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:

• smoothing
• moisturizing
• protecting
• firming
• priming & filling
• perfecting
• concealing
• brightening
• line softening
• long wearing

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 Unblended, mostly blended

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:

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!

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