I've only recently started looking into this BB cream craze. So far I've only used the Garnier one (which by all accounts isn't that good), and as far as I can tell, if I want the good stuff, I've got to go Asian.
Now, I know nothing about Asian brands and wouldn't even begin to know where to find them. There are TONS of Asian stores in my town, of course, but where do I even start? This is a whole new frontier of beauty for me, since I'm about foray into a product I'm not familiar with as well as brands I'm not familiar with. Checking out eye shadows from Asian brands is one thing, since I know how to shop for eye shadows already; how do I know what's a good BB cream?
Thankfully, in today's age of the internet, there are reviews EVERYWHERE, and the major perk of being late to the party is that there have already been tons of other people who've spent their time and money exploring different BB creams so I don't really have to. And there are websites I can order from so I don't have to walk into an Asian store and stand around looking like an idiot because I don't know what I'm doing. (I did have one evening of standing around looking like an idiot at Sephora because I went there to explore the BB creams they had on hand.)
It was important to me to find a BB cream that actually matched my skin tone. Most Asian BB creams come in one shade, and it's not "I'm Californian and I spent the summer running outdoors" tan. I got a recommendation for Missha's Perfect Cover BB Cream, and when I found out it came in deeper shades, as well as a smaller "travel-size" version, I knew I had to give it a try. (I didn't want to spend an entire 30 bucks on something I wasn't sure I would like or use.) I ordered myself the small one in #27 Honey Beige.
Upon first swatch, I noticed 1) it feels a bit thick, which I would expect from a product containing sunscreen, and 2) it smells like "old lady makeup," like, what I would find in my grandma's vanity table when I was a kid. But it didn't feel too heavy on my face, it blended out really nicely, and it actually gives quite a bit of coverage!
I didn't take a "before" picture of myself this morning, so you'll have to take my word for it when I say that I was a total wreck. I've been sick with some stomach bug for the entire weekend, have not been sleeping or eating well, and I pretty much looked like I was dying. Me in the photo above? A vast improvement. And compare my skin here to my skin from my review of UD's Naked Skin foundation. It's not really all that different, right? I'm wearing my normal moisturizer (Philosophy's Hope in a Jar), under the Missha BB cream, under UD's Razor HD powder (which is translucent) and setting spray. And my Tarte blush. I'm not wearing any concealer.
So, I will see how this wears as the day goes on. What I would like is for my skin to stay not-greasy (which, actually, the Urban Decay BB cream did a great job of doing) but also for it not to dry out. And I will have to use this consistently every day to see if my skin improves from using it. But it's so easy to use, and combines so many steps, that I don't think it will be a problem.
Now, I know nothing about Asian brands and wouldn't even begin to know where to find them. There are TONS of Asian stores in my town, of course, but where do I even start? This is a whole new frontier of beauty for me, since I'm about foray into a product I'm not familiar with as well as brands I'm not familiar with. Checking out eye shadows from Asian brands is one thing, since I know how to shop for eye shadows already; how do I know what's a good BB cream?
Thankfully, in today's age of the internet, there are reviews EVERYWHERE, and the major perk of being late to the party is that there have already been tons of other people who've spent their time and money exploring different BB creams so I don't really have to. And there are websites I can order from so I don't have to walk into an Asian store and stand around looking like an idiot because I don't know what I'm doing. (I did have one evening of standing around looking like an idiot at Sephora because I went there to explore the BB creams they had on hand.)
It was important to me to find a BB cream that actually matched my skin tone. Most Asian BB creams come in one shade, and it's not "I'm Californian and I spent the summer running outdoors" tan. I got a recommendation for Missha's Perfect Cover BB Cream, and when I found out it came in deeper shades, as well as a smaller "travel-size" version, I knew I had to give it a try. (I didn't want to spend an entire 30 bucks on something I wasn't sure I would like or use.) I ordered myself the small one in #27 Honey Beige.
Upon first swatch, I noticed 1) it feels a bit thick, which I would expect from a product containing sunscreen, and 2) it smells like "old lady makeup," like, what I would find in my grandma's vanity table when I was a kid. But it didn't feel too heavy on my face, it blended out really nicely, and it actually gives quite a bit of coverage!
I didn't take a "before" picture of myself this morning, so you'll have to take my word for it when I say that I was a total wreck. I've been sick with some stomach bug for the entire weekend, have not been sleeping or eating well, and I pretty much looked like I was dying. Me in the photo above? A vast improvement. And compare my skin here to my skin from my review of UD's Naked Skin foundation. It's not really all that different, right? I'm wearing my normal moisturizer (Philosophy's Hope in a Jar), under the Missha BB cream, under UD's Razor HD powder (which is translucent) and setting spray. And my Tarte blush. I'm not wearing any concealer.
So, I will see how this wears as the day goes on. What I would like is for my skin to stay not-greasy (which, actually, the Urban Decay BB cream did a great job of doing) but also for it not to dry out. And I will have to use this consistently every day to see if my skin improves from using it. But it's so easy to use, and combines so many steps, that I don't think it will be a problem.