BB Cream as Primer: Yay or Nay? Missha, Innisfree, SkinFood, Dr. Jart

Trace writes: After two years of reading about BB creams that promise all the good in the world, I've decided to join the craze. I actually prefer to use these supposedly magical potions as moisturizer/primer instead of an all-around face base, because:

• I've read that most of them are gray, so I don't expect a color match. Why are they gray anyway?! Koreans are not gray. And I have never seen a gray-skinned person in my life. Besides, light-medium coverage is not good enough for me. I only put on a dime-sized thin layer (or less if the BB cream is thick) before slapping on my usual foundation. 
• The sunblock properties up to SPF 42 sound awesome! For the longest time, I've relied on SPF 15 since I don't go out too much anyway and I am always scared of that "white cast". But after reading more and more, I now know that I have to amp up sun protection if I want good skin now and in the future.
• They claim to have super skincare powers that can prevent aging, fade acne scars, and keep the skin taut and fine. I fancy thinking that BB creams can lock in all the goodness after my usual face wash/toner skin care routine.
• They cover pores like any other silicone/non-silicone based primer, which makes them perfect pre-foundation.

Since I have very oily, acne-prone skin, I've trimmed down my prime choices to four brands - the more yellow-toned ones and the variants that target oily skinned girls. FYI, the swatches below look TOO yellow and seem like they match my skintone, but they are actually more neutral and are lighter in real life. I apologize for the innacuracy of the pictures.

After almost a month of trying these out - one BB cream a week - here's my take:

Missha Perfect Cover No. 23

SPF 42 PA+++

MISSHA M Perfect Cover B.B. Cream offers a novel skincare concept with B.B. cream, which lightens skin tone by healing visible wrinkles and blemishes, with excellent skin-cover ability, and prevents skin aging through effective whitening and anti-wrinkle properties.

Missha Perfect Cover No. 21

# 23 is my EXACT skin color, and it is kinda freaky (I am a less yellow NC25 in MAC) to find a match from a BB cream! Totally unexpected. You see, my face doesn't match the rest of my body: I have had my share of slathering derma creams for years now and they have made my facial skin mild yellow/neutral-toned and prone to redness, instead of my former warm medium-yellow skin. I guess for skin similar to mine, you'd like this one. #21, obviously, is too light.

As primer, Missha Perfect Cover spreads easily for a thick BB cream, even without moisturizer on. It settles on me with a satiny finish and covers pores extremely well. It makes my skin oily after an hour, which I don't like - probably because of the gooeyness of the product. Still, I will probably keep my tube because of the color match.

Other reviews: 

Makeupalley

ThePinkHeartedPrincess

WonderfulWortelWorld

Beautyholics Anonymous

Innisfree Trouble Care BB Cream

SPF 27

Innisfree extracts botanical nutrients and essence from organic plants to correct varies problematic types. By pure, natural, professional and effective therapy, Innisfree creates healthy and energetic skin and pleasant mood. All products are dermatologically-tested. Skin looks smooth and clear. Herbal essences hydrate skin, Tea Tree extracts disinfect and smooth skin, American mint helps soothe pressured skin, It also calms skin and skin feels cool and comfortable, Vitamin A and Moneywort protect skin from external aggressions.

This BB cream comes out of the tube as gray-as-can-be so I don't really fancy it, and it makes my skin ghastly lighter my real skintone. You have to wait a bit for it to blend well. It's hard to spread as well and it dries to a matte finish which makes foundation look dry when applied after. Don't be fooled - even if it's very flat at first, it makes me oily after less than two hours. Smells lightly herby and this may annoy some people. 

Other reviews:

Musings of a Muse

The Shades of U

Kimoko

SkinFood Peach Sake Cream No. 1

SPF 20

A lightweight BB cream specifically formulated for oily, acne-prone skin. Peach extract soothes oily and troubled skin, while sake effectively controls sebum production. Peach Sake Pore BB Cream conceals uneven pigmentation and blemishes, creating a flawless canvass for foundation or powder. Regular use minimizes oil slicks and refines pores, giving skin a smoother feel with a porcelain-like finish. Contains Peach extract that soothes oily, troubled skin Sake controls excessive sebum secretion Light-textured blemish cream effectively conceals skin impurities and gives a natural coverage for a flawless complexion.

I love the peachy, fruity smell of this BB cream! It has a peachy-yellow tone so I think this one fits me in correcting my too-neutral skintone. Less harder to blend than Innisfree, BUT... my makeup melts faster when I use this as a base and it makes my foundation crease. My pores look huge when I use this one!! Yeah, yeah I know a lot of people (especially Pinays) adore this BB cream but I have no love for this at all.
Other reviews:
Makeupalley (Shade 2)
Kikay Trekkie
BB Cream Queen

Dr. Jart BB Cream Silver SPF35

Rejuvenating Blemish Base, whitening SPF35/PA++

This unique professional formula containing innovative active ingredients, concealing blemishes and activating skin rejuvenation. It soothes red, irritated skin while providing moisture to the skin. It can also be used as a make up base. 

Out of all the four BB creams, this provides decent oil control (think 3 hours) and does not make my makeup fade. Good thing it has SPF 35 as well! It fills in the pores and the coverage is also good enough to serve as a foundation, but it is a tad light on me. I like Dr. Jart Silver the best, obviously.

Other reviews:

Makeupalley

The Purple Snowflake

Shopcoholic

SkinFood Peach Sake

Innisfree Trouble Care

Dr. Jart Silver

Missha #23

Missha #21

So... what don't I like about BB creams?

In general, they make my skin oily and my makeup disappears/melts when I use them. Bottomline, I'm happy to let go of BB creams since I am not entirely satisfied with them as primers. I know other people like them (hello LIZZ!) but they are not for me.

The worst thing? I have been getting breakouts! =( I guess my skin does not like being experimented on - I am actually not sure if this sad case was triggered by the different BB Creams, or Celeteque Moisturizer, or L'Oreal UV Perfect. All these products have promised great things for my skin; unfortunately, they've done me BAAAAAD. 

Anyway, I've gone back to my usual routine (Cyleina Black Pearl soap / Kojic Soap + Witch Hazel Toner + Myra-E VitaWhite Moisturizer SPF 15) and I am currrently wishing my skin sins will fade away. =( Let's cross our fingers!

Cheers,

Tracy