BB Creamology: Dr Jart, Napoleon Perdis and Dior

Hello hello and welcome to the 11th episode of BB Creamology! If you’re new to the blog, BB Creamology is a series of reviews on BB creams and BB creams alone. I know that many of you are probably pretty sick and tired of hearing about BB creams already and I can understand why. Beauty brands are coming up with so many different types of BB, CC, DD and whatever else creams claiming to do so many things to your skin when a lot of them are just foundations. That’s exactly how I see them: they’re makeup, they’re foundations or just tinted moisturisers. They’re not skincare. They don’t replace moisturisers or sunscreens.

That’s how I see and review BB creams. I hope you still enjoy the series. I’ll stop when they stop coming up with BB creams, how about that? 🙂

BB Creamology: Dr Jart, Napoleon Perdis and Dior

Today, I’m going to be reviewing an Asian and 2 Western BB creams. What’s interesting about today’s episode of BB Creamology is that all these BB creams have high SPF (with a minimum of SPF 30). I was originally going to review the Olay Fresh BB cream before the one by Dr Jart but given the price range of these BB creams, I’ll leave the Olay one for another episode of drugstore BB creams.

BB Creamology: Dr Jart, Napoleon Perdis and Dior

Before I continue with the reviews, it’s important to note that even with high SPF BB creams, you’ll still need to apply a separate sunscreen prior to any high-SPF base makeup. You don’t need a whole heap of BB cream on your skin but you do need a good amount of sunscreen on it. Please do not substitute sunscreen with high-SPF base makeup.

Okay, now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, let’s get cracking with the reviews!

Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot BBB Cream Beauty-Boosting Balm*

Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot BBB Cream Beauty-Boosting Balm

Shade: Light/Medium (with warm orange undertones). Also comes in Medium/Dark.
Texture: Thick and creamy
Fragrance: Smells like sunscreen
Wet-To-Dry Time: Takes a while to dry and leaves a satin finish on the skin. Also contains shimmer, which is something new to me in terms of BB creams.
Coverage: Medium
Sun Protection Factor: SPF 30
Price: AU$55.00
Availibility: Napoleon Perdis concept stores, David Jones, MYER and online at napoleonperdis.com.

Dr Jart Rejuvenating Blemish Balm BB Silver Label

Dr Jart Rejuvenating Blemish Balm BB Silver Label

Shade: There’s no label or name for the shade. For the colour, I’d say it’s close to a Light when compared to other BB creams. I searched for reviews of this BB cream and it looks like this only comes in 1 shade. This has cool undertones. The shade is a tad too light for my skintone.
Texture: Light yet creamy
Fragrance: There’s a hint of sunscreen scent but it’s not very noticeable.
Wet-To-Dry Time: Takes a while to dry and leaves a satin, almost dewy finish on the skin.
Coverage: Medium, buildable to full
Sun Protection Factor: SPF 35/PA++
Price: Price ranges from AU$16 to AU$45, depending on where you buy it.
Availibility: Sephora, Amazon, Asian beauty stores, Strawberrynet, eBay.

Dior Prestige White Collection Base UV Satin Blemish Balm Tinted Makeup*

Dior Prestige White Collection Base UV Satin Blemish Balm Tinted Makeup

Shade: Only comes in 1 shade. Again, there’s no label or name for the shade but for the colour, I’d say it’s close to a Light.
Texture: Light yet creamy
Fragrance: Quite strong floral fragrance
Wet-To-Dry Time: Takes a while to dry (of the 3 BB creams mentioned today, it dries the quickest) and leaves a satin finish on the skin.
Coverage: Light to medium
Sun Protection Factor: SPF 30 (the sticker in front hides the original SPF 50)
Price: AU$163.00
Availibility: MYER Sydney City, MYER Melbourne, David Jones Elizabeth St, David Jones Bourke St and S&C Queen St.

BB Creamology: Dr Jart, Napoleon Perdis and Dior

Conclusion:

I was quite surprised to discover how much I enjoyed the Napoleon Perdis BB cream. I’m usually quite skeptical of Western BB creams but this one surpassed my expectations. The texture of the BB cream is exactly how I like the Asian BB creams to be – slightly thick but still creamy enough to glide on the skin. What I found different and at times, quite delightful, of the NP BB cream is that it contains shimmer. It’s not so shimmery that it makes my oily skin look like a disco ball but enough to give it a gorgeous luminous sheen. I’d skip highlighting powder with this one.

I’ve heard a lot about Dr Jart BB creams but have yet to give any of them a go since they aren’t readily available in Australia (I’m sure I’ll be able to find this at Asian beauty stores at Chinatown at ridiculously marked up prices). This deluxe sample tube was a gift from a friend. The Silver Label is meant for sensitive skin and it’s meant to soothe red, irritated skin while controlling excess sebum. This does cover the redness around my nose and wears on my skin well. The only thing I’m not keen on is the lack of shades. This only comes in 1 shade and it’s a tad too light for my skintone.

BB Creamology: Dr Jart, Napoleon Perdis and Dior

Now comes the Dior BB cream. Oh boy. This is the most expensive BB cream I’ve ever tried. Wait, let’s rewind. This is the most expensive base makeup of anything I’ve ever tried. Even though it’s called a BB cream, to be honest, it’s not really one. It’s actually more of a sunscreen base that you wear under makeup. This reminds me very much of Clinique’s City Block sunscreen; the texture and coverage is also quite similar. I don’t wear this under foundation; heck, I use it as my foundation. The finish to this BB cream is gorgeous; it leaves a satin finish that still gives you that radiant sheen without being very moist (unlike the Napoleon Perdis BB cream). Now comes the hard question: is it worth the whopping price tag? Between you and me, nope. Quite frankly, I thought the 1 next to 63 was a typo.

So, which BB cream was my favourite of the three? I like each one for what it does (even the too-light Dr Jart) so it was quite difficult to choose. Plus the fact that they’ve high SPF is already a huge plus point in my books. But if I really have to decide, then I’d say the one by Napoleon Perdis. Again, I didn’t think they’d do such a good job on it and I also didn’t think I’d like shimmer in my BB cream but it turns out a good big yes to both!

As these BB creams contain a high amount of SPF, it’s best to avoid wearing them in the evenings especially if there are chances of you being photographed lest they leave a white/grey cast on your skin in photos.

Have you tried any of these BB creams before? Your thoughts? Yay or nay?

Disclaimer: Products marked with * were provided for editorial consideration.

For weekly updates, news and heaps more fun stuff, do subscribe and join the awesome BA Insider community!

Join the BA Insider Community

Previous:

Next:

16 comments… add one
  1. Allison

    Tine, why is it necessary to use a separate sunscreen with a BB cream? Is the SPF in a BB or CC different in some way? Gosh, I’ve been using IT Cosmetics with SPF 50++ and I thought I was set. Yikes. I also wear Dr. Jart Premium, and yes it only comes in one shade. I am fair, cool toned and it’s a pretty perfect shade for me but probably not for many other women lol!
    Allison recently posted..Radical Skincare Age-Defying Exfoliating PadsMy Profile

    1. Tine

      You need at least 1 tsp of sunscreen on your face to give it ample protection. In order for the BB cream to give you ample sun protection, you’ll need 1 tsp of that and there’s no way anyone is going to slather on that much makeup on the skin. That’s why it’s highly recommended to always wear separate sunscreen prior to applying makeup. We only apply a small amount of BB cream or foundation with SPF on our face. It’s not enough protection.

  2. Paris B

    Haven’t tried the Dior Prestige BB but I love the Diorsnow BB! From your swatches, the Napoleon Perdis one looks promising although the Dr. Jart has that dreaded grey cast that makes me feel that it’s more suited to zombies than people – the curse of all Korean BB for me 😛
    Paris B recently posted..Water Woes: Quick tips on how to bathe and wash up with minimal waterMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Yeah the Dr Jart one gave me a grey cast too. Forgot to mention that in the post! I’ve not tried the Diorsnow BB cream but I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. What’s the price tag like for the Diorsnow compared to the Prestige? Almost did a double take when I found out how much the Prestige one was. I was *this* close to emailing the PR if there was a typo with the additional “1”. Good thing I double-checked online!

  3. Shalunya

    I really enjoy this series and I am going to have to go back and read your other posts in this series. I haven’t tried any of these BB creams but I like the sounds of the Napoleon Perdis. Thanks for this series.
    Shalunya recently posted..Sunday Scores and Steals Haul 3/09My Profile

    1. Tine

      Thanks Shalunya. Glad you enjoy it! x

  4. Natasha

    I haven’t tried any of these bb creams… I keep glancing at the Dr. Jart selection at Sephora, but have yet to try one. But I might need to try the Napoleon Perdis one before the winter is up. It sounds like a winner!
    Natasha recently posted..Honolulu Festival FunMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Yeah, do swatch the NP one in store when you can. For a BB cream, it’s pretty good and definitely comparable to a lot of the Asian ones I’ve tried.

  5. Chelsea

    the Dior BB cream costs HOW MUCH?! Holy moly.

    In other news I quite like the Dr Jart BB cream in the gold tube – it’s lovely. Quite light though, I do agree.
    Chelsea recently posted..Review: Olay Fresh Effects BB CreamMy Profile

    1. Tine

      Hahaha I know right? Hence my double take and thought it was a typo! 😛

  6. Emy

    Oh my — I saw the swatches first, and thought the shade for the Dior BB cream looks nice. Then I look at the pricetag. I had to double check my AUD to USD conversion to make sure I’m seeing it right.

    The Napoleon Perdis one looks nice, too, though! I might give that a try. 🙂

    1. Tine

      Hahahaha I think the price tag of the Dior gave a lot of readers the jaw drop. 😛

  7. Anna's

    The dr hart bb cream is really light tone. I need to mix it with foundations that are darker. Took me a whole yr to finish dr hart. Not buying anymore it lol

    1. Tine

      The Dr Jart one does leave a grey cast on my skin after a while so I’ve stopped using it now. 😛

  8. Eddy

    Nice review! I finally landed on Dr. Jart Silver BB cream :D. it fits my skin tone best. it does leave a grey cast soon after I apply it, but it’s just for half to one hour, then it began to oxidize a liiiiittle bit and after a while, it finally fits my skin tone LOL!
    But it gives a good dewy shiny healthy look. everybody has been asking what foundation I’ve been using since I wear this Dr.Jart BB cream

    1. Tine

      Yeah that’s what I find about the Dr Jart Silver BB cream as well. It left a grey cast on my skin making it look quite ashy but like you, it oxidised a little on me too which makes it looks quite all right in the end. 😛

Leave a Reply

Share your latest blog post with us!

Scroll To Top

Not another bloody pop-up! I know. But now that I've gotten your attention (because this is how I roll *ahem ahem*), come join the BA Insider community! Sign up for a weekly newsy letter for your beauty and lifestyle fix. Straight to your inbox.

Because I love you for reading this and not closing the pop-up just yet, you'll also receive a FREE Skincare Cheat Sheet where I share some of my tips for taking better care of your skin. Let's keep that gorgeous mug of yours glowing!

We hate spam as much as baked beans. We also won't share your details with anyone because we're selfish like that.