Review: Skinfood Red Bean BB Cream

(NOTE: not my picture)

Recently, Amanda (blog linked to the right) was kind enough to send me an assortment of Korean BB cream samples, including this lovely product from Skinfood in Shade 1 (Light Beige). Based on my swatches, I knew that the Skinfood Red Bean BB Cream sample would be the best match for my skintone, which is currently around NW15 now that I've "tanned." For those who are curious, a sample packet is good for about 4-5 uses, provided you blend it all over your face and down the very top of your neck. A full-sized bottle is 45 mL and seems to retail for $15-20, depending on which website I look out. (NOTE: because I didn't actually buy this product, I'd highly recommend shopping around on the internet and finding a reliable retailer that way.)

The product is quite creamy and smooth. It's lightly scented like cucumber melon and, unlike most products, I can still smell the scent long after I've applied, though it's actually not unpleasant to me. I used a dime-sized amount each time and found that that was more than enough, as it spreads quite easily and really smooths in to the skin. It also feels slightly moisturizing, but only very slightly, like a gel day cream or an especially lovely tinted moisturizer. In other words, it feels nice and probably won't dry you out, but don't expect it to replace your regular moisturizer.

As you can see, the coverage is light to medium. It doesn't look cakey or makeup-y, but it does let my skin show through a bit while still evening out most of my redness and discoloration. I'd call the finish demi-matte or "natural," though it may be a bit more glowy on an oily skintype.

The actual performance of this BB cream was pretty impressive. It lasted for about 6 hours before any sort of shine peeked through, and it didn't irritate my kinda-sorta-sensitive skin. I will say that it oxidizes a bit after an hour, not to an orange color, but just to a slightly darker shade; hence, I'd say that this product is a better match for a true-blue N15/N20. I've been told that Shade 2 is a good match for N25, but I couldn't tell you that for certain. The SPF of 20 is a bit low for a BB cream, but that's a drop in the bucket for most people.

I won't repurchase this BB cream, but that's only because the lightest shade only matches me in the middle of summer and because I like the higher SPF in my Missha Perfect Cover. Beyond that, I highly recommend this product. If you'd like to see FOTD pictures using this product, check here and here.

5 out of 5.