Shiso White BB Serum : A Quick Flawless Fix for Summer.

During summer, the sun is shining and really, spending 2 hours cooped up at home doing makeup when it's just so pretty outside isn't in anyone's agenda. Besides, all that layers of makeup, moisturizer, primer, and foundation is bound to melt one way or the other. It's during the summer when I try to simplify most of my routines, making me subsist on eyebrow pencils, lipstick, bronzer, and mascara (sometimes, there's eyeliner  too). For those blessed with amazing skin and features, then congratulations, you do not need makeup during these two months of hotness. There are times when we need a bit of help, and when too much layering isn't in our agenda, we must say all hail to multipurpose magical things.

BB creams are loved by many, as they give flawless results while caring for the skin with its moisturizing properties with built-in sunblock to boot. If you're fair-skinned with a beige-y undertone you may find that BB creams work well for you, as most BB creams are this shade. Some who find it too white on them may tame things down by correcting with a darker powder or bronzer. Personally, I've had that same problem with BB creams though, but in the course of time, I've learned to adjust.

The Body Shop's newest Moisture White Shiso BB Serum meets me halfway in addressing those needs. I like the benefits BB creams and serums have but I'm kinda off with the grayish whitish case it has, as most of them seem a bit dark for me. This newest product adjusts to my tone just a tad (not exactly a complete match but it will do) so I still get the benefits I need without looking like my face is whiter than the rest of me.

Natural ingredients like Vitamin C, Licorice, shiso (an herb in the mint/basil family believed to reduce early melanin-making signals) help brighten skin. I prefer using the term "brightening" which means it just evens out skin tone and makes it less dull. There is also community trade aloe vera to help soothen and cool skin during hot summer days. There's also SPF 25 PA+++ which protects our skin from the sun.

The bottle though, if you can see is quite tiny, only 30 mL, but really, this is only the amount you need. Otherwise, it would be too much.

I think the amount here is practically less than pea size and I really spread it on my face to even out my skin. As you can see, there's a beige tint so it's like a tinted moisturizer with more coverage. It can cover redness to a certain extent while looking natural. For early mornings to work when we don't have much time, this can be our base. We don't need much makeup on ordinary days. Just on special occasions. Hey, it's summer. As our hemlines go higher, keep our makeup simpler.

It really doesn't feel sticky though, despite the fact that it's very potent. I still have to set it with powder after applying my cheek tint just to make sure things don't slide. I do a bit of contouring just to make sure that my face doesn't look white flat and to add a little warmth, to balance the brightening effect and to make the look more natural.

I can use this as an everyday base if I'm going out and want my skin to look a bit better. It's quite hard to remove though. I tried removing the swatch at the back of my hand with soap and water and there's still residue left. I guess this means I can take this with me on trips too, when I'll be doing a lot of walking.

This is a new product now available at all The Body Shop stores.