Physician’s Formula Bronze Booster BB Cream
Whoever is in charge of Physician’s Formula seems to be totally obsessed with bronzers – there are 34 different TYPES (not shades) listed on their website. Their newest bronzer-related innovation is a “Bronze Booster” Glow-boosint BB cream that supposedly replaces moisturizer, foundation, sunscreen, and bronzer. It sounded to me like it would likely just be a too-dark foundation, but I was too intrigued not to try it out (on sale!).
I recently came across a display of the new(ish) Wet n Wild Fergie BB cream at Walmart, and was intrigued enough to pick on up to try, although I hadn’t seen any reviews. That was a mistake – I think this picture says it all.
No makeup // WnW Fergie BB Cream unblended & blended
I deliberately applied the BB cream over a freckle, and you can see that it’s not hidden at all. I wouldn’t classify this as a BB cream (or foundation) – it’s a barely-tinted primer, or perhaps a barely-tinted sunscreen. The silver lining to the poor pigmentation is that it’s very useable as a sunscreen – I can apply the necessary half-teaspoon to my face without looking like I have makeup caked on – and in fact, without looking like I have makeup on at all.
I can’t find a place to purchase this online, and I believe it has very limited distribution in stores as well; I’ve never seen it at Walgreens, CVS, or Rite Aid. However, that’s not much of a loss – it’s definitely not recommended!
It’s time for Volume II of Reviews Revisited, and I’m going to talk about some of the products I wrote positive reviews about and now – after using them for a while – still adore. Everything in this post is highly recommended.
First up, Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream, first reviewed here. I’ve almost finished the pictured mini size tubes, and probably would have finished them had I not purchased & started using the full size ones. I’m saving the minis for travel, because they’re so small / lightweight and a perfect everyday base. I love Missha Perfect Cover for everyday use, because it manages to look very natural, but still cover the redness in my skin quite well.
I wear it all year long, but I’ve been especially loving it this winter when my skin is drier. I tend to wear sunscreen under it these days, but I still appreciate that it contains an all-physical SPF 42 PA+++ since a little extra protection doesn’t hurt (and physical sunscreen can be layered with other physical or chemical sunscreens). At around $12 – $15 for 1.7oz, it’s also one of the least expensive bases I own.
Fergie Daily // Bebot Love // Old School Glam // Saraghina // Fuchsianista // Ferguson Crest Cabernet // Pagan Angel
Next, the Wet n Wild Fergie Perfect Pout lipsticks. A detailed review of one shade is here, and I have swatches of the seven shades pictured above here. I really like the formula of these, and I’m suprised that more people don’t write about them. I find that the Perfect Pout lipsticks aren’t drying (though not moisturizing either) and are very long lasting – several hours, plus a lingering, evenly-fading stain. The colors are also fantastic. My favorite, Ferguson Crest Cabernet is pretty much identical to MAC Rebel – which is popular for a reason! – and Bebot Love is a lovely nude.
And finally, let’s go way back into the archives to revisit Guerlain Chamade Rouge Automatic lipstick. As I said in the post, I love the color, the finish, and the formula – the only thing that’s not great is the price!
p.s. I’m leaving town tonight (for my honeymoon!) and will be back on January 7th. I’ve scheduled several posts, but I may be very slow to approve/ respond to comments, as I expect to have only sporadic internet access.
A few months ago, I decided that I wanted to try out another Korean BB Cream. I previously reviewed the Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream, which I still really like – I just wanted to try something new!
Missha makes several BB Creams, and they have the following comparison chart (click to enlarge). I settled on Missha’s Perfect Cover BB Cream, supposedly the best all-around choice.
click to enlarge
Perfect Cover BB Cream comes in five shades – 13, 21, 23, 27, 31 (light to dark). I couldn’t find good quality swatches of the different shades, but from the swatches I did find, I suspected that 21 might be too light and 23 too dark. I also found Nouveau Cheap’s face photos of shade 21 helpful – as she says, it’s just a touch light for her, and I think she’s just a touch lighter than I am.
It also comes in two sizes – 50ml / 1.6oz for $30, and 20ml / .67oz for $13 (Missha website prices, but note that they have great sales). So, I decided to purchase both 21 and 23 in the smaller size, with the idea that I would probably need to mix them. I purchased from Ebay, and paid around $7.50 per item. I recommend rubyruby76 for all of your Korean makeup needs; they’re reliable.
Shade 21 // Shade 23
Above are semi-blended swatches of 21 and 23. 21 looks yellow-toned, and 23 looks golden beige. 23 looks like a better match for my arm at this point – at this time of year, my face is a similar color to my arm.
Blended: Shade 21 // Shade 23
Blended out, Shade 21 is a much better match to my arm, but it’s not perfect – in person, it had a pinky-beige tone, which just would not show up in photos. Shade 23 of course appears far too dark. So, I did end up mixing shades for my face – more on that later.
Texture-wise, the Perfect Cover BB Cream is a thick cream. If I squeeze out a pea size amount on to the back of my hand and turn my hand upside down,the dollop of BB Creams stays intact. It is very easy to spread and feels quite moisturizing, and I noticed that my skin stayed moisturized throughout the day – significantly more so than with most foundations. I do use a separate moisturizer before, but I think if you had normal to slightly oily skin, that would be unnecessary. If you have very oily skin, my guess is that the Perfect Cover BB Cream isn’t going to control oil well enough on it’s own for you – but perhaps it would work with an additional primer.
When I use Korean BB Creams, I apply more product than I do when I apply foundation, because I often don’t apply a separate sunscreen.* I experimented some with this product, and settled on using a ratio of two parts 21 to one part 23, and a total of about two peas worth of product.
*I really should, because I don’t apply enough BB Cream for it to really work as sunscreen – you need a surprisingly large amount of sunscreen for it to be fully effective. Read more here if you are interested!
No makeup // Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream
When first applied, the Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream looks quite pale and oddly colored, but after blending in and waiting about 30 seconds, it seems to adjust to my skin color and look great. It has medium coverage and a natural finish – neither dewy nor matte.
As mentioned above, this BB Cream helps my skin stay hydrated while I wear it – and that’s probably my favorite thing about it. I also really like the amount of coverage, and I’m very happy with the color match, even though I need to mix shades to get it. I suspect that I will be able to get a good color match in the summer by flipping the proportions – one part 21 to two parts 23.
Most foundations wear well on me, and this is no exception – it lasts all day all on me when set with powder (either my trusty Guerlain pressed or a new one I have been testing).
Overall, I love this BB Cream – I’ve been wearing it frequently, and I would highly recommend checking it out!
*I purchased the product(s) featured in this post. This post contains one or more affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
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Physician’s Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream in Light / Medium |
Physician’s Formula has put out several new products for 2013, and I purchased the Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream, which comes in two shades, Light/Medium and Medium/Deep. Usually, when there are two shades labeled like that, Light/Medium is a relatively good match for me.
The PF BB Cream is packaged in a tube with silver holo decorations. I like the packaging, though I would prefer a nozzle rather than a flat applicator. It comes well sealed – both in a box and with a silver seal under the cap / over the tip of the tube.
Like many BB creams, PF makes many ambitious claims. The package claims that the BB cream is:
I can’t really evaluate all of these claims (what does perfecting even mean in this context?); I just see it as marketing hype.
In terms of texture, the PF BB cream feels like a cross between a foundation, a silicone-y primer, and a dry oil. I wouldn’t call it moisturizing, but it spreads easily and is comfortable to wear. I think the texture would work well on most skin types, from slightly dry to slightly oily. I don’t think it would be moisturizing enough for very dry skin, and I have never had very oily skin, so I just don’t know what types of products work well for that skin type.
The one problem with the texture is that it has a tendency to separate – a little bit of clear fluid will come out along with the BB cream. The clear fluid is easily mixed back in, but I find it quite annoying; I want my foundation mixed. Because of the tube packaging, there’s no easy way for me to mix it up before use. The tube does say (on the back) “Shake Before Use” – but shaking a full tube of cream does absolutely nothing to mix it up!
PF Super BB Cream – Light/Medium |
In terms of color, you can see that Light/Medium – the lighter of the two shades – is far too dark for my inner arm and appears somewhat orange, which is not promising. The coverage is medium – I blended it over a light brown freckle, and it significantly reduced the visibility of the freckle.
Here I am without any product on my face and wearing the BB cream:
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| Looking grumpy because I know it doesn’t match! |
It looks better on my face than it does on my arm – perhaps because it’s blended in better, but it’s still too dark and too orange — and I would not classify myself as fair skinned. If you are lighter than about a MAC NC/NW20, this BB cream is not going to work for you at all.
I have some significant breakouts on my chin at the moment, and the BB cream did a very nice job covering them (and blurring my imperfections generally), so if you are a match, I can see this working well.
So: to sum up, the texture feels nice when applied, but it has a tendency to separate (which may or may not bother you). The coverage is good, but with only two shades, most people will not be able to find a match. But, if you think you might be one of the few who this matches, it may be worth a try!
This post is from Project Swatch. All rights reserved.
Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream |
A couple weeks ago, the always-fabulous Pink Sith beauty blog reviewed Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream. She made it sound so good that I immediately went to Ebay and ordered some for myself – my very first BB cream!
The BB cream arrived a couple days ago, and now that I’ve tested it out, I have my own review for you. First, note the awesomeness of the packaging – not only is this a tube of BB cream, the cap holds a small amount of peach-colored cream blush. So cute, right?
Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream Cheek Color |
The BB cream itself comes in two shades, 01 and 02. Apparently, 01 is quite light and good for the paler crowd; I bought 02 and is an excellent match for me. Below is a swatch (heavy and blended out; you can’t even see the blended out part because it matches my wrist so well).
Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream Shade 02 |
No makeup; BB Cream only; BB Cream, cheek color, lips and eyebrows |
This BB cream lasts very well on me – when set with powder, it lasted 11 hours on my normal-to-dry skin. I was inside for most of the day, however; I haven’t tested it when outside in hot weather.
Overall, I’m really happy with Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream. The BB cream itself applies nicely, matches my skin, and lasts all day, and the cheek color is a really nice bonus!
What are your thoughts on BB cream?
