My Thoughts: Holika Holika Petit BB Cream in Clearing

If there's one beauty product that I cannot live without, my answer would have to be pretty basic: Foundation/BB cream. 

See, I used to have nearly if not totally flawless skin until, thanks to college life, the word sleep and eat healthy suddenly took a day off in my vocabulary. Thanks to my trusted skin care routine, my skin is slowly but surely getting better but it sure wasn't easy I tell ya.  It took me months, close to a year actually, to get it into looking nice & healthy again.  I had to avoid a lot of stuff (yes dairy I'm looking at you) and get a decent amount of sleep. I had to start and keep up with an exercise regimen and on top of that I also had to make smart food choices, well, basically eat healthy and drink lots and lots and lots of water. A decent skin care routine isn't gonna cut it for me so I had to work from the inside as well. All the efforts seemed to pay off so I couldn't be more happier. Sure I still get the occasional pimple now & then, which I think is totally normal for us girls but nothing that would drive me bonkers anymore. 

That said, I would like to share to you today a BB cream which I have been wearing a lot of lately, if not abusing because it feels so so comfortable on the skin all the while giving me a decent amount of coverage. I received this as a birthday gift from one of my friends in college last year November. She knows me as a BB cream freak so I guess you could imagine how delighted I was when I received this. So, let's get into the details of this gem right here, shall we?

PACKAGING: 

The BB cream is housed in an anti-gravity plastic tube that comes with a cap which you twist to open/close. I somehow prefer it as opposed to ones that come with a pump because it's less bulkier. It's pretty small at 30ml so it's really ideal for travelling as it's so easy to just throw in your make up bag & be on the go. However, because it comes in a squeeze type tube, you get less control of the product so it's more prone to wastage so overall, just be wary. 

SHADE: 

I'm happy to report that this BB cream right here has neither pink nor yellow undertones and instead has the perfect blend of both worlds. I am always, ALWAYS in the look-out for something as such because my Missha Pore BB cream gives me terrible grey casts on photos, so much as I love it for day-time, I have completely shunned it for good for fear of making a spectacle of myself in candid photos (which gets tagged on my Facebook account in no time, thanks to my ever so thoughtful friends). To cut to chase, if you have fair skin, you'll love this. However, if you belong somewhere in the middle, I would highly suggest you mix this up with a darker concealer/foundation for a better match. 

FINISH: 

The finish is quite dewy on me so I really have to set it with a translucent powder to avoid looking like a grease ball at the end of the day. My T-zone becomes shiny after 2-3 hours, depending on the weather. 

WEAR-TIME: 

As I mentioned earlier, my T-zone becomes shiny after 2-3 hours, but nothing that those good ole blotting sheets cant' fix. The rest of  it remains intact though so I would say I'm pretty impressed. I wear primer by the way, so on me it stays for about 6-8 hours with minimal touch ups. 

SMELL: 

This BB cream is not fragrance-free & if you have used Tony Moly's Luminous Aura BB cream in the past, I would say they're quite similar. It has a soft floral scent to it which goes away almost immediately upon application. It's not too strong like Skinfood's Peach Sake BB cream so if that bothers you as it does me, then you'd be fine with this. 

PRICE: 

I'm not so sure how much this is exactly, but in stores I think this is around 360php ($8) so it's really affordable all things considered. I'm pretty sure it doesn't go over 400php. 

AVAILABILITY: 

As of now, Holika Holika has only one branch here in Manila, and that's in SM Fairview so lucky you if you're near that area. If not then there's always eBay for you. You can also check out Lazada because they also have Holika Holika items there, and good news, they also do cash on delivery meaning you don't have to go through the hassle of withdrawing cash from your ATM, falling in line & basically waiting forever for your turn in the bank. 

      So to sum it all up! 

      LOVE: 

• Travel friendly packaging 
• Affordable
• Perfect color match 
• Contains SPF30 PA+++ 
• Stays put for a decent amount of time 
• Lovely dewy finish 
• Sheer-medium coverage 
• Feels comfortable on the skin 
• Does not break me out 

      NEUTRAL:

• Does not show up nice on photos due to the SPF content 
• Not easily available 
• Has a bit of fragrance in it 

      HATE:

• NOTHING, really! xx 

     QUICKIES: 

• If you have combination/oily skin, I highly suggest you use primer underneath for better wear time. 
• If you suffer from dry skin, make it a habit to exfoliate regularly, and moisturize daily. This BB cream, or any foundation for that matter, will show up better on your skin if you do so. 
• I wouldn't recommend this as your ultimate sun protection if you're going to be exposed to the sun a lot. A separate sunscreen is still your best buddy. 
• Use a finishing veil for better wear time.  

Price: 360php (approximately) or $8 

Where to get: Holika Holika store (SM Fairview) or online (eBay, Lazada, Cosmetics Love) 

Overall Rating: 5/5 

 

                                                      And now the BB cream in action. xx 

And there you go! What do you think of this BB cream? Would you give it a shot, or do you already have a similar one in your stash? Let me know your thoughts on this one! xx 

- JEM