Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Review: Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream

*Edited to include swatches of both 21 Bright Skin and 23 Natural Skin
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream box
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream bottle
The product: Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream in 23 Natural Skin 30mL
Price: PhP 680.00
Where I bought it: Nature Republic, 4th floor, Atrium, SM Megamall
Rating: 10/10
Pertinent positive/s:
  • The cream is lightweight. It is not sticky at all.
  • Easy to blend with fingers
  • Perfect for summer or for extremely warm and humid days!
  • Has a matte finish but it doesn't feel drying on the skin
  • Very good oil control
  • Does not end up being cakey
  • Natural, buildable coverage
  • Sleek packaging
  • Pump works well
  • Has SPF 30 PA++
  • Mild, non-irritating scent (It did not trigger my allergic rhinitis!) which goes away after application
  • No adverse reactions caused on my skin: no breakouts, no allergies, no redness, no irritation
  • Great value for money!!!
Pertinent negative/s:
  • Comes in only 2 shades, 21 (Bright Skin) and 23 (Natural Skin)
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream pump
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream ingredients
Complete list of ingredients (click image to enlarge)
According to the website of Korea Department Store:
  • This is a light and fresh BB cream that contains Jeju green tea extract 250ppm.
  • This is supposed to create light and natural face like "air." (Maybe what they're trying to say is that it feels light and natural as air?)
  • It fits (or adheres) to skin gently and its light touch creates matte skin.
  • This BB cream is FREE of the following ingredients: paraben, tar color, mineral oil. benzophenone, talc and triethanolamine. (These are the ingredients referred to in their claim of "6 non-added formulas.")
  • It is for all skin types and for all ages. (Perhaps all ages means that teenagers and even those with mature skin can use it.)
  • It can also be used during all four seasons.
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream hand swatch
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream slightly blended hand swatch
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream completely blended hand swatch
After it's blended!
This is currently my favorite BB cream. I love it so much that I'm thinking of purchasing another bottle despite not even using up 1/4 of this one. It has a very natural looking finish but is able to cover the redness of my cheeks and the skin around my nose. There are several reasons why I love this BB cream. First, it has a lightweight formula. Unlike many of the BB creams I've used before, this one does not feel sticky at all upon application. It doesn't feel thick on the skin. Second, it is very easy to blend onto the skin. Third, it has very good oil control compared to all the other BB creams I've tried. Usually I'd start getting oily 3 to 4 hours after makeup application but with this product I only start getting oily at the 5th or 6th hour. And that's even a mild kind of oiliness--the one where I'd be okay with not using an oil absorbing film! My face doesn't end up as oily as when I'm using other BB creams. It doesn't get cakey too!
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream hand swatches of 21 Bright Skin and 23 Natural Skin
Left: 21 Bright Skin, Right: 23 Natural Skin
Left: 21 Bright Skin, Right: 23 Natural Skin
Left: 21 Bright Skin, Right: 23 Natural Skin
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream full face swatch
With BB cream only
Nature Republic Botanical Green Tea Fresh BB Cream full face swatch
Topped with powder and a bit of blush + concealer on the undereye area (not fully covered though; I have very dark undereye circles!), eyeliner and lipstick ;)
This is the first BB cream I've tried from Nature Republic and I'm very happy that it didn't disappoint. Actually it exceeded all my expectations for a product at this price point! I love it! I LOVE IT!

If you're looking for a new BB cream that looks natural, is lightweight and has good oil control, I highly recommend you try this one. It goes without saying that I will repurchase this product!

Notes:
  1. This BB cream is reflective in flash photography. 
  2. You can use it without topping it off with powder because it's already nice on its own. I prefer to set it with powder though so that I'm assured that it'll last longer on my skin.
  3. There is another variant of this BB cream which is called the Botanical Mandarin Essential BB Cream. This one has SPF35 PA++. It contains Jeju mandarin extract 100ppm and it is meant to "create natural illumination and healthy skin." It also claims to remain moisturizing for hours. This is recommended for people with dry skin.
If you have questions about this product, feel free to post a comment and I will reply as soon as possible. :)


13 comments:

  1. Very good review. I've been wanting to try an Innisfree BB cream. This one seems good and looks great on you.

    http://momodicted.blogspot.pt/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you very much! I haven't tried any Innisfree BB cream yet but this one from Nature Republic is awesome! :)

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  2. Thanks for the review..Im a guy and gonna buy this one!

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    1. You're welcome. I hope you like it too. :)

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  3. hi, i've been using this bb cream for a month now and i noticed that the skin on my face starts to peel off and it feels dry. does this happened to you? should i stop using it? thanks

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    Replies
    1. Hello! Sorry for the late reply. I'm also sorry that you're experiencing such a reaction. I've never experienced those while using this product. Are you on any type of oral or topical medication? Have you had this type of reaction with any other makeup product before? Are you using other new products right now? Sorry for the barrage of questions. :)

      I believe it would be best to stop using this product for the meantime and see if your skin would improve. You can also try moisturizers that can soothe your dry and peeling skin. Please do update me on the status of your skin. I hope it gets better soon!

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    2. thanks for the reply.
      the peeling already stops but at times my face feels kind of dry, maybe it reacts with my facial wash. i stop using this bb cream and will see what happens.
      thanks again

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    3. I'm glad to know that the peeling has stopped. Maybe a more moisturizing BB cream is better suited for you? You're welcome! Take care! :)

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  4. What are the two shades? I'm a MAC NC35 (yellow undertone) and I'm scared that the shades won't fit me :(

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    Replies
    1. Hi! The two shades are 21 Bright Skin and 23 Natural Skin. The one in this review is the darker shade, 23 Natural Skin. I will edit this post to include swatches of both shades. :)

      Julia of blessmybag.com has a review of this BB cream but hers was the Botanical Mandarin Essential BB (the one for dry skin according to the Korea Department Store website). Julia's a professional make-up artist and she said that the 23 Natural Skin shade is a "spot on match like MAC NC30."

      I'm no make-up artist but in my opinion, if you're okay with the Korean style of having a bright face make-up look, the shade 23 Natural Skin could still be good for you. Or you could just set it with powder that matches your skin or is slightly darker. :)

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  5. What's the difference between 21 and 23? 21 gives whiter look than 23?

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    Replies
    1. Hello! Sorry for the very late reply. Yes, 21 is brighter than 23. 21 would be good for NC20 skin. 23 would be for NC25-30 :)

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  6. Thank you for giving a little feedback about the Mandarin BB Cream, because I thought it can be applied on Oily & Sensitive skin.

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