Klairs Illuminating Supple BB Cream {review}

I have been after a BB cream for a while now, and as I now live in the original home of the BB cream you'd have thought it would be easy to find one that suits my skin. But alas, I have been nervous to be too adventurous with my choices and have fallen back on my trusty Essence BB Cream from back home in South Africa. That was until I was recently sent this one by WishTrend  to review (click here for more info on WishTrend and how you too can get your hands on South Korean beauty products wherever you may be in the world). 

This Illunminating BB Cream from Klairs is very popular here among Korean women. Here is the blurb from Klairs (their English translation is a little off but you get the idea):

For dry skin- Offers great Hydration with the best moisture ingredient; Hydraluronic Acid

For sensitive skin- Brings soothing effect with calming component such as Aloe Barbadensis leaf juice

For ageing skin – Great wrinkle improvement with highly concentrate moisture formula

For trouble skin- Does not worsen the trouble spots with low irritant ingredients and skin-friendly components. 

Klairs’ Unique smart color system is suitable for any skin type tone. No need to cover up with unhealthy looking artificial color of other BB creams. Sun screen + Primer + Foundation + Finishing Powder = [Klairs] Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream! Save your precious time in the morning and finish the base makeup with great BB cream Korean women die for.

The truthful brand, Klairs is eco-friendly cosmetics. Against animal testing, no alcohol, no parabens, no artificial coloring. Low irritation to the skin with safe and great ingredients, especially safe cosmetics for sensitive or trouble type skin."

When I first opened up the packaging I was a little nervous as the product only comes in one shade. All of the other reviews I had seen had been done by Asian girls with very light skin. So I thought it would be far from suitable for my naturally darker complexion (thanks to the countless number of hours I spent in the sun as a young child). BUT I was wrong! The product blended effortlessly into my skin (both on my hand and on my face). Most BB Creams have a greyish cast to them, making your face look sullen. But this product, with it's slightly yellowish undertone, suits my skin perfectly. From all of the reviews I have seen on this product, it suits most skin tones (although, for my very much darker skinned lady friends, this one probably won't be suitable, although it would be interesting to see if it did blend).

The packaging is simple in design, just like the product itself and has a small nozzle to dispense just the right amount of product. This helps you control exactly how much product you want to use, without making a mess. The packaging is written in both English & Korean. 

The initial coverage is very light, but definitely buildable leaving skin with a very natural, dewy finish. Korean women are very into the 'dewy' look, especially the older ladies, so finding a matte finish can be tricky. But, with a dusting of your favourite powder, your skin will look just the right amount of dewy, and not like an oil slick.

This is suitable for all skin types, and one of it's promises is that has sebum control. I have combination skin, and it didn't provide very much oil control for me. But, with a dusting of translucent powder and my favourite Innisfree Sebum Control powder I had no shiny skin, even after a full day of wear. Most BB creams make skin appear oilier than other foundations because of all the added elements they provide, things like sun protection. This would naturally make a product oilier. I didn't notice excessive oiliness though, the same amount I experience from any foundation I use, regardless of the brand. I also always apply a sun cream under my foundation/BB cream (I am currently loving the Sebum Control Moisture Sun sun cream from The FaceShop...review to come soon).

Here is the ingredient list for those of who would like to know what exactly goes into the product:

This image of the ingredients was found on AegyoPrincess.

And now for the results. In the before photograph I am barefaced (this is my skin after following my morning skincare routine of cleanser, toner, eye cream, lotion, suncream & primer...blog post to follow soon).

The after photographs were taken with only the BB Cream applied, no other makeup was used in the shot.

My biggest skin concerns are the pigmentation I have on my forehead, nose/under eye area and my upper lip region so this was the biggest test for me. I wanted to make sure that this BB cream would provide adequate coverage. You can see from the photographs below what the results were for me.

I really like this BB cream, and even though it doesn't offer that much oil control, I love how natural my skin looks. I am able to build up the coverage, and have noticed that the coverage is better when applied with my fingers, and not with my trusty Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Foundation brush. Both application methods give a smooth finish, but I prefer the brush as I don't have to get my fingers messy. My skin is left illuminated (as promised) but without the shimmer that most illuminating products have. This is a big plus for me as I'd rather add my own shimmer exactly where I want it, and not walk around looking a unicorn. 

I tend to get dry, flaky patches on my nose, so when applying this and any other foundation/BB cream, I am just careful to either have exfoliated the night before, or to make sure I apply a primer (I am currently loving this Velvet Skin Primer from The Face Shop). 

You can purchase this BB Cream online from WishTrend for $24.99.

If you enter this code 052313605 at check out, you can also save yourself $5!

Happy Shopping!