Review: Stila HD Illuminating BB

Now normally I'm not really into the whole Americanized BB scene as a lot of them are nothing more than hyped up tinted moisturizers with little to no added benefits. This one stood out to me and said "Play with me! PLAY WITH ME." Who knows why. Perhaps it's because it's supposed to illuminate (I love glowing skin!) or it could even be the shiny packaging!

Product Info:
Stila 10 in 1 Illuminating Beauty Balm SPF 30
40ml

Where to get it:
Sephora: 38.00
Stila: 38.00
Ulta: 38.00

Description:
"For skin that looks lit from within, add a touch of illumination with Stila's all-in-one, high-definition, age-defying beauty balm with SPF 30."
~~Fair warning! I'm not sure what it was, but my camera refused to focus at all for this product. Perhaps my camera is anti-Stila?

Claims:
-Hydrates and nourishes skin
-Hides skin imperfections
-Reduces wrinkles
-Reduces pore size
-Helps fight against acne
-Illuminates and primes skin
-Oil-free
-Paraben-free
-Dermatologist tested
-Ideal for all skin types

Ingredients:
Butylphenyl Methyl Propional, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Decarboxy Carnosine HCl, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer , Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance/Parfum, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Hexyl Cinnamic Aldehyde, Hexylene Glycol, Hydroxypropylcocoate PEG-8 Dimethicone, Isododecane , Isopentyldiol, Limonene, Linalool, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-37, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Physalis Angulata Extract , Phytic Acid, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Propylene Carbonate, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Water. May contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).

The only real trigger I saw from this was Sodium Hydroxide which hit a 5 on irritants. There's also Mica inside this product which I personally have a few friends with bad allergies, so make sure to do a swatch test before slapping all over the face.

















Scent:
I really absolutely love the scent of this BB cream. It's very fruity and almost reminds me a bit of Marc Jacobs' Daisy fragrance. It's a bit on the heavy side but quickly fades away once it settles onto the skin.

Packaging:
The bottle itself comes in the usual Stila paper like boxes, I believe so they can be recycled? The front has a cut out so you can easily see the bottle and how big it is. The tube is very shiny and metallic looking with a black twist bottom. It's just a squeeze tube, but the applicator reminds me of the smaller Missha BB cream tubes. It's not exactly hygienic, but oh well.

Swatch:
When I first swatched it it came out a bright orange color which honestly shocked the bleep out of me. I kept wondering how this was going to even blend into my skin or if i'd end up looking like i'd gotten a horrid fake tan. I know a lot of Korean BB creams oxidize to match the skin tone so I figured this one might do the same.

Results:
At first it does make the skin look a bit orange, but as it oxidizes it does leave the skin looking like you've gotten a very nice bronzed glow. It has small shimmer particles to keep the skin looking hydrated and fresh. It gives a very youthful appearance and definitely brightens the skin. It's very lightweight as it should be as a BB cream, but I can't even feel it on my skin and have forgotten a few times i'm actually wearing makeup. Although it lists it as a primer, I felt like that actually did nothing for me. Whenever I applied foundation on top it immediately lost its luster and shine, which is the entire point of this cream. I've mixed it with some foundations and found I need almost a 3-1 to make the glow apparent, but it really didn't help keep the foundation on longer, or help it apply smoothly which is what a primer usually does. As with most American BB creams, it has terrible coverage. It does cover a little bit but not enough to be used as a daily "foundation." I do have smile lines which annoy me and make me slightly panic every day more and more, so I was excited when I saw this helped reduce wrinkles. I've used this baby for a couple of months now and I've noticed absolutely no difference in wrinkles or pore size. I don't break out often so I can't make or break that claim, but since it does contain Mica, I could see how it could easily irritate the skin.

Pros:
-Brightens skin
-Lasts very long on skin
-Wonderful scent
-Lightweight
-Blends easily

Cons:
-Expensive
-Doesn't do anything primer wise
-Poor coverage
-No difference in overall skin
-Must be used alone to get the "Glow" effect





















Rating:
6/10
I've accepted the fact that this thing will never do anything more than give me a soft glow when my skin looks absolutely perfect (rarely) and I need nothing more than a soft glow. I have to hand it to Stila, it definitely DOES give a lit from within glow, it's just unusable with anything else which is sad. I wouldn't repurchase this, especially with the price when there's so many other wonderful options for 1/3 of the price.

* This product was provided to me as gratis from Sephora as I was an employee. My opinions and thoughts are my own~