REVIEW: Dr. Jart Rejuvenating Blemish Base Silver Label

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

The product: Dr. Jart Rejuvenating Blemish Base Silver Label
Price: 740pesos (~US$16-17) for the 15mL tube Rating: 9/10 Where I bought it: SM Megamall Department Store Bldg. B (+): Blends well with my skin tone, easy to blend, has SPF 35/PA++, has whitening properties, controls oil well, has medium to full coverage (I could skip concealer with this actually), lasts long on the skin, no allergic reactions (-): Quite expensive compared to other BB creams available locally; smells like foundation while in the tube but this isn't really a bother, smell goes away immediately after blending; only one shade available

Blended, no flash

Blended, no flash

Blended, with flash

Before I discuss this product further, I'd like first to explain what BB cream is. From what I've read online, BB creams (blemish balm or in this case blemish base) were formulated in Germany for the use of post-laser surgery patients as cover-up treatment. Some sources say that South Korean actresses who have undergone laser surgery used it and the cosmetic companies caught on and developed it into a makeup product. BB creams are multi-functional products. They are marketed to have whitening, anti-aging/anti-wrinkling, and anti-acne properties. They are thought to be an all-in-one product--moisturizer, sunblock and foundation in one. BB creams are also touted as being healthier than foundations--skincare + makeup in a single product.

This Dr. Jart BB cream is the most expensive BB cream I've used to date but from all that I've used, this is truly my favorite. It gives medium to full coverage that's enough for me to actually skip using concealers, even on my dark undereye areas. But the thing is though, because my undereye areas are notoriously dark, I still use a bit of concealer on them. If I choose to just use this BB cream though, I think I'd look decent enough still. :)

I can't say exactly whether this has a pinkish or yellowish undertone for sure, but it does blend very well on my skin. Please just refer to the photos I've posted. Sorry for this. :s

I used this instead of foundation when some of my batchmates and I went to an amusement park (Enchanted Kingdom) during our semestral break. I only topped it with a light dusting of In2It powder foundation and my favorite Etude House Precious Mineral BB compact. I applied waterproof eyeliner and mascara and I was good to go! It lasted me the whole day despite getting very sweaty because of the extreme heat and getting wet because of the water rides! Is there a tougher test for a makeup than wearing it to the amusement park? There's is none that I can think of, hahaha.

It did control my oil well but I still had to blot nonetheless. What I liked about it is that it didn't clump on the sides of my nose and other parts of my face even when my skin got oily. That deserves two thumbs up from me! ^__^

I didn't experience any breakouts immediately after using this. I'm not sure how it fares on prolonged usage though (like more than a week of continuous usage) because I usually interchange the products that I use. Also when I'm too lazy to fix myself up for school, I usually just use concealer, mascara and face powder so I haven't had the chance to use it for a long, continuous period of time. All that being said, I'm very happy with this product and when I finish all the BB creams I have I will most likely repurchase this one.

I have lots of BB creams right now... around 5-6. So I really should be using BB creams more often and STOP buying until I finish them all. >__<

I have one specific BB cream that I'm thinking of giving away since it doesn't suit my oily skin. It's the Etude House BB Bright Cream. Anyway more on the other BB creams in my future reviews. :)

Please forgive the SUPER TIRED look! This was taken at past 12midnight already; I've had the product on for more than 12 hours. Lack of sleep+very tiring day at the amusement park :) As you can see, my face is already oily. Was about to remove my makeup and wash my face so I didn't blot anymore :)

Yes another tired looking picture! Omo, so sorry. Haha. Just wanted to show how it looked even after several hours! :)

Taken last night after mass, dinner and hanging out at Starbucks.

3:20AM so still looking tired haha.

The first photo I took when I first tried out this BB cream.

Notes:

• Despite the claims of BB creams, they are still makeup and could possibly clog the pores. Treat it as makeup and remove it as you would any other makeup product.
• Products with high SPF give out white cast on pictures taken with flash photography. This is one of the reasons why I sometimes look extraordinarily white in some photos.
• Dr. Jart has other variants of their BB cream such as the Black Label and the Gold Label. I bought the Silver Label because it's the one for oily skin.
• It would be best to test it out first before buying the big 50mL tube which costs around 1500pesos. This may not work for you. Finding the BB cream that best suits your skin is quite an adventure.
• Most BB creams have only 1-2 shades making it difficult to find one that matches your skin perfectly. Some claim that their products "adjust" or oxidize to suit your skin tone but really, that's not so reliable.

If you have any questions about BB creams, please feel free to comment. I'll try my best to answer your questions. If you're interested to know the complete ingredients of this product, please comment too. I wanted to take a picture of the ingredients list on the box but the box has some sort of holographic design making it difficult. :)

REVIEW: Etude House Precious Mineral BB Compact

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The product: Etude House Precious Mineral BB Compact in Sheer Glowing Skin Price: 778pesos (~US$17-18) Rating: 10/10 Where I bought it: Etude House, Bldg. A, SM Megamall (+): Brightens the skin, controls oiliness, has SPF30 PA+++, didn't break me out, didn't cause any allergic reactions, blends on my skin easily, makes my skin look glowing instead of just oily, soft and finely milled powder (-): None for me but others might find how it looks a bit shimmery a little intimidating. I do think that contributes to the brightening effect though and they aren't noticeable when you put the product on your skin. It has sheer to light coverage, but it says so on the label so it's not really negative, right? It's just face powder anyway, doesn't claim to be powder foundation. :)

This is the my 2nd powder, a freebie I got from Etude House. Unused. The one I'm currently using has a crack in the middle because I dropped it hence no photos here.

A swipe on my hand (without flash)

Blended on my hand (without flash)

Same swipe on my hand (w/ flash)

Blended on my hand (w/ flash)

The last time I've updated my blog was over a month ago. School has been very demanding as of late, with the management course having started and is already piling on us lots of work. (The Ateneo offers a double degree, MD MBA) I've been tempted lots of times to put off studying and update my blog but fortunately my priorities were in check during those times. :))

Anyway, this product right here is my FAVORITE face powder. I bought it a week or so before Etude House's grand launch party in October without knowing that they were giving it out as a freebie after the event. I'm happy that I got it though, because now I have a ready replacement once I finish my powder up!

When I was in EH there were two shades available, Sheer Glowing Skin and Sheer Silky Skin. From what I know about their BB creams (blemish balm), the Sheer Silky Skin is the one for oily skin so I thought that it would be the same for the powder. Upon looking at it though I found it too light so I opted for the Sheer Glowing variant as it was a bit darker. Sheer Glowing Skin in BB cream is for dry skin, by the way.

I love how this truly brightens my skin, making it look healthy and glowing. On lazy and extremely busy days I just use this on top of concealer. On days that I have the luxury of time to fix myself up, I use it on top of foundation and of BB creams. Sometimes I also use powder foundation and I pat some of this powder on top of it for that brightening effect. ;)

I'm happy to say that this powder controls my oiliness too. With this on my face I blot once to twice a day. Another thing I like about it is when my skin gets oily, it doesn't look like an oil slick; it gives off some sort of a glow. It also has SPF30 PA+++ which based on my research means that it has protection for both UVA and UVB rays. PA+++ is for UVA and the three plus signs means it's the most effective form of protection right now. SPF is for UVB and the recommended daily SPF is SPF15 so this is actually good!

*Apparently, the PA+++ rating is a Japanese system. The PPD (Persistent Pigment Darkening) method, also a way to measure UVA protection, has been recommended by the European commission and has been adopted by Japan, Korea, and China. Read more about these here, here and here. Hmm, I guess a blog post regarding sun protection must be done soon. ;)

*UVA rays penetrate deeper layers of the skin than UVB. UVA is thought to be a major cause of photoaging (wrinkling, loss of elasticity, etc.) while UVB is the one causing skin reddening and sunburn. Recent studies have shown that both UVA and UVB play a major part in skin cancer. Read more here and here. :)

It's the best face powder I've tried from Etude House so far. I've tried their BB Magic Pact and Dream on Pact but this beats those two hands down. I'm definitely repurchasing. :)

This may seem off topic but I finished watching the Korean series Personal Taste starring Lee Min Ho during our semestral break. That show made me fall in love with him! It's great that the powder freebie Etude House gave out has Lee Min Ho on the cover (he's an endorser) and the statement "You are my girl" and his signature on the mirror! Definitely a keeper, hahaha. ;)

Hope I get to post reviews more often! I want to share so much! ROAR!