I wasn’t really going to write a full review about this Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm since I mentioned it in my monthly recap. But I was complimented the other day by a worker at BlueMercury on how great my skin looked. Honestly it could have just been a compliment to get me to spend but it didn’t feel that way (she just said it, walked away, and let me be lol). And since I never (NEVER) get complimented on my skin, I have to chalk it up to how good this product is. Thus, I think it might be worth a review.

I feel like Dr. Jart+ lost might have some K-Beauty cred after becoming an Estee Lauder company. But I think overall their standards are up to the usual K-Beauty gold standard, it’s just that their prices are way more. TBH when I went to Korea, Dr. Jart was not big there at all. There are so many more options at much better price points. But I guess we in the states have to make-do since there aren’t a lot of other options out there when it comes to BB creams.

I remember when BB creams first came out decades ago. I was able to order some Korean ones through the internet, though I definitely had to try out a bunch to see what worked best. But after a bit I stopped using them because I couldn’t get them anymore. And I totally forgot all about BB type foundations until I stumbled upon Michele Wang’s YouTube channel. She’s a mature beauty influencer, and even though she tries more product than I think is environmentally responsible, she at least knows her beauty products. So when one of her top picks was the Dr. Jart+ Beauty Balm, I knew I had to try it (especially since my Bobbi Brown foundation really wasn’t cutting it anymore and the Merit Complexion Stick doesn’t have SPF).

And she was right. This stuff is good. She uses the BB cream in the color light. But I found that to be a bit too gray for my skin tone. I ended up buying both the light and light-medium and using a mix of both (1.5 pumps of light with a 0.5 pump of light-medium) to get my coloring right, thought I think that ratio might change a bit come summer time. I use it with my Beauty Blender though it also works with a foundation brush.

I love that this BB cream has an spf of 40-50 (depending on the color) and it doesn’t feel heavy, though it provides enough coverage that I don’t need concealer. It does seem a bit shiny at first, but once it dries a bit it isn’t too slick looking. I also like that it hides my pores and bumps on my skin well since it’s not too matte. Plus it doesn’t degrade on my skin (at all!) and doesn’t have any strong fragrances. Oh but I should add I opt to start double cleansing once I started using this BB cream. I use the Cocokind oil to milk cleanser first and then my usual charcoal cleanser with a soft microfiber cloth to get every last bit off.

But I think overall my skin has been looking really good since I started using this BB cream, and this a great option for the summer!

{June 2024 Update: I was complimented two more times while wearing this foundation so I’m starting to believe it wasn’t a fluke. One was a family friend (ok that might be a wash) but the other was an Asian nail tech who asked what my ethnicity is (as they often do), and when I told her I was half Japanese and half Chinese she commented, “Oh I thought you were Korean since your skin looks so good.” 😂 Slightly racist? Yes, but I’ll take it (this might actually be the highest compliment when it comes to the appearance of your skin if you’re Asian).