BB cream

Mac Face & Body Foundation N1 and Mac Prep + Prime BB Cream Extra Light

Apart from the lipstick samples, I also ordered two foundation/BB samples from The Body Needs. You get a 3 ml sample of the Face & Body Foundation in a small squeezy bottle for 2.99$ and the BB sample comes in a small plastic pot for 2.79$. There is a big selection of shades, but I don't know if those are all the shades available by Mac.

Mac Face & Body Foundation N1

Texture: This is the runniest foundation I tried and it feels very lightweight. It needs to be shaken before use otherwise it looks a bit separated. 

Coverage: This has a very light coverage. It's like a tinted moisturiser with a sheer to light coverage and it only evens out the skin, but doesn't cover circles, freckles, any prominent redness, blemish marks nor blemishes themselves. It is buildable, however, I find that not much. Layering gives a bit more coverage, yet nothing like a proper light to medium foundation, but still more than the Prep + Prime BB.

Finish: This is the most natural finish out all foundations I tried. It's skin-like and even if looking very closely you can't see you're wearing anything. The finish is the same as your base is, so for example if you used a mattifying lotion it's matte. Due to light texture it blends in seamlessly into the skin. 

Colour: N1 looks too dark and slightly orange for my pale skin, but since the coverage is so sheer it blends in ok giving me an hint of a natural tan effect. 

It's lovely foundation for a those who prefer sheer coverage and the no-makeup makeup look as it is undetectable on the skin. However, the lightest shade in the N range isn't exactly light.

I layered it a lot on the right picture:

Mac Prep + Prime BB Cream Extra Light

Texture: It's very similar to thick moisturisers. Despite the thickness, it's easy to apply but lacks the silicone feeling that most foundations have. It reminds me of home-made tinted moisturisers that I used to mix (one part foundation, one part moisturiser).

Coverage: It's very light, again like a tinted moisturiser. The coverage is similar to the Face & Body in a sense that it evens out the skin, but doesn't cover circles, freckles, any more prominent redness, blemish marks nor the blemishes themselves.

Finish: It's a bit dewy from the beginning, but then it sets to a satin/natural skin-like finish.

Colour: Extra light fits me ok, though it is a bit too warm for my neutral skin, but since the coverage is so light it blends into my skin nicely.

Another very light coverage product, but with a much thicker texture and an SPF 35. The moisturiser type texture makes it nice for dry skin. The colour fits me much better than the Face & Body, however, not as well as other BB's I own. 

Have a great day!

Diorskin Nude BB (plus Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau BB)

I am a fan of foundations/BBs that give that skin-like finish and Dior's BB is exactly that. A while back, I had a sample of this BB cream which really impressed me. So as soon as I found a nice offer I snatched  a tube for myself.

It is a medium thickness BB cream that blends into the skin so well. I find it looks best applied with a brush, I like Real Techniques buffing brush the most for applying this BB, but fingers work ok too.

The finish is semi-matte and there is some healthy radiance to it. It looks like skin and you can't really see that your wearing anything, it just sort of melts in. It reminds me of Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, but less radiant andBourjois BB cream. Much like Bourjois HM serum, it leaves the skin (almost) dry to the touch, which is a huge plus for me. I set it with powder in this hot weather otherwise my T-zone gets shiny, but I probably won't have to in colder months. It looks fantastic in combination with Mac Mineralize Skinfinish natural. My skin doesn't get flaky during the day and it wears off nicely. Staying power is nice, there is a lot left on the cotton pad when I take my makeup off at the end of the day. I also find it works fantastic if you reapply it over existing makeup to freshen up.

It has light coverage, even lighter than Bourjois HM Serum and less than all other foundations/BB's I own. It doesn't cover circles and my freckles are still visible, but you can build it up a bit with more layers. Basically, it just makes the skin looking more even, like you have naturally great skin. For any imperfections, I use concealer as would with any other foundation/BB.

Every time I find a really light shade sold in my country, I get really excited. 001 is a very light, pink-toned shadethat is a nice match for me and blends very well with my skin tone. I have more or less a neutral skin tone and Bourjois 51, which is yellow toned, also matches me nicely because it has low coverage. But as far as undertones go, my absolute best match is Missha Signature Real Complete BB in 13, which is neutral. There are tree shades of Diorskin BB available, 002 might be most universal.

The packaging is great. A sleek tube with a great pump that dispenses the desired amount. This is how it should be done. I always use quite small amount of foundation and one pump is enough for my needs. The BB has an SPF 10, which is shamefully low, but it works nice with the sunscreen I use, so it's not a deal breaker.

I got mine from Feel Unique for 31€, when I had a discount. Regular price is around 37€.
If you're a fan of light coverage with skin-like finish, give it a go, but I suggest you get a sample first. 

I'm wearing only the BB here:

Since we are on a subject of high-end BB's, I had a sample of Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau BB when I was deciding whether to get Dior's one or Guerlain's. I did a swatch of the shade and took a picture of how it looked on the skin.

Unfortunately, the lightest shade is a bit too dark for me. Though it wasn't the worst match, it was dark enough for me to notice. I would have to self-tan to be able to wear it. The coverage is much higher than Dior's BB, I'd say medium (medium-full  if you build it up), and I didn't need to use concealer under the eyes or around the nose, only on blemishes. It has an SPF 30, which was the thing that draw me to it. The texture is thicker and heavier than Dior's, but the finish is the same semi-matte. It's a lovely BB cream and I would buy it if they had a shade that suits me. There are only two shades available.

Again I'm wearing only the BB here. See how much better it conceals circles.

Have a great day!

Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream

I became very, very pale this winter, too pale for my beloved Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51, so I went on a search for an extremely light shade of foundation or BB cream. I found some great reviews on MUA for Missha's BB creams and their shade number 13, so I ordered myself a small tube of the M Signature Real Complete B.B. Cream. This is my third Asian BB and it is very different than the other two I tried (Skin79 Pink Label - review and Holika Holika Peach Girl - review), particularly in terms of texture. 

The texture is very light and runny. It reminds me a lot of Bourjois Healthy Mix serum, but the latter has a bit more coverage. Also, unlike HM serum, this BB leaves my skin tacky for about a 1/2 hour, then it finally dries and sets. It has an SPF 25 PA++. Like most Asian BB's, it best applied with fingers, namely it needs the warmth of the finger tips to blend in. Since it's not as thick as the rest BBs, it also works fine with a brush.

It has light to medium coverage. It evens out the skin and covers minor redness, however, as you can see on the picture below, it doesn't cover blemishes, dark circles or strong redness. It has a dewy finish and I suspect most with oilier skins will perhaps find it too dewy. Like Healthy Mix Serum it makes your skin look like you have nothing on, it just looks like your skin but better and this is the finish I love the most. I don't detect any grey tones that Asian BB creams usually have.

Staying power is decent, it's not going to last all day, but keep in mind this is a dewy, light coverage foundation. It wears off nicely, evenly and doesn't go patchy like foundations with fuller coverage do on me.

It smells like baby powder and the scent is quite strong, but it disappears quickly.

The shade I got, number 13, is the lightest I have ever come across. It's somewhere between neutral and pinky toned, and fits me perfectly right now. In fact, this is the first foundation/BB that fits me that well and  Bourjois foundations, though very light, are very yellow toned. There are two more shades, number 21, which I hear is close to Skin79's Pink Label BB, and darker one, number 23.

I got the small, 20g tube, which is nice and it's easy to get the product out. The full size tubes come with a pump and contains 45g of product.

I bought it on eBay for 11$ (8.5€ / 7.30£). Full size is about 14€ / 12.50£ / 17$ (it depends on the seller, obviously).

I've had it for a month now and I really enjoy wearing it, however, I got blackheads on my nose, which I've never had before. I can't be certain that this BB is the cause for it, it could be Collection 2000 concealer causing it, but these are the only things I changed. I haven't had any breakouts elsewhere.

I'm wearing only Missha BB here with no concealer:

I'm also wearing Missha BB but with Collection 2000 concealer in this post.

I really like this BB, because the shade is perfect, I love the light texture, dewy finish and the fact that is almost undetectable on the skin. However, I don't like that it leaves my skin tacky and I'm concerned about the blackheads. It rivals my beloved Healthy Mix Serum, however, I still think the latter looks and feels better on the skin.

Thanks for reading!

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Bourjois BB Cream

This BB was one of my very rare impulse buys. What got me was the packaging which is one of the most functional ones I've seen. It's a very new product on the market, but just one of the many western attempts at BB creams. I was very self-tanned when I bought it, so naturally the shade is very dark, what's the problem is that it is the lightest in the range.

Packaging: I was swayed by the packaging. I'm one of those, who is drawn to the functionality rather than prettiness. It's a compact BB cream with a huge mirror that swivels 360° degrees. I really wanted it just to keep it in my make up bag as a foundation/concealer on the go. Because it's a shiny black plastic it doesn't stay clean for long, you can see every fingerprint and smudge on it. It really is great on the go because the compact is thin and not too big, not to mention how awesome is the mirror.

Product: It claims to be 8-in-1, but most of the things on their list is just Captain Obvious stuff from my perspective. It has an SPF of 20. It's is very creamy and soft, but not as soft as Max Factor Miracle Illusion. It blends so well, it just melts into the skin. The finish is very natural, just like skin, not too matte and not dewy. I really like the finish, it's like you have nothing on, even from looking really close you can't tell you're wearing anything. I like the application with fingers most, I tried using a brush but it ended up too uneven. Because my skin is currently very dry, I use one of my oils as a base and this helps the BB to look even better. The coverage is light-medium, my darker freckles are still visible and it doesn't completely cover the redness around the nose and under the eyes. I find this clings to patches if I don't use an oil. I didn't even realize how small the amount of product actually is when I was buying it. It's only 6g and I've been using it about a week and I already hit the pan! I'm not the one to cake on foundation, in fact, I always use quite small amount, but this is just insane. Staying power is quite good, it lasts over 8 hours and itfades nicely in terms that it doesn't get ugly patchy and keeps oiliness any at bay (at least with my skin).

Shade Range: The biggest flop by Bourjois. There are only four shades available and two of them, 21 and 23, are almost identical. I've always relied on them to have the lightest foundations for us Snow Whites. They basically lost a huge cut of the market, it's like they forgot it's sold in Europe. The lightest shade called 21 Vanilla is just a smidgen lighter than Flower Perfection 53. Just like most of the western companies they completely disappointed me by creating a BB cream that doesn't even carry a light shade. I can only wear it if I'm self-tanning and I do that on rare occasions when I want a change (plus coral lipsticks look so much better on me when I'm tan).

Verdict: I love the packaging and I like the finish. But the amount of product is way to small for a 15€ price tag. The most disappointing thing is the shade range. If they had two lighter shades I'd be probably raving about it. I'd say it's good for oilier/combination/normal skin and it's not the best for dry skin without a heavy, moisturising base underneath.

Thanks for reading!