REVIEW: TOP 5 WORST BASE PRODUCTS

If you've been following my blog, you'd know that I mostly write separate reviews for each products, but this time I wanna do something new, which is combine every base products that I've hated over the years into this one post. These are all BB creams and CC creams. I did try some horrible foundations before but they have since been discontinued (well, serve 'em right!), so I won't mention them here. Side note: I have combination skin with oily T-zone and normal/dehydrated cheeks.

1. Tonymoly Luminous Bright Aura CC Cream SPF 30 PA++: 

(source: etonymoly.com)

This product successfully tops the list of the worst base products I've ever tried! I got a sample from Tonymoly and was so excited because I hadn't used any CC creams before it. Tonymoly claimed that it had whitening and moisturizing property, as well as provided natural color change. As it turned out, the result left me speechless. It had zero coverage and oil-control property. It wasn't even moisturizing! It made my skin became incredibly WHITE (just like a sunscreen's white cast), as well as emphasized every single dry patch on my face and made it look extra dry, cakey and flaky. I couldn't find any good things about this product and I was so glad I didn't purchase it.

2. It's Skin Star Cream:

Star Cream is It's Skin own version of CC cream. I love It's Skin skincare, especially their Power 10 line, so it pains me to have to put one of their product into the worst products list. I wouldn't say much about this because I've already written a full review about it, which you can read here. In short, the pros are non-existent and the cons are quite similar to that of Tonymoly CC Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream SPF30 PA++.

3. Laneige Snow BB Soothing Cushion SPF50+ PA+++:

This product has also been reviewed right here on my blog. It's the opposite of the first two products as it was too dark for my skin tone and made my face super greasy. 

4. Tonymoly BB Fit Perfect 24 SPF30 PA++:

This is the 2nd Tonymoly base product to appear in this list (well done, Tonymoly!) The color fit me better than the Luminous Pure Aura CC Cream, but somehow, it still managed to accentuate all the dry patches in my face (even those I didn't even know I had!). The staying power wasn't great either (about 2 hours), so much for the Perfect 24 claim! Another minor complaint is the amount of product inside the sample tube. It looked big, but I was only able to get 2 usages out of it :(

5. The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream:

Recently, The Body Shop Vietnam has become more generous with their samples so I was able to get one sachet of the Vitamin E Cool BB Cream. Let's dissect it claim by claim :P

• Hydrates to protect: It was hydrating, but to the point of feeling super greasy on the skin! Right after applying it, my face felt so tacky and the feeling remained until it was taken off. Even powdering didn't make the greasiness go away :( 
• Evens tone: This BB cream had super sheer and non-buildable coverage. It did manage to cover up the uneven skin tone around my nose and on my chin, but not my dark circles or my acnes.
• Fresh-looking skin: Unlike other BB creams which gave a subtle glow to my face, this one just made me look dull. Because of its greasiness, my skin just looked oily instead of glowing :(
• One cool shade: I was quite lucky because this shade fit my skin really well. 

However, to me, the ultimate deal breaker was the staying power. The BB cream started to fade (unevenly, I may add) after one hour and my face just looked HORRIBLE, like I had nothing on (but not in a good way). I looked sad, dull, oily and greasy.  

That's the end of my top 5 worst base products. I think I'm quite lucky because most of them are just samples that I received as GWPs (except the Laneige one). I hope this post will be helpful to you when you consider buying a new base product. Have a nice day guys, and I'll see you soon with a (hopefully) more positive post! 

TRAVEL SERIES PART 2: MY TRAVEL MAKEUP BAG

Hi everyone! I'm back with part 2 of my travel series. Today I'm gonna talk about what makeup products I bring with me in my upcoming holiday.

This super kawaii bag is a GWP that I got from It's Skin. It's just freakin' adorable >.<

• Base makeup: Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm and Skin79 Sun Protect Beblesh Pact SPF30 PA++. Both products have been reviewed on my blog. Just click on their names and you'll be redirected to the posts.   
• Concealer: Skinfood Salmon Darkcircle Concealer Cream. This doesn't completely cover up my dark circles, but again I haven't found any concealer that does this, so it'll have to do.

• Eye makeup: I don't wear eyeshadow but eyebrow powder and mascara are must-have items for me. KATE Designing Eyebrow N and Kiss Me Heroine Make Long&Curl Mascara fit the bill perfectly. 

• Blusher: I love KATE Cheek Color S in PK-1 (click on the name to see full review). It's a very natural and pretty pink shade. 
• Lipstick: Since I plan on purchasing several lipsticks overseas, I only bring one with me and it's Tonymoly Prestige Crystal Lipstick SPF13 in Muse Coral which I raved about when I first started my blog. The color makes my face look brighter, livelier and the lipstick itself has SPF13! 
• Makeup tools: I love bringing The Body Shop Retractable Blusher Brush when travelling because it's small, compact, light and has a lid! I hate using powder puff because it makes my face look cakey. For eyes, I always curl my lashes before applying mascara. I've used Shiseido Eyelash Curler for about 4 years and it's still going strong ^^ I also have Etude House Eyebrow Razor to trim my eyebrows. I never pluck my brows as I'm afraid it'll make my eyes become droopy.

Well, that's everything I plan to put in my makeup bag. Wish you all a happy holiday :)

REVIEW: KATE BB GEL CREAM + KATE MINERAL LOOSE FOUNDATION IN OC-C SET

I purchased this set way back in 2012 because it was so much cheaper than buying each product separately. The set cost 430,000VND (about US$20), while the BB Gel Cream alone cost 405,000VND (approximately US$19) and the Mineral Loose Foundation was 459,000VND (about US$21.5).

(Source: ebay.com)

Description (source: http://www.kate-global.net/en/all_products/face.html)

(Click on images to see description)

Ingredients (source: ratzillacosme.com):

- BB Gel Cream: 

- Mineral Loose Foundation:

(Click on images to see ingredients)

My Opinion: After purchasing the set, I checked the expiration dates on checkcosmetic.net and found out that these products were produced in 2010, which meant I had less than one year to finish them up! No wonder they were significantly cheaper!

- BB Gel Cream: When my skin was super oily, I didn't need to apply any moisturizers prior to this BB cream. However, I had to apply a moisturizer beforehand if my skin was a little bit dry, otherwise it'd accentuate my dry patches. The shade OC-C was a little bit too bright and yellow for me (I find that Korean BB creams often have pink/beige undertones while Japanese ones are more yellow-based.) It also felt sticky on my face, but this could be solved by applying the Mineral Loose Foundation on top. My T-zone started getting oily after 1.5 hours without powder and 2 hours with powder. It had light coverage, and I had to use a separate concealer for my dark circles. It didn't clog my pores or break me out despite its moisturizing effect. I didn't use any sunscreens underneath but it did a good job protecting my skin from the sun. It's also free of alcohol, mineral oil, fragrance and paraben.

- Mineral Loose Foundation: Despite its name, this powder was way too sheer to act like a foundation (except for people with perfect/good skin). In terms of application, I prefer a powder brush to the included puff as the latter could make my face look cakey. The shade OC-C was too yellow for me. When used on top of the BB Gel Cream, it only kept my face matte for 2 hours in winter. It also ran out too quickly: it lasted for 3 months. Having said that, this powder did have some good points. It didn't clog my pores, break me out or dry out my skin. Together with the BB Gel Cream, it protected my skin against the sun. It didn't contain any paraben, mineral oil, alcohol and fragrance.

This is how the BB Gel Cream and the Mineral Loose Foundation look on my face:

Pros:

- BB Gel Cream:

• Moisturizing
• Non-irritating
• Protect skin against the sun
• Free of paraben, alcohol, fragrance and mineral oil

- Mineral Loose Powder:

• Non-drying
• Non-irritating
• Protect skin against the sun
• Free of paraben, alcohol, fragrance and mineral oil

Cons:

- BB Gel Cream:

• Not moisturizing enough for dry skin
• Unsuitable shade
• Sticky
• Weak oil control ability
• Light coverage

- Mineral Loose Powder:

• Sheer coverage
• Unsuitable shade
• Weak oil control property
• Run out quickly

Repurchase?: No. I prefer something with better oil-control property like Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm and Skin79 Sun Protect Beblesh Pact SPF30 PA++.

REVIEW: LANEIGE SNOW BB SOOTHING CUSHION SPF50+ PA+++

I bought this product about a year ago because of the positive reviews and I love Song Hye Kyo's CF for this. Laneige advertises this as a "new-concept cushion BB for Whitening + Sunscreen + Sweat-proof + Soothing + Makeup Effects". Sounds good, right? So, does it live up to its claims? For me, NO!

  (Source: laneige.co.kr)

Price: 930,000 VND (about US$42) for 1 pact and 1 refill, so it's not really that expensive.

Shades: This comes in 4 shades: #13 True Beige - a beige color with pink tone, #21 Natural Beige - a natural beige (this is their best seller), #23 Sand Beige - a sand beige for tanned skin, and #31 Brown Beige - a brown beige for darker skin tone. As I have fair skin with yellow undertone, I get this in #21 Natural Beige and it's way too dark for me! I've used Laneige Skin Veil Oil-free Foundation before in shade #21 Natural Beige and it was too light for me, so it's weird that this BB cream looks darker than my real skin tone! 

Packaging: This BB cream comes in a case that resembles a compact powder, but instead of powder, it has a cushion with BB cream underneath. There are many tiny holes on the cushion, so when you press it with the puff, the product will come out. The packaging is quite innovative and easy to carry around. You can even bring it onto the plane! A small downside is that it's quite hard to remove the stains from the puff. I have to use olive oil to clean it.

Coverage: This has zero coverage! It can't conceal my dark circles, spots and discoloration. It just makes my skin look dewy, which is a property that I don't need since have an oily T-zone. 

Oil-control property: This has zero oil-control property! I first used this in the winter, and my face oiled up after 1.5 hours! Then I used this in spring, and it slid right off my face within 1 hour! And I'd used a mattifying moisturizer underneath and applied powder on top! I was horrified when I looked into the mirror and realized that my face looked as if I didn't apply makeup base (but not in a good way, mind you). It makes me look greasy, dull and oily every time I use it T-T

Moisturizing property: It feels quite moisturizing on my face, so I guess those with dry skin  may like this one.

Cooling effect: It leaves a cooling effect on my face, but the feeling goes away in about 30 minutes.

Whitening effect: None. It has no effect on my acne scars or discoloration.

Sun-protection: This has SPF50+ PA+++ which is quite good as it can protect your skin against both UVA and UVB. I can't attest to its sun-protection property though since I don't use it in summer.

Skin-irritation: Apart from making my skin super-oily, it doesn't have any negative impacts on my skin. It neither clogs my pores nor breaks me out.

Repurchase?: No. It seems that my skin just doesn't like Laneige products in general because I've tried quite a few and never found anything I like from them T-T

REVIEW: IT'S SKIN PRESTIGE CREME D'ESCARGOT BB

As you may know from my previous blog posts, I used to suffer from a terrible case of dry and damaged skin due to over-exfoliation. The dry patches actually didn't show up when I didn't wear makeup, but they became painfully obvious with base makeup on T-T It was so hard to find a BB cream that didn't accentuate them. I decided to try It's Skin Prestige Creme D'escargot BB because based on the reviews I read, it was a very moisturizing BB cream.

Size: 50ml

Ingredients: (Click on image to see ingredients)

Price: 1,050,000 VND (about 48 USD), but I got this for half the price (525,000 VND) during a promotion, yay! 

My opinion: I used this in conjunction with my beloved Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream, and this combo was the only thing that worked for my super dry skin! It didn't accentuate my dry patches at all, and my face looked moist and smooth (this BB cream has a dewy finish by the way). After washing it off, my skin still felt soft. This also helped heal my acnes thanks to the snail mucin in it. Despite its moisturizing property, it never clogged my pores or broke me out. I've been using this for 6 months and there's still half a tube left, so this BB cream does last for a very long time! It isn't perfect though. It only comes in one color and to be honest, it's a little bit too bright for me. It has light coverage so it can't really conceal my occasional acnes or dark circles. It also doesn't control oil well, which is a real pain in hot weather as it seems to slide off my nose after 2-3 hours even though I apply powder on top of it :( It stays well on my cheeks but not so much on my T-zone. This is how it looks like on my face:

Pros:

- Moisturizing

- Help heal acnes

- Non-comedogenic and non-acnegenic

- A tube lasts for a very long time

Cons:

- Light coverage (but this can be fixed with a good concealer)

- Pricy

- Weak oil control property

- Available in one shade only

Score: 8/10

Repurchase?: No, because my skin isn't dry now (thank God!) and apart from the full-size product, I still have a small sample tube from It's Skin ^^ But this one will always be my go-to BB cream whenever my skin is dry :)

  

REVIEW: SKIN79 VIP GOLD COLLECTION SUPER+ BEBLESH BALM (a.k.a Skin79 VIP Gold BB Cream)

I had so many bad experiences with foundation, such as the odd color (Lancome Teint Idole Ultra was too pink for me and it turned orange after oxidization T-T) and the staying power (Laneige Skin Veil Oil Free Foundation, which lasted for about 2-3 hours on my oily T-zone). That's why I was so glad to  discover BB cream because they don't oxidize much and they tend to last longer on my face. Out of all the BB cream I've tried, I'm most impressed with Skin79 VIP Gold Collection Super+ Beblesh Balm (a.k.a Skin79 VIP Gold BB Cream).

Claims: (taken from Skin79 website)

- Protects the skin with wrinkle improvement and whitening. 

- Presents rich moisturized skin. Whole new level of moisturizing.

- Reliable UV protection.

Size: 5g

Ingredients: water, propylene glycol, cyclomethicone, demethicone, titanium dioxide, isopropyl palmitate, talc, butylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, ethylhexylmethoxycinnamate, dipentaerythrityl hexadydroxystearate/hexastearate/hexarosinate, cetyl peg/ppg-10/1 dimethicone, prunus amygdalus dulcis (sweet almond) oil, arbutin, ethylhexyl salicylate, zinc oxide, magnesium sulfate, polyglyceryl-4 isostearate, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, silica, vinyl dimethicone/ methicone silsesquioxane crosspolymer, portulaca oleracea extract, piper mthysticum leaf/root/stem extract, glycosyl trehalose, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, tocopheryl acetate, adenosine, ubiquinone, hydrogenated lecithin, citrus unshiu fruit oil, ceramide 3, cholesterol, camellia sinensis leaf extract, madecassoside, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, nelumbo nucifera flower water, caviar extract, lycium chinense fruit extract, helianthus annus (sunflower) extract, cornus officinalis fruit extract, hedera helix (ivy) extract, schizandra chinensis fruit extract, disteardimonium hectorite, trihydroxystearin, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum stearate, methicone, glycerin, caprylic/ capric triglyceride, gold, triclosan, BHT, phytic acid, fragrance, phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, iron oxides  

Price: 113,000 VND (approximately 5 USD)

Shade: There's only one shade and luckily, it matches my skin quite well. This is how it looks like on my face:

Coverage: Light to medium. It can cover my acne scars but I still need concealer for my dark circles.

Finish: This BB cream has a dewy finish.

Oil-control property: My nose gets oily after 2 hours.

Moisturizing property: When my skin was at its driest period because of the Tonymoly Pore Cleansing Brush, this wasn't moisturizing enough for me. However, now that my skin is back to normal, it works okay for me even in autumn/winter dry weather. 

Whitening property: With continuous usage, it does help fade my acne scars. It doesn't have any effect on the discoloration around my nose and on my chin though. 

Anti-aging property: I can't comment on this as I don't have any wrinkles.

Sun-protection ability: I used this BB cream without any sunscreen underneath when I travelled to Malaysia and Singapore last summer, and I didn't burn once or even tan! And it was about 35-36°C for a whole week!

Bonus: This tiny tube has lasted me for 3 months and I still have some left, so it's good value for money :) I have oily-combination skin but this doesn't break me out or clog my pores.

Score: 8/10

Repurchase?: Yes, I've actually purchased the full-size product :)