4U2 DreamGirl Lovelight BB Powder Review

4U2 DreamGirl Lovelight BB Powder SPF15 PA++ in shade #2

The girly print. Many people who have seen this said it looks like a toy.

The back side with some important information printed.

Swatch on my finger. 

when blended on my hand. the darker side is the one with powder.

Brand: 4U2 Cosmetics
Made in Thailand
Net. Wt. 7g

Note: My skin type is combination to oily.

Coverage:
I give this a score of 6/10 when used dry, and 7/10 when used wet. It evens out skin tone though and reduces the appearance of red spots. 

Oil control:
I give this a score of 6/10. 

Color:
There are three shades available. The #1 is the lightest, but I'm a medium skin tone so I chose #2. I regret it because when it's blended and built up, it turns out to be darker than my skin. My face becomes obviously darker than my neck and shoulders. -_- 

Texture and finish:
It blends smoothly and has a matte finish. 

Longevity:
I give this a score of 6/10. It disappears after 3 hours as my face starts to become oily and I start blotting.

Packaging:
It's cute, but at the same time cheap-looking. The print fades easily. But what I dislike the most is the mirror. It is a narrow, vertical, rectangular one, that makes me feel cross-eyed when I look at it.
The small size could be an advantage since it can easily fit in makeup bags.

Price:
Php194 for a 7g product. Inexpensive? You could say that but...there are other local powder pacts that are bigger with only a little bit price difference, if not cheaper.

Final thoughts:

I bought this because I've read a lot of rave reviews on this, and I thought, if it really is a great powder that is inexpensive, then I better have one too.
But from my ratings, you can already tell that I am not loving this product. I don't see anything special about it. It's just a normal powder.

My personal opinion is, this is an overrated product. My ratings are based on my personal experience and standards.
I do not dislike this powder but I don't love it either. It's not a bad product nor a very good one.
For me, the quality is so~so, and if you want the best value for your money, buy other powder pacts from other local brands that are bigger and have better quality.

And until now I don't know why it is named 'BB powder'. Is it a bb cream in powder form? When I looked at the ingredients, I didn't see any similarities with the ingredients of bb creams. BB creams usually have whitening, anti-aging and skin nourishing benefits, right?

Since the color turns darker on me, I only use this to set one of my bb creams that is quite light for my skin tone, to balance the color. That way this powder becomes very useful to me. :) But I won't repurchase.

Getting to Know Coenzyme Q10 aka Vitamin Q

photo from Amazon.com

the actual product: Somang Coenzyme Q10 Intensive Mask

I've had a couple of skin care products that claims to have Coenzyme Q10 as one of the active ingredients, but I didn't really understand nor did I care what that substance is...until I received this mask from a brand under Amore Pacific. The product name is Coenzyme Q10 Intensive Mask. It claims that the main ingredients are 75mg of Coenzyme Q10 and deep sea water. Before I put this on my face, I thought I better do some research first. 

Here are some information I collected:

'Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a substance similar to a vitamin. It is found in every cell of the body. Your body makes CoQ10, and your cells use it to produce energy your body needs for cell growth and maintenance.'
(source: www.webmd.com)


It has potent antioxidant effects.

As we age the production of CoQ10 of our body tapers off.

CoQ10 is used in premium anti-aging skin care products to boost skin repair and regeneration. It rejuvenates the skin by enhancing the cell’s efficiency. 

It’s really important that it is used in high enough quantities to do a decent job. Experts recommend a minimum of 0.5% in skin care products. 


CoQ10's 5 Benefits for the Skin:


1.     It energizes your skin. Young skin has ample amounts of CoQ10 and so has lots of energy – energy needed to repair damage and make sure the skin cells are healthy. 

2.     It protects against photo-aging – that means premature aging due to over exposing the skin to the sun. The sun is the fastest skin ager. If you don’t believe me, just compare the skin on your behind (that is hardly ever exposed to the sun) to the skin on your face. Enough said! 

3.     It rejuvenates skin by stimulating skin cell activity. Active skin cells get rid of toxins easily and can make better use of nutrients. When your skin ages, all these processes slow down, causing dull and sallow, wrinkled skin. Boost your skin cell activity for younger looking skin with CoQ10. 

4.     It stimulates collagen production. Collagen is the protein that decreases as we age, leading to wrinkles and leathery skin.  Helping you make more collagen, CoQ10 is a skin saving essential.

5.     It is a potent anti-oxidant that acts against oxidative damage. This damage is done by, for example: UV rays of the sun, pollution, toxins, stress. And this damage all leads to one thing: premature aging that shows up on the skin. When metals oxidise, we call it rust. When humans oxidise, we call it aging. Sometimes it also leads to disease. So we need something to help us prevent ‘rusting’. Anti-oxidants like CoQ10 are the answer and have a critical role to play in both the body and the skin. 

(Source: www.drjoetoday.com)


Wow! I didn't know CoQ10 is that beneficial to skin! I'm already 27 so I'm always after anti-aging products. 

So back to the mask:

 It has 75mg of CoQ10 therefore it is highly concentrated.

It's a very thick cream that spreads and melts easily on the face.

How I use it:
I apply a generous amount on my face while massaging thoroughly. Then I let it stay on my skin for 20 minutes so my skin can absorb the nutrients. 
Lastly, I rinse it with water.

The result? My skin feels soft, and more firm in an instant.  

I already have used this about 5 times, once a week. But using this at least thrice a week is better. The reason why I don't use this often is because I have many other masks that I need to use too. 

I'm now planning to buy some CoQ10 supplements. I think I saw one being sold at Healthy Options. I've read this is also good for the heart.


Conclusion:

Coenzyme Q10 is a very skin-friendly substance, that helps prevent premature aging. Just because you have no wrinkles yet doesn't mean you don't need anti-aging products/supplements, especially if you are already 25 years old and above. 
Remember, prevention is always better than cure.

Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream Review

swatched on my hand
It has just the right amount of creaminess, that is easy to blend, and a little goes a long way.

swatched on my face

when blended

 pimple marks and redness around my nose are less visible now
The finish is a little bit dewy.

This bb cream from Lioele is another one that is worth sharing. I love this so much that I always repurchase whenever I run out of it, despite the fact that I own more than enough bb creams from different brands. This one also runs out more quickly than my other bb creams because I use it more frequently, and the price is lower than my Dr. Jart Silver Label (which I try to save as much as possible because it's kinda pricey).

Why I love it:

I have a medium skintone  (kayumanggi, as we call it in the Philippines). At first look, Lioele Beyond the Solution BB Cream seems quite light for me, but it oxidizes quickly and blends really well with my natural color. It makes my skin look brighter and my skintone even. The coverage is 8/10. I only have minimal blemishes most of the time, so the coverage is enough to make my face look flawless. Believe me, I often get compliments on my skin even from random strangers (example: Sales Assistant at malls or random customers at my shop) whenever I wear this BB. They ask, "What product/cream do you use? Your face looks so smooth. It's glowing."(When they say glowing, I think they mean my face is dewy-looking.)
I guess this bb cream gives me the most natural flawless look compared to some of my other bb creams because people don't even think I'm wearing a makeup or something.

Another thing is, this doesn't have SPF. I know to some that is a disadvantage, but to me it's a bonus because I can wear this at events or parties where picture taking with flash is certain to happen.
I have made a mistake before when I wore a bb cream with SPF to attend a wedding, and to my disappointment, my face looked too white (like that of a Geisha) on the pictures. It was quite embarrassing because some people might think I wore my one-year-supply of foundation that day. -_-
(To those who don't know yet, SPF in foundations or bb creams reflects light from camera flash, making your skin look white in photos. If you cannot avoid the SPF, avoid the flash.)

When I need to be out under the sun, I just wear a sunscreen underneath or I just use my other bb creams with high SPF. That's not really an issue to me.


Does it control oil well?
The oil control is 7/10. I have a very oily skin, especially my nose and forehead, and blotting is very normal to me. I have never really found a product that made my face matte and oil-free throughout a day. When I'm outside and it's very hot and humid my face gets extra oily, but when I'm inside an air-conditioned room, my face just gets dewy, not greasy.

Extra Points:
It has never caused me breakouts.
The packaging is very pretty and it is a pump-type tube.
I think the price is just right for the quality. It is cheaper than  Dr. Jart and Missha bb creams.

My recommendations: 

This is a good bb cream to be used at night time or when taking pictures with flash.

This will suit light to medium skintone.

Best for people with normal and oily/combination skin type.

If you need sun protection, wear a sunscreen underneath this bb cream.

If you have dry skin, make sure to moisturize first before applying this.

I will be reviewing my other bb creams soon. :)