Review: Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] in 23 Sand Beige

I used to think of the BB Cushion concept as "just another gimmick that wouldn't work". Obviously I was very wrong because right now, I can't think of a better way to apply liquid foundation or BB cream. The magic is in the cushion puff used to apply the product. I used up my Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion but I didn't want to stop using the puff so I used it to blend out my favourite Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. Best decision ever because the puff and the patting motion resulted in a well-blended, no-streaking application. 

I now have purchased back-ups of the puff ONLY because the puff seems to work well with almost all of my base products. 

But of course, that didn't stop me from trying out more cushion products. I'm now more wary of trying out these BB cushions because most of the available ones in the market are targeted towards dry to normal skin users. There are very few that are formulated for those with oily skin, hence when find one, I will get it. 

The Laneige BB Cushion is not a new product - it's probably the most talked-about BB cushion in the beauty industry. It's like the Naked palette of South Korea. Cult product status. However, the original formulation was more for those with dry to normal skin types. I've read a multitude of positive reviews on the Laneige BB Cushion (and very very few negative experiences. Quite a feat!) and I was upset that I wasn't able to try out the product. 

Then, they had a Pore Control version out. It's like Laneige was testing the waters first, then once the product boomed into mega stardom, they released a semi-matte version which will delight those with combination to oily skin types. Similarly to the original version, the Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] barely has any negative reviews from users. Very li hai hor? So I also must buy. 

And I did. 

But not the full compact, just the refill. I got mine from Carousell for just S$20. 

I didn't buy the full compact (S$59 in Luxola) because I still had my Etude House compact. Luckily I did some research. Etude House and Laneige are owned by the same company (Amore Pacific), and so some of their products have similar packaging. The Laneige BB Cushion refill fits perfectly into the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion packaging. S$39 saved! 

Random fact: I just did a quick Wikipedia search for Amore Pacific and I'm quite shocked at how many brands Amore Pacific owns. Aritaum, Hera, Mamonde, Sulwahsoo, Innisfree, IOPE, etc. It's like the Asian L'oreal. 

Packaging: I don't have the actual Laneige BB Cushion packaging because the refill is currently residing in the Etude House compact, but I'm very glad that someone in Amore Pacific decided to make the refills compatible across brands. Yes, they are not going to earn a full S$59 from customers, but they are going to earn the refill money from returning customers. Kengyang is in South Korea now, and I have asked him to get me 2 refills of the Laneige BB Cushion (Pore Control). If they only sold the full compact, I wouldn't even ask him to get me one.

Shade: I got mine in 23 Sand Beige. I think there are 5-6 shades available depending on where you buy the product. I searched online and the darkest shade is 33 Coffee (which looked NOTHING like coffee). 23 Sand Beige is an almost perfect match for my skin tone. My skin tone is more on the yellow-olive side and 23 Sand Beige is a little bit pinker than my skin tone. This is great because I always look for foundations with a slight pink in them to neutralise the yellowness slightly.

Pigmentation/Coverage: The Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] has incredible coverage. I always forget that it's marketed as a BB cream product because the coverage is almost like a liquid/cream foundation. I would say that one layer will give you medium coverage, and you can build it up to almost full coverage by piling on the layers without feeling like you armed yourself with a thick face mask. It covers my acne scars quite well even only with one layer. I usually apply two layers - one on the entire face, then a second one on the areas that need more TLC.

Come, come I show you pictures!!

First photo: No makeup at all. This was after I applied my day moisturizer.
Second photo: First layer of the Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] (as you can see, it has a semi-matte finish, and not dewy finish)
Third photo: Second layer of Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] on lower cheeks and upper mouth area.
Fourth photo: Follow up with finishing powder
Fifth photo: Completed look!

Very impressive right?

I show you a more drastic change.

Lai, before and after!

有没有很厉害 !!

Longevity: You definitely need to use a primer before using the Laneige BB Cushion. I tried with and without primer and the difference is quite staggering. Without a primer, this lasted me for 3-4 hours before things started to look a little bit too oily for my liking. With a primer, this lasted double the time. A good 7-8 hours before I needed a powder touch-up.

Will I buy it again? I already have 2 backups, and I'm willing to stick to this BB Cushion till I find another one suitable for my skin type. Whenever I find a product that works for my skin, I will stick to it and I'm quite resistant to product changes. Just like how I have used my ZA two-way foundation for almost 10 years. If there are no better alternatives out there, I will stick with the Laneige BB Cushion (Pore Control). Great, great product!

Have a great day guys! Do let me know if you have more BB Cushions that you want me to try! :) 

Current Foundation Routine (Nivea, The Body Shop and klairs)

Having a camera with wifi function is amazing! I took these photos this morning before going to work and I was able to transfer the photos to my phone for quick editing on the MRT. Very efficient use of my commute time leh!

Here's an update to my foundation routine. I no longer apply liquid foundation on a daily basis because I think it's too much for my acne-prone skin.

Step 1: Apply Nivea Sun Whitening Light Texture Serum Make-up Base 

Step 2: Apply a mixture of The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream and klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream

Step 3: Finish off with an application of  ZA Perfect Fit 2-Way Foundation with a powder brush (not in photo, but I have been using this ZA powder for more than 10 years already)

I bough the klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream on Qoo10 for really cheap! It was on sale for S$10.80 with free normal shipping. 

I first read about it on this random blog that was raving about how light it was and how it didn't break her out despite her having acne-prone and sensitive skin. I was very intrigued because I had the same skin type as this blogger and I also faced the same problem of breaking out from using new BB creams. So after researching abit more, I decided to check out. 

I especially love the klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream because it does not have a greyish undertone and because it applies like a moisturizer. No cakey feeling at all. The only problem was it was too fair for my skin. 

This problem was instantly fixed because when I noticed that it was too fair, I remembered that I had The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream in 02, which was too dark for my skin. YAY! Mixing these two together resulted in the perfect shade for my skin! 

The combination applies beautifully - almost like my daily moisturizer. I normally apply one layer like as if I'm applying moisturizer. Then I add a second layer on areas that needed a little bit more coverage (like under-eye area, blemishes, etc). I don't use any concealers after the second layer. I'll give it around 5 minutes to set then I top it off with a little of powder. 

Here's a before-and-after comparison:

First photo: No makeup at all. 

Second photo: Sunscreen and a mixture of the two BB creams applied. 

Third photo: Finished with the ZA powder 5 minutes later. 

Looks great right?! No concealer at all!! Very excellent lah these two products (and of course my forever holy grail powder foundation - ZA Perfect Fit 2-Way Foundation).

This way I can avoid wearing thick liquid foundations and cream concealers. Most of the item, a combination of these two products will clog my pores and then my good pimply friends will appear again zzzzz.

Have a great day guys! :) I'm loving this routine so much now!!

Going crazy for Korean cosmetics

This photo is a lie. 

I have 3 more products coming from Korea, so the entire haulage is way bigger. Oops.

I just find some Korean cosmetics way more advanced than some Western brands. Traditional is almost always good, but good innovation can make traditional more convenient and more captivating. For one, the BB Cushion is an excellent revolution - even Lancôme is coming out with their own BB Cushion (which under-performed when compared to those from Korean brands, according to some online reviews)!

Fortunately Qoo10 has plenty of listings for Korean cosmetic products from sellers based in South Korea. That means prices are somewhat similar to those in South Korea (additional a few bucks for shipping lah). This is very excellent because as most Singapore dwellers will know, prices are marked up considerably in the local stores. I got the Innisfree Long Wear Cushion for less than S$20 on Qoo10 and it's retailing for more than S$30 at local Innisfree stores! Very excellent indeed, this Qoo10.

This also means I need to rethink and reorganise my makeup cupboard. Time to throw away things to make space for new things! Just in time for CNY cleaning!

Review: Dr. Wu Acnecur Mattify Blemish Balm Cream

In my honest opinion, the current BB cream scene is lacking, especially in the acne-prone skin department. We have countless BB creams for brightening, for hydrating, for anti-ageing, but very few for those with acne problems. It doesn't really make sense because there are a lot of potential users who have acne-prone skin and are looking for a suitable BB cream because they are looking for something less potent than a liquid foundation. It's a huge market!

I was, of course, extremely excited when I found out about the Dr. Wu Acnecur Mattify Blemish Balm Cream. It's available on luxola and also on sale in certain Watsons stores. It's not affordable though. The Dr. Wu Acnecur Mattify BB Cream retails for S$46 on Luxola and that's certainly not cheap for a BB cream. I bought mine when Luxola had their pop-up 30%-off promotion. 

Ingredients list

The Dr. Wu Acnecur Mattify BB Cream is marketed to be:

• light and feather-weight
• useful for anti-acne, oil-control, soothing, hydrating, whitening and UV protection
• able to conceal imperfections without pore inflammation
• able to reduce redness
• able to provide a matte, yet hydrated finish

So, am I a satisfied user of this BB Cream? 

To be frank, I used to hate it, but now I don't hate it so much. The main reason being I used this BB Cream when I had my crazy breakouts and also after I went for anti-acne facials. The BB Cream worked differently for the two periods and hence I'll be reviewing this BB Cream using these two periods. 

Packaging: The pale green packaging looks clinical and I think a clinical outlook is good for a product that aims to tackle acne problem. The dispenser was also sealed so that's excellent on the hygiene front.

Consistency: I don't understand why this was marketed as a light and feather-weight BB Cream because when I used it, I had difficulty blending it out because it was so thick. Maybe the company was describing the light-weight feeling after the BB Cream has been blended out? When I used this BB Cream, I couldn't dot the product all around my face and then blend it out because once the right side was blended, the left side and forehead would be really thick and it took extra effort to blend out the other areas. Dried way too fast! I had to dot the product on one area first, then blend, then dot another area, then blend.

Coverage and pigmentation:
During breakout - I will not suggest those with a lot of acne to use this BB Cream because it will accentuate the problematic areas. I had many ripened pimples the first few times I used it and the pimples looked way more obvious even after I applied my trusted loose powder. It will definitely cover areas with slight redness, but the coverage will not be enough for painful, pus-filled pimples. I didn't like the consistency and how it made my pimples look more pronounced so I stopped using it.

After facials - After 3 sessions of facials, I was left with acne scarring and so I decided to give the Dr. Wu Acnecur Mattify BB Cream another try. The consistency is not something that will change because I went for facials so I have no change in opinion for that part. However, the application process became more pleasant. My acne scars were adequately concealed and sometimes a concealer was not needed anymore. Just a quick touch of loose powder and my face makeup was done. Hence, I have come to a conclusion that this BB Cream will be a better fit for users who have oily-skin and acne scars, and want to prevent future acne breakouts, and have no painful ripened pimples on the skin.

One more thing regarding the pigmentation, the Dr. Wu Acnecur Mattify BB Cream has quite a greyish tinge when blended out. It's quite strange. My skin has warm undertones and whenever I use this BB Cream, my skintone will alter to one that has way too much cool undertones. This is the reason why I cannot just go out with this BB Cream on my face; I must top it off with my powder/loose powder that will bring back some warmth to my face. Those with cool undertones, you will face no such problems.

Longevity: The longevity of the Dr. Wu Acnecur Mattify BB Cream is the same for me no matter what my skin condition is. Initially, it will produce a nice matte effect. But then, it gets oily after 4-5 hours, which is quite disappointing for a mattifying BB cream. But of course, please take into consideration my extremely oily skin.

The great thing about this product is it did not cause a bad reaction to my skin. I always try new face cosmetics with great caution because of how acne-prone my face is. So, the fact that this didn't cause breakouts already made me a happy camper.

Will I buy it again? I don't think so. It is a decent product if you want to conceal acne scars. But, the consistency puts me off the product. I'm sure the BB Cream industry will expand soon to include more acne-prone-skin-friendly products.

Hope this has been useful! Have a great day ahead guys! :)

First Impression: The Body Shop Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream

When The Body Shop Singapore announced the launch of the Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream, I was ecstatic and so so SO eager to try it out. Seriously man, I have seen so many posts on the Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream and I wanted to have it so bad, but it wasn't available in Singapore! Now, the game has changed. Hurhurhur. 

I didn't purchase one straight away because the what-ifs controlled my impulses. What if this worked horribly? What if I get crazy breakouts? What if it's too thick? What if ... what if.... what if.... So I ended up getting a sample and oh my goodness I LOVE IT. 

Photo from The Body Shop Singapore's facebook page. 

Photo from The Body Shop Singapore's facebook page. 

The salesperson at Chinatown Point's The Body Shop wasn't very happy when I asked for a sample, but she gave me one anyway. Shade 02 was a perfect match for me and wow I'm impressed at how amazing this BB cream is!! I used the sample on 3 consecutive days and after those 3 days, I'm a true believer. 

First of all, let me begin by saying that I went for an acne facial 4 days ago, and my skin is no longer as bumpy and no longer infested with small spots. However, I had redness and scars from the first facial session, hence I still needed something legit to cover the problematic areas. 

Quick summary on why I love the Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream so much:

• The really pleasant watery consistency when you blend the BB Cream. It comes out very thick, but when you blend, it becomes more liquefied and cooling. Super shiok. 
• This has medium coverage, despite the more watery application. You don't feel like you're wearing a mask but you get problematic areas sufficiently concealed. You still need concealer if you have super ripe pimples or extreme redness, but overall the coverage is enough for lazy days. 
• No itchy, prickly sensation. I have acne-prone, oily skin and I think my skin is becoming more and more sensitive by the day. I cannot try new face products freely because I get breakouts very easily. For BB Creams, I don't usually get breakouts, but it's very often that I will get sudden strange itchy feeling on the forehead and cheeks a couple of hours after application. With this Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream, no itchiness was documented. It was AMAZING. 
• I have crazy oily skin (quite sure old readers would be really tired of me saying this over and over again haha) and this BB Cream controls oil effectively! WOW! Even after 6 hours, my skin didn't look like a disco ball. I had oily areas but nothing too severe. I actually looked like I had dewy, healthy skin? DOUBLE WOW! 

Wahlao, super awesome. Time to buy the full-sized product! Thank you The Body Shop Singapore for (finally) bringing in this miraculous product!

Review: Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion in Honey Beige W24

I'm such a laggard when it comes to trying out new cosmetic technology and innovation. I have heard of the various BB Cushions in the market but I have yet to try any...till now. At first, I thought this beauty invention was just a gimmick, but ah, I couldn't be more wrong. 

Paydays are my favourite days. Not only because they make me feel happy about the financial department, but also because the sudden surge in moolah pushes me to buy new products to try out, like this Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion. I bought it for S$20.50 on Qoo10. 

I'm a BB Cushion convert, and here's why...

There are 3 shades available on the Qoo10 site:

• N02 Light Beige
• W13 Natural Beige
• W24 Honey Beige

As with most of South Korean foundation-type products, you have limited choice when it comes to finding the shade to match your skin. I bought the darkest one out of the lot (W24 Honey Beige) and I think it's still too light for me. 

Every single time I use the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion, I will skip the sunscreen. It has SPF50+/PA++! I think that is a good number for a hot and humid weather like Singapore's.

Ingredients list

Packaging: A slightly hefty round compact that scores high marks in terms of product hygiene. There's a plastic separator between the puff and the cushion. The cushion is also sealed and you have to remove the safety seal before usage.

How to use: The application process is quite different, but it's not rocket science. You take the given puff and press the blue side on the cushion till you get the desired amount of product. Then you apply the puff on your face by either patting it on or spreading it all over the face. The application will have to depend on your skin condition and what you want out of the product. Relatively clear and smooth skin? Then spreading it all over is enough. If you have redness or acne to cover up, the pat the puff on the area - more coverage this way!

Usefulness of provided puff: It's marketed as the Collagen Air Puff and I understand why there's no "sponge" anywhere in the name. This puff doesn't absorb the product like a sponge! It picks up the cream and the cream will stay at the surface without getting absorbed. When you apply it on your face, you are applying what you dispensed out of the cushion. No wastage due to absorption! Also, the puff makes application a breeze. It also makes the cream look more even and smooth as compared to when you apply using your fingers.

Product consistency/texture: The Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion has a runnier consistency than the usual BB creams. I guess this slightly liquid consistency helps the puff pick up the cream better.

Application: As mentioned briefly above, application with the aid of the puff is a breeze. I don't know how they created the puff; it's amazing! Now I use it with my other liquid foundations too. First of all, the cream applies beautifully and evenly. The puff also ensures that the product is not just sitting on top of large pores and making them more obvious. With the puff, the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion makes any large pores miraculously disappear. It's not an exaggeration - I have huge pores around my nose area and after using the puff with any of my liquid foundations, they are no longer as pronounced. I can't even see them anymore unless I go really close to the mirror.

Starting from the left:
1. Bare skin
2. One layer of Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion
3. Two layers of Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion

Coverage: The Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion has a medium coverage that's definitely buildable to a full coverage. As you can see from the photo above, one layer of Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion can cover most redness. Two layers can conceal the redness and acne better. Even after two layers, my skin doesn't look cakey or thick. It still looks like ... my skin... but better! For those with dry skin, you don't need the loose powder at all. This dries to a semi-matte finish. However, if you're like me and you have overworked sebaceous glands, then yes, loose powder is a must to finish things off.

Longevity: This lasted a good 3-4 hours before my skin looked like an oil spill occurred. I'm not complaining though because the product won't move when you blot. You don't get that irritating uneven patches on your face after the tissue/blotter picked up some product in the process. This will work VERY well for users with normal to combination skin. You will have dewy skin by the end of the day!

Will I buy it again? Wah I definitely will. It has high SPF and it has coverage that can rival liquid foundations. Moreover, the given puff is AMAZING. Of course will buy again lah. I hope Etude House provides more shades. So many people will love your product you know? Expand your target market!!

Hope this has been helpful! Have a great day guys! :)

Review: Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion with SPF 50 PA+++

Finally catching up on my reviews! I apologise for the lack of review posts this week. I just started a new job and I think the transition from being a student to a full-time employee is not treating me very well. Moreover, I just came back from a 3-week vacation. Hence, I was lethargic everyday and I didn't want to write a blog review that was half-hearted. So, I took my beauty sleep religiously and now here I am starting on my review posts again. HOORAH. :) 

One of my favourite beauty/skincare acquisition from Japan was the Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion with SPF 50 PA+++. My skin does not adapt to different BB creams very well and sometimes I'm scared to try out new ones because my skin breaks out so easily after using new BB creams! I decided to be adventurous this time round and plunged. The only other BB cream that I use currently is my all-time favourite Holika Holika one (http://fitrina-inamorata.blogspot.sg/2013/04/review-holika-holika-aqua-petit-jelly.html). 

The packaging of Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion with SPF 50 PA+++ already caught my attention! SPF50 PA+++?! YES PLEASE. As beautiful as she is, Singapore is relentless with her sunshine. SPF is a must in your daily skincare if you want your beautiful taut skin to last! I'm so scared of getting wrinkly skin now that I make sure I have enough SPF to last me throughout the day. 

Everything's in Japanese, so I'm also as clueless as you are. But, since some of the words are in Mandarin, I can understand some of its claims. I guess its SPF50 PA+++ is currently the strongest in the BB cream market?

Also, this BB cream is good for being a:

• moisturiser
• sunscreen
• makeup base
• I can't figure out what the last category is :( sorry. 

Only 2 shades are available for this, so naturally I had to choose the darker shade. That's the thing about Asian BB creams that I hate. Why can't they provide more variety in terms of colours? How can you categorise your target market into just 2 shades? I don't understand loh. 

But anyway, moving on ...

Product Packaging: Very simple and very easy to recognise. I especially like how the font size of "BB" is so huge. Actually this packaging reminds me of high-end Japanese products. Usually the more fancy the packaging is, the more drugstore it is? (Just from my observation, not generalising here) I like how the product packaging looks so laboratory-ish too! I feel like my skin can definitely benefit from this. Placebo effect? haha.

Before you use the product, be sure to shake it first!

Consistency: The Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion with SPF 50 PA+++ is not as thick as a liquid foundation, and it's not as watery as a oil-less moisturizer. I like its consistency because I don't feel weighed down by the product and I don't feel like I'm applying nothing to my face. So in all, it's all well in the consistency department.

Coverage: I was really surprised at how the Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion with SPF 50 PA+++ has such great pigmentation despite its light consistency. I expected it to not cover very well and to just be a plain old sunscreen but no, it actually covers my blemishes quite well! I don't really have acne breakouts now, but I still do have acne scars and a few spots here and there. After applying this BB cream, my scars are ALL concealed and my spots are less obvious. I am very very impressed.

For those with more severe acne problems, you still have to apply some concealer after using this. But trust me, the amount of concealer that you use will be significantly lesser.

ALSO, this BB cream covers dark eye circles VERY WELL. I didn't have to use any under-eye concealer after applying this and I don't look like I epitomise death. I actually look healthy and presentable! AWESOME STUFF.

Swatch taken with cloudy day settings

Swatch taken under camera flash

For the two photos above, I applied the Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion with SPF 50 PA+++ and then some concealer on my stubborn spots and then fixed it all up with my trusted ZA 2-way Foundation. The thing about this BB cream is it's not sticky after you apply it on your skin. So, I think if you have dry to normal skin, it's alright for you to just go out with only the BB cream on your skin. For those with oily/combination skin, a light dusting of mattifying powder wouldn't hurt! :)

Longevity: This is the part that disappoints me the most. It is amazing during application and around 3 hours after application. After that, the BB cream just .... melts. I don't know if it's the terribly hot weather or what, but I felt like I just got out of an oil pool. :( I really was shocked when I checked my makeup in the mirror after around 3 hours. Even my cheeks looked oily and my cheeks are usually the driest part of my face! So my verdict is, I really like how the Hada Labo BB Moist Emulsion with SPF 50 PA+++ applies so in the future I will just bring my mattifying powder out and touch up every couple of hours.

Will I buy it again? I'm on the fence. I really like how the product delivers in terms of application and coverage but the way it melts after application really disturbs me. I will see how it goes!

Hope this has been helpful and have a great weekend guys! :)