Dr. Jart+ BB Creams Part II: Renewalist vs. Premium

Now that the warm sunshine is out, I've started to pull out higher SPF products, and thus it's time for part 2 of my Dr. Jart+ BB cream review!  I reviewed and compared the Water Fuse and Black Label Detox BB cream in an older post.  I've really been loving the Renewalist and Premium BB creams, so click the jump to find out why!

Dr. Jart+ Renewalist BB Beauty Balm SPF 40

 BB creams are mean tto be "multi-tasking" products and this one claims to do just that. It advertises to brighten the skin with "platol white-c complex", soothe dryness with essential oils, and boost your natural collagen for anti-aging effects.  All these benefits while also evening out the complexion, allowing it to be used on its own on "light makeup" days, or as a base for all the other lovely products one might put on when getting ready.

My impression: I found this formulation to be quite thick and not as easily blended compared to the others in the set when swatched on my hand (see photos below). When I used a smaller amount on my face however, it did blend out nicely as long as I kept using very small amounts/ thin layers.  The coverage is buildable without caking as long as thin layers are used and is sufficient for most minor issues (minor dark circles, redness, hyperpigmentation spots etc.) but not enough for more major ones (those darn breakouts). The finish is quite matte, and for the most part does not accentuate minor dry patches (only minorly so on very dry patches, which I get on certain days in an unpredictable fashion, almost as annoying as breakouts!). The pigment/shade is less grey than the others, but has a more "white" cast.  Indoors, I find this gives me a healthy "radiant" look, but in the sun, it makes my face appear a shade lighter than my neck.  I suppose I could just put this on my neck/chest as well but would be better if it matched better obviously :)

Left: Renewalist on the hand, notice the thick texture.

Right: Blended out, notice the white cast and thicker coverage.

Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm SPF 45

This "premium" BB cream is toted to be anti-aging and firming from "bio-peptide complex" and adenosine ingredients. It has the highest SPF of the set at 45. As with Renewalist, it also claims to be brightening and provide coverage/evening of complexion.

My impression: This is the last BB cream I tested from this set, and it turns out I saved the best for last! As you can see from the swatch below, it's thinner than Renewalist, but not as watery-thin as the Black Label. It blends the best out of the whole set, and is also the most sheer. Coverage is somewhat buildable but does not cover as much as Renewalist. The best thing about this product is the finish! It gives a glowing "lit-from-within" look that I've yet to encounter in any other product. There are no noticeable shimmer or the like, it doesn't feel oily, and certainly doesn't look like "makeup".  When I look in the mirror, I just see great skin. I even got a compliment from my sleepy-eyed hubby in the morning, which is rare! In the sun, the shade does still look slightly different from my neck but not as noticeable as with Renewalist. This is definitely my newest HG product!

Premium blended out, note how sheer the
coverage is compared to Renewalist

Premium on the hand, note consistency is
 thinner than Renewalist

It is sooo hard to capture on photo the glowing effect I was describing so none of these photos do this product justice. You will just have to try it for yourself! This last photo is taken with a bounced flash and you see a slight bounce-back. Although this could be from the sunscreen ingredients, I suspect its something else as I didn't see this bounce-back in any of the other BB creams which also contain the same sunscreens.

Overall Comparison:

Now that I have tried all 4 of the BB creams in the Dr. Jart+ set, my personal favorite is definitely the Premium due to the glow it gives without looking like I have any makeup on.  I'm not in the age range to notice the anti-aging/lifting effects yet so I can't comment on that, but it definitely doesn't hurt as I feel like having a baby has aged me 10 years =P.  Premium's downside is of course that it's very sheer, which may mean you need to add a concealer, but for me it's a small price to get glowing skin! Keep in mind my skin type is dry in the winter, and becomes combination in the summer with oily T-zones, so this "glow" on a oily skin-type may turn to an undesirable "shine", but you will never know until you try so I still recommend giving this a go!  Premium would also be the best BB cream for mature skin, as skin tends to look dull with age, and adding back glow/radiance in makeup is great for looking younger. Not to mention the lifting/firming properties are a great additive (I'm going by their claims, since I can't confirm with my own skin).

I have mixed feelings about Renewalist. I like the coverage and the more matte finish, but am not liking the lighter shade being so mismatched to my neck.  If you have very light/fair skin, this is the BB cream to try as it's the lightest I've come across. Renewalist is also the most matte of the set, and so I recommend it for oily skin over the others.

And that's a wrap for my review of the Dr. Jart+ BB cream set! I heartily recommend buying this set as you can try all of them out before you splurge on the one of your choice.  What are your thoughts on these beauty balms? Let me know in the comments!


*Disclosure: I purchased these products myself and have no affiliation with the company