It’s not very often that I decide to write a review based on a small sample, but I felt like I should in this case, considering that I mentioned this product several times before on this blog. I’m talking about none other than Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm, which comes in two shades – Light/Medium and Medium/Deep.
Here’s the official description from Sephora.com:
A moisturizer, sunscreen, and treatment serum, this all-in-one product also includes advanced brightening properties. Ideal under makeup, its natural-looking coverage minimizes the appearance of imperfections and evens the skintone.
Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Arbutin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Magnesium Sulfate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Calcium Stearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Polysorbate 80, Propylene Glycol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Talc, Tocopheryl Acetate, Adenosine, Alcohol, Lecithin, rh-Oligopeptide-1, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, PVP, Platinum Powder, Steareth-20, Chrysin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide.
I received this sample several times over the past few months, and each time I tried it, I was in a dry air-conditioned environment. That might have been the reason why I ended up getting such positive results in the first place. Problem is, I have combination skin, so finding a BB cream that provides medium coverage, moisturizes, and wears comfortably is not that easy, and I thought this one was golden.
One day I decided to wear my new BB cream sample while running errands. I didn’t do anything differently than usual and applied it over primer and sunscreen, just like I always do with other complexion products. By the end of the first hour I could feel my face turning oily, but dismissed it due to the fact it was a tad humid outside. A couple hours later I looked at myself in the mirror, and my entire face was glistening with oil! I haven’t seen it like this in years! I blotted away the oil by using probably half of my remaining Tatcha Aburatorigami beauty papers, but the oiliness returned a couple hours later anyway. I guess, my point is – test your makeup samples in all environments, if you consider buying the product. This BB cream was already sitting in my cart, so I’m glad I actually decided to give it a taste of an outside world before I splurged [it’s not cheap by any means].
The company gets cookie points for the formula: Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm contains some fabulous ingredients, and feels very comfortable on the skin. It’s a breeze to apply, and really easy to blend out even with bare hands. It also contains broad-spectrum physical sunscreen, which looks invisible on the skin – yay for no white cast or chunky particles!
Swatch reference: My skin tone is between MAC NC15 and NW15 with yellowish hue and neutral undertones. Sometimes I can wear NW20 in the Summer. I thought this would be useful to know, since all screens show colors differently, and I also don’t have a studio setup with consistent lighting. Hope that helps!
Even though there’s no official note, I now know that it’s best suited for people with dry and normal skin types [although I’d test it on a normal skin, too, just in case], because it doesn’t emphasize the dry patches and flakes, while providing light to medium non-buildable coverage – perfect for that natural look. I really wish my skin was the right type to use this BB cream, but unfortunately I’ll have to remove it from my cart, because I couldn’t make it work no matter how much I tried. Also, I don’t want to waste any more of my precious Tatcha papers.
The above picture says it all. That’s only two hours after the application on my combination skin. That’s not a dewy finish, strobing, or highlighting, and just look at those enlarged pores! It’s like my skin is begging to be cleansed ASAP. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you are resisting the urge to wipe your screens right now. Please, excuse my mad scientist hair, it was a bit humid and I didn’t wear any product to combat that frizzfest! 🙂
Do you need this? Not for me! 🙂 It would probably be nice for those with dry and normal skin types, but I recommend trying a sample in different environments first. The formula feels really nice on the skin, and looks totally natural, effectively perfecting your complexion, so I think even guys who normally steer clear of makeup can wear this one without anyone noticing, as long as the color is a good match.
WHERE TO BUY: $39 USD for 1.5 oz. Available at Sephora, Birchbox.
Have you tried Korean BB creams before? What was the last product you purchased after trying a sample?
Disclosure: This post features products purchased by Glamorable and may contain affiliate or referral links. For more details about my product review policy, copyright, and information about affiliate links, please refer to Disclosures & Content Use page.
