Undeniably, the beauty industry in our country is blooming slowly but healthily over the past two years with the introduction of various international brands into our market. Everyone I cross path with on the street are majority with makeup on. However (I think I had a culture shock recently) I also learnt that not everyone will put on a proper makeup to work, as opposed to when we met, with proper dressing and makeup. I was in shock when I hear that. I felt like the person whispering “I don’t put makeup to work” is like a double agent. Are you the same too? Because if you are, good. I have the perfect 3 easy step everyday makeup for you that only require you to use three products, and that is Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream and Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Waterproof.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream and Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Waterproof is also the product focus for the month of September whereas Bourjois had a limited time offer recently on all three products, which sadly ended on 24th September. I had the products just a few days ago and I just cannot simply post up a review without a proper test run. That explains why I couldn’t post the review up before the 24th September. But no worries, I’m sure Bourjois will come up with a different promotion after this so keep your eyes on their Facebook page ya 😀

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream #31 Ivory (RM51.90)

BB Cream is something I won’t purchase because it doesn’t sit well on my combination oily skin. I find it making my skin extra oily on a faster rate and the oiliness turns the BB Cream into greyish cast. CC Cream however is what I prefer as it is designed for combination to oily skin, it’s matte or semi-matte finishing and it suits yellowish skin tone better.

Inspired by the existing 123 Perfect range, Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream is formulated with three new corrective pigments:

• Apricot – Anti-fatigue
• Green – Anti-redness
• White – Anti-dark spots or pigmentation

These pigments are ultra-fine coloured that blends into the skin regardless of the skin tone and it hides all blemishes and refine uneven skin tone. Typically CC Cream is named after the purpose, and that is color correcting or color control. And that is exactly what this 123 Perfect CC Cream is meant for.

What I like about this Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream is the slim tube. What I don’t like on the other hand is also the tube. The content just oozes out continuously out of no where and you know just how much I hate to dirty my makeup products. I find the problem to be at worse if I shake the tube before opening. If you do that, you might get a small explosion like I did. It oozes lesser minus the explosion if used directly without the tube shaking. It’s fine provided there’s no separation. There is none so far.

Here is the dollop comparison with a few CC Cream I have at home. I have raved and loved Dr. Brandt’s CC Mat all these while. It is my most favourite CC Cream of all time but oh noooo, looks like there is a new favourite that performs even better that had just taken over the ‘most favourite’ position in my list. Yes you guys. Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream is one of the best I’ve used so far 😀

The 123 Perfect CC Cream is infused with a touch of pink and White Tea Extract for radiant, healthy and energising makeup result. I’m kinda afraid of this one. Usually any base makeup that is with pink tone in it will turn greyish on me. However, it’s the total opposite of what I thought it would be. If you look at the dollop and swatch comparison, Bourjois resembles more of a foundation than anything with a pink tone. I wouldn’t have know it is developed with a touch of pink in it if I haven’t been reading the product description.

Here is the before and after. Ironically, I find the scent of this CC Cream to be similar to Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream. The scent does lingers on for quite a bit and I must say it does annoys me slightly as this is the time of the month that I can’t take heavy scent. I’ve tried applying the CC Cream with two different method – by fingers and by an angled foundation brush.

• By fingers – This method offers a medium to buildable high coverage with a semi-matte finishing. I usually build up the coverage on areas that needed it the most. I also find by using fingers, the product melts and blends well with the skin better. But if used too much, it will crack on the jawline and chin and slipped off a little bit by mid day.
• By an angled foundation brush – This method offers an even application and the brush diffused the coverage out so it doesn’t look too thick when building coverage. But because the brush thins of the product, more product is needed depending on the coverage you want. The good news is the CC Cream looks even better as the day goes and there is no slipping or cracking on the jawline.

123 Perfect CC Cream finishes to a matte finishing. You don’t really need to set it with powder at all 🙂 . It comes with three shades to choose from – 31 Ivory, 32 Beige Clair and 33 Beige Rose.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream #21 Ivory (RM35.90)

I’m at the phase now where I’m obsessing over concealer. Not just using a concealer as a concealer but I’m also quite into using a lighter concealer as a highlighter. This came as a result of watching too much YouTube video lol. In another word, I need a concealer to cover my dark circles and to brighten the under eye area.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream is a multi-action treatment concealer that works by concealing, protecting, smoothing, brightens and hydrates the under eye area. At first I thought it’s an eye cream based on the product name but then again, Bourjois doesn’t have skin care line (yet).

The uniqueness of this CC Eye Cream is the silicon flexible tip. I wasn’t sure at first what to do with it, should I just use it to dot the product onto my under eye or I should use it as applicator? I certainly don’t think Bourjois came out with a silicon tip without a purpose so I used it to distribute and blend the product slightly onto my eye area. I do find it to be a little bit tough to use due to the rubbery texture and the small tip doesn’t blend the product entirely so half way through the application I would use my ring finger to blend further.

What I like about this 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream is also the silicon clear tip and the twist-mechanic. It is clear so I can see the product coming out from the inside easily on the first use. I love love loveee the small dispense hole. This tiny hole ensure that I don’t over twist the product out.

Here is the before and after. It has a faint scent to it but certainly not as strong as 123 Perfect CC Cream. The faint scent doesn’t bothers me at all. Just like the CC Cream, this CC Eye Cream is non-oily and dries down matte as well. Eventhough so, it is so easy to drag and blend at the same time. I was quite surprised with that because usually matte product are not draggable or blendable after it dries down. Having said that, it does take a bit more product to conceal all my dark circles. I usually apply two layers. The concealer settles a bit into the fine lines but nothing that a finger can’t do to smooth it out. Once it is set with powder, I just need to smooth it once and that’s it.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream comes in two shades – 21 Ivory and 22 Beige Clair.

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Waterproof #61 Black (RM49.90)

This is the latest product by Bourjois. The Volume 1 Seconde Mascara promised to give your lashes super-glamorous maximum volume from every angle immediately with 16 hours of hold for non-waterproof and 24 hours of hold for waterproof version. Errr well, I don’t usually have mascara on for 16 hours straight but it’s good to have one.

Let’s start with the thing I don’t like. I absolutely dislike huge mascara tube. I know most people are not bothered with it but well, this is just my personal preference. Bourjois make this mascara tube to sensually curved cigar shape to resemble volume and femininity that the mascara promises to give. Huge mascara tube means I have to be prepared for….HUGE BRUSH APPLICATOR! Which comes down to my most hated thing about mascara. Big, fat mascara brush applicator *runs*

I find it interesting that this Volume 1 Seconde Mascara comes with a unique 360 degree wraparound spherical bristles barrel brush. The uniqueness is not just that. The brush is also bendable and flexible all around. Flexible brush is good because it hugs the lashes better, giving each strand of lashes the right amount of coating. Did you know that this brush takes on inspiration from professional round hair brushes? 😀

Bourjois said that the secret to maximum instant volume lies on it’s cleverly alternate bristles fitted with small wraparound spheres and straight bristles. If you look carefully, that’s the dot thing you see from the tip to the base. How it works is by coating the whole lashes first then defines each individual lashes without forming clumps. All I see is a hugeeeeee brush and that freaks me out a lot. I am not a fan of huge, bit fat mascara brush applicator to begin with as I have short and fine lashes. Usually big brushes tend to get all over my lid and it doesn’t grip well onto my lashes. I also find the mascara to have a very strong plasticky scent to it.

As I said earlier, big brushes tend to get all over my lid due to my short lashes. Funnily the brush is as long as my eye shape lol. It takes me a good few stroke to enable to brush to grip onto my lashes on the first coat. It’s not as immediate as I thought it would be. With this mascara, I need to use a mascara guard in order to prevent the big brush from messing with my eyeshadow. Once I got the first coat on, the second coat goes on with a breeze. The formula is too wet for my personal liking. I would prefer a slightly drier formula as application would be much easier.

Now comes the good news. I like the mascara for the volume and lengthening effect. This is because Carnauba, Bee’s Waxes and Jojoba Ester is added to increase volume from the root up to the end of the lashes.

I may have the waterproof version on but it does smudges on the outer of my eye a little bit. Probably because the lashes are much longer and the blinking may have touches onto the oil on my under eye. I’ve not had it on for 24 hours straight so I can’t tell you how well it holds for that period, however I can tell you based on the 8 hours I had it on, it is just as new as I had it on in the morning. Removing is quite easy with a bi-phase eye makeup remover but not so with cleansing water. I’m sure a non-waterproof version would be easily removed with cleansing water.

Here’s the complete makeup look using Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream, 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream and Volume 1 Seconde Mascara Waterproof. You can just stop at these 3-steps and you’re good to go! As for me, I just had to add eyebrow pencil, eyeshadow, blush and lipstick on to complete the whole look for you. You wouldn’t want to see me without eyebrow on trust me 😀

There you have it! A simple three products with three easy steps to a presentable but yet not overdone face to work, shopping, lunch or even mamak 😛 . The CC Cream is great as an alternative to foundation or BB Cream as it combines a bit of each element from both base makeup product. As for the mascara, I like it for it’s purpose but I wish it comes with a smaller brush for short lashes girls. CC Eye Cream on the other hand is great to those who are into concealing and highlighting. It doesn’t need any setting just like the CC Cream but if you find it creases on you, you can lightly dust with some powder. Contrary, I prefer it to be just as it is. Both 123 Perfect CC Cream and CC Eye Cream is great for anyone who are into matte base makeup. You know I’m one of them 🙂

Disclaimer: Product was sent to me for review consideration. This doesn’t affect my judgement in the review in any way.