Review: Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Mineral BB Compact! Here in Asia we do get some interesting versions and releases of products that are asia exclusive although we get about 1/10 of the permanent products that the big drugstore brands carry and sell in the US/UK/Australia. Most everyone by now has either heard of, tried or owns BB creams and products.

 Maybelline in Asia has released various BB type products from powders, cream foundation, stick foundation and gels! When this cream compact was released more than a year ago I jumped at the chance to try it as I'd never own a compact cream foundation before and thought I'd give it a shot.

Continue below for the review of the BB compact!

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Packaging!

The compact that this cream BB comes in is a very simple but adorable looking teal and black plastic case. It's a clamshell type packaging and comes with a space beneath the pan of product for a sponge. I personally would have preferred a slimmer packaging without the sponge and extra bulk to the size of the product. The packaging overall is very practical and it's great to have a mirror on the entire inside of the cover. A detail which I've really appreciated with Maybelline's compact products are that the bottom compartment has a grid like pattern of holes which allows for ventilation for the sponge being kept inside as humidity, product and oils from the skin will make your used sponge grow bacteria faster.

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

 Product!

On first swatch this product feels creamy, a bit waxy and has a very obvious cream foundation type scent. The product stays solid in the compact but once you run your finger around on the product it becomes a creamy consistency very easily. The shade I picked out is the second and darkest shade sold, as usual in Asia we get very few shades to choose from. The first shade is more pink toned which doesn't suit me ideally. The color is a more light beige shade that suits NC 25 and those with a slight tan and yellow undertone.

I've both applied this product with my fingers and with a brush and find that this product provides a solid medium coverage and dries down to a touch dry finish but it's still a bit tacky. I set the product with powder before doing the rest of my make up. I found that this BB compact product tends to move and get patchy over time despite the type of powder I used to set it with. I set all of my liquid foundations with pressed powders and usually never had issues with the product beneath becoming patchy.

This cream tended to also feel heavier than my usual combination of liquid and powder foundation and probably bother those who don't like 'feeling' foundation on or who like lightweight textures. Overall this was not a hit with me and I used it a handful of times applying it differently and combining it with different powders but never got it to work for me as I found it clung onto my laugh lines and the patchiness really got to me. I think this product would be best worn sheered out in thin layers as when I wore it quite built up, that's when it tended to move under my powder.

My bare face! I have lots of light pigmentation on my cheeks and around my mouth and slight darkness beneath the eyes.

Wearing a two layers of Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural!

All in all I found that this formulation of base product isn't suitable for me and I don't think this is a good idea given our humid hot weather. Although cream products are meant to be heavier in coverage and typically maybe more long lasting, the fact that you can 'feel' this on your skin is not comfortable at all. I think this would be best suited for those in dryer climates or those who will be indoors in air conditoning most of the day. Layered on thinly, it feels more comfortable and gives great coverage but for daily use it's not for someone like me.

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural, Shiseido Stick Foundation Fair Orche, Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Stick 01 Fresh

Here I have swatches of the only 3 cream foundations I own, two are from Maybelline and one from Shiseido! Both the Maybelline BB compact and Shiseido stick foundation match me very well as my complexion varies from being as light as NC20 to being NC25 when I'm tanned. The only reason why the BB stick I have from Maybelline is pink toned is because the shade I wanted which was more neutral/yellow was sold out and I went ahead and got it anyway.

Formula wise the most comfortable feeling is the stick foundation from Shiseido, it however is a bit greasy feeling but it looks and last the best out of the three. The BB compact has the heaviest feel on the skin followed by the BB stick. All three shades surprisingly work well on my complexion as I always use a matching powder on top. In terms of the best performing one on my combination skin and given that I sweat so much, the Shiseido stick and BB stick work best out of the three.

Maybelline Pure BB Mineral BB Compact in 02 Natural, Shiseido Stick Foundation Fair Orche, Maybelline Clear Smooth BB Stick 01 Fresh

Paid: $19.90 SGD or about $14 USD 

(This is actually on the cheaper side of our drugstore foundations here in Singapore. Many go up to $30 SGD from Maybelline/L'oreal/Revlon)

Recommend: No, I found it too thick and heavy feeling (coming from someone who regularly wears liquid and powder foundation together). I think this would be best used only sheerly and for someone who stays indoors in air conditioning as it gets patchy when it fades off due to perspiration and it looks really bad and feels a bit waxy.

Repurchase: Nope. It's not for my skin needs and not a formula I've been able to work with.

Bottom line: Unfortunately this product from Maybelline didn't work or impress me. Asides from being part of the BB craze and being an actually very high coverage product that's nicely packaged in a compact which is easy to bring around the formula itself doesn't work well for my skin and I wouldn't recommend it for those who oilier skin. It may either work very well or feel too heavy. 

What BB products have you tried from Maybelline?

Have you tried a cream compact BB before?

Let me know!

Feel free to comment!

Thank you!