January 16, 2013

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Cream Review & Swatches

Today I’d love to tell you that Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Cream ($14.95) is an amazing new product. That finally we have a good, solid BB Cream available in the US.

But sadly, my testing didn’t go so great with this one.

I thought I was going to love Physicians Formula’s new Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Cream. I’ve had really good success with some of their base products and I felt like if anyone was going to do the BB Cream right it would be them.

Physicians Formula released their new Super BB Collection for Spring 2013 and it includes three products in total. A setting powder, a concealer I’ve already reviewed for you, and finally a BB Cream. The BB Cream as well as the rest of the products in this collection is available in two shade selections of Light/Medium and Medium/Dark. Just a warning, even the Light/Medium might be too dark for fair or paler skin types. I consider myself a medium fair complexion and I felt the Light/Medium was a tad to beige and muddy.

Korean BB Creams, if you’re lucky, will adjust well to a variety of skin tones. I’ve run into ones that have ran way to light and others too yellow but in most of my BB Creams from Asia I have been lucky enough to find an ideal fit.

I was hopeful that perhaps Physicians Formula tackled the issue of a self adjusting BB Cream and succeeded so that a variety of skin tones could indulge and fit into their two shade range but sadly that isn’t the case.

The Light/Medium shade ended up making my dull skin very lackluster, muddy, and tired looking. Not the look I’m going for when I apply my BB Cream.

The formula promises an easy to blend and lightweight cream that instantly infuses moisture to the skin while refining skin’s surface and providing SPF 30 sun protection.

The idea is to create a product that multitasks as a moisturizer, foundation, protection, concealer, brightening, line softener, primer, and perfecter all in one. Brightening, perfecting, just generally giving a flawless look didn’t quite work out well for me due to the poor shade of beige that just didn’t suit my skin tone.

Priming? No. The texture is far to slippery and even a little greasy or too moisturizing if you will to provide any primer compatibilities. Concealer? No, too sheer to act as a decent concealer. Protection? Yes, SPF 30 is nice but imagine the amount you’d have to put on your face to feel fully protected.

Medium/Dark and Light/Medium

Now aside from the color I also didn’t like the texture. Allow me to warn you to shake, shake, shake the tube this comes in prior to application. It’s a separated, greasy mess when you leave it sitting around so take time out to shake it to get it back to a creamier consistency. I was shocked that it separated so quickly as Physicians Formula, in the past, has developed excellent Tinted Moisturizers with levels SPF 50 without the texture of the product coming across too greasy or even separated. Sadly, whatever technology they used in the creation of their tinted moisturizer was not extended to their BB Cream as this is quite greasy.

Although creamy it still has an odd greasiness to it that doesn’t quite give me a true BB Cream jive. On my face a little bit feels very heavy, very moisturizing, and dewy to the touch. Coverage is sheer but can be built up and provides better color pay off for concealing redness, minor imperfections, but it definitely does not provide full coverage. I think the coverage is considerably better than the odd hybrid BB Cream slash Tinted Moisturizers we’ve been seeing on the US Market.

If I set it I’m good for five hours of wear however, I typically skip powder due to my drier skin. In this case, skipping powder, results in a shorter wear for me and not only fading but some oxidation as well.

Overall, I really didn’t like Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Cream. I just felt it was heavy, greasy, and had provided a really lackluster finish on my already dull skin. The separation issue also makes me squirm because this bottle is brand new imagine not using it for a week or even two and coming back to completely separated product and oily goodness?

No thanks.

I think you can possibly safely skip this one but if you are curious I’d recommend awaiting a sale.

Tried it?

Loved it?

Not so much?

I would like to hear your thoughts on it.

Available at drugstores now.

I purchased this item.

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

  • Amiee

    Glad I waited for your review! My skin is oily already, I don’t need to add a greasy product to that!

    • the Muse

      I think it is quite heavy for oily skin amiee so you’re prob safe to skip!

  • Teresa

    The review I was waiting for! I too was expecting PF to get this right. Thanks for saving me $15!

    • the Muse

      my pleasure agata (above comment) says she liked it, maybe she can give you more deets teresa as perhaps you might like it too! I personally didn’t 🙁

  • Angela

    I’m sad to hear that this didn’t work because I really had some high hopes for this. Definitely won’t be picking one up.

  • Agata

    I actually really like it. The color matches my skin really well and it’s the only BB cream I have tried that I can wear with just powder and no foundation.

    • the Muse

      happy to hear it1 no lucky here, far too greasy, oily…too much moisture if possible 🙁 I needed to set with powder to get away from the dewy finish. felt heavy on my skin :*( I wish it worked!

      • Agata

        Too bad it didn’t work for you. My skin is pretty dry right now so maybe that’s why it works. I think it covers imperfections really well, covers redness and minimizes pores on my nose.

        • the Muse

          def decent coverage agata and builds too but just feels a little too heavy for me 🙁

  • Louise

    Thank you for saving me money! I was thinking about picking this up today.

  • Rebekah

    Bummer!!! Well, I’m glad I waited for your review Muse!! Definitely saved me the money and disappointment of yet another purchase being a huge letdown!

  • MJ

    Interesting, I’ve been wearing it for about a week, and although my skin isn’t all that dry, I find it too drying unless I put a lot of moisturizer on first, around my eyes especially. Also, I have found that less is more with this stuff. Overall, though, I like the way it makes my skin look. The color isn’t too bad for me, but it does have a slightly yellowish cast, and while it does not have heavy duty coverage, it’s very good at hiding redness. Additionally, it works pretty seamlessly with the concealer, and while even both together aren’t heavy duty coverage, it’s more coverage than either by itself, and you can’t really tell where you put the concealer. So I guess I’m sticking with it until something better comes to my drugstore.

  • GK

    I almost got this today, but I had a feeling that light/medium would be way too dark. Your swatches & description convince I made the right choice. Once again you saved me money & time wasted! Why is it so difficult for these companies to mke a decent/true BB?

    • the Muse

      that’s what I’m saying…:( perhaps if it goes on sale GK it might be worth spluging on!

  • Tiffany Martin

    Big surprise, it’s a disappointment.

    For what I could pay to get another korean BB I will just pass on this one too.

  • Abi

    I almost bought this until I saw shea butter in the ingredients. I know a lot of people love it, but it makes me break out in hives. No good.

  • Virginia

    Happy to see the review, was going to buy this to test it myself, but “heavy and greasy” arent things I usually want to put on my face..so I’ll skip.

  • Jen

    I knicked this at my local Meijer, and the light shade is still horribly dark on me. It turned me darker than I am when I get my darkest tan during the summer -_-; I was sorely disappointed. It was on sale, too :/

  • Iris

    That does not sound good at all. With the lack of shade range and the separation issue, I’ll be avoiding it. Thanks for the review!

  • GinaDee

    I’ve used Light/Medium and was disappointed with the lack of color choices, but when used sparingly it was do-able. I LOVE the physical sunscreen, but wish it matched my skin tone better. I didn’t think it was oily at all, but agree it may be a little lackluster. I like Garnier better, but those are the only 2 I’ve tried so far.

  • Margo

    Spent my money foolishly – again! It’s not too bad but I wish I hadn’t bought it. I am going to mix a little foundation in it and see if I can get the tone a little better. I spend far too much money trying new items.

  • Mandy

    CVS has Physicians formula on sale for 50% off this week. I was planning on trying the BB Cream. It can’t be as bad as the L’Oreal Magic BB Cream. Can it?

    • the Muse

      it’s not at all Mandy! The L’Oreal was a sore disappointment this has far more pigment!

  • Karen

    I got it for 3 dollars at cvs.. They are having a 50% off sale, plus the 3 off coupon sticker, plus a 4 dollars off 12 coupon i got scanning my card! It was so cheap!

  • Mandee

    Wow, I actually thought it was best product I’ve used in years! I used the light/medium and it seemed a little darker, but I felt it added a little bronzing to my medium complexion. It was smooth and just lit up my face and kept my skin hydrated all day (usually I have to reapply Olay lotion or I just look tired at 3pm). I would definitely buy it again.

  • Jill

    Can you make a post about which bb creams you like and maybe link your reviews to them because I’ve noticed that you say that most of the bb creams are like tinted moisturizers, and I was wondering which of them you find to be a “true” bb cream?

  • Joy

    I got the bb cream for $3 also. I also got the organic tinted moisturizer. Like them both. Love the gardnier bb cream. Cheap creams although I prefer Laura Mercier but at $60 bucs a tube I have to find a alternative when just hanging out.

  • Heather

    Wow it contains shea butter and castor oil, does sound greasy.

  • gail

    Hi, I went back here to see if you reviewed the PF BB Concealer. I agree on the foundation, but the concealer has been a great surprise! It’s one of those where you click and the concealer flows onto a brush (like the one Benefit makes) But it is just the right texture, and brightens as well. It’s my daily under-eye staple these days.
    I know you’re a concealer fan, so just wanted to pass this along.
    Have a good weekend.

  • Alesia

    I think it may be because we might have totally different skin types, but I absolutely loved this stuff! It is my go to. I find it gives me a glow, and I have gotten compliments on it. This may be because it is a touch darker than my skin tone, but I find it blends out beautifully. It lasts all day for me. I never have to worry about it even if I don’t set it, but it works better if I do. It’s totally good in water, by itself so I love that about it! It does have a slight oily effect, but that protects the skin especially in the cold, but it can easily be fixed by setting or using a blotting sheet or tissue. I love it! But yes, shaking the bottle is important. 🙂

    • Isabella Muse

      I’m glad to hear it Alesia! 😀 if it works for you that’s all that matters chica!

  • Kristen

    I hat bought this product but have yet to use it. I got the Super CC Cream in light/medium a few days ago and I’m in love!! It had great coverage & feels super light on my skin – It also doesn’t block my pores, as my skin u super sensitive to any & everything. I gotta say that the concealer is the best I have ever used..& im a makeup artist and have used a LOT of products. I think I might bring back the BB cream after reading your review and just pick up the CC cream in the medium to dar shade. I like to have both, just in case I have a tan or I want to mix both to get a more bronzed shade.
    I also bought the deep cover powder so that may be enough to wear over my light cc cream to take it a shade darker!
    I would recommend it to acneiac skin types & those prone to rosacea/sensitivity