BB Cream Craze : Finding The Right Product, Coverage, Finish and Shade

Have you heard of the worldwide buzz called BB Cream?  Originally used for post cosmetic surgeries in Germany during the 60’s, the South Koreans saw the product's promising future in the cosmetic industry thus made their own version using mostly natural ingredients. It became so famous when one actress attributed her flawless skin to BB cream. The meaning of BB in BB cream varies from one cosmetic manufacturer to another. Take your pick -Blemish Balm, Beblesh Balm, Beauty Balm or Blemish Base. Whatever BB stands for, there is one thing manufacturers agreed of – BB cream’s promise to help the face look flawless. BB cream claims to be an all-in-one cosmetic product. A primer, base, moisturizer, foundation, sunblock, anti-aging and whitening all rolled in one.

By word of mouth and through the internet the Korean cosmetic craze made it worldwide. If you check online you’ll find blogs after blogs as well as YouTube videos reviewing and endorsing BB creams.  Even high-end shop like Neiman Marcus carries Sulwhasoo (Amore Pacific brand), a Korean BB cream with a jaw dropping price of $60.00 for a 1.0 oz tube. Omorovicza, a Budapest-based luxury skincare recently launched its version of BB cream for a mind boggling price of $125 for a 1.7 oz pump tube. Well known brands like Dior, Clinique and Estee Lauder have its own Western version of BB Cream. There is a BB cream for all kinds of budget - for those who have lots of cash to burn on cosmetics to one who has a fix or tight budget.

Months ago I've seen a TV commercial of Maybelline and Garnier BB creams but it didn’t catch my interest. Then one of my friends starts raving about Korean BB cream. She recently joined the bandwagon of BB cream users, she said one of her doctor friend went to South Korea and was amazed by the BB Cream craze there.  Human as I am I got curious about the product wanting to give it a try. And so the start of my research on Korean BB Cream.

Two of the major players in the South Korea BB cream market are Amore Pacific and LG (yes, the same one that manufactured electronics).  Check this site on who's who in South Korea BB cream market - http://hope-inablog.com/amore-pacific/korean-cosmetics-for-newbies/.

Like many of us, I have a price range to stick with. I cannot go over ga-ga on horrendously priced high-end BB cream as it won’t be pocket practical.  After reading many reviews and blogs, I end up liking Skin79’s BB cream. Though it belongs to the mid to lower-end brand I was impressed by some of the online reviews. I want to try Skin79 Hot Pink and VIP Gold Super BB Cream.  Review says Hot Pink has a dewy finish while Gold has matte. As for shade, it comes with single shade but it oxidized well. Coverage wise, reviewers have different opinions. Some say Hot pink gives more coverage than Gold, some say otherwise but both are lightweight on skin. I don't know if any of the two would be a perfect match for my Asian skin. Well, that is for you to wait till my next blog and for me to find out! 
 
Now the next step is to find where I can get one. I found lots of sellers online - from ebay to seller hosted websites. To get an idea of how much SKIN79 BB cream really cost, I checked their Korean online site - http://www.skin79mall.com/. I used Google translator for better understanding what the site is saying, I cut and paste those that were not automatically translated and manually translate it.  South Koreans have an amazing marketing strategy.  They have this thing called events, family events, shopping chance, testers - I call it a SALE! And ohh they loveee to give freebies. Their online shopping site is just so overwhelming that I suddenly feel a head rush lol.

Anyhoo, a 40g Hot Pink or the VIP Gold cost 27,000 Korean Won ($25.01 converted to US Dollars), only $8 less than a MAC Matchmaster(I am 3.0). The good thing about the site is it also shows the manufacturing and expiration date of the product which other independent sellers site miss. Too bad I cannot make my purchase there unless  an interpreter  help me on checkout - believe me it just get too complicated on checkout. By the way, there are cheaply priced Skin79 products listed on Ebay from Korean-based sellers who claims to be selling authentic products, but who knows if they really are.

If you are somewhere in Asia (other than South K) there are lots of sellers online that may ship to your area. Just Bing or Google it.  Be aware that there are lots of fakes out there. Or to be on the safer side try your local mall they might have a store there.  In my case, asian stores nearby doesn't carry cosmetics so I have to do it online.

Here is my shortlist on where to buy:
http://www.skin79northamerica.com
http://prettyandcute.com
http://www.ebay.com


Whew, I’ll send in my orders for Hot Pink and VIP Gold. I sooo can’t wait to try. It may or may not be the right BB cream for me but I'm keeping my fingers cross to get it right the first haul!  Ta-ta for now. See you next time!