I was lucky enough to be on the trial team for this product, so I used it in a number of different ways/situations several times to make sure I can give it a really thorough review. I also used it without moisturising first and with moisturising first. I preferred moisturising first, because I tend to have skin on the dry side. I found that it was good to let the moisturiser dry slightly before applying the BB cream for better coverage. When I applied without moisturiser, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the cream went on to my skin and did not feel drying.
The cream itself is creamy and light and has a pleasant smell that is not overpowering.
Overall, I really like this BB cream. It is very moisturising and light on my skin so it didn't really feel like I was wearing make up. I often finish the day feeling like I can't wait to wash the makeup off my face, but that wasn't the case with this cream. I still felt like my skin could breathe and I wasn't in a rush to wash and moisturise. The coverage lasted well all day and didn't become splotchy or rub off.
When I first used the BB cream, I was so surprised to see that it was white. It's amazing stuff really - when you apply it to your face you can see it changing colour before your eyes! The product says that it matches your skin tone. I felt that the colour match was probably slightly too dark for my liking.
You can layer the cream to increase the coverage, although it is a BB cream, so it's never going to give you a really flawless coverage. On one of the days that I wore it at work, I had an important meeting, so I applied it twice to increase the coverage and it looked really good. Most importantly, it felt really good all day! I work in an air conditioned office so it's quite drying and I find that my skin generally feels awful by the end of the day. However, it still felt moisturised and like it could breathe with this BB cream on.
When I wore it to the gym, it lasted really well and didn't sweat off. The weekend wear was probably my favourite because one application was the perfect amount of coverage to make me feel confident, but it didn't actually look like I was wearing make up.
I also wore it out to dinner and again, applied it twice for a slightly heavier coverage. I normally wear a heavier foundation when I go out, and I would probably add some concealer or a light application of foundation to my problems areas next time, but all in all, I felt that my face looked nice and felt nice.
The downsides? I think there are three: - it's quite a small bottle, so if you are applying twice for a heavier coverage quite regularly, it won't last very long - you do need to make sure you rub it in well, as I found that it was easy to miss patches and discover them later looking splotchy - the colour was slightly darker than I would have preferred.
Overall, I would recommend this to a friend who wants light, moisturising and breathable coverage.
I've tried a few different BB creams, as well as a few that claim to have self-adjusting pigments. This is another failure!
Color: this product comes out white, looks kind of like a skin cream. But when on the face, it changes to an orange muddy colour. It doesn't match any of my concealers and I have to be extra careful to get it right up to my ear line so there's not gaps in colour. This would be fine for someone with darker skin tone than mine but just doesn't work for me, even now it's summer.
Smell: a light non-offensive smell that doesn't bother me.
Packaging: I like that it is in a tube. This means you're not scooping the product out of a jar, leading to potential bacteria entry. Comes out of the tube evenly, and I normally squirt some on a clean hand then use a brush from there.
Other pros: the finish is dewy, but definitely not full coverage. I tried this for work and still had some on at the end of the day, so the staying power isn't too bad. It's a good price point, if you're med-darker skin and it works for you. There's a bit of sun protection, but if I was going to be outside for long periods, I would layer it with a dedicated sun screen. It doesn't 'pill' when I've tried it with different skin care products, which is a nice bonus. I've also tried it with different powders and still got a good effect.
Tips: If it's too dark and you're in a pinch, you could just bronze your neck a lot to match.
If you're spending long periods outside, use a sunscreen underneath, getting burnt to a crisp is not safe or sexy!