Best Korean BB cream: why the experts still pick Missha
Beauty editors are busy ranking CC creams and tinted moisturizers for autumn, and this month two of the experts we follow went back to an older favorite. CYoung and MissBudgetBeauty both praised Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream again in October, and it holds a Guru Score of 87% across 6 experts. Here is what they like, who should think twice, and the Korean alternatives worth knowing.
- Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream holds a Guru Score of 87% across 6 experts: 4 said yes, 2 were mixed, and none said no.
- Shade is the thing to check. CYoung finds it gray and Tina Tanaka Harris found it ashy, so swatching it or mixing it with a warmer foundation may help.
- Most of the experts who mention SPF say a BB cream is not your sunscreen. They suggest sunscreen underneath and the BB cream on top.
CYoung · 6 reviewers, 87% said yes
Tea with MD · 4 reviewers, 77% said yes
Robert Welsh · 2 reviewers, 77% said yes
No BS Beauty · 2 reviewers, 67% said yes
CYoung · 9 reviewers, 55% said yesWhat is the best Korean BB cream, according to the experts?
On our panel it is Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream, the red tube. It holds a Guru Score of 87% across 6 experts: 4 said yes, 2 were mixed, and none said no. No other Korean BB cream we track has that many experts behind it.
CYoung tested twelve BB creams side by side and says nothing beat it once she weighed price, quality and texture. Robert Welsh calls it an absolute classic he has used since the early 2000s, and MissBudgetBeauty says it has been her favorite base for years and that she will repurchase it. With 6 experts this is a small panel, so treat it as a steady signal rather than the last word.
Who is Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream right for?
The experts point to two groups. Robert Welsh and CYoung both say it suits oily and combination skin, and Robert suggests the red tube in particular for oily skin because it has more coverage. CYoung also recommends it for dry, mature skin when foundation cakes and shows lines, since it needs little skill to apply.
Shade is the weak spot. CYoung says it has a gray undertone, which she finds helps cancel redness. On Tina Tanaka Harris it looked too ashy on her chest, so she mixed it with a more yellow foundation. If your skin is warm toned, you may want to try that trick or swatch before you commit. No BS Beauty, one of the two mixed verdicts, says it looks like it carries a lot of fragrance.
What are the best alternatives to the Missha BB cream?
Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Tinted Moisturizer is the next best reviewed, with a Guru Score of 77% across 4 experts: 2 said yes and 2 were mixed. Tea with MD calls it an OG she always goes back to and finds it hydrating, and No BS Beauty has called it her favorite BB cream more than once. The catch comes from CYoung, who found it got darker over time and suggests mixing it with a foundation if you have little to cover.
If your skin is very dry, Missha's own Perfect Cover Serum BB Cream is worth a look: it scores 77% from 2 experts. Robert Welsh describes it as very hydrating but suggests sticking with the red tube if you are not dry, and CYoung finds it a little lighter in coverage than the original.
Purito Relief Sika BB Cream splits the experts, at 67% from 2. No BS Beauty has repurchased it for years and likes that it has no noticeable scent. CYoung said no: in her tests it looked ashy and gray, felt dry and heavy, and darkened on her skin, and she suggests oily skin worried about pores stay away.
Can a BB cream replace your sunscreen?
Most of the experts who raise it say no. The Missha BB cream lists an SPF, but Robert Welsh says to "please disregard any SPF in your foundation", because you would have to use a lot of BB cream to get enough protection. MissBudgetBeauty says the same of her tube: "I wouldn't trust that to be my SPF."
No BS Beauty makes the same point about the Dr. Jart+ cream, and Tea with MD, who loves it, still applies a sunscreen first and wears the BB cream on top. HotandFlashy is the exception: she calls the Dr. Jart+ cream "a really lovely sunscreen" and says you could wear it on its own. The layering habit is the one most of the experts suggest: sunscreen underneath, BB cream for color.
BB cream, CC cream or cushion: which should you pick?
The experts treat the Korean BB cream as the light, easy option. The cushion that gets the most attention, Tirtir Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation, is much more divisive: it holds a Guru Score of 55% across 9 experts, with 4 yes and 4 no, and 3 of the experts who said yes covered it in sponsored videos. CYoung says it is almost like concealer inside and only really suits oily or combination skin. HotandFlashy found it settled into her lines by the end of the day, and Beyond50Skin said no because of its full coverage and a fragrance that stayed with her all day.
The best-known CC cream on our panel, IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream SPF 50+, has more experts behind it than the Missha, 12 of them, but a lower Guru Score of 66%. Dr Dray found the e.l.f. Camo CC Cream very drying, while HotandFlashy preferred it to the IT Cosmetics CC Cream Original, which she says she used to love before other products replaced it. If you want light, easy coverage this autumn, the Missha BB cream holds the highest Guru Score of the three, at 87%.