If ever there was a product subject to some major scrutiny on this here blog, this would be it. You see, Kiehl’s recently discontinued one of my favourite base products: their Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer… and this, their new Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream has taken its hallowed place. I’m not entirely happy about this but I am curious to see how it compares, and ultimately, differs.
If Kiehl’s have done away with a fantastically valued tinted moisturiser – we’re talking 75ml of product for £20.50 – and replaced it with a glorified 30ml of tinted moisturiser (hyped as a BB cream), priced at £23.50 for 30ml, I’m not going to be a Kiehl’s fan for much longer am I?
Old vs New
Their old tinted moisturiser was a no-fuss product without any real skincare claims (not withstanding a less-than-substantial broad spectrum SPF15). Other than fantastic value, a naturally sheer coverage, and some thoroughly decent moisturising capabilities, it delivered nothing more. But that was all I wanted.
The new Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream has far more going on beneath the surface. The most obvious of which is broad spectrum SPF50 PA+++ sun protection. Whether or not one physically applies enough product to benefit from this protection in the real world is still up for discussion but it does at least, offer it in the first place.
It’s also been formulated with a high level of Vitamin C to help boost skin radiance and fade dark spots, which combined with a moisturising base certainly does enough to qualify bullshit-free, bonafide BB Cream status.
the old Tinted Moisturiser (on the left) compared to the new BB Cream
You can see that the texture of the two base products are completely different. At this point, my faith in Kiehl’s has been restored and I’m sufficiently convinced that their new release isn’t simply an excuse to bump the price on an old favourite.
So what do I actually think of Kiehl’s new BB Cream now that I’m happy to judge it on its own merits?
It’s available in three shades: fair, light, and medium. Of the three shades, I received “light” which is sadly a little too dark for my skintone as you’ll see in the following photos.
The texture is thick and the tone is fairly neutral, it certainly doesn’t present the greyed-hues of some Asian BB Creams which should please anyone who finds they tend to look ashy on their skin. Unfortunately, if I’m wearing the “middle” shade of the three, anyone with a darker skintone will feel excluded from this launch.
Please excuse the pin curl clip!
The texture feels heavier than their tinted moisturiser and yet provides only the same level of coverage and skin-unifying. The heavier texture is something that can often be expected from a product with increased sun-protection. Nevertheless, the finish isn’t greasy or even particularly dewy, something that many combination/oily skintypes should be pleased about.
I don’t feel that the BB Cream delivers the same level of prolonged moisture to my skin as the original tinted moisturiser did, and as someone with dry skin – this has the potential to be a deal-breaker for me. To be fair to Kiehl’s, this new BB Cream isn’t marketed toward any specific oily/combo/dry skin issues and as such, I’m assuming it’s more of a one-type-suits-all product. Taking this into consideration, I’m impressed that it neither highlights nor clings to my dry patches.
One thing that I will say improves upon my beloved tinted moisturiser is the longevity of the BB Cream. I have worn it on four ocassions and each time, coverage has lasted comfortably into the evening – something my old favourite would never have been able to achieve.
Ultimately, I don’t like Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream as much as I liked their Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturiser, not for my specific skin concerns and not for my wallet.
However, as a BB Cream, and standing on its own merits, it performs very well and should suit most skin-types thanks to a formula that genuinely seeks to provide an effective skincare treatment alongside surface beautification.
Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream is priced at £23.50 for 30ml and available to buy on counter and online at www.kiehls.co.uk
* press sample
Been hearing some really good things about Kiehl’s new bb cream. But honestly, I’m kind of over the whole bb craze, but I may give this a try.
Meh, as someone living in Asia, I’ve never really been a fan of BB creams and now, seeing all these new launches for western versions, I’m even more skeptical. idk, just never jumped on the bandwagon. glad you found something you liked though!
Love Kiehl’s products, but as many people have said I’m over the BB trend now. Also from what I’ve seen from the Asian ones they suit pale skin much better, my next beauty purchase 🙂
I grabbed a sample of this the other day, and Fair was a touch too dark for me in some lighting 🙁 I also found that it smelled really stongly of toffee/caramel, which was super weird. Did you find it had any smell?
I like BB Creams, but I find only the kind out Asia, the ones here seem like they are just their tinted moisturizers repackaged. I’m glad you like the improvement of the cream, to bad they had to bump up their pricing to do it though. Now brace yourself for the oncoming wave of CC Cream to come. I know Chanel is testing their new CC cream out in the Asian market, so more is sure to come!!
[…] – puts the new Kiehl’s BB Cream under the microscope. Will it out-perform her favourite (now discontinued) Kiehl’s Tinted […]
[…] – puts the new Kiehl’s BB Cream under the microscope. Will it out-perform her favourite (now discontinued) Kiehl’s Tinted […]
[…] – puts the new Kiehl’s BB Cream under the microscope. Will it out-perform her favourite (now discontinued) Kiehl’s Tinted […]
[…] – puts the new Kiehl’s BB Cream under the microscope. Will it out-perform her favourite (now discontinued) Kiehl’s Tinted […]
[…] – puts the new Kiehl’s BB Cream under the microscope. Will it out-perform her favourite (now discontinued) Kiehl’s Tinted […]
This is a bit to pricey for my wallet especially if you get only 30mls, but still, it was kind of expected, because every new product has to be better than the previous one. Great review. Thanks.
Something you might wanna know though, Heather Scoggins, is that if you look at the ingredient lists of the Asian market BB creams, they too are just glorified tinted moisturizers. They’re mainly multiple types of silicone and pigment with minimal skin benefit ingredients, if any beyond the sunscreen. Asia is just as susceptible to cosmetics hype as we are, and BB creams are just another one of those.