B.B. Cream: SkinFood Mushroom Multi Care Review!

I've heard so many good things about BB Creams that I finally decided to try them out for myself. While my mineral makeup has been serving me well (pimple-free since '08!), I've been dying to try a new sort of foundation. Possibly because my skin is looking a bit better, I can now brave tinted moisturizer-types and even just a light dusting of loose powder. I guess what I dislike about mineral makeup is that it's a chore to touch up. The powder case is a hassle to bring around, and the brush takes up a lot of space in my makeup kit.

Enter BB Creams:

SkinFood Mushroom Multi Care BB Cream
Php 1,550 (purchased from SkinFood Megamall branch)

I did a lot of research before buying my BB creams, but most of the top Korean brands just aren't available here. SkinFood's Mushroom BB cream was the most readily available (Face Shop in Eastwood was out of stock), so I snapped up a tube just to try it out.

Since this is my very first BB cream, my first impression when I squeezed it out of the tube was that it was a lot like liquid foundation. I got Shade #2 (natural), and was really hoping it would match my skin tone. BB cream boasts that aside from encouraging regrowth of skin, minimizing pores, and treating pimples, it also blends into your natural color.

When I put it on (instructions say to use your fingers and spread/pat to even it out), it was so obviously the wrong color for me. I felt like I was wearing a white mask on my face. :| BB creams also state that you just have to wait around 15 minutes for it to set, and after 15 minutes this was the result:

100% no Photoshopping (natural light source)

As you can see, the cream went a few shades darker but didn't really match my skintone perfectly. It still looks like I'm wearing something 2 shades too light for me. A definite pro is that it did minimize my pores AND it provided pretty good coverage. I had a dark spot on the bridge of my nose (from 2 decades of wearing glasses), and while it didn't hide the spot completely, it did lighten it enough.

Also, this cream is WONDERFUL for taking pictures. It looked brighter and more mask-y in person, but on photos my skin looked really radiant. :D

Another thing of note is that I have oily/combination skin. After about 3-4 hours of wear, my nose got quite oily (thanks to Philippine humidity), and I had to reapply some cream on my T-zone. The dewy, fresh look suddenly looked very much like I applied unnatural light makeup and ran around and sweated on it. :(

The Body Shop's Skin Primer Moisturize It

+ SkinFood BB Cream

I then got the idea to use primer before the cream, and the result was a paler hue right off the bat. I guess the fact that TBS's primer makes makeup stick more meant that the light color was way too strong in the end. :P

I will say this, though: After just one use, my skin looked and felt smoother. I also imagined that it looked a little whiter, (one of the "extras" on this BB cream was the whitening aspect), but I can't really be sure. Please note that all BB creams are just like makeup and must be removed as such to avoid breakouts. :)

All in all, I'd give SkinFood a 2.5 out of 5 stars. The horrendous price tag is more than double the price if you purchase it in Korea, and I can say that it really is only worth half of what I paid for it. In terms of the repurchase factor, I'd have to say NO. Again, the color is wrong, the oil control factor is wrong for the Philippines, and I'd rather stick to my pimple cream + moisturizer + mineral makeup routine if it means I don't look like a ghost. :P (I might still wear this if I take pictures, though. Hehe.)

If you have dry, pale skin, then you should definitely try this cream. I swiped some on my boyfriend's jawline to check out the tone, and it was *perfect* for him. (He's Chinese and very pale, plus his skin is on the dry side.)

Skin Food BB Creams may be purchased at any of the plethora of stores in Metro Manila. I bought mine from the Megamall branch (2nd floor, bridgeway,), though I recommend you search ebay.ph for it. There are some Korean sellers there that sell it at the real price (around Php600-800), and it's all on-hand and ready to ship. They're based in the Philippines also, so it'll take all of a day to get to you. I recommend Sun Kim, because I bought my Skin79 BB cream from her and she's very prompt and lovely to deal with.

International buyers may purchase this from Amazon.com; Mushroom Multi Care shade #2 is linked to the left.

I'll be reviewing Skin79 and Tony Moly BB creams next. Happy Holidays, ladies! :D


Check out my other BB Cream reviews:
SkinFood Mushroom Multicare, Skin79 Diamond Crystal Pearl Lightning 3D, Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream