I don’t think I’ve heard or read that much hype about Bourjois’ 123 Perfect CC Cream ever since they launched the Healthy Mix Serum. The Happy Light didn’t sit too well in comparison to the Healthy Mix Serum in terms of its reviews but boy oh boy, was the 123 Perfect CC Cream raved or what? Obviously, given that I have 101 BB, CC and even DD creams, I was curious enough to want to try this out as well. Like I don’t have enough skin surface to slap on more creams, eh? 😛
I decided to pick a tube of the CC cream to try out. You know what? All those positive reviews I’ve read on blogs and watched on YouTube? Spot on, I tell ya. Spot on.
But … is it really necessary?
Ingredients:
Aqua (water), Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Methyl Trimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Propanediol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Saccharide Isomerate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, BIS-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Parfum (fragrance), Propylene Carbonate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Silica, Aluminum Hydroxide, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Lysolecithin, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Amyl Cinnamal, BHT, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Pantolactone, Phenethyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate. [+/- (May contain):CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide),CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499 (Iron Oxides),MICA,CI 77007 (Ultramarines),CI 77288 (Chromium Oxide Greens)].13BMT006-1
The CC cream is very similar to the Healthy Mix Serum for one. It’s probably not as light as the Healthy Mix Serum but I’m just nitpicking there. It’s still very light and quite runny. It smells slightly like sunscreen and not as strongly floral as the Healthy Mix Serum. It leaves a semi matte finish on the skin and feels a tad powdery when smoothed out on the skin. Even so, it doesn’t sink into my fine lines nor exacerbate them. The shade I got was 32 Light Beige which has warm yellow undertones that suit my skin tone very well. Coverage is about a medium, which suits me just fine.
But see, here’s the thing. Other than it being just very slightly creamier than the Healthy Mix Serum, I don’t see any other difference between the two. I’ve not tried the 123 Perfect Foundation so I can’t compare the two. However, this CC cream is so similar to the Healthy Mix Serum gel foundation that if you swatched the CC cream and told me it was the Healthy Mix Serum, I’d believe you. I don’t see all that much anti-fatigue, anti-redness and anti-dark spots correction that the CC cream is about that the Healthy Mix Serum (or any other Bourjois foundations) doesn’t already give you. It does contain more ingredients compared to the Healthy Mix Serum but in terms of efficacy and results on the skin, there’s barely (if none at all) any difference.
Having said that, it’s a good foundation (that’s how I see BB and CC creams). Which would I recommend to you then if you’re just going to choose one to buy? If you don’t like strong floral scents, have normal to combination skin and prefer SPF in your foundation, then go for the CC cream. Or choose whatever shade suits you the best. At the end of the day, I say go for whichever that is cheaper or is on sale. They’re incredibly similar products anyway. 🙂
Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream retails at AU$25.00 for 30ml and is available at Priceline stores nationally.
What I like about it: Gives good coverage, beautifully flawless yet natural finish on the skin.
What I do not like about it: It’s incredibly similar to the Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation which makes this CC cream quite redundant, to be honest.
I have the 123 Perfect foundation, actually! (Remind me to decant some into a pot for you one day) I love it a lot. It’s a little thicker and has more coverage than Healthy Mix or Healthy Mix serum and it’s good when I need just a little bit more coverage than usual. I love Bourjois foundations and to me, they really can do no wrong. When the world is singing praises about the wonders of Chanel and Shu Uemura and all the high end brands, I gleefully remind myself I’ve used up a couple of bottles of Bourjois and they’re only a fraction of the price 🙂 I’ll be keen to try this out but I only have ONE face – I don’t need more bases 🙂 (Yes, despite my loyalty to Bourjois, I still get curious and I still splurge on high end ones. BRB, off to eat my words for breakfast)
Oooh yes please, won’t say no to a bit of decanted foundie to try! It might work for me when the air becomes a lot colder. Hahaha I have crap loads of foundations and I still splurge on Giorgio Armani. I need you with me when I’m in a sudden shopping mood so that you can smack my hand and pull me away.
The larger Sephoras in the US carry Bourjois, and I will take a look (tho’ I seriously do not need any more BB or CC creams either). This one suits you very well! One of the reasons I still like Dr. Jart Premium BB and also Lumene CC is that they are cooler toned for my whitish skin, lol. One thing I noticed is how much dimethicone the Bourjois CC cream has! more than any other that I’ve noticed, anyway. It must be very, very smooth 😉
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Ooh I thought it would be drugstores that stock Bourjois in the US, not Sephora (given that it is a drugstore brand)? Yeah, I’d say the Bourjois CC cream has a lot of silicone in it. Must be a reason why it’s so darn smooth, eh? 😉
I’ve been really keen on trying the Healthy Mix Gel Serum but if this is very similar I might get this instead, the packaging seems more practical for all my travelling as well.
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I’d say get this one because it contains SPF as well (the Healthy Mix Serum isn’t labelled with SPF even though it does contain sunscreen ingredients). Makes more sense for travelling. I’ll be decanting this to my contact lens case to bring for my next holiday!
I prefer the healthy mix serum as 123 cc cream leaves my oily skin flaky for some reason! It could be due to its powdery finish. Healthy mix serum is literally invisible on me because it does not have that powder layer.
Yikes, sorry to hear the CC cream flaked on you! Some BB and CC creams do that to me too. I have absolutely no idea why. Thought it might be my sunscreen prior to the BB/CC cream but even after changing sunscreens, I still get the flakes. Ugh.
I’ve heard all the raves about Healthy Mix Serum but I had to choose one and generally prefer lighter coverage and ‘do-it-all’ products so went with this instead – plus as you say it’s cheaper 🙂 Even though it turned out to be a bit heavier coverage than I thought, the shade and finish are so nice. I also like that it has a (token) little bit of SPF and find it really handy to carry around on the go. Love it! Even though you say they’re similar I still can’t help but want to try Healthy Mix Serum next after reading your glowing review – wish I’d discovered Bourjois sooner…
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Haha I’d say go for whichever one’s on sale! Both are really, really similar to each other but yeah the CC cream does have SPF in it so it provides an extra layer of protection compared to the Healthy Mix Serum (it does contain sunscreen ingredients even though it’s not labelled with an SPF).
I can only praise this 123 cream as it covers blemishes and doesnt feel cloggy to the skin . Its easy to apply and looks wonderful.
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Good to know you like it!
Just a quick note, be careful, I don’t see a UVA ingredient in the ingredients list. I wouldn’t use it as a sunscreen as it is not broad spectrum – it only has UVB coverage.
Yep, I agree. This (and any form of makeup that has SPF) shouldn’t be used as sunscreen alone. It’s not sufficient for UVA and UVB protection. Would always recommend separate sunscreen!
I meant to say, I wouldn’t rely on it for sun protection – not a sunscreen – I understand it is not a sunscreen. But still, very poor of them not to include UVA protection.
Seems pretty redundant, I[‘d have to agree. Marketing does wonders, doesn’t it?
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Ding ding ding, you got that right! 😉
The CC cream looks really good on you but I feel so disenchanted when you say it’s a deadringer for the Healthy Mix Serum. It’s just another sheep with sheep’s clothing?? I collected quite a few BB creams but have not bought a single CC cream. I suppose I don’t suffer from a lot of redness which needs colour correcting but I do have hyperpigmentation which I think can be covered by any standard foundation or base. Lately I’ve been so over the alphabet cream craze and that says a lot for a BB cream fanatic like me, though having said that, I’m more attracted to trying out “traditional” foundations and tinted moisturizers. Maybe it’s all just fancy labels at the end of the day.
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it could just be me, of course, that I find the 123 CC cream a deadringer to the Healthy Mix Serum. It’s just that, trying both out, other than the difference in undertones (warmer, more yellow undertone for the CC cream, cooler for the Healthy Mix Serum) and scent, the texture, finish and results on the skin are the same. All that anti-spots, anti-aging, anti-fatigue la di dah are the things the foundation (or any other foundations) already does anyway. Feels redundant to me to launch a new product that is so similar to what they already have. This is one form of reinventing the wheel that we certainly don’t need.
I am nc25 .infact a little lighter.what shade would suit me?