it matches me quite well.
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