I'll be the first to admit it - I was pretty skeptical about trying Erborian's Correcting Care BB Cream for the eye area. Their unique blend of French and South Korean heritage is intriguing, but it's not exactly my cup of tea. However, after using this eye cream for a week, I was blown away by its ability to smooth out fine lines, eliminate dark circles, and give my skin a more youthful appearance.
Correcting Care BB Cream by Erborian for the Eye Area
Volume: 15ml
Country of origin: France/South Korea
Price: around 3000 rubles
Where to buy: You can find this brand in the big four luxury retailers. This cream is available at Rivage, Golden Apple, and Il de Bateau, but Letual offers the best value with a 50% discount using their loyalty program.
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Product information
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I was blown away by the way this eye cream works: it smoothed out fine lines, eliminated dark circles, and gave my skin a more youthful appearance. One product, three benefits - it's a total winner for sensitive skin around the eyes. My eyes looked vibrant and rested: this silky cream, developed using Korean technology, combines the powers of multiple products in one: it tackles wrinkles and conceals dark circles, leaving the skin around my eyes smooth and even, and my gaze bright and deep. The result? Dark circles and puffiness under my eyes disappeared, fine lines were smoothed out, and my eyes looked fresh and deep. It's a perfect addition to my BB cream with ginseng.
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Packaging
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Erborian's packaging isn't the most luxurious, but the brand isn't trying to break the bank on it. It's simple and straightforward, the kind of design you'd find in a mass-market product. The eye cream comes in a cardboard box with a window, which is easily mistaken for the face cream. The main difference is that the eye cream doesn't have a specific shade indicated on the packaging. If there's a circle with the shade written on it, that's not what you're looking for.
The cream comes in a 15ml tube. The cream itself is in a silver, slim tube. The lid isn't super secure, so I stuck it in a special holder to prevent it from toppling over.
The nozzle is long and thin. It dispenses a bit too little, but you get used to it. I found myself squeezing it like crazy for the first week, just because it's what I'm used to.
The closer you get to the end, the harder it is to get any cream out. By the time you're down to a third of the tube, it's almost impossible to get any out. It's actually easier to just cut the tube open and transfer the cream to a separate container. But here's the kicker: the shelf life after opening is just three months.
When I saw that, I was shocked. I just couldn't believe it. Why would they sell so much cream for such a small area of skin? With a short shelf life like that, 3ml would have been plenty.
Texture and scent
The cream has a sandy color. It's medium-thick. For some reason, the Erborian lab has managed to create the perfect, comfortable texture for an under-eye concealer. At the very least, I'm grateful for that.
Texture It holds its shape well. It's not greasy. The sparkles in the formula are just right. Texture
At first glance, it's way denser than it actually is.
TextureWhen blended, it picks up a slightly yellow undertone.
People like me get called 'fair-skinned' when it comes to foundation choices. I usually stick to a foundation with a pink undertone, or else I get told to check my liver.
I was worried when I saw the beige-yellow tone of this BB cream - I thought it would be all wrong for me and make me look like I'm wearing two yellow traffic cones under my eyes.
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Texture
When I tested it on my hand, BB applied pretty densely, but keep in mind that the skin under my eyes is a whole different story. It's thinner and more delicate.Don't judge this foundation by how it looks on your hand - it's not a fair representation. TextureWhen I blended BB, it tried to adjust, but it felt a bit clumsy.
TextureAfter the final 'settling' on my skin, BB looks interesting. It didn't cover up the flaws, but it camouflaged them.
Firstly, it made this skin area look radiant.
Secondly, it subtly evened out the texture.
The cream has almost no scent. A light powder-like fragrance is barely detectable.
Ingredients
Breaking down the ingredients on the EcoGolik website
From my point of view, the ingredients are pretty mediocre for a product that claims to care for delicate skin around the eyes. Of course, all these glycerin, yeast, and palmitic acid are there for moisturizing, but for a full-fledged skincare routine, it's just not enough.
I'd recommend this BB to people with sensitive skin with caution - there are just too many ambiguous components in the formula.
My impressions
I'm a chronic insomniac. It shows on my face in the form of those pesky dark circles under my eyes and a tired gaze. One time, I heard from a skincare expert that it's not a problem at all - you just need to buy a good concealer. But in my case, it's easier said than done.
I bought the Erborian BB cream under my eyes out of desperation, it was my fourth attempt at a color-correcting concealer. The first three were absolute disasters, they dried out my skin and accentuated existing fine lines, making new ones appear. At that point, I didn't know whether the dark circles under my eyes or my skin looked worse.
The Erborian BB cream is a total winner, it's lighter, more nourishing, and transparent compared to any other concealer I've tried. I've not only bought it, but also tested it in stores.
Applying the productI apply three dots under each eye and gently pat the BB cream under my eyes, covering the upper eyelid in a thin layer.
Before/AfterOn the left, I've only applied a moisturizing cream under my eyes, I usually wait for 5 minutes before applying the BB cream.
On the right, you can see the final result after using the BB cream.
I've read that you can layer it to control the intensity of the color correction, but it doesn't work for me.
The cream settles in fine linesI've noticed that any excess cream tends to settle into fine lines pretty quickly. It's not like I can apply a layer of BB, wait a bit, and then add another layer on top. That's just not how it works. In my experience, if there's excess cream, you'll know about it. It doesn't matter how long it's been since I applied it - the excess is always there.
Before/AfterThe coverage is pretty average. If I apply it to really dark bruises with swelling, I'm unlikely to be impressed with the results.
That being said, the BB from Erborian does a great job of covering up small imperfections and giving my under-eye area a bit of a refresh.
It takes time for the BB to adjust to my skin toneRight after application, the BB looks like a yellowish patch under my eye, but after a while it starts to blend in with my skin tone.
This BB cream is designed specifically for the under-eye area. Don't expect it to cover up acne or other skin imperfections.I've got to say, the result of using this BB cream looks pretty natural. It glides on smoothly, but it's not going to hide any flaws.
Take the zit between my chin and cheek, for example. This BB cream just can't compete with a proper concealer in terms of coverage.
Six hours after application I'm not one to touch up my makeup throughout the day. Maybe I'll reapply lip balm or gloss, but that's about it. I find it pretty gross to be digging around in my bag for a tube of cream and reapplying it under my eyes in the middle of the day.Right after applying this BB cream, my under-eye area felt significantly smoother. Throughout the day, the moisturizing effect does seem to wear off, but it's still better than the parched, leathery look I get from other concealers.
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I'm a big fan of multi-tasking products like this BB cream. However, the truth is that it can't fully replace a dedicated moisturizer. This BB cream just doesn't provide enough nourishment and hydration - it's not as drying as other similar products, but it's still not enough.
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And then there's the mind-boggling shelf life after opening. Let's be real, it's impossible to use up 15ml of product in three months.
I tried applying it all over my face - no point in wasting the product. The results didn't impress me. My skin was just too shiny, and the redness didn't get covered up. It was a bit of a letdown, to be honest.
Three months went by, and I didn't toss the tube. I thought, why not give it a chance? Ten days won't make a difference, right? But before I knew it, a month had passed, and it was actually working pretty well.
So, after three months, the BB cream under my eyes doesn't turn green or turn into a nasty goo. The first month was almost undetectable.
Then it starts to oxidize slowly, but surely. It's a gradual process, but it does get darker.
After six months, the cream starts to sting my eyes when it gets on the sensitive skin. It doesn't cause redness, but it's uncomfortable. I need to rinse my eyes with water to get relief.
I used this BB cream under my eyes for a second time, and I have to admit that I went past the recommended expiration date. Nothing terrible happened, but I wouldn't recommend doing the same. Everyone's skin is different, after all.
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I've bought this cream twice now. I still think it's one of the best concealers out there, but that doesn't make it perfect. It's just that all the other options are even worse.
Would I recommend it? Yeah, I guess so. It gives a lightweight, sheer coverage that looks natural. It doesn't feel like wearing a mask, and it blends well with my skin tone - even for very fair skin.
Just keep in mind that it's not a miracle worker for dark circles, and you'll still need to use a moisturizing cream.