I reckon I’ve teased you for long enough about the Bobbi Brown BB Cream. I’ve been using this one off and on for a couple of months since I picked it up from KLIA before my Seoul trip. It would seem a little odd picking up a BB Cream before heading to the land of BB Creams but then I’m perverse like that 😛
Let’s just start by saying that I do not subscribe to the BB Cream all-in-one theory. I use BB Creams as foundation never in place of sunscreen and moisturizer. Hence, I treat this as makeup not as a skincare-makeup hybrid. Its important to get that out of the way because I know a lot of people treat BB Creams as an all-in-one product which they are marketed as, but I just want to make it clear that I don’t so I use all my regular skincare and sunscreen before applying BB Cream.
Here’s one thing I like about the Bobbi Brown BB Cream even before I tried it – it comes in 3 shades – Extra Light, Light and Medium. I think that is very wise, because there is no such thing as one shade fits all. However, darker skinned ladies might still have a problem finding a colour match because even Medium is quite fair as colours go. I take it in Extra Light which is about right for my skintone. Its not really super light, as the swatches below will tell you.
I know I’ve oft said that BB Creams aren’t my thing. But if they were, I’ll place the Bobbi Brown BB Cream on the list of “BB Creams I like” for a couple of reasons :-
- it is sheer
- its not heavy
- its a decent enough colour match and
- it does not make my skin oily
The last reason alone is enough to like this one. Many BB Creams turn my skin oily after a while. Considering that I don’t have oily skin to start with, I think it quite a feat. This one however doesn’t. I’ve worn it alone for hours, driving around in the sun, going in and out of buildings and sitting and eating excellent food in hot cramped sweaty surroundings, and for me, its held up very well every time. This said, it also isn’t terribly moisturizing so I’m not too sure how it’ll hold up on very dry skin.
Bobbi Brown BB Cream Extra Light swatch Left: From tube Right: blended
Like most BB Creams, you don’t have to use much. A pea sized amount spread over your skin is sufficient. I like to take a small dab after that to layer over areas that might need more coverage, in place of using concealer. That said, the Bobbi Brown BB Cream is sheer and coverage is minimal. The tint is great to cover up redness on the skin but not blemishes or pigmentation as the photos below show.
Photo contrast deliberately enhanced Left: Bare skin Right: Only Bobbi Brown BB Cream applied
You can probably tell from the photos that pigmentation on my cheeks are barely covered. They are slightly toned down but its not erased. A spot of concealer usually does the trick. However, you will also notice that redness around the nose area, cheeks, and the 2 spots I have on my chin and upper lip are evened out so the skin takes on a more even toned look. I don’t mind my freckles/pigmentation showing. It adds character 😛 (and unless absolutely necessary I’m usually too lazy to do a lot of concealing)
For some reason, the camera lens tends to intensify most blemishes, which can be very discouraging if you take a lot of photos. But in person, the whole look is a lot softer and more even than it looks in photos. I can usually get away with not layering any powder over the BB Cream although it can help with coverage if you prefer something more full coverage. On a work day I would usually have a layer of Guerlain Meteorites dusted over but on a weekend, I leave it as you see and it serves me well enough.
I have found that if I layer on too much product, it does tend to look a little dry and cakey. So my advise is to go with just a pea sized amount to start with, spread it out between your hands and spread it on your face, then touch up the areas that might need some retouching.
Here are some swatch comparisons for colour purposes between the Bobbi Brown BB Cream (Extra Light) and some other BB Creams I have
1. MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm 2. Diorsnow BB Creme 3. Hada Labo BB Moist Cream 4. Bobbi Brown BB Cream Extra Light 5. SkinFood Platinum Grape Cell Essential BB Cream 6. Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream
Looking at the swatches, I’m starting to think that its no wonder the MAC BB Cream and Diorsnow BB Cream, although alright for me, did not quite make my skin look as even toned as the ones on the right in the picture above do. The pink tones in MAC does nothing to hide redness (which was a complaint I had) while the Diorsnow BB Creme is a tad dark for my skintone upon first application although it does adjust itself. Since I’ve picked up the others, I have been using the MAC and Dior ones less simply because the others need less work with my skintone! (Some might be wondering where the Vichy Aera BB Cream is for comparison since I liked that one too – its been given away to my sister hence no comparisons)
And here are some comparisons between the Bobbi Brown BB Cream (Extra Light) and some liquid foundations I have for colour matching.
1. Clarins Everlasting Foundation Almond 2. Lancome Maqui Blanc Miracle BO-o1 3. Bobbi Brown BB Cream Extra Light 4. Bourjois Healthy Mix Liquid Foundation #51 Light Vanilla 5. Guerlain Lingerie de Peau 01 Beige Pale
I find it a million times easier working with liquid foundation than with BB Creams simply because of the colour selection. The 2 batches of swatches above show you just how wrong colour tones in BB creams can be as opposed to liquid foundations. Of the shades shown, the Clarins and Bourjois foundations are my best colour matches. You can see that even though the Bobbi Brown BB Cream is called Extra Light, it is anything but, put next to the other shades. Its just a tad lighter than the Guerlain Lingerie de Peau which does color-adjust to suit my skin quite well. The Lancome one is in there to show you how not yellow it is 😛
In terms of texture, the Bobbi Brown BB Cream is light, but not as light as the Lancome Maqui Miracle foundation. It is creamy but not as creamy or as opaque as the Clarins Everlasting foundation. The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation comes very close in terms of texture. It is also close in texture to the MAC BB Beauty Balm but thicker than the Hada Labo BB Moist cream but not as thick as the Diorsnow BB Creme. If you have any idea what I’m talking about, excellent! 😉
Pros: Light texture, Does not turn my skin oily, Sheer coverage, Good colour match for me and evens out redness in skin very well, Lasts hours on my skin, Decent sunscreen protection
Cons: Pricey, Limited shades available, Not very moisturizing
I have no comment on the sunscreen factor because I always have sunscreen on. If you don’t like wearing sunscreen then this might be a good one to have because even with the SPF35 PA+++ rating, it isn’t oily nor thick as most sunscreens are. To be honest, I think this Bobbi Brown BB Cream little more than a light liquid foundation with SPF. But hey, that’s me and it works for me!
Here’s the ingredient list:-
For my part, I’m pleased that the Western brands have started making BB Creams, if only for the Asian market. (I’m not sure if the Bobbi Brown BB Cream is available outside of Asia or how it compares to the Tinted Moisturizer that is sold in the Western countries) My dabbling into BB Creams have thus far caused me to conclude that my skin tolerates the Western formulations better than most of the Korean ones which were the first ones I’d tried and disliked and resulted in me not trying more BB Creams. From Japanese brands I’ve only tried the Hada Labo one so I have no conclusions drawn for Japanese brand BB Creams. This might not be the case for you, but it is for me 🙂
If you have tried the Bobbi Brown BB Cream, even if just a sample, I’d love to hear what you think of it. I don’t know if they offer samples at the Bobbi Brown counters, but if you bring a little sample pot and ask for some, I think they might oblige – the worst thing they could say is no 😉
Paris B
Bobbi Brown BB Cream SPF35 PA+++ comes in 3 shades and retails at RM126 (KLIA Duty free)/RM150 for 40ml (inland counters) at all Bobbi Brown counters and stores. Availability outside of Asia unknown.
Hmmm, I’m on a foundation search right now as it is. I wonder if this baby will do the trick for me. *Rushes off to nearest counter*
Only if you prefer something sheer and light. If you prefer something with more coverage, this will not do it.
So stoked to try this, even more so after your review! 🙂 Will follow your advise the next time I head to a Bobbi Brown counter/outlet. Thanks so much! 😀
I hope you snag yourself a sample! 😉
BB price is getting more and more ouchy! Now i wouldn’t be so interested to get it because I really don’t need another foundation (in this case BB) with just ok coverage
Only those by premium western brands are pricey. The ones coming out from Asia are still pretty affordable. I much prefer working with liquid foundation but sometimes, you just can’t help but get sucked in 😛
It sounds good but the price is so painful to spend on. I felt this BB color quite close to Hada Labo BB as comparison. I have tried the Hada Labo BB and I am loving it so far. 🙂
Its lighter and less yellow than Hada Labo BB which I happen to like if only it wasn’t that yellow. 😉
I’m a base makeup junkie and I think i have enough of BB creams for now. I’ve found one i like and will just stop at that. The recent ones i’ve tried are all disappointing. Not to say that it gave any skincare benefit (none for me), but as a foundation substitiute it has failed too mostly. I will stick to foundations for now. With foundation, i can use less but with better coverage, last better throughout the day, even feel that my skin breathe better too. Most importantly, with the right foundation, it gives me flawless looking skin bb cream can’t achieve.
I’m about done with BB Creams too. I think my experimentations are complete and my conclusion is that I prefer using liquid foundation or powder foundation. I don’t mind using the ones I do like for weekends but on week days when I have to put a fresh face forward, its still proper foundation for me. I guess I like to keep my products separate because they just work better 🙂
I love your description “In terms of texture, the Bobbi Brown BB Cream is light, but not as light as the Lancome Maqui Miracle foundation. It is creamy but not as creamy or as opaque as the Clarins Everlasting foundation. The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation comes very close in terms of texture. It is also close in texture to the MAC BB Beauty Balm but thicker than the Hada Labo BB Moist cream but not as thick as the Diorsnow BB Creme.” Confused the hell out of me!
Anyway, not so into the western BB cream. Still experimenting a lot with Korean ones. So far liking Skin79 and Etude House and itching to try a whole load of other brands now flooding our stores!
Oops! Hence my disclaimer right at the end that if you knew what I was talking about then kudos! 😉 I’m the opposite of you 🙂 My skin likes the lighter texture of most western brand BB creams. Korean ones still do the whole orange/grey tint, oil slick thing on me 🙁
Wow, u are so fair that I can see the veins at your temple. 😛 May I know the Hada Labo BB moist cream swatch is what shade?
Haha throbbing veins 😛 The Hada Labo is in Light Beige – it comes in 2 shades – Light and Medium. I’ll have a post up soon.
I’m currently using this BB cream. Like ParisB said, it definitely doesn’t offer full coverage, but enough for me to wear to work daily when I wanna give my skin a rest from using foundation. The shade of my skin is that of a moderate Malay girl you’ll pass on the street, and Medium covers my uneven complexion quite okay. But it still couldn’t cover my teenage acne scars ‘tho 🙁
All in all, it’s a good buy!
I think its fairly decent at covering redness and a spot of concealer does the trick for the rest 🙂 Unless I go the route of thick heavy foundations I’ve never found one to actually cover scars. Glad you like it despite it though and that Medium suits your skin tone!
I think I’ll stick with the Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer – thanks for the review!
yes…actually to me BB creams act like a tinted moisturiser with a teeny bit better coverage perhaps. It’s usually nothing like a foundation.
Thats how I feel too! They do tend to feel more emollient than foundation. Must be because they have to be moisturizing too lol!
I’ve been wondering if the tinted moisturizer might be this… named differently for different locations LOL!
I tried their liquid foundation once…and my face got very oily… =(
Maybe not suitable on my face.
I’ve never tried their liquid foundations. They always looked and felt too thick for me so I always passed on them. I like my liquid foundations light and sheer 🙂
the dreaded word – AL. CO. HOL. sigh.
Oh sigh … no escaping that dreaded word is there?
Not too sure if I wanna try Bobbi Brown’s face products. Tried some samples of their moisturisers before and somehow didn’t agree with my skin. I like my foundation dewy 🙂 My favourite bb cream is L’egere. Missha (the red tube one) comes close second. Using it now, though a wee bit matte 🙁
Ah I coudln’t stand Missha BB Cream haha! Tried a sample and hated it 😛
thanks for the review! 🙂
Glad to be of service! 😉
I also think that the Bourjois one matches you better. I bought one as well, but I find myself using less and less foundation – usually a bit of concealer around the eyes and nose is enough. I’m getting lazy. 😛 BB creams are still largely unknown here in Brazil, and I’m pretty sure they’ll be sky-high expensive when they do arrive, although I must say the BB’s BB cream has every chance of being a hype here. Here is all about “your skin but better”. But our tanned girls won’t like it at all! 😀
If girls in Brazil like the your skin but better, they might like BB Creams! But only after the brands learn to formulate darker colours!
Stickin’ to Korean brands! They’re too cute! ;-D
hi, i’m seriously a newbie in makeup. i have dark-colored/ tanned skin, should i choose a lighter or darker shade bb cream? :O
Neither. Choose a shade that matches your skintone. If you are dark, you would best look into liquid foundations rather than BB Creams which usually come in lighter shades.
Love your review, now i am following you.
hmmm… not a fans of BB cream. Just like you said, it tend to get very oily after I apply and also I found that the shade is always not suitable for me. Either too light or too dark. 🙁