Updated Skin 79 BB Cream Posts

Hey guys,
Just to let you know, I've updated my BB Cream posts on Skin 79 to include the list of ingredients. I got home and found the product box so I was able to get them all typed up.

You can read my first post on Skin 79 BB Cream here and the comparison with L'egere here.

More reviews coming up...my apologies for being a bit slow lately! I blame summer vacation...haha.

L'egere White Multi Blemish Balm Cream vs. Skin79 DermaRX BB Cream

Since I prefer BB cream over foundation, I finally caved and purchased the L'egere White Multi BB Cream, which has been given rave reviews by various beauty bloggers. You can find this BB cream on ebay by searching "Legere BB Cream" or at websites like imomoko.com and bobodave.com. It usually retails for about $27.00 USD and up, and comes in a 1.69 fl oz tube. This BB cream is made in Korea and very popular in Taiwan (recommended by the show Nu Ren Wo Zui Da). This post is a comparison of the L'egere White Multi BB Cream against Skin79 DermaRX Beblesh Balm. You can read my initial post about the Skin79 DermaRX BB Cream or an intro to BB creams in general here.

I found out that l'egere, or légère in French, means light. And I am not surprised that this name was chosen for the brand because of this bb cream's relatively short list of ingredients.

L'egere White Multi Blemish Balm Cream Ingredients:
Arbutin, Cyclomethicone, Jojoba oil, Polyglyceyl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Beeswax, Tocopheryl acetate, Propylparaben, Sorbitan sesquioleate, Petrolatum, Titanium Dioxide/Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499)/Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene glycol, Magnesium sulfate, Methylparaben, Sodium hyaluronate, Marine collagen, Rose water, Centella asiaticacosides, Water, Fragrance.

On the other hand, Skin79 definitely contains more ingredients...some beneficial, and some which have scared people off from trying it. I thought it was interesting how both products use the same mineral pigment shades, but that Skin79 comes out with a greyish cast.

Skin79 Derma RX Beblesh Balm SPF 15 Ingredients:
Water, Beeswax, Butylparaben, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1-Dimethicone, Sorbitan Isostearate, Calcium Stearate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Silica, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cyclomethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide, Talc, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Phenyl Trimethicone, Arbutin, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Allantoin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Caviar Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria)Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, Ubiquinone, Fragrance.

Anyway, Skin79 makes a ton of different BB creams, while L'egere only has the White Multi Blemish Balm and the Shiny Pearl Blemish Balm. It can be hard to choose the right Skin79 BB cream, especially for those of us who do not live in Asia and have limited access. I bought the DermaRX Beblesh version nearly two and a half years ago and have stayed faithful to it since. Skin79 was one of the first brands to make BB cream, and the DermaRX is one of their first launches. It might be safe to guess that the DermaRX BB cream was the first one they ever formulated since it's so basic. On the other hand, L'egere is much more recent. Since Skin79 was one of the first to make BB cream, you could say their brand has more expertise. However, a recent brand like L'egere can benefit from understanding the flaws or mistakes other BB Creams have and come up with new ingredients or technology for a better formula.

Anyway, enough speculation. On to fundamentals--what are their actual differences?

Consistency, Texture
L'egere and Skin79 are both very creamy going on, but Skin79 is definitely thicker. They both feel like moisturizers rather than foundation.

Scent
Skin79 smells pretty medicinal. I described it before as a kaolin clay type of smell, others have noted it smells like tea tree oil. The L'egere smells very faint, but like rosewater and ginger and white tea. It smells very similar to the Dior HydrAction moisturizer I reviewed a couple posts down.

Blendability
L'egere is easier to blend onto the skin because it is less thick. You can make Skin79's easier to blend by adding some of your favorite daytime moisturizer. I mentioned before in my earlier post that my personal favorite is Oil of Olay Complete SPF 15.
However, if you use a sunscreen that dries matte underneath your makeup like I do, you may find that both BB creams are not very easy to blend. Whether this is a good thing or not depends on your skin type.

Color, Pigmentation
As my skin has gotten lighter, I do notice that Skin79 has a bit of greyish cast to my skin after initial application. When I was darker, this did not bother me so much. I would recommend Skin79 to MAC skin tones NC25 and above only. It seems to have cool or neutral undertones.
L'egere comes out a bit dark from the tube but matches my skin tone after I spread it out. The shade looks somewhat tan, and has a warmer undertone as opposed to Skin79. The L'egere actually works for MAC skin tones NC15 and up.

Oxidization, Shine
I do not get any oxidization with Skin79 at all, but I do notice a little oxidization with L'egere on my T-zone between my eyebrows. The amount of oxidization really depends on the products you use underneath the BB cream. For me, the L'egere actually oxidizes more over a matte sunscreen than a regular moisturizer. With a matte sunscreen, my combination skin does not get oily. However, if I use normal moisturizer, my T-zone gets oily. The L'egere creases into the little lines underneath my eyes a little bit sometimes, I have to apply it very carefully there.

Beneficial ingredients
Skin79's DermaRX is SPF 15, while L'egere White Multi does not specify its SPF, even though it claims to have sun protection.
Skin79 contains arbutin, adenosine, caviar extract, Nano-Coenzyme Q10, and other great ingredients (will post them if I find my box)
L'egere contains arbutin, jojoba oil, Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), sodium hyaluronate (hylauronic acid), marine collagen, rose water

Coverage, Finish, Skin Type
Skin79 provides a matte finish. It is very pigmented. I like this BB cream very much because it can also double up as a concealer since it is so pigmented (very good coverage), and it always makes my skin look smooth no matter what problems it is going through (flakiness, acne, etc.) without being cakey. This is very important because I have combination skin that tends to extremes--it can be super oily or dry.
L'egere provides a slightly less matte finish. It cannot double up as a concealer and provides light to light-medium coverage. It does tend to crease or cake a little around dry patches if you use a matte sunscreen underneath. With a more moisturizing sunscreen, L'egere has a more glowy finish. This BB cream looks best on me when I have smooth, problem free skin. I think L'egere would work better for people who do not suffer from much acne or dryness, but again, the finish would really depend on what you use to moisturize and protect your skin underneath.

Pores
Although Skin79 claims to be anti-microbial, it actually does seem to clog my pores a bit. I notice little bumps appearing from time to time with this, though nothing bad like with Skinfood BB creams, which really clogged my pores.
This is where L'egere really wins. This product does not clog my pores at all! It's like applying moisturizer on the skin, not makeup. I'm guilty of falling asleep a couple of times with it on, and my skin did not break out. This is perfect for work days or finals period when I have to pull all nighters.
Both products made my pores look smaller, but Skin79 does a better job at concealing them.

VERDICT
Both products have their pros and cons. Personally, I find that I get the best result with these products by using them in conjunction. I use the L'egere as a foundation, and then apply the Skin79 as a concealer on any of my blemishes, redness, and underneath the eyes. The combination works pretty well and it doesn't look like my skin has multicolored foundation at all. Skin 79 does have more versatility than L'egere because the pigmentation is so concentrated, though, and it leaves a great finish when mixed with moisturizer or a light sunscreen (not matte, but hydrated and radiant).
I think that people who have uneven skin (acne, dry patches) should go for Skin 79, and people who only have pigmentation problems (scars, unevenness, dark circles) should go for L'egere.

If you have any questions, please comment or email and I will respond as best I can.


On a side note, does anyone want to swap BB creams with me? I have Skinfood Aloe Shade #1 and Skinfood Mushroom Shade #2. I only swatched the Aloe, but I used about half of the Mushroom. I don't want to throw them away because that'd be a waste, and I know a lot of people actually like Skinfood. I've been wanting to try Missha Perfect Cover, or any other Skin79 brand. Comment or email me and let me know!

Skinfood Mushroom Multicare BB Cream SPF 20 / Skinfood Aloe Sun BB Cream SPF 20

As promised, here is my long overdue review on the Skinfood Mushroom BB cream.

The tube is slightly larger than the one my Skin 79 Beblesh Balm came in, and very pretty. The cap seems to encased with fiber paper and little gold embossings. The scent isn't too bad, either--I've read many complaints about the mushroom scent, but I didn't notice anything of the sort. The scent is very sweet and pleasant (though if you have strong hay fever/a sensitive nose and sneeze easily like I do, beforewarned: the scent is pretty strong, you might want to brace yourself before you squeeze it out).

Coverage of the Skinfood Mushroom BB cream is medium. It evens out my skin tone, covers up most redness, evens out my under eye area, and hides some acne/blemishes. The bb cream feels very smooth and nice on my skin. It has a semi-thick consistency, but simultaneously feels like it contains a lot of water (as opposed to mineral oil). I got this in Shade #2, which is for the darker skin tones (#1 is for very fair skin, #2 is for medium fair skin). The shade blends very nicely into my skin tone.

The bb cream contains adenosine and arbutin extract, which is supposed to brighten dull skin tone over time. Aloe and mushroom extract serve to soothe and protect skin from dryness and fine lines. Thus, the label on the front of the tube promises the cream's "triple function" as a "whitening, anti-aging, and sun block" product.

The positive things I have to say about this bb cream end here.

I had read only good reviews about this bb cream online so I had very high expectations. Most people who tried this one did not like the Skin 79 Beblesh Balm (the original spf 15 version I reviewed here), so I thought this one would be even better. I was SO disappointed with this product. I've been using this product for several months now, in humid and dry temperatures, and my opinion hasn't differed in either situation. First of all, you probably have to already have great skin if you use this product--re: smooth, acne/blemish free, normal (not dry or oily) skin. I have combination skin that tends to be either super oily/break out, or very dry and flakey. Thus, the only place this cream works nicely on is my cheeks/under eye area. It does keep my skin very smooth and hydrated when that part of my face isn't dry or breaking out. However, on my T-zone and chin, this cream does not work anywhere as effectively as the Skin 79 cream. What distinguishes bb cream from other foundation is that it looks so natural--after application, it is supposed to actually melt into your skin. The Skin 79 cream definitely melts into my skin, whether it's dry and flakey, or congested/breaking out, so my skintone is completely evened out and most of my acne and redness covered--so my skin looks naturally flawless and glowing. The Skinfood bb cream just sits on top of my skin, only to oxidize. If there is any flakiness or uneven skin, the spheres of color just gather on there, so it looks extremely cakey and artificial. I also tried mixing the Skinfood bb cream with moisturizer, to lessen the coverage on days my skin is less problematic/drier, but the bb cream doesn't mix well with moisturizer for some reason, and doing this actually makes the bb cream even harder to blend onto my skin.

I don't know why the Skinfood bb cream is so cakey. My theory is that the ingredients for the Skin 79 bb cream are not only higher quality, but also blended together very, very well. And in the Skinfood bb cream, whatever ingredients they used as a mixing medium separates from the pigment when you apply it to your skin. I've tried using a stipling brush, foundation brush, and sponge to apply the product to my face, but it looks cakey no matter which tool I use.

So my verdict? Don't buy this, unless you have perfect skin!!!!! If you've tried the original silver Missha bb cream, this bb cream is similar in terms of cakiness. I am so dissatisfied I don't know what to do with my tube--I'm torn between throwing it out, or just giving it away. Boo.

If you have medium fair skin, go for Skin 79 Beblesh Balm. If you have lighter skin, I suggest you shop around for a different product that matches your skin tone. At MAC, my shade is between a NC25 and NC30. I find the Shade 2 to be a little too pinkish for my skin (I have neutral-yellow undertones).


I also bought the Aloe Sun BB cream



which is just as cakey so don't bother purchasing within the same brand. I have not tried the Gingko version since I wanted something with SPF, and though I've heard that one is more sheer and moisturizing, I'm not willing to take the gamble.

BB Creams Overview, Skin79 DermaRX Beblesh Balm Review

BB Cream, also known as Blemish Balm, is a medicated cream originally developed in Europe for patients who underwent skin laser treatments or surgery to soothe, protect, and heal the delicate skin from scarring. Eventually, Korean celebrities got their hands on this product and sparked a frenzy when the media noticed how smooth and flawless their skin looked. Recently, various skincare and cosmetic companies in the Korean market launched their own version of blemish balm for the general public. These BB Creams are marketed towards women and men with "troubled," acne-prone skin.

BB Cream is a hybrid of liquid foundation and tinted moisturizer, except it delivers the soothing, medicinal qualities of the original blemish balm. As a result, BB Cream is special because it not only covers imperfections, but it can also improve and correct the condition of your skin over time, when used regularly. Every brand claims to deliver different results (anti-aging, whitening, shimmer), but the basic principle behind the creams is the same.




After hearing about how amazing BB Creams were, I decided to give the products a try. Now, normally I was perfectly happy using loose mineral makeup with a kabuki brush. (Mineral makeup also claims to improve your skin over time, but I wanted to try something different.) So I bought my first tube of Skin 79 DermaRX SPF 15 Beblesh Balm (I'm sure this is one of those Engrish typos... wth is Beblesh?).


Purpose: brighten and whiten, soothe, cover imperfections, and protect from UV rays.
(see
http://rai01.filezaru.com/SHOP3/bb/derma3_total.jpg for details)
Contains: Nano-Coenzyme Q10, Arbutin, Vitamin C, Caviar extract, Chamomile, Aloe, TiO2, Witch Hazel, Licorice

Ingredients:
Water, Beeswax, Butylparaben, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1-Dimethicone, Sorbitan Isostearate, Calcium Stearate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Silica, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cyclomethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide, Talc, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Phenyl Trimethicone, Arbutin, Methylparaben, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Allantoin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Caviar Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria)Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Acetyl Hexapeptide-3, Ubiquinone, Fragrance.

Now if you looked through the Cozycot forum link on BB Creams (VERY informative and helpful, but there are 200 something pages, eek), you'll see that many contributers didn't like this BB cream. The complaints mostly go: it has a greyish cast, it's too dark for my skin, it's not blendable, doesn't make my skin glow, etc.

I've been using this cream since December 2007 and I feel like I must defend it!

First of all, I did not particularly notice the "greyish" tint on my skin many of the users experienced upon application. This is probably because I'm not super fair skinned like many Asians, but I do consider myself light skinned. At MAC, my shade is between a NC25 and NC30. After the bb cream sinks into my skin, I find it fits my skintone perfectly. For people who DO notice a greyish cast, remember that it is probably a result of the sunscreen ingredients, and should fade into the skin within a few minutes of application. The cream does smell rather medicinal (thus, the DermaRX)...almost like kaolin clay. I don't mind the scent, as long as I'm not putting something fruity scented on my skin.

The cream has a medium consistency, and does not feel too matte or watery. The blendability is excellent (especially when compared with Missha's BB Cream--the silver tube with no sunscreen, for those of you who have tried it). For those who disagree, and think the cream is too thick, I suggest applying your regular moisturizer or sunscreen onto your skin, and then massaging in the DermaRX cream while your skin is still moist. What I really like about this cream is that it's heavy enough to cover my sporadic acne breakouts, but not so heavy that I look like I'm wearing foundation. When my skin is clear and I need even less coverage, I mix this on the back of my hand with a light moisturizer and then apply the mixture to my face.

Oil control on the DermaRX cream is decent. I have combination skin, so my forehead and nose will become shiny throughout the day, but my cheeks and undereye areas still feel moisturized and great. You simply need to gently blot your oilier areas (do not rub!) and your skin will be good to go. True, this cream does not make your skin look "dewy," but I prefer a matte look, since my skin is combination already. If you have dry skin, I definitely recommend applying moisturizer beforehand or mixing this with a bit of sunscreen. To determine what ratio of moisturizer and bb cream to mix, you simply have to add a little by a little, until you get the consistency and coverage that you like.
I highly recommend mixing it with Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion SPF 15. This is my favorite drugstore sunscreen.

ALSO...this bb cream is anti-microbial, so you won't have to worry about it infecting your pores or blemishes. Love!

Cons:
- This cream is only SPF 15. I would prefer something much higher.
- small tube. But I think all the BB Creams come in small tubes anyway, so that's a small gripe.
- design of the tube. If you travel, make sure you stash this in your purse or suitcase upright, with the tip facing up, or the cream can squeeze out into the cap of your bag.

So as you can see...the positives far outweigh the negatives. I really love this cream and it is a must-have in my makeup collection. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Postscript - for all of you Skinfood lovers, I just bought the Skinfood Aloe Sun BB Cream, SPF 20 in Shade #1 and the Skinfood Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream, SPF 20 in Shade #2. I will review these soon after I've had ample time to compare them.