Have you ever wondered at the flawless skin that Korean women - and even men - pull off so beautifully? Being Chinese, I am amazed at how Koreans are able to maintain this natural, perfect-skin look on a daily basis. But do not be fooled. For what lies beneath that perfected, clear white, shining skin is a long process that requires retouching after retouching. According to my Korean friend, she usually takes up to an hour applying only the make up. With me, it only takes me up to 15 minutes just to to do my make up. Perhaps, I'm missing out on a whole lot of processes? Nevertheless, this leads to the topic of today's entry: BB creams. What was initially created for post-plastic surgery purposes has become a new fad and popular must-have item for every woman. It was initially created in Germany, but Korea have managed to improve the formula and technique to create one of the best BB creams out there available to Asian - and even Caucasian - skin types.
In lieu with my upcoming trip, I wanted to be able to blend in with the crowd. There are high chances that I will be living in Seoul, and so I do feel a pressure to keep up with the well-rounded fashion that Korean women are well-known for, particularly in Seoul. That includes wearing high heels on a daily basis (prepare some band-aids), impeccable high designer bags, long luscious hair that looks to have been just cut, shampooed, and styled by a hair salon, and... that beautiful clear skin. BB creams were everywhere when I was previously in Korea. At that time, I was blithely unaware of what exactly they were and just how good they were. I had been relying on my Maybelline 24-hour stay foundation, which I still use till now. The past two days have consisted of intensive research on the best BB cream products in Korea. I have to say, I am rather impressed with myself on the amount of information I now know regarding the popular product, and its many various advantages and positive effects on skin improvement. So, I'd like to document at least up to five of the best Korean BB cream products I have come across so far. One thing to note, there are differences between BB creams made in North America and those made in Asia. The difference is obvious, each regions products will cater better to those respective regions' skin types.
To start off, some of the popular brands associated with BB creams are the following: Missha, Hanskin, Skin79, BRTC, Etude House, and various others. There are a lot more brands out there, but my research has led me to these top brands that make some of the best and suitable BB creams.
1. Skin79
Skin79 has been very successful with its BB cream line. It has been so successful that this will be my first BB cream to test, having ordered it from Seoul.
SKIN79 GOLD LABEL VIP SUPER PLUS BEBLESH BALM 40G
This BB cream is recommended for use in cold/winter seasons, as it is very moisturising. However, I am rather worried about the colour. BB creams usually come in very limited colouring, but the reason is because BB creams contain ingredients that will oxidize with your skin colour. When in contact with oxygen, it will eventually blend in to your skin colour. However, I am unsure of how well it will oxidize with my skin colour. I am hoping for the best. Because this BB cream is for cold temperatures, I decided to give this one a shot. Once summer comes, or once I am off to Korea, I will be making sure that I will purchase the following BB Cream.
I have read nothing but great reviews for this particular BB cream. This BB cream is designed for summer temperatures, has oil-controlling sebum, and loads more ingredients to make your skin look healthy. I was initially deciding to purchase this BB cream first in preparation for summer, but then I realised I wasn't even in Korea yet. However, once I receive my other BB cream, I will be ordering this one right after.
Skin79 pros:
- Most importantly, it does not cause breakouts, or at least reviews have stated that this has caused them to break out.
- the newer, smaller package, is much more convenient for carrying around.
- the pump is better designed, and its vacuum pump is more hygienic.
- the cream is light, but it will eventually oxidize to your closest skin colour. If it still looks pale, this shouldn't be a problem as I usually apply blush afterwards.
- it has proven skin improvement effects.
2. Missha
MISSHA PERFECT COVER B.B CREAM NO# 21 SPF42 PA+++ 50ML
This is another popular BB cream that has three skin colour ranges, light ones in milky beige and bright beige and the other in natural beige. In my opinion, the latter skin colour would have suited my skin colour very well. However, I have read various reviews which have claimed that this product has caused break-outs and other skin irritations.
3. Hanskin
HANSKIN PREMIUM MAGIC BB CREAM 50ML
Hanskin is one of the more expensive skincare products, and this particular BB cream does not prove otherwise. This BB cream can fetch up to $50 dollars on a regular retail basis. However, with careful online shopping research done, you can grab this baby for at least $30. I believe this BB cream has stronger anti-wrinkle ingredients, so I assume this caters to the more mature skin types. Some people have found that its rather grey outcome isn't a pleasing sight to see, especially in summer. However, this might be suitable for the winter look. It might be expensive, but it is one of the BB creams that have strong skin improvements and does not cause breakouts or anything of the sort.
4. Skinfood
SKINFOOD GINGKO GREEN BB CREAM NO1 50G
Most people have said that this is a pleasant BB cream, with a nice light tea smell. Others have said that although this is rather light in coverage, it has a pleasant creamy consistency that is pleasing on the skin. A dowside to this BB cream, in my opinion, is the lack of sun protection, no SPF. It is rather odd, because all the BB creams I have come across include a high sun protection, some reaching up to SPF 50! But, this may depend on the preference of the person. Nonetheless, this has gotten good ratings for its consistency, smell, and non-irritation.
Note: the nail polish of Skinfood is amazing! Try out their Nail Vita range.
5. BRTC
JASMIN WATER SPF30PA++ Blemish Balm BB Cream 35g
Aqua Rush Water Drop BB Cream SPF28 PA++ 35g
TROUBLE BLEMISH RECOVER BALM BB CREAM SPF28PA++
BRTC strikes me as one of the more medically-based BB creams. In particular, the blemish recover bb cream has a rather medicine-like smell, which might be appealing for some but it may emphasize the healing properties for acne. I have found that the BRTC range cater for the more light-skinned colour ranges. In a trial, the BRTC BB cream suited the Caucasian skin, rather than the Asian olive colour. In additiion, BRTC are also one of the more expensive BB cream range, like Hanskin.
There are a lot more BB creams. Choosing on one is just as stressful as choosing the right pair of pumps. It is time-consuming and even money-wasting if you don't choose the right one. Before buying a BB cream, especially if you are new to the concept, doing a lot of research is essential. It is like any other skincare product, and it might not suit all skin types, even though it claims it does. It can irritate some skin types, and not others. Also, the colour is a tricky aspect, especially for the the more tanned, olive skin colour. In conclusion, I found that Skin79 was the suitable choice to make. I have my eyes set on the two particular BB creams mentioned above, one for winter and one for summer. The most important thing for me, being an acne-prone skin type is that it has not caused breakouts or skin irritations. I am rather nervous about the colour, but I would most likely to fix this easily with blush and a darker powder shade.
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