Adventures in K-Beauty with BB Cosmetics
If you're a regular reader of my blog, it's no surprise to hear that I'm a huge fan of K-beauty products. BB Cosmetics is a site I discovered last fall thanks to the Asian Beauty subreddit, and since then I've shopped there quite a bit. Earlier this year I also got the opportunity to work with them and test two of their most popular items! Because I never got around to sharing some of the products I bought myself, I thought I would do a collective BB Cosmetics mini review featuring the products I received complimentary (marked with an asterisk) as well as some of the products I bought.
First and foremost I should probably do a little intro on BB Cosmetics. They're a Korean e-tailer that sells, you guessed it, Korean beauty products. In addition to their Korean operation, they also have a warehouse in the US. The biggest reason I started shopping therein the first place is because they offer free international shipping! No minimum! For an extra $2.80 you can get a tracking number which I personally find to be a very reasonable cost. If you live in the US, the tracking info is free since they ship via USPS. As far as shipping times go, I've had variable experiences. When I placed my first order they had been running a huge 30% off sitewide promotion so their shipping was a bit delayed. Ultimately I think it took me about 3 weeks to receive my order after placing it. The other two times I shopped there I got my packages within a week and a half! If you're located outside of the US, you can check their shipping page here to see their estimated shipping times.
In addition you can also get 8% off on your order with my code "ND1K0G1ON2K3B" (this isn't an affiliate code so I don't gain anything if you use the code 😊.)
VDL LumiLayer Primer*
$21.00 | 30 mL
Because I'm all about dat glow🌟, of course I had to jump at the opportunity to try out the VDL lumilayer primer. It had been on my wish list ever since youtuber Dana Ann featured it in one of her videos and I have to say... I totally agree with her glowing review! The primer provides a gorgeous, luminous base for my makeup without any sort of excess dewiness or glitter. While I love the Becca backlight priming filter, I can see why it scares some people with oily skin.
Even though it doesn't cause a crazy dewy effect, this primer still manages to add a brightness from within, chok-chok sort of look to my skin. Fragrance wise it has a light, floraly scent that dissipates quite quickly. It blends out easily, layers well with all my sunscreens and moisturizers (read: no pilling!), and doesn't create any sort of white cast. As I have a tan skin tone, there's an omnipresent fear in the back of my head that any sort of white cream or powder white will unknowingly make me look like a grey ghost.
The one negative I experienced with this primer is that it caused my Maybelline dream cushion foundation to oxidize into a terrible shade of orange. I also tested this underneath the Nars sheer glow foundation, Nars tinted moisturizer, and Estee Lauder double wear foundation. It wore beautifully with those three but for some reason it didn't get along with the Maybelline cushion.
It also has gorgeous packaging! At $21 I would say it's a mid-range price, comparable to brands like Too Faced, Urban Decay, Tarte, etc. But the packaging feels more like a higher end brand like Marc Jacobs or Hourglass. The bottle is heavy, glass-like, and has a gorgeous sheen to it. The pump works fantastically. One thing I look for in a pump is if I can produce half a pump cause sometimes a full one is just too much! I'm happy to say that this pump is fully capable of half pumping 🙌
Missha x Line Friends Poptastic Jelly Lip Tint
$6.05 | 5 g
Like way too many things in my makeup and skincare stash, I purely bought this because of the packaging. It's a plastic tube with a standard doe foot applicator... but the most interesting part is the absolutely adorable bear (I think his name is Choco) on the front! Most of the things in the Missha x Line Friends collaboration wouldn't work with my skintone but thankfully, the lip products do!
This was my first time using a Korean lip tint and it was almost all positive! First off, the color is one of those "I just ate a bowl full of strawberries" colors. It's the most natural shade of pink. Second, the almost sheer pigmentation it provides really cements the whole "I just ate a bowl full of strawberries" look. It's so lightweight that I forget that I'm wearing it after it dries down. The lasting power is also pretty good as long as I don't eat any greasy foods!
One of my favorite parts about this lip tint is that it smells like strawberry yogurt. If you know me, then you know I hate the chemically, faux cupcake accompanied by so many lip products. Finally a sweet smell that I actually like!
The one negative I experienced with this lip tint is that it can turn weird and crusty if I layer too much on. If I don't spread it out, especially around the edges of my lips, it can form a white crust which makes it look like I have dried milk on my mouth. Not a very attractive look. But as long as I apply it properly, I don't have to deal with the white crust!
This tint has become one of my daily, low-key lip products and I'll probably end up buying another shade or two in the future.
Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream*
$17.50 | 80 mL
My skincare stash features moisturizers galore so I'm always shocked when I manage to find a new and unique formula. Watery cream truly is the best way to describe this guy cause it's not quite a gel, but not quite a cream. It's a watery cream!
It has a creamy, almost chunky sort of formula, but it's still lightweight and easy to spread (probably thanks to the various -cones it contains.) Whenever I apply it to my face, my skin is left feeling so soft and moisturized. It does have a light fragrance to it (and it also contains fragrance according to the cosdna breakdown) but it's not noticeable unless you're smelling for it.
If you take a peek at the cosdna breakdown then you'll notice this cream is jammed with all sorts of extracts as well as hyaluronic acid, squalene, aloe juice, and collagen. I only wish all those ingredients were included higher up on the list than all the -cones 😔. On the plus side, because of the dimethicone this cream provides surprisingly long lasting moisture! Because it has a lighter formula, I had incorrectly assumed that it wouldn't keep my skin moisturized for hours on end. While it isn't as long-lasting as my beloved Dr. Jart Ceramidin cream, it still keeps my skin moisturized for a solid 4 to 5 hours.
It isn't my favorite formula but I think it's a solid, relatively affordable option for people with combination or normal skin. I'll probably start reaching for it more as the weather gets warmer... if it ever gets warmer 😩
Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
$15.20 | 100 mL
I've had this bottle for a few months now and I love it just as much as I did when I first started using it. In fact I'm almost out of it so I will be restocking on it ASAP! I talked about it previously in my November 2016 Beauty Favorites as well as in my 2016 Year End Beauty Favorites so I won't ramble on about it too much.
This stuff is the first BHA that has ever actually improved my skin. Unlike most Western products which use salicylic acid, this serum uses salicylate betaine which is a gentler form of BHA! While I don't see any results from salicylic acid products (except for dry, flakey skin 😒), this serum actually delivers. It works as a gentle chemical exfoliator and has really helped keep the sebaceous filaments/ blackheads on my nose at a reasonable level. I'll be dedicating a whole post to chemical exfoliants, including BHAs, in the future to chat more in-depth about their effects, but needless to say this one works.
CosRX Aloe Soothing Suncream SPF 50 PA+++
$12.09 | 50 mL
I could have sworn I got this sunscreen off the bbcosmetics site! At the moment it's not available from them but you can get it from Amazon which is what I linked up above.
Sadly this is the first Cosrx product I've tried and not liked. It just feels so...greasy. Since I'm going to be doing a sunscreen review post and because this guy isn't actually available on the BB Cosmetics site, I'm going to hold off on reviewing it. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because I included it in the photos 🙈.
First and foremost I should probably do a little intro on BB Cosmetics. They're a Korean e-tailer that sells, you guessed it, Korean beauty products. In addition to their Korean operation, they also have a warehouse in the US. The biggest reason I started shopping therein the first place is because they offer free international shipping! No minimum! For an extra $2.80 you can get a tracking number which I personally find to be a very reasonable cost. If you live in the US, the tracking info is free since they ship via USPS. As far as shipping times go, I've had variable experiences. When I placed my first order they had been running a huge 30% off sitewide promotion so their shipping was a bit delayed. Ultimately I think it took me about 3 weeks to receive my order after placing it. The other two times I shopped there I got my packages within a week and a half! If you're located outside of the US, you can check their shipping page here to see their estimated shipping times.
In addition you can also get 8% off on your order with my code "ND1K0G1ON2K3B" (this isn't an affiliate code so I don't gain anything if you use the code 😊.)
VDL LumiLayer Primer*
$21.00 | 30 mL
Because I'm all about dat glow🌟, of course I had to jump at the opportunity to try out the VDL lumilayer primer. It had been on my wish list ever since youtuber Dana Ann featured it in one of her videos and I have to say... I totally agree with her glowing review! The primer provides a gorgeous, luminous base for my makeup without any sort of excess dewiness or glitter. While I love the Becca backlight priming filter, I can see why it scares some people with oily skin.
Even though it doesn't cause a crazy dewy effect, this primer still manages to add a brightness from within, chok-chok sort of look to my skin. Fragrance wise it has a light, floraly scent that dissipates quite quickly. It blends out easily, layers well with all my sunscreens and moisturizers (read: no pilling!), and doesn't create any sort of white cast. As I have a tan skin tone, there's an omnipresent fear in the back of my head that any sort of white cream or powder white will unknowingly make me look like a grey ghost.
The one negative I experienced with this primer is that it caused my Maybelline dream cushion foundation to oxidize into a terrible shade of orange. I also tested this underneath the Nars sheer glow foundation, Nars tinted moisturizer, and Estee Lauder double wear foundation. It wore beautifully with those three but for some reason it didn't get along with the Maybelline cushion.
It also has gorgeous packaging! At $21 I would say it's a mid-range price, comparable to brands like Too Faced, Urban Decay, Tarte, etc. But the packaging feels more like a higher end brand like Marc Jacobs or Hourglass. The bottle is heavy, glass-like, and has a gorgeous sheen to it. The pump works fantastically. One thing I look for in a pump is if I can produce half a pump cause sometimes a full one is just too much! I'm happy to say that this pump is fully capable of half pumping 🙌
Missha x Line Friends Poptastic Jelly Lip Tint
$6.05 | 5 g
Like way too many things in my makeup and skincare stash, I purely bought this because of the packaging. It's a plastic tube with a standard doe foot applicator... but the most interesting part is the absolutely adorable bear (I think his name is Choco) on the front! Most of the things in the Missha x Line Friends collaboration wouldn't work with my skintone but thankfully, the lip products do!
This was my first time using a Korean lip tint and it was almost all positive! First off, the color is one of those "I just ate a bowl full of strawberries" colors. It's the most natural shade of pink. Second, the almost sheer pigmentation it provides really cements the whole "I just ate a bowl full of strawberries" look. It's so lightweight that I forget that I'm wearing it after it dries down. The lasting power is also pretty good as long as I don't eat any greasy foods!
One of my favorite parts about this lip tint is that it smells like strawberry yogurt. If you know me, then you know I hate the chemically, faux cupcake accompanied by so many lip products. Finally a sweet smell that I actually like!
The one negative I experienced with this lip tint is that it can turn weird and crusty if I layer too much on. If I don't spread it out, especially around the edges of my lips, it can form a white crust which makes it look like I have dried milk on my mouth. Not a very attractive look. But as long as I apply it properly, I don't have to deal with the white crust!
This tint has become one of my daily, low-key lip products and I'll probably end up buying another shade or two in the future.
Nature Republic Super Aqua Max Combination Watery Cream*
$17.50 | 80 mL
My skincare stash features moisturizers galore so I'm always shocked when I manage to find a new and unique formula. Watery cream truly is the best way to describe this guy cause it's not quite a gel, but not quite a cream. It's a watery cream!
It has a creamy, almost chunky sort of formula, but it's still lightweight and easy to spread (probably thanks to the various -cones it contains.) Whenever I apply it to my face, my skin is left feeling so soft and moisturized. It does have a light fragrance to it (and it also contains fragrance according to the cosdna breakdown) but it's not noticeable unless you're smelling for it.
If you take a peek at the cosdna breakdown then you'll notice this cream is jammed with all sorts of extracts as well as hyaluronic acid, squalene, aloe juice, and collagen. I only wish all those ingredients were included higher up on the list than all the -cones 😔. On the plus side, because of the dimethicone this cream provides surprisingly long lasting moisture! Because it has a lighter formula, I had incorrectly assumed that it wouldn't keep my skin moisturized for hours on end. While it isn't as long-lasting as my beloved Dr. Jart Ceramidin cream, it still keeps my skin moisturized for a solid 4 to 5 hours.
It isn't my favorite formula but I think it's a solid, relatively affordable option for people with combination or normal skin. I'll probably start reaching for it more as the weather gets warmer... if it ever gets warmer 😩
Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid
$15.20 | 100 mL
I've had this bottle for a few months now and I love it just as much as I did when I first started using it. In fact I'm almost out of it so I will be restocking on it ASAP! I talked about it previously in my November 2016 Beauty Favorites as well as in my 2016 Year End Beauty Favorites so I won't ramble on about it too much.
This stuff is the first BHA that has ever actually improved my skin. Unlike most Western products which use salicylic acid, this serum uses salicylate betaine which is a gentler form of BHA! While I don't see any results from salicylic acid products (except for dry, flakey skin 😒), this serum actually delivers. It works as a gentle chemical exfoliator and has really helped keep the sebaceous filaments/ blackheads on my nose at a reasonable level. I'll be dedicating a whole post to chemical exfoliants, including BHAs, in the future to chat more in-depth about their effects, but needless to say this one works.
CosRX Aloe Soothing Suncream SPF 50 PA+++
$12.09 | 50 mL
I could have sworn I got this sunscreen off the bbcosmetics site! At the moment it's not available from them but you can get it from Amazon which is what I linked up above.
Sadly this is the first Cosrx product I've tried and not liked. It just feels so...greasy. Since I'm going to be doing a sunscreen review post and because this guy isn't actually available on the BB Cosmetics site, I'm going to hold off on reviewing it. The only reason I'm mentioning it is because I included it in the photos 🙈.