Monday 7 January 2013

Chi Chi BB Cream - Swatches & First Impressions


After being so impressed by my Chi Chi 'Glamorous Nudes' Palette that I picked up at Target, I decided to head back to have a good look at all the other products they have in their collection. I was considering some of their foundations and primers when I spotted they had released a BB cream! 
I immediately picked it up -in the lightest shade, Light-, as I have been in a bit of a BB cream buying phase lately and want to see if there is one out there that can beat my favourite at the moment by Models Prefer. I find BB creams are so lovely on the skin during the summer as they are not as heavy as regular foundation.
The Chi Chi BB cream retails for $19.95, but I picked mine up for 30% off in Targets after Christmas sales. Bonus! :)

The Chi Chi BB cream comes packaged in a sleek matte black box, with the same pink & white script as the tube. The tube itself resembles that of the Liolie BB Creams, a squeeze tube with a pump on the end and a clear cap. I think the packaging is sleek & modern as well as functional with its pump and I really enjoyed that about this product.


The description on the box reads:

SIMPLY THE BEST BB CREAM.
We travelled to South Korea, the place where the whole BB cream phenomenon started, to learn about these products and bring to the market the best possible formulation.
BB creams have been widely used by Korean Dermatologists since the 1980's in patients recovering from cosmetic and skin surgery to cover up their scars and wounds as they are an excellent lightweight formula that provide coverage whilst at the same time being a nutritious, soothing source of hydration, moisture and special care ingredients.
This two in one "makeup meets skincare" product is so easy to manage and maintain in a busy lifestyle that it will make you throw away your plain tinted moisturizer forever!

YOU WILL NEVER USE A TINTED MOISTURIZER AGAIN!
Chi Chi's super moisturizing, multi benefit, anti ageing skin BB cream contains more than 14 essential skin conditioning agents that guarantee your skin will look radiant with a natural, healthy looking glow.
Formulated with the powerful, active ingredients Collguard™ (anti wrinkle collagen) and Caviar Extract (highly antioxidant, super moisturizing and soothing) your skin will be enriched with a wealth of vitamins and minerals to reduce the signs of ageing, as well as Botanical Actives and Hyaluronic Acid microspheres for plumping and optimal looking skin.
This two in one "makeup meets skincare" tinted cream formula with SPF 30 may be worn as a 'light foundation with benefits' or as a primer to help conceal blemishes, uneven colouring, fine lines, scarring and other skin imperfections. It will let your skin breathe whilst radiating a healthy lustre.

I really liked the fact that Chi Chi went in to so much detail in its description not only of its own product, but also the history of BB creams as a whole, and the benefits that they can bring about to the skin. Other BB creams simply advertise on light coverage but this one focuses on its many skin nourishing ingredients that it contains as well as coverage, which is what original BB creams were formulated for.
Another thing that reaallly impressed me was 'only tested on family and friends' and the 'made in south korea' written on the box! Whilst I am not a crusader, I do of course always try to choose products which are not tested on animals. I also think it speaks significantly about this BB cream that it is made in the location where the true BB creams originated, using the same science.

The Chi Chi BB Cream contains Caviar extract, Collguard™, Avacado oil, Olive oil, Wheat germ oil, Green tea, White mulberry tree extract, Gotu Kota extract, Vitamin E and SPF 30. Here is what Chi Chi has to say about the benefits of these ingredients:
 Caviar extract 
Caviar extract has a tremendous benefit on the skin as it offers a wealth of vitamins and minerals to nourish the skin and reduce the signs of ageing. It is a rich source of essential amino acids , Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, Vitamins A, D, E, B1, B2 and B6 as well as trace elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and selenium. Caviar extract is highly antioxidant, nourishing, moisturizing, revitalising, soothing, and supports skin in its fight against ageing 5 times. 

Collguard™ 
As the name suggests, this is a collagen guard and enhancer which helps protect collagen in the skin from breaking down (glycation, free radical attack and collagenesis) while also restarting collagen synthesis. By preserving newly synthesised collagen and preventing collagen degredation your skin will be left supple, firm, protected, and strong with enhanced elasticity.
Oils of Olive, Avocado and Wheat germ 
All naturally occuring oils that are rich in vitamins and linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid which aids in skin cell renewal) together they help to heal and soothe irritated skin whilst also having a super moisturizing effect and producing excellent skin complexion.

Green tea
 Is an antioxidant so neutralises free radicals in the body and hence protects cell and DNA breakdown in the skin. It is also an astringent (has the property to constrict and shrink body tissue) and has anti-inflammatory actions. Also has anti-ageing properties inhibiting the breakdown of collagen in the skin.

White mulberry tree extract 
Contains Bioflavanoids which have anti-ageing effects on the skin as well as leaving it smooth and calm. Naturally brightens the complexion and corrects skin pigmentation imperfections.

Gotu kola extract
 A herb extract to assist in the synthesis of collagen and strengthen skin.

Vitamin E 
As well as the naturally occuring Vitamin E in the other special skin care ingredients above, we topped it up for greater antioxidant effect and protection against skin damage and ageing.

+SPF 30!
 Great for protection against the sun here in Australia, means I do not have to layer a separate sunscreen :)

With such a write up on its myriad of good-for-the-skin ingredients and the perfect light (but not too light) coverage it has, I expected big things from this BB Cream performance wise and it certainly did impress me.

Here is the BB cream swatched on my hand:



And here is the finish once it has settled for a few minutes:


 and on my face (with no primer or setting powder, on non-moisturized skin to show moisturizing properties):


(Ignore my bad skin!)


Concealing and Hiding Imperfections
As you can see, with one layer this BB cream provides a nice light coverage on the skin. It dulls the redness of my skin and blemishes significantly, and disguises most light scarring. Obviously current/angry blemishes or spots will show through the light coverage, but this BB cream is not formulated to be heavy coverage so if this is what you like this is not the product for you.
However, you can layer it to provide your skin with a more medium coverage. The good thing about this formulation is that it does not become cakey or separate on the skin when it is layered, even if the first layer has completely set when you apply more.
It can also be used as a primer with benefits & coverage for under foundation - I have tried it out with my flormar and FOA foundations and it provides a lovely hydrating base for the foundation to stick too, with a little added coverage which is nice. I have not used it with foundation enough yet to comment whether it makes your makeup last longer, but I will speak more about this in my follow up post :)
I also really liked that this BB creams lightest shade was light enough for my fair skin. I have found some others to be too dark, or to match when first applied but then oxidise orange (not attractive!) but not this one!
It dries to a lovely not-too-dewy-not-too-matte finish, and makes the skin look very hydrated and natural.

Skin Care Benefits
Having only used this product for a few weeks, I am yet to be able to comment on the long term benefits or effects it will bring about in my skin. For now I can comment that it is certainly very hydrating to the skin, and has not irritated my skin or caused it to break out. Hopefully over time some of my acne scarring will fade, and the anti-ageing benefits will protect my skin for the future.
I will definately be writing a follow up post after using this product for a few months to talk more in depth about how it has affected my skin.

In my experience so far, I think this is a lovely BB cream and would recommend it for people looking for hydrating skin coverage with some great skincare benefits!
I like it just as much as my models prefer BB cream (which I will be reviewing very soon!) on formulation so far, but I prefer this one on colour basis as it matches my fair skin tone a little better.
 

What BB creams has everyone else tried out? Would you give the ChiChi BB cream a go?

5 comments:

  1. I love that Chi Chi have actually travelled to Korea to research bb creams! It gives them more credibility, and now I really want to try it!

    The caviar extract in it makes it sound rich and luxurious too, so that's a plus as well.

    I haven't seen it at my local Target yet, but I will keep an eye out for it - though tbh I have way too many bb creams in rotation right now T_T

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  2. Me too! I agree, it seems like they have put a lot of research and effort into this product rather than just releasing a tinted moisturizer and calling it a BB cream like everybody else!
    I do to - unfortunately that does not stop me from buying more, my poor wallet!
    xx

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  3. This looks great! I've been thinking about picking it up since I first heard about it but now I think I'll have to give it a go :)
    Thanks

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  4. Let me know if you put up a post on it, would love to hear other people's impressions of it too! :)
    thanks for reading!

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  5. I just reviewed this! Was interesting to hear your thoughts - have you found it's improved your skin over time? I liked how it wasn't too dark for me too :)

    http://eleseaesthete.com/2014/03/17/review-chi-chi-super-bb-cream/

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