Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1 – Review & swatches

I am not much of a BB cream fan but I get all the hype it’s been getting over here. The thing is, who wouldn’t want to wear just one product in place of five (moisturizer, primer, sunblock, concealer and a light coverage foundation). Sounds pretty good right? So anyways, I picked this up a couple of weeks back hoping it would come in handy for those languid times.

BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1
Bourjois' BB cream compact foundation is your make-up and skin care 'dream cream' - a compact foundation with eight actions in one. It perfects, smoothes and evens out the complexion, targets and corrects imperfections and smoothes away signs of fatigue. This compact foundation erases shine, is anti-aging, provides long-lasting hydration and has SPF 20 protection. The creamy texture gives you a perfectly smooth, even complexion for a velvety 'second skin' finish and a medium coverage.

Available in four shades

Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1

Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1

Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1

Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1

Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1 in 22 Golden Beige - Swatch

Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1 - Before & After Application

My thoughts
Bourjous BB cream compact comes in a shiny black case with a huge mirror inside that swivels 360 degrees. The packaging is extremely travel-friendly which is something I love about it. It also comes with a sponge applicator within. To tell you the truth, I find the applicator useless for it doesn’t help blend the product into your skin like it’s supposed to so I suggest using a wedge shaped sponge or your fingers to blend.

The first thing you’d notice once you open it up is the pleasant scent. It’s not overwhelming but it might be bothersome. It comes with SPF 20 protection which is excellent. The product has a medium coverage and creamy consistency which sets to a glowy finish – semi-matte to be exact. I noticed that it highlights any dryness that I have on my face so exfoliating is a precondition. I have this in shade 22 Golden Beige which I believe is tad darker for my complexion (NC30 for reference). I think it would be a perfect match for anyone who’s NC35 in Mac. Furthermore, it has orange undertones which would go well with Pakistani/Indian skin tones.

I absolutely love the finish I get with this. It perks up my face, covers up redness around my nose and minor imperfections. My skin looks smooth, never cakey, hydrated and even-toned. It really does feel like second skin. However there is a catch. It slides off my combination skin after a couple of hours. To deal with that, I simply dab a setting powder lightly all over my face. My sister who has an oily skin believes that it has a decent oil control. It won’t turn your face into an oil rig by the end of the day provided that you set it with a powder.

In a nutshell, I think this product would suit anyone with normal or combination skin type. I really like this but hate that it comes in limited shades (no shade for my skin tone).

You might like it if…

• You have normal or combination skin type
• You find the the packaging easy to travel with
• It gives semi-matte, glowly finish
• It doesn't feel heavy on your skin
• You expect medium coverage. It covers up redness and minor blemishes pretty well
• You expect natural-looking smooth finish
• It keeps your skin hydrated
• It comes with SPF 20 protection
• You set it with a powder to increase it's wear time

You might not like it if…

• You have dry or oily skin type
• It highlights dryness on your face
• It slides off your face after a couple of hours
• You find the sponge applicator useless
• The scent bothers you
• You don't find your match
• You think it's pricey

My rating

3/5

Bourjois BB Cream Compact Foundation 8-in-1 comes with a price tag of PKR 1,975 and can be purchased from Agha's supertore Karachi, Scentsation outlets in Karachi and Lahore. You can also purchase it online on Just4girls.pk and BeautyArena.pk. If you live in the U.K, you can buy it online for £11.99 at Selfridges.com.

What do you think about this BB Cream Compact? Take it or leave it?

Garnier Skin Naturals BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin – Review & swatches

I’ve been meaning to try out this BB cream for a while and I’m glad I finally did. Keep on reading to find out if it worked for me.

BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin
Some of you told us our original B.B cream wasn’t for you, so we’ve created a new B.B that’s designed specifically for combination to oily skin. Now you can select your B.B according to your skin needs – if you need hydration, turn to your original B.B and if you require a matte finish and shine tackling benefits, try new B.B oil-free.

1 PRODUCT, 5 SOLUTIONS.

• Anti-shine
• Blurs pores and imperfections
• Evens tone and boosts glow
• Moisturises
• SPF 20 UV protection

Our oil-free formula, with ultra-absorbent perlite, is specially designed for combination to oily skin and helps to control shine all day long. It effectively minimizes the appearance of pores and imperfections for a visible improvement in skin texture.

Enriched with mineral pigments, it immediately perfects the skin, covering imperfections, whilst the SPF 20 filter helps protect the skin from the harmful effects of the sun. Oil-free texture. Dermatologically tested. Non comedogenic

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin

Garnier Skin Naturals BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin in Light/Clair - Swatch

Garnier BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin in Light/Clair - Before & After application

My thoughts
Before we talk about it, I’d like to mention that it’s the French version that I’ve got the chance to try with French written all over the packaging thus I’m not quite sure if it’s available everywhere. Plus, it’s Garnier Skin Naturals not Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector which they say didn’t suit combination/oily skin so well. Basically, this is an oil-free version which I think has only launched in the UK, Australia and Pakistan so far. It claims to blur pores, even out the skin, moisturize, control shine, provide UV protection along with skin healing benefits. I’ve just used it for over a week now so I can’t say if it eases any skin imperfections (don’t know if it has those ingredients) other than the fact that it provides a bit of SPF protection.

Now onto the actual product. Consistency wise, this BB Cream is very watery so much so that you don’t even need to squeeze the tube to get product out; it just leaks out the moment you unscrew the cap. This could be a turn-off but I personally don’t mind the runniness because it feels utterly weightless on the skin. It has a slight alcoholic scent to it which is totally undetectable once you’ve put it on. Since the point of BB Cream is to cut down on makeup time, it’s best if you use your fingers for application; it actually covers better that way. Just pat and blend it in, simple as that! I’ve got it in Light/Clair which matches my NC 30 skin tone perfectly though it appears a bit lighter at first but adjusts to my complexion in a few minutes. Thanks to the yellow undertones, it doesn’t appear unnatural or ashy at all.

Speaking of application, it spreads on quite easily and meshes with my skin without getting streaky which is impressive. Initially, it feels moisturizing - not in a heavy way - but soon sets to a soft-matte finish. I’m happy that it doesn’t adhere to any dry areas on my skin or settle into fine lines.

Unlike Korean BB Creams, it’s not pigmented enough to fully conceal acne spots/blemishes or even dark circles however it does blur slight imperfections and make my skin look more even-toned. I and my sister (who has an oily skin) totally agree that it instantly minimizes the look of pores so thumbs up for that! The coverage, I’d say, is around sheer to light but you could build a little more with absolutely no caking. For a flawless skin, I gently pat my concealer onto the blemishes that are still peeking through and finish up with light dusting of translucent powder. You definitely need to set it if you wish to get more wear out of it since it doesn’t hold up well in extreme humidity of Karachi. Without setting powder, the soft-matte finish turns semi-matte within an hour and by third hour my T-zone is all shiny. After setting, it stays put well with a nice glow to my face for up to five hours before fading sets in. In case you’re wondering, I’ve had no breakouts with it as I always remove my makeup with cleansing milk followed by my regular cleanser.

The deal breaker for most people with this BB Cream would be the limited number of shades; there are just two options – Light and Medium. Not to mention, there are some people who’ve pointed that it turns orange on them. 

On the whole, I quite like this BB Cream for it’s a good alternative to foundation for those lazy days plus it’s super cheap. It lets my skin breathe, covers fairly well and doesn’t turn my face into an oil slick by the end of the day. I do think it’s suitable for normal and combination to oily skin provided that you set it and don’t expect it to keep your skin matte all day. If you dig healthy my-skin-but-better look, this is for you.

You might like it if…

• You have normal/combination/oily skin type
• You expect light to buildable coverage (up to medium)
• It doesn’t cling onto the flaky patches on your skin
• It gives a healthy natural glow to your skin without feeling heavy/greasy
• You expect a decent wear time provided that you set
• It doesn’t transfer
• You find it affordable

You might not like it if…

• You think the shade range is pretty narrow
• You expect it to conceal dark circles, acne scars/blemishes
• It oxidizes/turns orange or dull on you
• You don’t set it with a translucent powder
• The runny consistency bothers you

My rating

3.5/5

Garnier Skin Naturals BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfector Combination to Oily Skin costs PKR 399 and can be purchased from all leading stores nationwide. You can also get it online from Just4girls.pk. Folks abroad can purchase it from Boots.com and Priceline.com.au. To get updates, join Garnier Pakistan on Facebook.

What do you think about it? Have you tried it out yet?

PR sample(s) sent for review by Pakistan Beauty Bloggers Community. This however has not affected my opinion at all. My loyalty is to my readers and being honest is my utmost responsibility. I have given my sincere opinion about the product(s) mentioned in the post. For more details, please go through my Disclosure Policy.

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