Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm Bare Glow

Here's more to add to my on-going saga with sunscreen versus winter dry skin. 

 

Since the fall, I started layering Paul & Joe Pearl Foundation Primer over my daytime moisturizer and under sunscreen, until the weather got too cold and too dry, and these primers were no longer enough. So I tried Paul & Joe La Tout Eclat Moisturizing Foundation Primer L next, and while it was moisturizing indeed, it was also completely opaque with full coverage, which was not at all what I wanted. 

And recently I've been trying this 30mL/1fl. oz. pump bottle of Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm Bare Glow. This bottle was part of the Bobbi Brown Cleanse & Care Extra Skincare Set I bought over the past holidays.

All pictures taken in natural light without flash.

This is a multi-purpose product, a pearly moisturizing cream that can be used over skincare or instead of, or layer over or mix with foundation or sunscreen. I've tried all but mixing it with foundation, because I don't use foundation. 

The pump bottle it comes in is pretty neat, with a twist-and-pop-up dispenser that's hygienic but will dry out the product leftover in the pump. Everytime I dispense some, I get a clump of dried up stuff as well, which is kind of annoying. 

The cream itself has a lavender herbal scent and is indeed quite moisturizing. In fact, it's so moisturizing that even if I were to use a full pump in place of my morning moisturizer, my sunscreen will take longer to set. Actually, just mixing half a pump with my sunscreen will cause it to take longer to set as well. 

 

But that's not the problem. My beef with this product is the pearliness. For something that's called "Bare Glow," it's way too pearly and glowy it's no different than applying a thick layer of highlighter all over my face. Nope. I might be able to use dabs of this product as a highlighter over the cheeks once my sunscreen set, but wearing this all over is definitely a no-no for me. Sigh. Next.