Bourjois BB Cream

This BB was one of my very rare impulse buys. What got me was the packaging which is one of the most functional ones I've seen. It's a very new product on the market, but just one of the many western attempts at BB creams. I was very self-tanned when I bought it, so naturally the shade is very dark, what's the problem is that it is the lightest in the range.

Packaging: I was swayed by the packaging. I'm one of those, who is drawn to the functionality rather than prettiness. It's a compact BB cream with a huge mirror that swivels 360° degrees. I really wanted it just to keep it in my make up bag as a foundation/concealer on the go. Because it's a shiny black plastic it doesn't stay clean for long, you can see every fingerprint and smudge on it. It really is great on the go because the compact is thin and not too big, not to mention how awesome is the mirror.

Product: It claims to be 8-in-1, but most of the things on their list is just Captain Obvious stuff from my perspective. It has an SPF of 20. It's is very creamy and soft, but not as soft as Max Factor Miracle Illusion. It blends so well, it just melts into the skin. The finish is very natural, just like skin, not too matte and not dewy. I really like the finish, it's like you have nothing on, even from looking really close you can't tell you're wearing anything. I like the application with fingers most, I tried using a brush but it ended up too uneven. Because my skin is currently very dry, I use one of my oils as a base and this helps the BB to look even better. The coverage is light-medium, my darker freckles are still visible and it doesn't completely cover the redness around the nose and under the eyes. I find this clings to patches if I don't use an oil. I didn't even realize how small the amount of product actually is when I was buying it. It's only 6g and I've been using it about a week and I already hit the pan! I'm not the one to cake on foundation, in fact, I always use quite small amount, but this is just insane. Staying power is quite good, it lasts over 8 hours and it fades nicely in terms that it doesn't get ugly patchy and keeps oiliness any at bay (at least with my skin).

Shade Range: The biggest flop by Bourjois. There are only four shades available and two of them, 21 and 23, are almost identical. I've always relied on them to have the lightest foundations for us Snow Whites. They basically lost a huge cut of the market, it's like they forgot it's sold in Europe. The lightest shade called 21 Vanilla is just a smidgen lighter than Flower Perfection 53. Just like most of the western companies they completely disappointed me by creating a BB cream that doesn't even carry a light shade. I can only wear it if I'm self-tanning and I do that on rare occasions when I want a change (plus coral lipsticks look so much better on me when I'm tan).

Verdict: I love the packaging and I like the finish. But the amount of product is way to small for a 15€ price tag. The most disappointing thing is the shade range. If they had two lighter shades I'd be probably raving about it. I'd say it's good for oilier/combination/normal skin and it's not the best for dry skin without a heavy, moisturising base underneath.

Thanks for reading!