Update (7/27/2015): So I stopped using this BB cream for a while, and started using it again recently, and discovered that this BB cream now causes me to break out O_O I got little red bumps and whiteheads from it. Not sure if it's because the BB cream is "old" but it still smells fine to me. Or maybe my skin changed.
Here's the completed/updated review (8/19/14). Enjoy ^_^ =========================================================================================================== Currently rushing this post :P Will come back and finish it when I have more time. Just general pictures and some swatch photos as well as my overall thoughts.
Eugenia, this is for you ^_~ Thanks for always being such a supportive reader :')
Ingredients:
My first impression of the glass bottle is actually that this looks like a toy makeup O_O lol
I agree with what other ppl say about the sponge that was supplied-- it is absolute crap. Worst sponge I've ever used.
I got it in shade 2. I heard shade 2 leans yellow and shade 1 leans pink.
Freshly applied next to the oxidized one... you can see it doesn't oxidize that much, if at all. I "think" it does oxidize just a little bit though.
Swatches in comparison to Makeup Forever Mat Velvet+ foundation and YSL Touche Eclat foundation:
You can see, Holika Holika Aqau Petit Jelly BB cream shade 2 is a bit darker than MUFE Mat Velvet+ #30. It's more similar to YSL B40, but pinker/more red.
Face without BB cream
With BB cream
HAHAHA what a difference. I'm alive!!! XD
Decided to post this and the pic below to show the gorgeous glow it gives even though it's a semi matte finish.
Applied with DRY BeautyBlend. Even with a BeautyBlender, I recommend using small amounts and work fast!
Below application look a lot more matte for some reason lol
Applied with DRY BeautyBlender
Overall effect
As you can see, even though it looks a bit darker on my hand, by no means it looks dark on my face at all! It matches me pretty well at the moment, I'm between NC20 and 25 now. Maybe just a little bit closer to NC25.
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So this day I wore the BB cream from 5:30am to 4:00pm... you do the math XD I lazy. Suffice to say it's almost 12 hours.
As usual, oiliness on the nose, which is expected. But what I really like about this BB cream is that despite the oiliness, it didn't get patchy at all! The rest of my face the BB cream held up beautifully.
Shiny nose XD oi...
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I don't usually ever blot (laziness is palpable XD) but I blotted today just to see what it looks like after
Almost as good as new XD The coverage did fade just a teeny bit but still really good in my books!
Overall thoughts:
Initially, this BB cream was quite tricky for me to work with. I read from other reviews that this BB cream applies best with fingers. I really have to disagree on that O_O This BB cream is REALLY thick. And dries EXTREMELY fast. The first time I tried it, I dotted the BB cream on my face, and by the time I went to blend it out, it already kind of dried O_o it was very thick and hard to spread. Like the MUFE Mat Velvet+, I do NOT recommend applying with fingers! If you really want to, I suggest using very small amounts at a time, and work in small areas!
I also tried applying with wet BeautyBlender... I'm not sure if this BB cream is waterproof or what, but it kind of repels water and just does not apply with wet sponge O_O (well it applies kind of patchy, and doesn't last as well throughout the day when I use a wet sponge).
Then I tried applying it with my Sigma synthetic flat kabuki brush-- it's much better. But my favorite way is applying with a DRY BeautyBlender, the finish is just much much smoother that way :P pretty much the finish you see in the pics... I like!
One thing I don't like about this BB cream is that it has really strong fragrance! I felt like I was applying face wash to my face the first time I used it, and I was kind of revolted by the smell LOL. But now I'm used to it, haha. The smell doesn't really linger. Luckily it hasn't broken me out, I was kind of worried about that. And it also has a cooling sensation, which I do like!
The finish of this BB cream is matte, but also has a glow to it, like the MUFE Mat Velvet+ (so I guess like everyone else said, semi-matte XD) Does it keep my face matte? Nope not at all lol! There's really NO oil control to this BB cream at all, but I like how it wears throughout the day ^_^ the initial finish of this BB cream leans on the more powdery side, but as the day goes on, it just starts to blend into the skin and look so natural. I like! At this point I still think MUFE Mat Velvet+ is more long-lasting (I might perhaps get a bit less greasy with MUFE).
My conclusion is that for this BB cream, as long as you can find the right application for you, it's really nice! I recommend ^__^ I LOVE the semi-matte glow it gives! I think I like this about Holika more than MUFE, but MUFE I think still wears better than Holika, although Holika is pretty damn good for what it is. I mean, MUFE is $36 without tax, and Holika is $14....
Have you tried Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream? Was it hit or miss? Did anyone try the shade #1? Does it really lean pink as everyone else says?
Hope some of you found this helpful! Thanks for reading! xo
<3 Frances
