Rave: Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream

Foundation

May 16

One of these days, I'm going to write a post on the x number of things I bought because of Lisa Eldridge. She's probably the most influential beauty guru in my life - I believe everything she says, with all my heart and soul! Seriously though, I love her. I hope I can get to meet her one day or at least see her in person. It would be a dream come true for me if she visits the Philippines!

Anyway, I first heard about Bourjois, a French drugstore beauty brand, from Lisa. She always uses the brand's foundations and blushes in her video tutorials. One of the things she's been featuring in her recent videos is the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream (~P900 or JPY1,800), so when I saw it in Tokyo a couple of weeks back, I had to get one! The reasonable price was the other factor that convinced me to pick it up.

I'm not going to let the tension mount - it was love at first swipe with this CC Cream! It has a beautiful skin-like finish, sheer but decent coverage, and it brightens my face up with only one layer. Staying power is pretty good as well, and I'm saying that while in the midst of a massive heat wave in Manila. SO MUCH LOVE. I wish I got a couple more tubes.

Here's a detailed rundown of the pros and cons of this Bourjois base!

What I love about the product

It delivers a gorgeous skin-enhancing effect. It reminds me a bit of the Bobbi Brown BB Cream, but at less than half the price tag. It sets into a demi-matte finish.
Sheer to medium coverage. It's not buildable, but one layer is enough to cover minor imperfections and tone down redness, sallowness, and uneven areas.
Texture is runny and easy to spread with just fingers. It's hydrating, but feels lightweight in the heat.
I got a great shade match with 33 Rose Beige. I don't have pink or beige undertones - in fact I am quite yellow - but this blends on my skin nicely. It leaves my face sliiiiightly lighter than normal but it's not obvious as far as I'm aware. I'm NC35, a medium yellow for your reference.

The product doesn't look rosy or beige-y at all, as you can see in the swatch. Check out how nicely it blends out!

Staying power is superb. I've worn this for over seven hours and it even looks better as the day progresses! I do oil up in a few hours but it's nothing a bit of powder can't fix.
A little goes a long way!
This is extremely photogenic, as you can see in my picture below. It makes skin look like skin, but corrects what needs to be corrected.
The quality is comparable to high-end brands, but the price is very reasonable at roughly P900 when converted from Y1,800. Not bad huh?

Here it is with translucent powder on top. Love the finish and ease of application.

What I don't like about the product

The obvious most unfortunate fact: it's not available in the Philippines! However, this should be easy to source from online resellers. Bourjois is also available in Hong Kong so you can ask close friends visiting there to get you one.
The tube packaging is not suited to the texture of the product. It's kinda watery, so if you don't open it carefully the stuff will just spew out from the spout. That's what happened the first time I uncapped the tube. This would have been better in something with a pump.

Neutral

This CC Cream only has SPF18, kinda low when compared to other CC Creams. On the up side, this makes for a great base for when you're having your pictures taken.

Recommendations

I highly recommend the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream to those with dry to combi skin looking for a satiny, natural foundation. You have to look out for it next time you travel! It is exactly the kind of base that will make you look pretty without being makeup-y.

You can still push for this if you have oily skin but make sure to set it with a good oil-absorbing powder. And oh, keep a pressed powder handy for retouching when you need to.

Real Techniques Duo-Fiber Brush Collection

Application tips: fingers are more than enough for this watery product, but if you want a finer finish and don't mind spending some extra time, use a small stippling brush for a soft-focus effect or a paddle foundation brush for slightly better coverage.

Verdict

I LOVE IT. I will definitely re-purchase next time I'm out of the country. ^_^ It's not quite like the other CC Creams I've tried tbqh, which is why I'd rather think of it as a sheer foundation. In any case, I'm looking forward to try the other things that Bourjois has to offer!

Does this look like something you'd get for yourself? Let me know in the comments!