Review: Etude House CC Cream

So you've heard of BB Cream but what in the world is CC Cream? Will we eventually run out of alphabets?

CC Cream, according to the ever reliable Wikipedia, means Colour Control Cream, and is supposedly a refined version of the Blemish Balm Cream.

And according to the entry on Wikipedia, Rachel K, our very own local beauty queen, is the first brand to pioneer CC Cream, even before the giants Chanel, Lancome, L'Oreal and the likes! Wow, feeling slightly patriotic for a change.

Etude House has come up with its own range of CC Cream. However! The CC doesn't stand for Colour Control. Instead, it's Correct and Care. Well, we never said that the Korean brands have perfected the English language.

According to the website, the Etude House CC Cream is said to be:

Multi-tasking, 8-in-1 formula hydrates, primes, conceals, treats and protects skin at an easy single step for a healthier complexion, inside and outside. It glides on with a glowing finish.

They sure promise a lot. It comes in two types - #01 Silky or #02 Glow. I purchased it in Silky because I'm not a fan of the glowy look, which makes me feel oily instead of dewy. Bought mine off Qoo10 at $9.50, which is less than half of the store's retail price of $25.90.

They really know how to package a product - love the simple but elegant box which makes it seem kind of...princessy.

At 35g, the Etude House CC Cream is a larger tube than the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream (20ml) which I use on a regular basis. It has a nozzle pump instead of the regular squeeze tube I prefer, since I can control the amount to squeeze out while the nozzle pump sometimes just dispense random amounts of globs. I get air sometimes and little flecks.

It has SPF30/PA++ instead of Missha's SPF42/PA+++ but if you need a higher SPF, you can use your own sunscreen instead. I skip sunscreen when the products have relatively high SPF.

The consistency is slightly runny but not overly so, and it isn't sticky or goopy.

I was honestly a little surprised at the colour. Instead of the beige that the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream is, this is completely white.

However, it blended in relatively sheer. I thought to myself, how can there be any coverage if it's this sheer?

But surprises happen. I wiped my fingers on a piece of tissue paper and I see beige marks. Huh. Weird, but interesting.

Before CC Cream.

After CC Cream.

Coverage is pretty sheer but it evened out my skintone and covered some of the redness on the cheeks. Didn't conceal my dark circles at all but nothing short of industrial paint works on my dark circles. It brightened up my skin without creating a white cast. It felt hydrating, and didn't accentuate any dry areas. It's so lightweight, it felt like there was nothing on my face! With the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream, I sometimes feel that it's a tad oily and heavy.

The smell is light floral and for some weird reason, slightly fruity. My olfactories go into overdrive when smells are way too much (I've thrown away brand new mascara because of the smell) but this is pleasant. As for Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream, can I just say how much I hate its smell? It's supposed to be floral but instead, it smells like mothballs and dank closets.

Even though the CC Cream I got is #01 Silky and not #02 Glow, there is still a mild glow and I'm just not a fan of glow so I set it with Skin79 Diamond All Day Sun Powder using the Coastal Scents Pink Kabuki Brush.

Added blusher, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil and tadah!

I didn't just turn a shade whiter. The darn lighting in the room makes for horrible photos. My face is now matte, and redness on cheeks seems completely covered up now.

The CC Cream lasted about 6 hours, until around afternoon before shine began to creep upon my face.

I didn't blot or touch up and this is 12 hours later...

Huh, it really ain't that bad. A little shine on the forehead and cheeks but it wasn't an oil mine. My blusher even stayed on all day!

I really like this as a daily face routine for work now, especially when I'm not looking for a full face of war paint. It's easy to use, covers enough, is hydrating, feels light and the packaging is oh-so-cute. This is for those with generally ok skin who want something natural to even out skin tone and hide little flaws. However, if you need more coverage, you probably wouldn't like this.

As for me, I will probably pick this over the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream now!

Rating: 8/10

Review: Etude House Proof 10 Eyelid Primer

As promised, here's the last of the eyelid primer series, featuring the Etude House Proof 10 Eyelid Primer.

The Etude House Proof 10 Eyelid Primer comes in a cute little bottle (the bottle is really pretty small) - it's like the shape of a really chesty but slim-waisted lady hehe. The long cap twists out into a doe-foot applicator, as is standard with most eyelid primer applicators (except for UDPP and TFSI's squeeze tubes).

Got this for about $11 off Qoo10 a long time ago and boy, do I think it's worth every penny!

It's skin colour, and almost completely sheer once blended in. It feels slightly slippery. I would say it's less tacky than UDPP and less slippery than TFSI, if that's any indication. The texture is probably closer to e.l.f. Mineral Eyeshadow Primer.

Proceeding with the swatches!

Left: Without primer, Right: With primer.

Damn, I had bad taste and chose three shades which do not complement each other at all. Lol.

From top to bottom - Dragonfly, Strike (both from Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Ultra Matte V1), Spice from Make Up Store.

You can tell how the colours on the primer pop a lot more, and appear less chalky.

That is me with an array of colours from Urban Decay Naked Palette.

Face Primer: POPBeauty Face Magnet
Foundation: MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
Eyeshadow Primer: Etude House Proof 10 Eyelid Primer
Base: Sidecar (from Urban Decay Naked Palette)
Lid: Buck (from UD Naked Palette)
Contour: Smog (from UD Naked Palette)
Outer V: Darkhorse (from UD Naked Palette)
Eyeliner: Clio Kill Black Pen Liner
Mascara: Eyeko Skinny Brush Mascara
Blusher: Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Hussy

Generally, browns are not colours that really stand out but I like how on Proof 10, they stand a chance on the eyelids, even in our hot, humid Singapore weather...

...because whaddya know, after 15 long hours, my eyeshadow was intact and actually looked almost as good as freshly applied! No fading, no creasing, no smudging and certainly no transfer.

Almost fresh-faced after 15 hours! Super duper happy and loving the Etude House Proof 10 Eyelid Primer.

If there's one budget eyelid primer you must buy, this is the Holy Grail of all budget eyelid primers. It gives UDPP and TFSI a run for their money, and these people at MakeupAlley certainly think so too. For its price, I daresay this is even better than those highly-raved about items!

Rating: 10 / 10