In the past I’ve never found a mid-range BB cream that I was really comfortable with that perfectly matched me in terms of shade and formula. The proof is in the pudding, only one or two BB creams in the past were ever mentioned on this blog. To me BB creams can sometimes tend to be scary ingredient cocktails topped off with higher SPF, the veritable cherry on top. One or two BBs in the past have broken me out into rashes within minutes which is why I often keep away from BB land and stay close to my Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer for normal days. They’re not particularly popular among people with sensitive skin but many active individuals who spend a lot of time outdoors commuting or doing other activities have made BB creams a daily staple. BB creams are most popular in Korea and Japan respectively. Many branded BB creams hailing from those countries sport anti-aging ingredients in conjunction with UV protection. They’re basically souped up tinted moisturizers, or in terms of coverage they fill the Asian-pop niche between sheer tinted bases and classic liquid foundations. BB Coverage is generally expected to be sheer to moderate but the level does vary from brand to brand. In Korea and Japan even a good handful of men don’t shy away from the regular use of BB creams. Korean brand Nature Republic have been around a couple of years locally. While Nature Republic is not quite as big as FACE shop or Etude House here and are somewhat under the radar I still quite like the look and textures of their cosmetic range. I happened to be in Landmark, Makati and while waiting for an appointment I came across Nature Republic’s mod but also classic looking botanical BB Cream with SPF35 PA++. Immediately after I swatched it I got it. It’s that good, plus it’s mineral oil and paraben free.
Nature Republic Botanical Mandarin BB Cream, 30ml, SPF 35 PA++, Php680 -10% = Php620
(Does NOT contain/Free of: Parabens, Tar, Mineral Oil, Benzophenone, Talc, and Triethanolamine)
Made in Korea (2 shades: #21 & #23–only #23 sold here)KEY INGREDIENTS: Water, Glycerin, a combo of silicones, Niacinamide (one of Ruth Crilly’s aka AModelRecommends’ fave good ingredients for skincare bases), with fruit extracts of Satsuma Orange (Jeju Mandarin), Guava, Mango, Grapefruit, Coconut, Kiwi, and Papaya.
STORE BRANCHES: SM Megamall, SM North Edsa The Block, SM Fairview, Festival Supermall, Landmark Trinoma, Landmark Makati and Sta Lucia East Grandmall.
The product bottle with a pump appealed to me instantly. I noticed its packaging similarity to Benefit’s Hello Flawless liquid foundation.
Considering they only sell one shade locally I think I’m pretty blessed that it’s such a great shade match for me, don’t you think? I swatched Nature Republic’s Botanical Mandarin BB Cream on my hand and the thin formula with medium coverage and a soft, fresh, radiant finish instantly reminded me of Bourjois Healthy Mix’s Gel Serum foundation (UK) but this contains SPF35 and Healthy Mix Gel has no SPF. Read “more” to get the full post, more information and see some “before and after” shots with this BB Cream on, plus testing it with and without flash photography.
No shimmer spotted in this, at least none I could detect by naked eye. It’s not sticky, not too dewy, just really fresh looking. Nature Republic’s Mandarin BB cream has a mild and pleasant Asian fruit scent. It really does make me feel like it’s the Bourjois Healthy Mix base of the orient!
There are two variants of Nature Republic’s botanical BB cream (as one would expect they have other BB types). According to the saleslady the “Green tea” formula is for All Skin Types and my “Mandarin” formula is recommended for oily skin so this is what I suspect might be the oil-free formula, even though my skin isn’t that oily I decided to go for this one. I figured this would be more long-wearing and the texture slightly more matte and fresh on the skin. Overall it’s a healthy demi-matte finish that’s less sticky and lighter than Benefit Hello Flawless liquid and most other radiant, fresh bases I’ve tried. I’m almost always correct in the department of choosing between variants and this Mandarin one is just the one I need. Okay, here are the “before and after” shots both with flash and then with natural light.
The radiant finish is soft to the touch, not sticky once it dries…it feels like clean skin once the product has “set” over the surface. Flashback due to SPF is moderate…not bad for a casual night out but pro advice is you don’t want to risk using anything with an SPF for more formal evening occasions to be safe. In the shots with flash by the way I was beginning to sweat, my shiny forehead in that shot is my own oil slick. The only bad thing about this is they’re only selling it in one shade locally I think (hay nako). I’m #23 which in my case happens to be THE BEST BB shade match I’ve ever had for myself…hooray for me and all you NC30 gals.
I got this also because I was also on the lookout for a base with a similar finish to my Laura Mercier Oil-free SPF20 tinted moisturizer but with a HIGHER SPF for the beach, I’m cool with this since it’s SPF35 PA++. This pretty much fit the requirement and the color is perfect for me. Shade #23 is a spot on match like MAC NC30 but slightly less yellow, just slightly. Abroad the brand Nature Republic also offers #21, an even lighter shade. The one I got, which is even the darker of the two shades the brand put out, #23 will really only suit girls who skin match to MAC NC25/NC30 in bases. Nature Republic’s Botanical Mandarin BB Cream retails for Php680.00 regularly but right now they’ve got a 10% discount offer at Landmark, Makati…not sure if that’s a mall promo or a brand promo. Check it out if you think we might be the same shade, Nature Republic also has some awesome lipliners for just over Php150.00 :).
