BB Creams! Review and comparison of Kate BB Gel Cream and Pore Putty Enrich BB Cream

Hello hello! Welcome back to Bijin Make!^^

Have you noticed how BB creams have become such a craze lately?  Every brand from drugstore to high end released its own BB cream.  And there's also CC cream too, although that's another topic by itself.  What the heck is BB cream anyways?  Well it stands for "beauty balm" cream (and CC stands for "color correcting" by the way).  Basically, it's a lot like a tinted moisturizer, an all in one product that replaces the need for primer, foundation, concealer, finishing powder, and has SPF protection as well.  It's a really nice concept actually.  It saves time, but best of all, it saves our skin.  With BB creams, we don't need to layer on lots of different products so our skin feels much lighter.  It lets our skin breathe and we can worry less about makeup clogging our pores.  BB creams also contain lots of anti-aging and moisturizing ingredients like collagen, hyaluronic acid, essential oils, etc...  Let's face it, most of us wear our makeup on a daily basis, so anti-aging under makeup is such a deal.  That is if the chosen BB cream actually delivers it promises^^;  I don't really know if it really prevents wrinkles or what
not, but I have to admit it feels pretty nice on my face.  It keeps skin quite hydrated from the moment I put it on and the soft feeling actually lasts the entire day.  For that and the fact that it makes my life so much easier, I'm in love!!^^

Japanese cosmetic companies make quite a bit of BB creams.  There are so many different brands and types to suit your taste!  It makes sense considering that BB cream has been a cult in Asia for quite awhile.  Some of the highest ranking BB creams in Japan, according to "Cosmeet"(the biggest makeup review site in Japan) are Freshel, Dr. CiLabo, Baby Pink, DHC, etc...I have checked out many of them, reviewing colors, consistency, coverage, ingredients, and the first BB cream I got was Pore Putty Enrich BB Cream by Sana.  What got my attention was the claim that it significantly reduces (by covering) pore size.  It's also highly moisturizing, with ingredients like collagen, ceramide, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter.  Plus it has very high SPF protection.  When I tested it on my hand, the cream feels moist and rich.  It has nice coverage and I felt like it does smooth out the little lines on the back of my hands.  Sana is also a well-trusted maker here in Japan.  They make lots of skincare, makeup, and haircare products (ex: Soy Isofurabon skincare, Superquick eye makeup).  After comparing quite a few brands I decided to give this one a try.  Here's the result after 5+ uses on my face.

Pore Putty Enrich BB Cream by Sana (List price JPY 1260)

Pro:  Very smooth texture, extremely moisturizing, high coverage for a BB cream, SPF50 PA+++
Con:  Only comes in 1 color, a bit shiny, a little too thick, need concealer for spot cover

Overall rating: maybe 3 out of 5^^;

This BB cream may be ideal for someone who's looking for a thicker feel, but for me, it's just too thick for its purpose.  For me BB creams need to be a little bit on the natural side because I use it for everyday natural makeup.  The color is also a little dark for my skin, and has a slight grayish tone under some lighting.  It also doesn't cover pore as well as I thought, which is kinda disappointing^^;

So I'm on the hunt for my HG BB cream again.  And trust me, I spent hours and hours comparing and testing products before making a purchase.  I don't actually buy something unless it really impresses me.  The next thing that caught my eyes was Kate Mineral BB Gel Cream by Kanebo. Now, Kanebo is a high end brand here, right up there with Kose and Shiseido.  Kate is however, their drugstore line, just like Shiseido's Intergrate.  This BB cream has great reviews on Cosmeet, so I wanted to see if it really lives up to its hype.  Indeed, it feels quite nice on my hand, compared to other raved BB creams like DHC, Baby Pink, and Heroine Make.  It comes in 3 colors, has SPF 30, contains olive oil, jojoba oil, and almond oil.  It's alcohol/fragrance free, and non-comedogenic (doesn't clog pores).  Most importantly, it feels smooth, moist, it blends easily, and the coverage is lighter, more natural looking.  The color also matches my skin better.  (I use OC-C)

Kate Mineral BB Gel Cream by Kanebo (List price ＪＰＹ 1575)

Pro: Smooth, moisturizing, natural coverage, comes in 3 colors
Con:  Needs a little more concealer to cover spots as coverage is lighter

Overall rating: 4 out of 5^^

I definitely like Kate BB cream better than Pore Putty, as it matches my skin better and suits my purpose better overall.  In my opinion, it's even better in texture than other top ranked Japanese BB creams.  I have not experienced breakouts with neither brand.  Here's a comparison of the two, Pore Putty (left) and Kate (right).

By looking at this image here, you can tell that Pore Putty is more shiny and more visible on my skin.  It's also thicker and needs a little more blending.  They both feel very moisturizing though^^!

Thank you for reading!  This month Shiseido Maquillage releases its BB Cream too.  So anxious to try it out!  Will let you know once I get my hands on it^^

Please leave comments below if you have any question, or if you would like to share your own experience with these BB creams ^_~

Love,

Ai