Drugstore Series: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB UV White Cream

As promised, here’s a quick and short write up on the latest Maybelline’s BB Cream that had arrived on our shores. If you are regular readers of my blog, you will know that I thoroughly enjoyed using the Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream SPF 26 and it’s a staple in my makeup routines for school and days which only require me to wear light makeup. I am very excited to share my thoughts on the newest Maybelline Clear Smooth BB UV White Cream that boasts of SPF50 and other rich minerals such as Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Sodium, Titanium and 3 other Iron Oxides. As with the regular range of BB creams, there are 2 shades for consumers to choose from and I picked the lighter shade in 01 Fresh:

It comes housed in a turquoise plastic squeeze tube bottle with a nozzle tip and white plastic cap. I really love the convenience of the nozzle – it allows just the right amount of product to be dispensed without making a mess everywhere else.

comparison swatches

freshly applied

 FOTD:

Face: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB UV White Cream, ZA Skin Beauty 2-Way Foundation #21, Amazing Cosmetics Concealer – Light Golden

Eyes: UDPP, Paul & Joe Eye Gloss N #05, Clinique Quick Liner for Eyes – 10 Dark Chocolate, Clinique High Impact Mascara

Cheeks: Jill Stuart Mix Compact Blush #09 Little Bouquet

Lips: Maybelline Baby Lips

My Thoughts:

The texture of the UV White BB Cream feels more watery and easily blendable as compared to the regular Clear Smooth BB Cream. It also imparts a very lovely satin finish with the slightest bit of dewiness unlike the Clear Smooth BB Cream which is mostly just matte. The coverage for this is also much sheerer and does not cover up much flaws at all as can be seen from the obvious freckles and redness on my cheek. I love the glowy finish and the less-than-perfect coverage – it reminds me a lot of how I want a good tinted moisturizer to be. With that said, this makes a great BB cream to use under your liquid foundation as a primer because it’s so lightweight and it’s a great alternative to 2way cakes or liquid foundations on days when you are comfortable with just minimal coverage.  Wear time is not too bad as I noticed signs of wear around 6 hours or so but that’s not something a little powder wouldn’t fix. This high SPF is also a bonus. Definitely will repurchase when I run out!

Price:

$17.90/18ml

BB Cream haul!

Like I had mentioned in my earlier post, I am back on the BB creams bandwagon now. I realized after months of using my Skin79 Hot Pink BB Cream that my skin condition seemed to improve greatly with minimal breakouts. My skin also looked clearer and brighter after every use. Therefore, this prompted me to try out other brands of BB creams in the market, particularly from more renowned Korean brands like Dr Jart+ and BRTC.

Hence, I’ve done a mini haul last week from Beauty-Bestbuys since they were having a National Day promotion for the entire month of August.

However, do note that while they are having 30% off, their items seemed to be priced higher than local drugstores (Watsons/Guardians) so do keep that in mind when you are ordering. Otherwise it wouldn’t make sense.

Dr Jart+ Rejuvenating BB Cream (Silver Label):

 

 

I have actually used up at 15ml tube of the Silver Label and I really liked it. It has been on my mind to purchase the full size for quite some time now.

BRTC Mini BB Cream Set:

 

I have not been very adventurous with BRTC (and only used the BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream which I ADORE), so this is a good chance to test out the other types of BB Creams available.

Samples that I received from the blogshop:

They were quite generous with the samples I’d say!  And as far as I know, they would give samples with every purchase so thumbs up for them 🙂

And I got the Dr Jart+ Most Moist Water Fuse BB Cream from Vie Beauty at RWS:

Now I haven’t tried this yet but I read a lot of positive reviews on it. It helps that it contains water and moisturizing agents meant for dry skin types.

My favourite BB Cream up to date is the Legere Multi White All-in-One BB Cream and the Skin79 Super Plus BB Cream (Hot Pink) but I definitely hope these would live up to the raves 😉

BB Creams: Feverlet Makeup BB Cream

BB creams became very popular in Asia about 3 years ago and that was also when I first tried them out. I remember that my first tube of BB cream was Skinfood’s Gingko BB Cream #1 and I hated the creamy, thick texture and unflattering colour choices.

BB Creams are now so popular because they offer a multitude of skincare benefits with the various claims of hydration, anti-ageing, whitening as part of their healing properties. Besides, they offer a no-makeup look which has been all the rage in recent years (think: Diorskin Nude, Lancome Teint Miracle, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, Revlon Photoready, Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation, Maybelline Fit Me, MAC Face & Body, MUFE HD Foundation).

Anyway, the point is… After neglecting my BB creams for such a long time now, I’m starting to pick them up and use them again.

I know..  I know, I really go through these odd beauty-related phases

The BB cream I wore today is Feverlet Makeup BB Cream.

This is actually the older version that does not come with SPF. The newer one should be called “HD BB Cream” or something like that and does not come with a pump if I remember correctly. This is a little hard to find in Singapore, in fact I doubt many people know of this brand. It is one of the most highly raved BB cream brands when they first became popular in Singapore, along with top brands like Hanskin, BRTC and Coogi. I don’t even remember where I got this from and how much I got it for… Seriously I had this since forever:P

I like how it comes with the pump at the top of the squeeze tube. It makes me feel like there’s less chances of contamination and the pump gives me very good control on how much to pump out for a single application. It is also way more sanitary than having to touch the opening with my fingers directly.

swatched in natural light

Coverage is light to medium. Very buildable and gives a matte finish.

5 hours of wear

As you can see, my skin looks quite matte even after 5 hours save for my forehead which is already emitting some sort of shine. There was no fading throughout the five hours and I’m very pleased! I used to use this BB Cream a lot when I first got it, but ever since my foray into other brands I had been neglecting this one. Now I will definitely be using it a lot more 🙂

BB Creams / Drugstore Series: Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream SPF 26/PA+++ #01 Fresh

Have been truly busy!

But I have recently bought and tried the Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream after reading a lot about it on forums and blogs. It was going for $2-$3 off at Watsons so no harm picking up a tube to try, right?

It came housed in an attractive (by drugstore standards) sturdy cardboard package.

It also boasts of containing 8 healthy minerals such as copper, zinc, magnesium, sodium, titanium and 3 iron oxides and helps with hydration, skin elasticity etc etc.

What’s a BB cream if it doesn’t claim to do all that?

The product comes in a nifty little 18ml tube. 18ml, seriously?

swatch: #01 Fresh

taken with flash

I was really quite impressed when I first swatched the tester tube at the back of my hand, which prompted me to buy the tube home. The back of my hand looked and felt even-toned and I could barely see any lines.

5 hours of wear

As you can see, I’m starting to oil a teeny bit on my forehead and nose but it’s nothing serious.

10 hours of wear

I did not do any touch ups along the way just to see how long this BB cream could stay on. If you take a closer look (click on the images), the BB cream is wearing off on areas around my nose and upper lip where I am usually more susceptible to perspiration. It also started to look slightly patchy around my eye areas.

Nonetheless, it seems to give me a nice glowy sheen without looking greasy.

My thoughts:

This is a good BB cream for the price as I think that the oil control is good enough. It is not as dewy or glowy as moisturizing BB creams but it does give a semi matte finish after applying. The #01 Fresh shade also matches my skin tone perfectly but I think it’d be too dark for those lighter than MAC NC20. I am also very surprised by how long-lasting this is and how natural this looked on my face.

Best for:

People with dry/normal skins who like sheer coverage foundations. This does not have fantastic coverage but it does a good enough job of evening out skin tone. Coverage may be buildable but I wouldn’t bet on it. Fantastic colour match too. Doesn’t leave a white/grey cast at all upon application which was rather surprising.

Not good for:

People who dislike sheer finishes. This gives sheer to medium (at most) coverage. Not good if you have a lot to conceal. You can always top up with 2way cake foundation or liquid foundation but I personally find that too heavy for daily use. I personally think this degree of coverage is sufficient for school.

Would I repurchase?

In my opinion, this is a good staple to own but I’m always in search of new things to try so no, I probably will not repurchase once this runs out.

Price:

$13.90/18ml (RP: $16.90)