November 26, 2008

Etude House Magic BB Cream Review & Swatches

Today I’m bringing you a review of one of my favorite BB creams. I’ve tried many, many BB Creams and I decided that instead of going through a ton of reviews outlining bad ones, good ones, and in between ones, I’d simply bring you ones that I adore.

Understanding the many uses and functions of a BB cream is a long task so I won’t go into great details about what one is for, how to use it, etc….considering that I’ve already done this in a prior post entitled What is a BB Cream?

One of my favorite BB Creams is from Etude House and is called BB Magic Cream, very fitting considering what it does for my complexion is simply magic! Honestly I’d be lying if I denied loving how very cheap Etude House BB Magic Cream is, the appeal of the product is it’s price and excellent quality.

When presented side by side with other BB’s, the Etude House BB Magic Cream has very little fanfare about it which could be one of the reasons I love it so much. It contains only basic functions and isn’t a huge multitasking demon like some BB’s are. This particular cream does not contain SPF, does not contain whitening agents, and does not offer heavy coverage.

The cream comes in one color and adjusts to skin tones of any shade. It come in two separate skin formulas. The formulas available are Pure and Moist, Moist being for dry skin and Pure being for oily skin. Considering my skin is more dry than oily I choose the Moist formula. The formula is a typically heavy BB cream however it does blend out well and creates a good finish which feels somewhat like I’m not wearing any makeup at all. The color was quite dark and beige which had me worried but upon application to my medium fair skin it adjusts accordingly and blends out beautifully well. I’m always somewhat amazed at how heavy feeling most BB Creams are but once they are they feel quite light, lovely, and my skin feels like it’s taking a nice breath of fresh air.

The cream does an excellent job of taking dull skin and brightening it up while creating good coverage for a minimal makeup look. Depending on how much you use, you might run into a problem where you have your skin casts off a certain glare that screams, “I have makeup on!” This is why you should use a very small amount for coverage, one or two small drops should cover your entire face and if you have acne scarring or other items you wish to hide a few more drops should work well at covering these areas. I’m unsure if it’s an ideal solution for someone with heavy problem skin however I do think it’s an excellent choice for those with small to medium problems on their face. It does not manage to cover my eyes very well and I do need to follow up with concealer as you’ll see in my photos below my eyes are looking tired and rough. I depend on my concealer to brighten my eye area, cover small lines, and conceal any puffiness I have in the AM and using this (or any BB Cream) is not an option. I’ve heard many girl’s rave how BB Cream successfully doubles up as their ideal concealer but I’ve used many and never successfully covered my under eye woes. The cream comes in a small squeeze tube with a nifty little attached depressor for pumping the cream out easily, hygienically, and mess-free. The cream has a fresh floral scent as described on the website but honestly I called it old lady perfume smell! Yak! But lucky enough it goes away fairly quickly!

Blending…..

Blending…..

Blended!

All in all Etude House BB Magic Cream is one of my very favorite BB’s even though it lacks all the bells and whistles other creams have. I like the simplicity of the formula and not having a whole lot of everything thrown into one cream. I also love the fact that it costs $8-$10 USD retail price and I can easily get it since I have a lovely friend in Korea who CP’s for me. I do think it’s worth paying up to $15 USD as it’s a fabulous “beginner” BB cream for those who have never tried BB’s prior.

Etude House BB Magic Cream is Muse Approved for purchase!

In my photo below I am using Etude House BB Magic Cream on a freshly washed face. As you can see it didn’t do a great job of concealing my eyes but it does give my skin quite a good healthy coverage that looks both flawless, natural, pretty, and ready for the rest of blush and other makeup.

How about you?

Tried this?

Love it?

What are your favorite BB’s?

Got a question about BB’s?

Tell the Muse!



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Etude House Spring 2008 Collection Review

39 Comments

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • birkinbagbeauty

    Wow, you absolutely look amazing with the Etude Magic BB. Thank you so much for swatching: I have been trying several BB creams as well, and most of them turn out too light. This one looks like it would fit my colouring…

  • the Muse

    Interesting..I thought it was rather beige which scared me Kathi!

    Pale gray…hmm interesting as your skin is so milky and gorgeous I’m shocked that they gray work well! I try to get ones that are lighter beige as they seem to work best.

    This one is a fav of mine although I’ve tried so many at this point I can’t recall which I love and which I hate lol!

  • the Muse

    morning birkinbagbeauty!

    whoa thanks 🙂 hehe hardly amazing but thanks! 🙂

    BB Creams are such unusual critters…difficult to find the perfect match. I find most adjust accordingly to my skin tone thankfully but sometimes I get one or two that make my skin look unnaturally beige or dull 😛

  • Citrine

    I always thought that in order for a bottle of *that thing* to be called BB cream…it has to multi-task. (SPF, skincare and all that good stuff…) maybe I am wrong…

    It looks really nice blended out though…

    Citrine

  • ??? @ plue

    darling!

    i am so glad you love this! i have the same bb cream, but in the Pure/ Refreshing formula. I’ve got oily skin 🙁

    It’s somewhat a little too light for me after blending, although it’s quite dark when i tested. But once it settles, it’s a really nice, light finish.

    It gives me quite a good coverage, concealing pores and everything, but not to the fact that it covers all of my freckles and make my skin look like porcelain smooth!

    For under eyes, like you, didn’t cover so well, but I am okay with it. Never really said it cud cover dark circles, did it?
    This is actually my first BB cream, and I reckon it will the only one I need! I’m staying with this brand! Foundations, be gone! LOL!

  • dark_nyx

    Thanks for the review!

    I’ve been wanting to try BB for like EVER but don’t know which to try as I have very fickle skin – oily yet dehydrated and VERY acne-prone =[

    I wanted to try the Skin79 Pink one, have you tried that one?

  • the Muse

    LOL Citrine!

    True true 🙂 It does have benefits for promoting healthy skin however it doesn’t contain SPF or whitening agents.

  • the Muse

    hello plue!

    That might be good for me come the Summer but right now my skin craves moisture 🙂

    It’s interesting how dark it is prior to blending…It’s a little worrisome actually but once blended it’s a perfect shade for me!

    Yes, agreed..it truly doesn’t say much about covering dark circles so I’m cool with that 🙂

    It’s VERY good and I can’t really blame you for making it your primary BB 😉 It’s great stuff!

    Enjoy hun!
    Glad you’re loving this one!

  • the Muse

    hello dark nyx!

    You’re most welcome 🙂

    I have indeed and will review for you shortly 🙂 The Skin79 ones are quite good 🙂 and cheap!

  • the Muse

    hello Anonymous!

    Thanks hun! It’s quite good…do stop by if you try it and let us know what you think!

    hugs!

  • Tanya

    where can i purchase etude? i don’t really want to purchase it over ebay or anyting because i’ve been scammed before, and since this is chemical product going on my face it definitely needs to be a reliable source. thanks!

    • the Muse

      sorry tanya aside from E-bay I don’t have any e-shops I can recommend. If I come across any I’ll let you know!

  • Farhana

    How well do you think this would work on South Asian skin? I’m pretty much sick of the foundation process and I’m wondering if a BB cream colour exists for darker asian skin.

    I know that there are some that are supposed to blend to your skin tone (including this one) but do they actually blend properly, or would it make my skin colour too light?

    Thanks 🙂

    • the Muse

      hi farhana

      it will lighten your skin hun. this is quite pale and doesn’t adjust to darker skin so def will lighten it. Hope this helps!

      • Farhana

        Oh man… I don’t understand why they don’t make them in more skin tones! They’d sell wayyyyy more that way!

        Thanks again for the help though 🙂

  • karla

    is all etude house products especially the bb creams is good on young skin??
    im only 13 yrs old and i want to use this is it ok for me to use it??
    thank you :))

    • the Muse

      karla I don’t think you really need base/foundation at 13 years old dear….don’t rush it 🙂

  • Kay

    Hey Muse!

    I have a question about BB creams… I have an oily combination skin (with a lot of blackheads, not whiteheads) and I’m looking for a good BB cream to deal with my skin… I’m currently using the Missha Perfect Cover BB cream but I’d like to find something better for my skin, got any idea?

    • the Muse

      hi kay. bb’s are really a personal experience. I don’t have your skin type and I don’t know your tone so it’s hard to just choose a bb cream for you over the Internet. I find that it’s best to try a few different ones and by process of elimination you’ll find the best one for your skin type and tone 😀 BB creams are all based on personal experiences imho. I love some that others hate and vice versa so it’s really something you need to test and try out for yourself!

  • Emily

    OMG I am sooooooo glad I found this, Muse! My face is sensitive to SPF, and I REALLY wanted to try a bb cream, so I’m thinking bout getting this one! Do u know if this contains talc?

  • Thu “Foohy”

    I ordered this BB cream late October of 2009 after some research and definitely after reading your review. I am also sensitive to sunscreen, particularly chemical sunscreen, and most BB cream contains sunscreen. I am really happy that I read your review and that I bought this BB cream. I have the Pure one since I have oily skin. I am on my second one, the first one lasted for over a year with everyday use! Thanks for being so informative in your reviews! I recently bought two Clinique Chubby Sticks because of you and I love them!

    • the Muse

      aw wow foohy that’s awesome so glad that my recs turned into great ones for you ;-D that’s fabulous!!!!

  • GoodGirl

    Hello Muse,

    Would you suggest getting the Etude House BB Magic Cream “Moist”� if I don’t want to wear moisturizers prior to application?

    Thanks!

    • the Muse

      Hi Goodgirl I don’t really recommend going without moisturizer if you have dry skin but if you are oily yup, that would be fine.

  • Goodgirl

    Hello Muse,
    would you know if the Etude House BB Magic Cream “pure” ingredients list s any oil., (i.e) Almond oil. I do not want to buy any bb cream if it list oil in the ingredients.

    Thanks!

    • the Muse

      Hi Goodgirl I don’t have the ingredients list on this. Sorry.

  • June

    Hi Muse,

    I’ve been looking around for a BB Cream that doesn’t contain SPF. I love wearing BB Creams but I hate the white cast it creates on flash photography. It’d make me a very happy girl if I could find a BB Cream that I can wear at night (dinners, parties…).

    Does this really have no SPF, including ingredients like Titanium Dioxide? Hope you could find one in your stash of 40! =)

    Thanks lots! Love your site very much!

  • Florence

    Hi there Muse,

    I’m from Malaysia & we have Etude House here! =D I’m thinking of getting this BB cream but I’m not so sure if it will fit my skin tone (I’m an NC20, dry skin) & the fact that it does not have SPF bugs me a little (We have real strong sunlight here so I’m paranoid about my skin getting darker XXD)

    May I ask, any suggestions for BB cream besides this one? =DDD

    Thank you & have a nice day!

    Yours,
    Florence

  • Mitch

    hey.. i was just wondering.. can i(a 15 year old girl) use this BB cream? my mom said that im too young for these BB creams and my skin might get ugly.. but i’ve read some reviews that the formula not that strong than the Precious Mineral BB cream.. so yeah.. can i use it?

  • Bee Milani

    … You are costing me too much lady.
    Kidding. Though I might be addicted to your blog 😐