I received this in my birtchbox one or two months ago. It seems like a generic bb cream that I was going to be testing just for the heck of it. I put on that stuff on and I was like...whaaaaa? This product is be-u-ti-ful! What I didn't like was that it contains NO SPF. It is the kind of product that you can put on with nothing else, so in my mind I would have liked it to also cover the SPF requirement to make it a one and only product for lazy days. So... I decided to go on a search for a similar product that contained the coveted SPF. BTW. I have combo skin and have very Yellow undertones, I'm not sure how this would work on pink undertones but it is worth a try! I tried several BB creams or Tinted Moisturizers that were AT LEAST SPF 30 and compared them all with the Marcelle: 1. Smashbox: with horrible packaging, I wasn't impressed with the look, it is more matte than Marcelle, no healthy golden glow there. The product is more liquidy so it felt like more work to apply. 2. First Aid Tinted moisturizer, I got Oily really quick with this one, the finish was ok, but again not the healthy golden glow that Marcelle gives. 3. Make Up Forever Tinted Moisturizer: it sunk into my smile lines after 2-3 hrs... It felt dry and it looked so so, even after wearing my hourglass holy grail primer. 4. Bare Minerals: This was the least bad of them all. Still the finish wasn't impressive, it was evening... that's about it. 5. Maybelline BB cream: now this one I used in the past, I didn't compare recently because I think is less than 30SPF but I'll add it here and let you know that it was uber oily on me. I haven't tried the Matte version, but I'm done trying to find something better. 6. Another one I have tried in the past is the CLINIQUE BB Cream, the finish is not as good as the Marcelle and the undertones are way too pink, so that one didn't work for me. Conclusion: Marcelle is the best BB cream I've tried. I'm letting go the SPF wish and I'll just use SPF before applying it. I use Paula's Choice SPF 30 for Oily Skin and they worked well together. Finally I'll summarize what I love about this product: ***I have noticed it looks much better with a primer. So take that in account when applying. I've used Hourglass mineral veil among others. 1. Transfer: The cream is not completely transfer proof, but it was better most of the above. It still did a really good job. It dries quicky and after it's dry it feels like your skin. If you rub, it will come off. I will say though, I went to the Gym, I worked out and sweted and it wasn't a face disaster. I'm really impressed. (Mind you I had applied it around 8am, went to church, grocery shopping, by the time I was at the gym it was 3pm and I still look good before working out...) 2. Texture it has a light dimethacone feeling, so it goes on the skin easily, smoothly and it has less of a "wet" or cream feeling if that makes sense. 3. Glow: EVERY time I put this on is like the most amazing pick me up for my skin. I LOVE THE NATURAL GLOW of this stuff. It's what sets it apart and what makes it unique in my opinion. Do consider, this is a subtle sheen on the skin. Nothing too obvios. I have to kind of tilt my face to notice it, that's what I like about it. It looks glowy but not too much. 4. Color: Combined with the glow, it makes my skin warm and healthy. This is it's best feature. Golden Glow lives up to it's name.. 5. Coverage: It is in the "even" category but I would say it is on the more covering side. Wich I love because my skin has some pigmentation (nothing mayor but definately noticible if you pay attention). I liked it better than the Mac Body and Face Foundation... it felt like a much much better alternative for a low coverage product. 6. Long Lasting: Like I said, it is long lasting and it fades gracefully by the end of the day. 7. It does feel hydrating. No sinking in my fine lines. In conclusion, If Marcelle stopped producing this product I think the beauty addict in me would die! This product is so so impressive. I will use this daily. If you add some blush, a bit of bronzer and mascara, it makes you look pretty but not too "done" if you know what I mean. If your skin is good, with no pigmentation or mayor issues, I think you are going to love this stuff because the glow is still so flattering and not oily looking. (I personally prefer this, my petpeeve is to see people with highlighter all over and call it "healthy"... and or glowy mists that make you look like you need to blot, for me tha's not healthy glow, that's just plain oily!). If you have a lot of pigmentation, the product may be able to bring you to a more comfortable place quickly, but it won't cover your imperfections, still, like I said before. I think is worth giving it a try. Update*** I’ve found some dupes for this product and one I like better because it has spf. I tried them covering half my face with MARCELL and the other half with the other products, same exact look. 1. Becca aqua Luminous Foundation: $44 2. Perricone No Foundation Foundation spf 30. I think this is the winner and I’ll probably by this one when I run out of my MARCELL tube. I’ve lowered two 4 stars because the product doesn’t have spf.
