I had a request for a swatch of base makeup from my collection, so I thought I’d share the latest bb creams, foundations, and bases that I’ve been testing.
I have N15 neutral skin. The best matches for my face are Lalavesi Y2 cushions and Sua Young MEIN foundation (swatched in this post). In the past I’ve swatched 25 bb creams for one post and 8 for another post, but I’ve found that my skin loves cushions and thinner base formulas used in combination to create tiny, airbrushy layers of coverage. When I found out that a few Korean companies have released super light, watery (but highly pigmented) foundations recently I rushed in to see if they’re able to beat my favorites.
From thickest formula to thinnest:
It’s Skin Prestige Crème D’escargot B.B (no shade option)
Lalavesi Akma Base Formula S.F (spring/fall) in Y2
TonyMoly Facetone Skin Tint SPF 30 PA++ in N01
Sua Young MEIN Mineral Essence in Liquid Foundation SPF 33 PA+++ (no shade option)
Peripera Peri’s Ink Drop BB in 01 Pure Ivory
Missha Signature Super Light Foundation SPF 20/PA++ in W21
All of these bases aside from the It’s Skin bb work pretty well on my face, color-wise. I’ve found the Lalavesi Akma Base and TonyMoly Facetone Skin Tint to be a bit dry and unforgiving on any dry patches. Missha Super Light foundation buffs out to be virtually undetectable with the right brush and technique, but I prefer more coverage for my skin. Sua Young is the reigning champ and it takes the crown again due to its dewy, but oil-controlling formula and deeper tone (I prefer to use base makeup that’s a sliver deeper than my skin for the sake of helping to disguise PIH and blemishes), but the Peripera Peri’s Ink isn’t bad at all and it builds well to give good coverage.
Where to buy kbeauty base makeup samples:
Honestly, good luck getting samples of most of these; they’re either pretty obscure or new. If you’re shopping for makeup samples in general, here are the spots to browse.
TesterKorea: THE source for Korean beauty samples.
RoseRoseShop: the shipping tends to be ridiculous, but the prices are sub-rock bottom. Don’t be shocked when it balances out.
BeautyNetKorea: limited selection, but the prices include shipping and they’re fast as hell considering that they ship from Korea.
eBay: the prices are often higher, but include shipping.
Where to buy the bases swatched here
It’s Skin Prestige Crème D’escargot B.B (no shade option): Amazon | KoreaDepart | eBay
Lalavesi Akma Base Formula S.F (spring/fall) in Y2: Lalavesi (use Avecko’s proxy shopping service to buy it directly from Korea)
TonyMoly Facetone Skin Tint SPF 30 PA++ in N01: eBay (white cap, not blue) | Amazon
Sua Young MEIN Mineral Essence in Liquid Foundation SPF 33 PA+++ (no shade option): Sua Young’s official qoo10 shop
Peripera Peri’s Ink Drop BB in 01 Pure Ivory: Amazon | TesterKorea | eBay | Club Clio USA
Missha Signature Super Light Foundation SPF 20/PA++ in W21: KoreaDepart | Amazon | eBay | RoseRoseShop
I’m running out of my beloved Sua Young, so that’s on my shopping list along with Shu Uemura’s Lightbulb Foundation (recommended to me by several people). Anything else that’s worth a shot for a neutral N15?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Clicking those links before you shop means that fan-b receives a small commission, which helps to support the blog. Please see my full disclosure for more information.
Nae says
November 4, 2015 at 10:47 pmThank you so much for this! I’m about N5-10 on a MAC scale, but not pink (I’m actually cool yellow), so finding Korean bases that might work for me can be tricky. I’ve already written off most of the cushion foundations out there. 🙁
paulina says
November 5, 2015 at 2:51 pmhi i would recomend the smashbox bb water. it is very light but can be buildable and it is forgivable to dry patches . i was skeptical about US foundation but this one is the only one i can use with out looking cakey and the best part is that using your hands will result in a beautiful smooth coverage. oh and it also has spf of 30! 🙂
Yuki says
November 9, 2015 at 11:54 amSmashbox bb water has the exact same formula as MAC Waterweight foundation, so you should buy MAC instead cause it’s cheaper. Estee Lauder owns both brands, tho, so they basically just rebranded the formula and ask more money for the smashbox version.
Yuki says
November 9, 2015 at 11:51 amIt’s skin bb cream seems way too dark for a bb cream! 😀 I have NW15 skin too and I found that Klairs bb cream from wishtrend actually works very well for me. 🙂