I’m not exaggerating when I say I’m probably the pickiest person alive when it comes to foundations, including BB creams.  I have incredibly high standards (some would probably say impossibly high) and in the past I’ve mostly dealt with disappointment.  Usually because I have a hard time matching my skin color.  And when I do find the right color, it causes acne, or doesn’t cover my pores enough, or doesn’t provide enough coverage, or is too thick and looks like a mask.  Really, there are so many different reasons why I’ve never been able to find one that I really like, and I’ve returned dozens of bottles and tubes to Sephora over the years.

Despite my previous failures, I haven’t stopped trying to find the perfect foundation.  In the last two months alone I’ve bought and tried 3 different foundations, plus dozens of samples.  They didn’t make the cut.  I don’t even consider it worth my time to review them.  But I’m happy to say that I finally found one that I think is worth my time to review and to keep using: Missha M Signature Real Complete BB Cream.  It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty damn close!  And this product is yet another reason why I *heart* Korean skincare!

So ever since BB creams came onto the US market a few years ago, I’ve tried several dozen: Dr. Jart, Boscia, Tarte, Urban Decay, Stila, to name a few… but none have come even close to being as great as this BB cream!  Missha has sold millions of their BB creams, and I completely understand the hype.  Missha’s BB creams apply well, cover well, leave the skin looking natural, are long-lasting, with really great ingredients.  Because face it, the only reason why you want to go for a BB cream vs. a foundation is because of the added skin-friendly ingredients, right?  So why not try to go for something that is truly top notch, like this one?

Ingredients: Water, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Arbutin, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hydrogenated C6-14 Olefin Polymers, Cyclohexasiloxane, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Methicone, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mica, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Ozokerite, Sorbitan Olivate, Alumina, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hexyl Laurate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone/Methicone Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Carbonate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Lysine, Histidine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Proline, Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Methionine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Cysteine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Squalane, Glycerin, Ceramide 3, Cholesterol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Brassica Campestris (Rapeseed) Sterols, Beta-Glucan, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-yuen Seed Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Scrophularia Buergeriana Root Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum (Mushroom) Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Fragaria Vesca (Strawberry) Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Fruit Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract, Linaria Japonica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Root Extract, Oldenlandia Diffusa Extract, Bambusa Textilis Stem Extract, Iris Ensata Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Water, Prunus Avium (Sweet Cherry) Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Root Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Acorus Calamus Root Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Asarum Sieboldi Root Extract, Angelica Keiskei Leaf/Stem Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Juglans Regia (Walnut) Seed Extract, Prunus Persica (Peach) Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Cornus Officinalis Fruit Extract, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit Extract, Bletilla Striata Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) Rhizome/Root Extract, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Fruit Extract, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Litchi Chinensis Fruit Extract, Cnidium Officinale Root Extract, Oenanthe Javanica Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Lecithin, Polysorbate 20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Perilla Ocymoides Leaf Extract, Talc, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Adenosine, Methicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tropolone, 1, 2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance

Ok, this has got to be the longest ingredient list I’ve ever seen.  It’s pretty crazy.  And even with this many, there are so few acne-triggering or irritating ingredients in this BB cream.  The only culprit I see is Stearic Acid, which rates a 2 as an acne-trigger, but that’s pretty far down the list so I’m not worried about it.  Seriously, I think Missha deserves a standing ovation for creating a makeup that’s respectful of sensitive skin!

On top of being safe for sensitive and acne-prone skin, I am amazed by all the goodness that is packed into this little tube!  I’m especially impressed with all the fruit, seed, and root extracts added, which provide potent vitamins and antioxidant benefits to the skin.  Really, the ingredient list reads like the elixir for life! (ok, ok, I know I’m going a bit too far…)

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Closer look into some of the star ingredients:

Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract: which is the second ingredient in this BB cream, is a potent antioxidant, antibacterial and anti fungal.  Research has shown that this extract significantly improves blood flow, increases moisture in the skin, and it can also help protect the skin from redness and inflammation.

Sodium Hyaluronate: aka hyaluronic acid, is a very effective humectant moisturizer.  It does a great job attracting and maintaining water in the skin, holding 1,000 times its weight in water.  It also promotes blood circulation and nutrient absorption.

Amino Acids (Lysine, Histidine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Threonine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Proline, Glycine, Alanine, Valine, Methionine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Cysteine): Amino acids supply nutrients to nourish the skin,  strengthening connective tissue and keeps the skin smooth and elastic, the nails firm and the hair strong.

Ceramide 3: natural components of human skin. There are different ceramide types and six are commonly found in skin. All four layers of the epidermis contain ceramides, and they play an important role by creating a barrier which reduces infection and helps to retain the skin’s moisture. Increase in the amount of ceramides  may result in less dry skin or wrinkles.

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Really, I could go on and on about all the great things with Missha’s formulation for this BB cream, but I want to move on with the review.

Shades:

The great thing with Missha’s BB creams is that they come in a variety of different shades to better match your skintone.  Like almost all other BB creams, they’re first a little gray when you apply them, but after spreading them onto the skin and letting it oxidize a little, they blend into your skintone nicely.  I bought a sample set of Missha’s Perfect Cover BB Cream in all 5 different shades so that I could find the perfect shade for my skin:

From left to right, lightest to darkest, the shades are labeled as following:

#13, #21, #23,  #27, #31.

Unfortunately, Missha does not provide all of these colors in their M Signature Real Complete BB Cream.  According to their US website, the Signature Real Complete BB Cream come in shades #13, #21, #23, and  #27 only.

Hopefully this photo will give you a better idea of the different shades available in Missha’s BB creams.

My skin seems to be right in the middle of shade #21 and shade #23.  I ultimately bought #21 for several reasons: my skin gets lighter in the winter time, this color perfectly matches the lightest parts of my face and neck, and I like being pale!  After spreading the BB cream on my face, I use a VERY light dusting of bronzer on my forehead and jawline to give my skin a bit more dimension.  With the TINY bit of bronzer added, the BB cream ends up looking just like a perfect match for my skintone, and blends perfectly with my neck and chest!

Consistency & Finish:

Missha’s Signature BB cream has the perfect consistency.  As long as you don’t put too much on your skin, it spreads easily with just your fingers.  I use less than a pump for my entire face, and it covers the blemishes and blends in perfectly without looking like a mask!

I used a tiny little bit on my wrist, but you can see how it blends in well, matching my skintone and leaving a nice finish.

My skin looks slightly dewy afterwards, but not oily.  In fact, if you use more than I do, I’m sure you can achieve a nice matte finish.  It does a good job of hiding my hyperpigmentation from my healing acne marks, but on the worst ones I do need to add a bit of concealer on top of it.  It does a good job of covering my enlarged pores, although it’s not perfect.  (Urban Decay’s Naked Skin Foundation covered up my pores the best, but unfortunately the colors don’t match my skin and I’m not impressed with their ingredients.)  But after dusting a bit of finishing powder on top of this BB cream, my pores look almost nonexistent!

As an added bonus, this BB cream has real lasting power!  Even after using it all day, it continues to look great on my skin.  I’m not sure how it would last for people with super oily skin, but I’m happy with it!

Overall:

Great ingredient list and amazing quality and quantity of star ingredients!  Plus, there are almost NO acne-triggering or irritating ingredients.

I love that it comes in several different colors, works well with my skintone, applies easily and leaves a beautiful finish that lasts all day!  Seriously, I can understand why Missha has sold 30 million+ of their BB creams.  I’m a huge fan now!

Hands down, this is the best foundation/BB cream I’ve ever used, and I’m a very picky customer with insanely high standards.

Pros: GREAT ingredient list, spreads easily and covers beautifully.

Cons: I can’t really think of anything, except if I put too much on my skin it starts to look a little too much like a mask.

Total score: 10/10

Ingredients: 10/10 (Fantastic amount of star ingredients, and barely any acne-triggering or irritating ingredients.)

Quality: 10/10 (Great color options, spreads beautifully, looks like second skin.)

Wear: 10/10 (It’s barely noticeable on the skin and lasts all day!  Leaves your skin looking healthy and beautiful!)

Price: 10/10 (Great value at $29 because it will definitely last a long time.  And as a bonus, Missha frequently has this on sale.  I bought mine for only $17!)