Physicians Formula Super BB Beauty Balm Makeup Kit Review & Swatches

Physicians Formula Super BB Beauty Balm Makeup Kit (with Super BB Cream SPF 30, Super BB Concealer, & Super BB Powder SPF 30); Review & Swatches
New for Spring 2013                       CRUELTY FREE!!!

Price of Kit: $19.95
(Price of Individual Pieces: $12.95-$14.95 each)

Problem:

I'm sure that many of you have already tried, or at least heard of, Physicians Formula's new complexion product lineups which include the Super BB Line, the Super CC Line, the Organic Wear Line, etc. They have definitely released a ton of products in a very short period of time since all of these are full product lines (powder, concealer, & BB/foundation), and they have all been introduced to consumers since Spring 2013, but are they worth meeting?


I like Physicians Formula alot, I really do. They are one of the few brands which are Cruelty Free and carried right alongside L'oreal & CoverGirl nationwide, however I worry that flooding the market with so many products can have its disadvantages for any company, because with so many products, the consumer can easily get overwhelmed and instead of learning about one new product, they have to choose one or a few out of a dozen which are newly introduced.

I'm sure you've seen the full Physicians Formula displays and, if you're anything like me, you were probably curious, but at $15 a pop, I'm not curious enough to play a guessing game to try to decide which products I'll like, at least not without further research!

Solution:

The Super BB Beauty Balm Makeup Kit prevents any guesswork on your end! It is a pre-packaged selection which includes the Super BB Beauty Balm Cream SPF 30, the Super BB Beauty Balm Concealer, and the Super BB Beauty Balm Powder which is also SPF 30! Each of the items are chosen in the shades which correspond to eachother as well.

I got the Light/Medium kit which included the

• Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream SPF 30 in Light/Medium
• Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer in Light/Medium &
• Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder SPF 30 in Light/Medium

Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream SPF 30

Super BB Cream SPF 30, is actually a formula with pigmentation very similar to their Natural Wear Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50 which was recently discontinued. (I have them swatched side by side above.)

The BB Cream is a smooth formula, but the high SPF factor does give it a temporarily greasy feeling before drying to a semi-matte finish. I think its a fine option for people who are looking for a one-stop-shopping/all-in-one face product, especially for summer! It does have a fair amount of anti-oxidants and skin protecting ingredients in addition to the SPF and it actually made Paula Begoun's list of Best BB Creams, so that says something for the formula as well!

Coverage wise its alot more than your average TM, but less than some BB's. If you are really fair, you likely won't match the lightest shade exactly but you can certainly use it to add some color to your face for summer! I would say that aside from the shade range, the formula is very close to MAC's Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm Cream SPF 35.

Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream is available in three shades, Light, Light/Medium, & Medium/Deep, however the kit only comes in two options, Light/Medium & Medium/Deep. Light/Medium turned out to be a fair amount too dark for me, but this is an intriguing enough product that I will probably repurchase it in Light at some point!


Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer (SPF 30?)

Super BB Concealer is only available in two colors, Light/Medium & Medium/Deep. (Needless to say, the "BB" part of the name really imparts nothing miraculous to the formula.) It is a click-pen concealer which, coverage wise, would probably be better treated as a highlighter. It may work out fine for middle-school aged, pre acne girls to use as a concealer since it would provide coverage that wouldn't send their parents through the roof, but for people who have legitimate issues to cover up, this likely won't suffice.

Note: My initial impression from the packaging was that the concealer also had an SPF factor of 30. The reviewers at Beautypedia also had the same impression since they list it as having an SPF of 30 as well; however, it does not seem to be listed as active SPF on the label at this point. The first two ingredients are still Titanium Dioxide & Zinc Oxide, but they are not listed as active. It is likely that they changed the labeling for some administrative issue, but didn't change the formula so the actual SPF is the same. I wouldn't bet my life on the SPF still being 30, nor would I use it as my sole source of sun protection under any circumstances, but I would imagine some protection would be gained from a generous application.

Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder SPF 30:

Super BB Powder SPF 30 in Light/Medium is pretty similar to many Physicians Formula powders in terms of texture & application. It's housed in a compact with a brush underneath it which is a very convenient idea, but I usually put a puff where the brush is in these products.

The powder itself may have a bit of a matte finish, it also has a very large amount of Mice and other shiny ingredients which will add a natural glow- ridiculous shimmer depending on how you apply it. Be sure to keep in mind that you would have to cake this on to get a true SPF factor of 30, so wear it over a sunscreen.

I don't have very oily skin but I would imagine that the shimmer in the powder will negate any mattifying properties, and those with dry skin probably won't want to use this for anything other than a light dusting to set foundation. Overall, its not a bad problem at all, but its certainly not fabulous either.

Overall:

Overall, the kit is an excellent value even though none of the products will make it to my makeup bag, (that spot is reserved for the NEW Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Compact Cream Foundation). Each item costs anywhere from $12-$15 each, but the total kit is only $20. With numbers like that, you're not risking too much if one or more is a bust. (You could always split the kit with someone too!) I love the fact that they're full sized items since so often they come with "Deluxe" sample sized products and often the kits end up costing more per ounce!

I think this particular kit is a great option for a teenager or someone who just wants light, natural coverage with a touch of skincare, but Physicians Formula does have many more kits which will likely appease the more mature crowd as well!

If you are curious about any of the new Physicians Formula products, I would highly recommend checking out the kits available since most are a savings of at least 50% off of the retail price! I have used many of the products which are included in the kits below, and I am a fan of many of them.

They have the;

• Flawless Complexion Mineral Wear Kit which includes Blush, Powder, Finishing Veil, and is $15.44 at Walmart
• Shimmer Strips Custom Eyes Enhancing Makeup Kit which includes 9 Eyeshadows, 2 Eyeliners, 2 Mascaras for $15.44 at Walmart

***They also have skincare kits that include their (relatively) newer skincare lines. They are $30 for 3 pieces as opposed to $19.95-$24.95 each!***

Has anyone else tried these kits yet?
 Did you find it to be a good value vs buying items individually?

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream SPF 30, Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder (Pressed) SPF 30, Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer SPF 30, Swatches of Shade Light/Medium

Physicians Formula Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Cream SPF 30, Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder (Pressed) SPF 30, Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Concealer SPF 30, Swatches of Shade Light/Medium