Review: Etude House BB Magic Cream

I did not know if I should categorize BB Creams (Blemish Balm Creams) under skincare or makeup so I left the category out from the title. Some people say that BB Creams are like skincare and so good for their skin. Others treat BB Creams as makeup. I would categorize it as makeup actually because it acts like a foundation and makeup base. And because its makeup, I don’t need a 1 month test period before I review! 🙂

Here’s my review on the Etude House BB Magic Cream which is the first BB Cream I’ve ever tried and the first Etude House product I’ve tried. So do bear in mind that I cannot compare this with any other brand of BB Cream in the market.

I found the packaging very cute and very strange. It comes in a soft plastic tube like a moisturizer or facial wash, but instead of being capped, it is capped off with a pump. In most cases, tubes don’t come with pumps and this is the first time I’ve seen anything like this.

To be honest, I detest the pump. The idea behind the pump is probably to make it easy to dispense the lotion. However, I had a problem with it because after a few times of working properly, it will get “stuck” and not pump anything out. And then when it does, it sprays the BB Cream all over the place, even spattering on my clothes and marking/staining it sometimes. I’ve had to change 3 times so far before leaving the house and I’m NOT amused! So, get rid of the pump and I’ll be a happy camper. I have however, worked out by now thatif you hold and store the tube standing up i.e. tube at the bottom, pump at the top, it doesn’t spatter as badly. Still, I detest the pump 😛

The BB Cream I got was in Refreshing which is a light lotion that is recommended for normal-oily skins. The sales assistant told me it worked as a makeup base and foundation so you just have to apply it after moisturizer. Take note that this is NOT an all in one moisturiser, foundation product. I checked the ingredient list and it listed Titanium Dioxide as one of the ingredients but it does not say that this product has SPF (There is a separate BB Cream with SPF). I’m not sure why.

The BB Magic Cream comes in only one shade. The label warns you that upon applying there might be a whitish cast on the skin but it should fade and blend into your skin after a while.

I was worried when I saw the shade that pumped out from the tube. It looked too dark and yellow for my skin tone which usually takes the lightest foundation shades on offer in Malaysia with a touch of yellow in it. Too yellow and I look tanned and jaundiced, too pink and I’ll look slightly like an undercooked lobster 😛 Tested on my hand however, the BB Cream appeared to blend in after a spell. So, I hoped it would do so on my face.

And it does! When applied, I did not get the whitish cast that the label warns about. What I got was a slight “foundation” look – you know the look that you get when you apply foundation on the skin? Yeah, that look that says “Hey! I’m wearing foundation!”

However, I smoothened it out carefully with my fingers and left the cream on my skin for a bit to settle. When I next looked in the mirror, my skin looked evened out and the colour had blended with my skintone and looked natural! Amazing. So, that’s what they mean by the “no-makeup” look 🙂 Still, I think one shade lighter might be better for me. There is also a slight floral smell but it goes away and doesn’t bug me.

The BB Magic Cream is also supposed to cover blemishes so I did not use a separate concealer to first conceal my undereye circles and pigmentation spots on my cheeks during my testing period. Instead, I used only the BB Cream as concealer, base and foundation.

I am happy to report that the BB Magic Cream does conceal blemishes – but only to a degree. If your pigmentation spots are dark, or if you have dark undereye circles, or if you have pitted acne spots it will not give you flawless coverage. You will still see the blemishes and marks. However, it gives medium coverage to even out the skin tone and cover up minor blemishes. Perfect for those less makeup days. If you prefer something with more coverage, apply your concealer as normal then apply the BB Cream.

The texture of the BB Magic Cream in Refreshing is light. However, I found that if I did not dust some loose powder over the cream, my skin would get a little oily throughout the day. With loose powder dusted on, it stayed nicely all day long. Etude House sells a BB Pact which is a pressed powder for dusting over the BB Cream. I asked if I could use any old loose powder and the sales assistant said it was no problem, so I stuck with my old favourite – Make Up For Ever Super Matte. 🙂

The retail price in Malaysia of the Etude House BB Magic Cream is RM42.90 for 35ml. Not overly expensive for an all in one product. I experienced no breakouts using it and its convenient especially for travel or if you are in a hurry. I did think that this is just like a regular tinted moisturizer – I can’t quite see what makes it so special, and the ingredients don’t tell me much either. I can’t tell if my skin is any better as a result of using the BB Cream but it didn’t mess it up so it gets the thumbs up! You might want to read my previous post if you are wondering what is a BB Cream?

Pros: Convenient, Lasts all day, Light texture, Affordable

Cons: Only one shade available, Can get a little oily, Stupid pump dispenser!

[rating:3.5/5] mainly because of the pump otherwise it gets 4/5