Next generation BB cream

Troubled skin?

Refusing to use foundation? 

Well then, I bet all of you know, among Asian women, BB creams are the IN things now. I guess 9 out of 10 women these days have already tried out those BB creams available in the market.

As for myself, I have tried and tested a fair amount of BB creams in our Malaysian market and honestly, I am not really a big fan of BB creams because I personally think majority of the shades in the market are either too fair, too pinkish or too grey-ish.

Furthermore, these BB creams do not last long. The wearing time is around 3 to 4 hours before they start melting off. For those drugstore ones, I guess the longest wearing time that I could vouch for is Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Cream - probably about 2 to 3 hours.

I hate re-application - that is one of the reasons why I turn to foundations in the end.

Therefore, I gave away most of the BB creams in my possession to either stupid sister or friends because it is really not good to just throw away since there are people who might appreciate them. Yeah, I am such a kind and considerate person, just like so. LOLX!

Anyway, of all the hypes about how good a BB cream is, I came across the next generation of BB cream called the CC cream when I visited Singapore in December last year. 

I guess I discovered it a little later than others. 

That time, I was not so keen on trying it out even though there were testers on the display. I was loving my foundation and never heard of the brand before. 

It was not until June or July, I came across one of the Singapore's top beauty bloggers, Roseanne Tang's entry where she blogged about the exact CC cream that I saw in Singapore - Rachel K CC Cream.

  

It made me curious and I wanted to try it out after reading Roseanne's reviews and also watching her video in which she compared several BB creams and also the Rachel K CC Cream. Since then, I have been wanting to get it but nobody was able to send it back to my hometown for me. Thus, I waited until last month when stupid sister went to Singapore and bought the pink tube of Rachel K CC Cream for me.

I was too excited and couldn't wait to test it out.

Rachel K CC Cream retails for about SGD$30. I guess that is a decent price for BB or CC creams, right? Well... at least I think so.

So, let's see, what is CC cream and what is the hype all about, shall we?

Rachel K CC Cream is essentially a much-improved and refined BB (Beauty Balm or Blemish Balm) cream that will do everything that is expected of a BB cream and the most important and intriguing difference in a CC cream is the delivery of the cosmetic properties. 

While BB cream is toted primarily as a golden product of the skincare industry in Asia, CC cream has been developed to retain all the skincare benefits of a BB cream as well as more effective ingredients and skin coverage. 

This is where the “color control” comes in. Unlike BB cream, CC cream rocks a heavier, more cosmetic-like coverage that actually has a lighter texture. This results in a formula that is extremely easy to blend, yet offers a smooth and even-toned base that looks like a second (flawless) skin. 

The Rachel K CC cream has undergone a lot of testing and revealed some very impressive results: 

When compared to BB cream, test subjects agreed that Rachel K’s CC cream had a less oily texture, a better whitening or brightening effect, 3 times better coverage, absolutely no breakouts, longer-lasting moisture and hold, and 5 times better stability.

Well... if you want more information, there are more on Rachel K's website.

So now, why exactly CC cream instead of BB cream?

So, let's see how the Rachel K CC Cream fairs in my honest opinion.

When the first time I tested it out, I was half expecting the CC cream to have a watery texture but no, I was wrong. The texture is quite thick!

Yeah, thick and it does not slide or glide everywhere during application - good news, huh?

I guess that would be one plus point to this CC cream because I hate my foundation, BB cream or whatever you call them to slide or glide during application.

The shade I have gotten is Neutral because Original is too fair with more pink undertone to it. Neutral is fine with just a little pink undertone which in my honest opinion would suit Asians with fair to medium skin tone. Oh, haha... I just realized I am not too dark. LOLX!

Blendability is okay, not too bad. I find it difficult to apply if you were to drag the CC Cream across your face due to its thick texture. So, best way to apply it - patting motion! By patting motion, I mean patting your face, just like when you are massaging your face.

Another plus point is that this CC cream happens to be quite waterproof. After applying it onto my hand, I tried running it under the water and pooooofff... it's still there.

It does say on the packaging that it is smudge proof but honestly, I would not agree with that. I personally think it is not smudge proof. After the application, I tried rubbing it with my fingers and it came off. This is quite a big no-no for me because if it is not smudge proof, most probably it will come off in about 3 to 4 hours on my oily skin.

We shall discuss about the coverage of this CC cream.

One thing that I do like about this CC cream is that it covers quite well. I wouldn't say the coverage is good but it's like a little above average. I notice an immediate whitening effect and also the evens out my skin tone quite well.

I know you'll think it looks too fair on me but let's just give the CC cream some time to set, shall we? So, I proceeded with my eye make-up, blush and lipstick.

In about 15 minutes, the colour adjusts itself to fit my complexion.

Not bad, right? Considering I took the pictures with flash and there is no white cast or anything.

If you are worried that the CC cream might be too oily for you, don't worry. I think it is not oily even though the texture is quite thick.

On the lasting power - I'll give it a rating of 3 out of 5 because it wears off in about 5 hours or so especially on my T-zone.

Will I purchase it again?

I guess for the nearest time, I won't be re-purchasing Rachel K CC Cream. One tube can last me for quite some time, furthermore, I have found HG BB cream already.