Day: July 2, 2012

Skin 79 VIP Gold BB Cream

BB Creams are now increasingly popular here in the West with Stila, Mac, and Garnier producing their own versions. I’ve known about BB Creams for a few of years now because of the its popularity in Asia and specifically those brands from Korea. I have never worn foundation and have no intention of doing so, but recently, I have curious about trying BB creams myself.

The Skin 79 brand is very popular. There is the pink formulation and this gold one. The gold is purported to be slightly more moisturizing than the pink one so suitable for normal-dry skin. Both have the anti-wrinkle, whitening and SPF 25 properties. If you have oilier skin, go for the pink model.

Price: $22CAD tax included at Pacific Mall, Markham. At that mall, it was $22-25 range, but you can definitely get it cheaper online. Ebay and Amazon has some good deals, but you must be careful as there are knockoff versions of BB creams..

How I apply: After moisturizing and sunscreen (if it’s very sunny), I pump only about 1/2 to 3/4 amount, dot it all over my face, focusing on areas where I need it most (tzone), blend and pat. The box has pictorial instructions to help you. If I have blemishes to cover, they get a couple extra dots and blend again. Since BB cream is considered makeup, I use a cleansing soap or an oil to remove it at night.

Skin 79 VIp Gold BB Cream swatch

When I first put this on, it immediately covered the mild redness I usually have on my nose and surrounding cheek area. It covers minor acne or scars; it can dull old scars.

This is light but buildable, but I did see the grey cast if I used two layers of it. This is not very obvious though. You can definitely use it as a light foundation.

Personally, it was not moisturizing enough for me. My skin is combination, but it has been particularly dry this year. This is good for hot, humid weather when my skin is oilier. I think I will try the watery BB creams next.

Pros

  • Light, buildable and oxidizes very well
  • SPF25
  • Minmizes redness and acts as light foundation
  • Affordable
  • A little goes a long way

Cons

  • Not widely available
  • Packaging is bad. it has no cap and if you travel with it, it will spill and make a mess.
  • Can be expensive
  • Not moisturizing enough for me
  • You still need to put a sunscreen and moisturizer on before the BB cream

Conclusion

Ultimately, I do not think most BB creams are for me. That aside, I think this is a good BB cream if you have normal skin. I would not wear this everyday because I don’t need to and it’s a hassle to remove it at night. There are parabens in it and other BB creams so I don’t want to use it all the time either. Skin79 is a good brand for BB creams and as an introduction to Asian BB creams. I’m not displeased with this product and it does look and feel good when I wear it.

Edit (December 2012): I stopped using this BB Cream in Oct after wearing it consistently five days a week for 3 months. I found that I got breakouts on my face from this. It wasn’t hormonal or my usual breakouts either as it would appear on my cheeks. Nothing changed in my diet or routine except this product. After I stopped using this, I tried the Lioele Water Drop BB Cream and read that many others have breakouts from Skin79 BB Cream. I know that many people love the Skin 79 BB creams, and I am not someone with super sensitive skin either. I didn’t get any adverse reactions right away, but only after consistent use.