BB Cream review

Joined the BB Cream Bandwagon...



















When I went to Korea, I had no idea what the hell BB creams are. And I couldn't speak much Korean, so when I visited an Etude House shop, the Korean-only-speaking SA's kept suggesting "Magic BB, Magic BB" and I was like? "What the hell is a magic Baby???" I had to go to pay a visit to the internet to find out that BB cream is the "hottest" skincare/makeup trend these days due to its healing properties and ability to cover skin imperfections despite giving a no-makeup look.

I've tried several brands by now, and I shall review them since I've been using them for nearly 2 months now (alternating every week). My skin is relatively a bit tan (Maybelline angelfit W02 Natural Buff fits me perfectly) compared to Koreans, but most of the BB's worked well on me despite my having combination, sensitive, acne-prone skin:

1) Skinfood Aloe Sun SPF 20 (first picture above left)

Color: I chose the #2 shade, and it was a bit pink so I didn't like it that much. the #1 has yellow undertones to it but it was lighter than #2, so skintone-wise, I didn't find a good fit

fragrance: strong, flowery-herbal fragrance. Although it wasn't unpleasant, I am not a fan of fragrance, so thumbs down to its scent.

Oil-control: so-so, my skin looked pretty matt but not dull. I didn't have to blot until 5 hours later

coverage: won't cover huge pimples but will lessen the appearance of redness, and can lighten dark undereyes. you'll still need concealer, though


what's special about it?: well it has aloe so it's supposed to soothe irritated skin. but actually most of my BB's gave me this effect so I think it's not that special

2) Innisfree oil-free BB mousse spf 30 (a whopping 70 mL, nearly double the average content of other BB's)

Color: really nice! it has a beige color when it comes out but when I put it on my skin it seems to adapt to my color. it has a brightening effect that doesn't make me look like a geisha. it's like i'm just fresher and healthier. gave a really dewy-but-not-sticky finish



fragrance: has lavender as its 'special' ingredient, so it smelled like lavender, but the scent dissipates in a few seconds once I apply it to my skin. I like it!


Oil-control: well, it fails in this part, sadly. it's not that good in controlling oil, but surprisingly, even if I sweat or get oily, the BB cream is still there. it doesn't peel or anything

coverage: same as the Skinfood Aloe Sun, won't cover huge pimples but will lessen the appearance of redness, and can lighten dark undereyes.

what's special about it?: it is very easy to spread due to its mousse consistency (of course you have to hurry before it dries though, cuz then it becomes difficult to spread once it settles). this time, the lavender is it's soothing ingredient. works for me whether it's summer (I'm sure I can use this in the Philippines once I get back from Korea) or winter/autumn.:)


3) Innisfree BB cream for troubled skin spf 27

Color: unlike the mousse one, this is too light for me. I look a bit ghostly. I wish they had a shade #2 or 3...:(
fragrance: herbal, tea-tree scent due to its main ingredient which is tea tree oil

Oil-control: great! I think I didn't even blot most days...unless it was because I changed my toner to the Nivea oil-control one hehehe...

coverage: again, this goes on sheer, but covers dark undereyes and pimples well (maybe cuz its color is too light...)

what's special about it?: it dried my pimples, even the small whitehead-like ones, really fast. it used to take me a week to get rid of a big pimple, but with this, they dried up within 3 days. really cool!


4) Coogi Flowertox 3-action Super BB cream SPF 25PA++
Color: a bit light and pink-toned, but when I applied it to my skin it looked good and had a brightening effect. I have to be careful not to put too much, though, or I will look like a geisha.

fragrance: very light scent of flowers that quickly disappears upon application

oil-control: This has got to have one of the best oil-control functions. I didn't even blot at all during cool days, and just once for warmer days (where I sweat)...

coverage: This goes on sheer, but has great ability to hide redness and dark circles

what's special about it?: I don't really know since there is nothing said about this on the tube...it's main ingredients are flowers, though...some people said it's mainly a whitening BB cream, but I don't think I've gotten whiter. Maybe I need to use it for a few more months?

5) Skin 79 Super+ Triple Functions Beblesh Balm (BB) SPF 25 PA++
Color: kinda dark when pumped out of its container...although I have a tan, I prefer BB's that are a bit lighter than skin tone so that as the days goes by, my face still looks bright. It's a perfect match, though...almost like I put nothing on

fragrance: has a soft flowery scent

Oil-control: poor. that's what I can say...it's supposed to be for summer though...it must be because it is light on the skin, that way it won't clog pores (the other BB's don't clog pores either, though)

coverage: again, this goes on sheer, but cover dark undereyes and pimples well (maybe cuz its color is too really sheer. you will need a concealer
what's special about it?: it is anti-wrikle, whitening, anti-pimple (has triclosan), and soothing


*my skin got a bit irritated with this one. I saw redness when I washed the cream off at night. But that's because it's whitening, and my skin always reacts negatively to whitening (like with the Coogi one, but I still use them anyway cuz the redness goes away by the time I wake up in the morning, like it's never been there. it just takes some getting used to, I THINK....)

6) It's Skin Nutritious BB+ spf 15 PA+

Color: perfect match:) no complaints here

fragrance: I couldn't detect any

Oil-control: bad...just like the Skin 79 Triple Functions oil free BB

coverage: like the Skin 79 Triple Funtions oil-free BB

what's special about it?: I think it's very moisturising due to its caviar extracts...it also didn't irritate my skin at all

7) Skin 79 Intense Classic UV Balm SPF 20 PA++(my personal favorite)
Color: light, almost pale, but it quickly adjusts to my natural skin tone. it made me look fresh and dewy
fragrance: strong lavender and sage herbal scent that quickly dissipates upon application. I guess the herbs here are pretty potent (based on the scent)

Oil-control: great! Just like the Coogi one, this is a winner

coverage: really good. I need to use only a little concealer for bigger pimples

what's special about it?: it's a no-nonsense cream that protects my skin, and seem to prevent pimple formation and skin irritation. this has visibly improved my skin, I don't get random red bumps anymore as my skin seems to have become more resilient to environmental stressors:)


I'm in Korea now, so FOR THOSE who are interested in getting BB creams, email me at annetookeen@gmail.com


I can get you guys brands (Coogi Flowertox, Etude House, Innisfree, Tony Moly, BRTC, Skin 79, Missha, etc.) that can only be found over here.