Naruko Narcissus Defense BB Sunscreen SPF50

Naruko is a Taiwanese beauty brand created by Niu-Er, who's a famous makeup artist I believe. I have read many raves about their products before and have also seen a couple of reviews by Fuzkittie (a YouTube beauty guru). I was pretty excited when I spotted a few Naruko products at a nearby Watsons quite recently and just had to get their BB cream (well, what would you expect from a foundation junkie?).

Like most BB creams, the Naruko Narcissus one comes in a squeeze tube that is easy to control. I tend to prefer such packaging too because it is easier to travel with compared to heavier bottles.

The consistency is quite watery and coverage is very light. In fact, I would say the coverage is similar to a tinted moisturiser more so than a foundation. It is quite possibly the sheerest amongst all BB creams I have tried. The texture is very smooth and blends to almost nothing on my skin. It does not enhance the dry bits on my face too, which is a good thing as my skin has been rather dehydrated lately.

Due to its sheer nature, I have been using the Naruko BB cream as a base instead and then applying whatever foundation (liquid or powder) in my rotation on top. I think it acts as a relatively decent primer since it helps smooth my skin out, is lightly moisturising and at the same time, controls oil quite well.

Like most BB creams, the Naruko one only comes in one shade and thankfully, it is a very good match on my skin tone. The colour is a neutral-beige and should suit those with NC15 to NC25 colouring.

I must admit I am rather impressed by its ingredient list and it seems to have some pretty interesting stuff in it. I'm not certain what skincare benefits some of them provide but I like that it contains quite a number of herbal extracts. It has a herby-floral scent that is actually quite pleasant but if you're sensitive perfume, you may not like this product although the scent does dissipate after a short while.

In summary, if you are looking for a lightweight BB cream with added sunscreen, the Naruko Narcissus Defense BB Sunscreen SPF50 is a good option. The Naruko BB cream can be found at most Watsons for RM49. I believe you can order from the Naruko Malaysia website at a slightly cheaper price but do note that the site is in Mandarin.

Have you tried anything from Naruko and what are your recommendations?

Skin79 Super Plus Hot Pink Beblesh Balm

I honestly thought I had hopped off the BB cream bandwagon with my last purchase of BRTC's Jasmine Water BB Cream. A few days ago, I was wandering around aimlessly in a nearby mall and came across a range of Skin79 BB creams at Watsons.

I picked up a slimmer, travel-sized version of the Skin79 Super+ Hot Pink because it was really cute.

Skin79 calls their products Beblesh Balm but it essentially means the same thing as Blemish Balm (ie. BB). I heard somewhere that they had to rename their products as such due to copyright reasons. I won't go into the origins of BB creams and will recommend that you read Wikipedia if you are interested. BB creams are usually marketed as a 3-in-1 type of product, combining the functions of skincare, base and foundation into one.

Product Description:

• Triple function: sun protection (SPF25 PA++), whitening and anti-wrinkle.

• Easy to blend, smoothes out skin imperfections very well.

• Good staying power and coverage.

BRTC Jasmine Water BB Cream

I had a list of BB creams to get in Hong Kong because there were a number of interesting products that can't be obtained locally. Instead, I only returned with one. I felt quite proud that I could exercise some restraint!

BRTC stands for Bio Remedies Therapeutic Cosmetics and it sounds like quite a scientific name. I have read quite a few good things about the Jasmine Water BB Cream and saw somewhere that BRTC products were available in Watson's. However, I think they have pulled out from our local market because I can't find them anywhere.

Product Description:

Jasmine Water BB Cream is a triple function cover cream. It provides good moisture, promotes skin elasticity and acts as an excellent coverage for skin imperfections for a radiant, fairer and natural complexion. This product has a beautiful and natural scent of jasmine.

Mine comes in a purple tube, although it has apparently been repackaged to a blue and white tube. There is 35g worth of product, which is a little more than other BB creams that usually contain around 30g.

Using Stuff I Hardly Use and Liking Them

I like having days off during weekdays, especially when it's a public holiday. But le hubby and I usually have some form of errand to run during such days and this means going out under the hot mid-day sun. Knowing that I'll be out and about in the terrible heat, I decided to go for a minimal makeup look that is less prone to meltdown.

Since getting the Shu Uemura mousse base in BB Beige (limited edition shade), I have only used it a total of 2 times. That was because I was using my fingers to apply and it went on really heavy and streaky. I could never get it to blend out properly.

Today, I decided to whip out my trusty Beauty Blender sponge and the mousse went on like a dream. Just ignore the slightly discoloured bottom as I had not washed the sponge at the time the photo was taken.

Vichy Aera Mineral BB Cream

Last year when I tried out my first BB cream, I wasn't too impressed. But my skin was quite dehydrated at that time too and most BB creams I applied didn't apply very smoothly. My skin moisture levels have improved recently, mostly thanks to hyaluronic acid products (my new love) and when I use BB creams nowadays, they all go on a lot better. In the past three weeks, I have bought a number of BB creams. When I came across Vichy's version, I just had to have it as well.

Kiss Me Heroine Make Essence in BB Cream

As I watch the news and tragedy unfolding in Japan, it saddens me deeply to think that the beautiful country and people are going through such devastation. My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this tragedy. Quite honestly, I was really hesitant about posting a product review and I had it planned for the weekend. I just hope it does not come across as insensitive or stupid.

There was a time in September last year when I switched my skincare to Clinique's Three Step System. You know, the one with cleanse, tone and moisturise using Clinique products to achieve that "perfect" skin. At that time, I was breaking out rather badly on my forehead and my youngest sis recommended I try their toner because it helped clear up her bad breakouts and she does have very nice skin today. So I bought the Three Step System and it helped for a while but it also dried my skin out because the toner had a rather high alcohol content.

Anyway, the past couple of weeks I have been using products to help get my skin moisture levels back up and it is starting to get much better. I also began using a few different BB creams again and this time, they mostly applied on my skin a lot smoother than before. BB creams used to enhance every flaky, dry bit on my face because they can't spread or absorb as easily on dehydrated skin.

I am a fan of Heroine Make mainly because of the packaging. They are so sweet and girlie that I can't help but fall for them based on looks alone. The good thing is, most of their products have worked out for me so far so I don't mind getting more.

Their BB cream is pretty good as well and I have read a few reviews on different blogs before purchasing one of my own.

What they say:

Kiss Me HEROINE MAKE Essence In BB Cream is a multi-functional base cream.

It provides 7 effects. It corrects erose pores, repairs, reduces dullness, acts as liquid foundation, protects against UV rays, relieves dry skin, and controls oil. It absorbs excess sebum and prevents make-up from coming off.

Containing super-hyaluronic acid and nano collagen, it allows you to retain skin’s moisture while applying make-up.

The SPF30 PA++ product protects against UV rays.

It does not contain perfumes or mineral oil. The natural skin colour is compatible with the skin of Japanese.

Okay, just bear in mind I took the description directly from Sasa, so don't mind the spelling and words too much. The last statement about the colour being compatible with "the skin of Japanese" basically means the BB cream comes in one shade only and is a light beige, which is probably suitable for those with NC 20 - 25 skintones.

Kiss Me SUNKILLER BB Perfect Strong

I was so excited when I saw Watson's carrying a pretty good range of Sunkiller products. I think Sasa used to sell Sunkiller but they disappeared for a while and now they are back. Honestly, I'm not sure how long it's been since they brought back Sunkiller but I did not notice it last year. I've read quite a bit about these sunblocks so of course, I had to pick a few up.

Amongst one of the many sunblocks available in the range is the BB Perfect Strong. I've been on a BB cream kick recently so I was pretty eager about trying this one out. The SPF coverage is good and more than enough for my usual work days or weekends as I don't spend too much time outdoors. If I plan to go out for a photo-walk during the day, the SPF is probably good enough too.

What they say:

Kiss Me SUNKILLER BB Perfect Strong contains ultra-fine nano sunblock particles to strongly block UV rays. SPF50+ strongly blocks UVB and prevents skin irritation. PA+++ strongly blocks UVA and protects against darkening and aging.

The colour of natural skin tone allows it to be used as a liquid foundation. It conceals freckles, pores and some wrinkles, leaving skin delicate-looking.

It contains hyaluronic acid, collagen and Lipidure, a moisturizing factor, to fully care for the skin. The non-greasy formula provides long-lasting hydration.

It is highly sweat-proof, waterproof and sebum-proof. It does not have the bad odour that normal sunblock has. And it does not contain perfumes or artificial colourants.

It sounds all hunky-dory.

My Thoughts:

The texture is runny and feels rather slippery when applied. I would say it is more like a tinted sunblock than a BB cream. It looks rather yellow on the back of my hand and even when I tried blending it out with my fingers, it was still a little too yellow on me. Also, if you have dry skin, I'd advise you to moisturise first because this sunblock is not particularly moisturising although it contains a few hydrating ingredients. I felt that the product didn't blend in and absorb well. It was just sitting on top of my skin.

I was all right for an hour or two and then I noticed that my cheeks felt pretty dry and tight. I was browsing around in Sasa at that time and took a look at myself in a mirror. Yucks, the sunblock had oxidised slightly and the yellowish tint had settled on every bump and flaky skin on my face. And my cheeks and forehead felt really uncomfortable by then. I couldn't wait to get home to wash my face! When I finally did, my face had turned redder and bumpier than before.

I think I'm allergic.

I don't want to discourage anyone who would like to try out this sunblock. I have read a few good reviews on BB Perfect Strong and it probably works if you have normal skin. My face is just very sensitive and has a tendency to get itchy, dry, tight, flaky, red and bumpy at every little thing. I didn't have any adverse reaction on my neck and upper chest, so I may continue to use it on those areas.

Availability:

This BB sunblock is available at most Watson outlets and retails at around RM35 (forgot to check the price).

Review : Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream

BB creams have been around the block several years now and seem to be a popular replacement to foundation. BB stands for "blemish balm" and were initially developed as a moisturiser in Germany for patients suffering from skin irritation after undergoing microdermabrasion or laser treatment. It was in Korea that they created a cosmetic product from the original and these bb creams started gaining a huge following.

I recently picked up my first bb cream from Sasa. I just couldn't resist the cute and pink packaging :-) Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream is marketed as a moisturiser, makeup base and foundation in one. It sounded pretty good especially for times when I need to rush.