Etude House BB Magic Cream SPF30 PA++

BB (blemish balm) creams were originally used to soothe the skin of burn victims and those who have undergone surgery, but it became a prized and much-hyped beauty product when Korean celebrities claimed that it gave them beautiful skin. It took me quite a while to get into the BB cream bandwagon because I was skeptical. Makeup that erases your blemishes, gives you clear, glowing skin and has anti-aging properties? I scoffed. I thought it was just glorified tinted moisturizer.

However I've gotten a lot of inquiries about BB creams these past few months. Of course, as a responsible beauty blogger (ehem), I just have to go and try it out for myself. I got the Etude BB Magic cream and I've been using it for more than a month now. To make a long story short, I love it!

Why this is awesome:

• It evens out my skin and gives it a beautiful glow. Don't get me wrong, the coverage is quite light and not that buildable, but I am not looking for a foundation substitute.
• Has SPF 30! 
• I use it as primer for my foundation. I noticed that with this under my face makeup stays fresh longer. You cannot believe how grateful I am for that!
• I am less oily when I use it. Lauren mentioned that it makes her oily but I don't know, it's like my skin just absorbs this within minutes of application.
• It saves me an extra step in my morning ritual. I use this right after I apply toner as my day moisturizer.
• It only has two shades so I got the darker one. It's surprisingly a great match for my skin since it's sheer and blends in easily.
• Has a watery texture, meaning it's easy to spread around and I only need a little (like a half pump) for my whole face. I'm not a fan of heavy creams.
• The packaging is functional. The pump is hygienic to use, plus you have a cap to cover it with. I read someone complain about how difficult it is to control the amount that is dispensed,  but I've never had that problem.
• No breakouts, hurrah!
• I am in love with the price. It's only P598. I've been using mine for a month now, almost everyday, and I don't think I'm even halfway through the product.

What I don't like about it:

• Has a greasy after-feel. It takes a couple of minutes for the product to sink into my skin. Once I top it off with foundation or finishing powder though the feeling is gone.
• Since it has SPF, there is a slight white cast on photos taken with flash or under direct sunlight.
• There are three variants of the BB Magic Cream: SPF30 PA++, Refreshing, and Moisturizing. There are only two very light shades that I noticed. It's not for morenas since even if you manage to blend it in without looking like a ghost, you will still look ashy.

All things considered, I feel that BB creams are still nothing more than glorified tinted moisturizers. I didn't notice any significant skin texture improvement or blemish lightening. So really, don't expect magic from BB creams because there is none. Nonetheless, my first experience with BB creams is positive so I think that I will be trying out more in the future. I'm really happy with the Etude BB Magic Cream SPF variant though so I don't think I'll be changing brands soon. I will definitely buy this again!

Check out my review of the Etude House Suprise concealer, which I also love.