Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream: Review & Swatches

I've been disappointed with a lot of North American brands' versions of BB creams, which tend to be more like a hyped up tinted moisturizer than the multi-tasking marvels that the original Asian BB formulations are designed to be. I'd been wanting to try a Korean BB cream for quite some time to experience the make-up-and-skin-treatment-in-one formulation that made BB creams such a sensation, so I picked up the Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream on Ebay last year after reading several good reviews for it. I've been using it on and off for several months, so now it's my turn to share the love!

Holika Holika is a Korean brand whose name means "beauty-holic." They sell a huge variety of products, including several other BB creams, most of which you can find on Ebay for pretty reasonable prices. I got this particular cream for only about 13 bucks and shipping was free!

The cream itself comes in two shades: Light Beige 01 and Natural Beige 02. I'm pretty pale, so I went with the Light Beige 01, which turned out to be a good match for me. The cream has a good consistency--not too thick or too runny--and delivers medium coverage. Like any good BB cream, this also has SPF 37, so you're getting good sun protection too. There is a light peachy scent to it that dissipates after a few minutes of wear. I love peaches, so I find the smell very pleasant, but it's something to keep in mind if you're sensitive to scented cosmetics.

 Unblended (left) and blended (right). As you can see, it really just melts right into the skin once it's blended out. Love it!

I have oily skin but I get decent wear out of this. I skip primer but still set it with powder (dry skin should be just fine without this step though). It takes around four hours for me to start looking and feeling like it's time to blot. Even when I feel a little slippery after a few hours though, the cream never feels heavy or looks cakey.

As an added bonus, the cap has a little mirror inside, plus a peach-colored cheek/lip cream. It's an awesome beauty-on-the-go idea, even if the cheek/lip cream itself really isn't anything earth shattering. As a cheek color, it's quite pigmented but blends out well. I prefer powder blush, but this cream will do in a pinch. I hate it on my lips though. The texture feels very drying and chalky.

 Unblended (left) and blended (right). You only need a little bit to get pigmented color.

Overall, I really love this BB cream and always reach for it when I don't have time to do full make-up in the mornings or just want to throw something on before running a few errands. It's a total lifesaver on my "no make-up" days! I highly recommend Holika Holika Peach Girl BB Cream, whether you're new to BB cream all together or you've been wanting to try one from overseas. You get a nice amount (50 ml) of a quality, multi-tasking product for a good price. I'm interested in trying more Korean BB creams, but I know this one will last me quite a while. I'm a big fan though, so I suppose I can't complain!

Have you tried this BB cream--or any others? What are some of your favorite international beauty brands and products?