Origins Smarty Plants CC SPF 20 £28.00
I'll be honest here. I wasn't thinking of buying this product at all at first. I wanted VitaZing SPF 15 Energy-boosting moisturizer to use in the morning, but it wasn't sold in Japan and the only way to purchase it was on eBay where I have to pay pretty high postage. I just wanted a moisturiser with SPF to wear underneath my makeup during winter, so I was not looking for BB or CC or whatever cream it's called. But when I purchase other products from a Japanese website, I found this product and I thought I should give it a try. Because the concept seemed very interesting, and also it was about 3,000yen which is actually cheaper than buying it in the UK because of the high exchange rate.
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So, this is CC cream -not BB cream. BB stands for Beauty Balm and CC stands for Colour (or Complexion) Corrector I believe. It comes in two different shades, Light-Medium and Medium-Deep. You may think that it's hard to match it to your skin tone but actually it's very sheer and doesn't give much colour to the skin so you don't have to worry about it. Also this formula apparently intuitively colour matches to your skin, so again you don't need to be too nervous about the shade. It protects your skin from the sun, hydrates, corrects your complexion, gives a little bit of glow...what more would you want from this little tube?
As you can see, it's got a very light texture. It's not too creamy which is perfect to wear underneath makeup. Just a little bit goes a long way and it instantly brightens up my complexion. It provides very light coverage that doesn't make a big difference on my skin but once I apply my foundation on top, you can see the difference on your skin. With this CC cream on underneath, my skin looks flawless and glowing. No wonder why, because it's got very fine glitter particles. But believe me, it doesn't make your face look like a disco ball at all. The glitters are very subtle and I didn't even notice until recently although I've been using it for months now.
As you can see in the photo, you are hardly able to see that it's on by itself. So if you are looking for a tinted moisturiser or BB cream that you can apply instead of a foundation, this might not be for you in my opinion. But if you are looking for a good primer that hydrates your skin while protecting it from the sun damage and correct your complexion, I strongly recommend this product! It feels like I'm wearing nothing but it does its job for sure.
Another thing I love about this product is that it smells really nice. It smells like orange juice which is perfect in the morning, isn't it?
Origins have never disappointed me. I love the brand, it's a shame it's not officially available in Japan anymore. I will pick up GinZing series when I come to London next time from the duty free shop! What's your favourite Origins product?