January 8, 2013

Physcians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer Review & Swatches

Purchased
I purchased this item.

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer is a newly launched concealer for Spring 2013 in the new Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Collection.

I think it’s great seeing Physicians Formula tackle the BB Cream realms because they’ve always offered VERY pigmented options in terms of foundation and concealer products. I think pigment is definitely an issue that American BB Creams are having a hard time tackling as many of the BB Creams launched here on our shores are very sheer.

Although I’m not fond of the over use of the words “BB Cream” I can’t deny that Korea does have its fair share of “BB” in product titles as well even though they aren’t BB Creams. So this Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer, I guess I can forgive the term being so loosely used.

Physicians Formula calls it the 1st ever blemish balm concealer to aid in concealing dark circles, puffiness, imperfections, blemishes, redness, and more.

Does it?

Super BB Concealer was created for targeted application and was designed to complement the Super BB Cream & Powder in this collection. Since many BB Creams in Asia are used as both a concealer and a foundation/base product this leads me to believe that perhaps Physicians Formula new BB Cream will indeed be pigmented enough to perform both functions as well because honestly the Beauty Balm Concealer does run on the sheerer side so you might need the extra coverage from the BB Cream.

I was surprised when I tried this for two reasons. One the lack of pigment and two the hydrating texture. Physicians Formula comes out with some crazy full coverage concealers that I’ve tried and loved in the past however, most are terribly dry.

In the case of their new Beauty Balm Concealer they went with a different approach. This is sheerer with a more hydrating formula. Go figure. The texture is a thinner almost runny consistency which glides under eyes (or on face) and leaves behind a very hydrating finish. It doesn’t crease into fine lines and has a dry skin loving formula that should appeal to those with maturer under eye areas that tend to be drier or finely lined.

Possibly the nicest part about the Beauty Balm Concealer is the fact it contains SPF 30. I think I sorely lack protecting my under eyes from sun damage. I apply SPF 50 or higher daily all over my face but under my eyes can definitely use a little sun protection as well.

I haven’t yet used this with the Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Cream as of yet so I’m unsure if they’ll work well together…perhaps that will conceal more of my issues for me that need covering.

In this case, it did brighten my eyes up a bit but I felt like I needed more coverage. Dark circles were still visible as well as puffiness and lines. If I get my full 8 hours sleep in this will make an excellent concealer however if I’m working on six I need a hell of a lot more coverage.

If you prefer more lighter, natural coverage and really don’t have a ton to conceal this might work for you however, those with really hard to conceal problems such as blemishes, acne, dark circles, etc…well, this will brighten up those areas and blur some of those issues but those problems will still show through with the sheerer coverage this provides. I did feel the need for a touch up at around hour four so this doesn’t quite last all day sadly.

Another grave problem is the color selection. Like most Physicians Formula products it comes in two shade selections. Light/Medium and Medium/Deep are the two shades you can choose. Honestly, if you’re fair or pale even the Light/Medium won’t work for you.

Light/Medium is a more yellow based which will be excellent to diffuse darker circles. Medium/Deep isn’t even that dark a shade and should work on medium to medium fair skin types. Both shades ended up working fine on me so I could get away with either. I’d say the color range work work for a MAC NC 25-40…don’t quote me though as I really don’t know MAC shades all that well.

The concealer comes in a click pen with a brush applicator. I find concealers like this very handy but some aren’t keen due to the tip being un-washable….if it really bothers you just wipe it down with a makeup wipe after each use. It contains 0.14 oz of product which is very generous for the $12.95 price tag.

Overall, it isn’t the best concealer I’ve ever tried in my life nor is it the worst. If you can get it on sale I’d suggest trying it out. It’s fitting for those who don’t need or desire a full coverage concealer. It provides natural sheerer coverage that will ease certain issues but not conceal major problems. I could possibly get away with coverage like this with a little more sleep but hey, who has time for sleep? Guess I’ll have to stick to something with more pigment! My personal recommendation is wait for a sale at CVS and proceed to buy it at that time to try out.

Tried it?

Do share!

It’s available now at drugstores.

Purchased
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

  • Tammie

    Tried it and as you know I am the palest of the pale so as you’d expect everything got returned immediately. Sad.

      • Tammie

        Not enough coverage for me and my dark under eye circles, as for the powder I only swatched it so I don’t really know but it seemed to be pretty nice coverage wise, I didn’t try the BB cream though.

        • the Muse

          I’m testing bb now hopefully will give it a good rating ;-D but yeah, concealer was way sheer!

  • Debster

    Just wondering what sunscreen you use on your face. I use the Neutrogena ultra-sheer dry-touch lotion, and I’m starting to look around for different ones to try, just because.

  • Lulle

    I just bought their Rx concealer, and it is very dry, isn’t it? Too bad, cause it does a great job at covering my dark circles!
    This one is too sheer for me. I’ll keep looking!

    • the Muse

      very! quite a great concealer b/c coverage is amazing but very very dry 🙁

  • amy

    I was sooo looking forward to these… I’m just far too pale. PF is usually very accomodating to lighter skintones, but now I’m wondering if this is a new direction they’re going in, or if they plan to add more shades. The fact these have SPF 30 & are paraben-free had me so excited.

  • ginadee

    I just bought the BB Cream & BB Concealer yesterday because Ulta has them with a $3 coupon. I’m also annoyed that they only come in light/medium and medium/dark, that cannot cover all skin tones! The light/medium if applied too thickly is too dark on me, but I used the BB Cream today and used it sparingly so it looked okay so it may work. I will try it a few more times before deciding if I like it or not. I will NOT use it in place of Foundation & Moisturizor as the package says.

    I tried the BB Concealer yesterday after I bought it over my makeup, and sort of liked it, including covering imperfections, but again I’m going to have to try it some more to decide if I like it. It may be too dark for under eye on me, but for covering imperfections it may work.

    If nothing else, they may work well in the Summer when I have some more color. I LOVE that they have physical sunscreen instead of chemical, so they physically BLOCK the sun instead of using chemicals to absorb the sun (or however that works).

  • JoElla

    I want to try this, but I have never been able to get a decent color match with thier concealers.

  • Susan K

    I’m really enjoying this, the BB foundation, and powder. Even when wearing all three together, you can’t tell I have anything on my face. It melts into my skin and does a good job concealing my minor redness and pores.

  • Heidi

    Interesting. I just bought this hoping it’ll help with my issues. The Rx concealer by PF is a better cover-up but kind of too quick to dry. This, though, does seem like it’s not as heavy duty as I’d like. I’m hoping a month of use makes a difference!

  • Donna

    I bought the super bb physicians formula on thursday and it works great. I am getting it again because i love it. It covers up the dark circles under my eyes and it covers up red spots