Anna Sui Illuminating Beauty Balm
Anna Sui Illuminating Beauty Balm

If you like your packaging pretty, then Anna Sui takes the prize for making products beautiful just because. The great thing about this range is that the actual products work really well – lovely quality mostly (one or two exceptions) – and the embellishments are there to add to the experience.

Anna Sui Illuminating Beauty Balm
Anna Sui Illuminating Beauty Balm

There’s also a BB Pressed Powder (the case shown above is to hold the powders) that gives more of soft focus, but dry finish, while the Illuminating Cream gives more of a dewy aspect. One thing is for sure, if you are very pale skinned, you will love the light shades, although there is nothing yet for darker tones.

Anna Sui Illuminating Beauty Balm
Anna Sui Illuminating Beauty Balm

My skin is quite tanned at the moment and the darker, warm shade (02) isn’t dark enough for my face – there is one shade darker – 03. In the swatch, from bottom to top I have 03, 01 and 00. Texture wise, it’s beautifully hydrating (it contains shea butter) but also has an oil control element so if you have (mildly) oily skin, don’t let that put you off. It also contains rosa canina fruit oil, peach kernel oil, macademia seed oil, chamomile and rosemary leaf extract. In terms of coverage, it gives more than I was expecting – more of a light weight foundation effect than a BB but I liked that it gave my skin a dewy look.

Anna Sui Illuminating Beauty Balm
Anna Sui Illuminating BB Pressed Powder

I don’t often use powder bases because they just don’t suit my skin, but the Anna Sui Illuminating BB Pressed Powder is more moisturising than most containing rosa canina oil and as you can see, three shades are pressed into the same base so you can contour or highlight if you like. Otherwise, just swirl together. This is really a versatile product because you can manage your own level of coverage – adding as little or as much as you like.

I’m a magpie for pretty things and these are ticking all of the boxes for me – Anna Sui is predominantly sold in Asia and doesn’t particularly colour adapt for western tones. However, if your tone is to the lighter side – either pink or yellow – you’ll find something to suit. I’d love to see this brand bring out a bigger tone range but in the general scheme of things, it’s a small brand with only limited European distribution.

Anna Sui Illuminating BB Pressed Powder
Anna Sui Illuminating BB Pressed Powder

The powder case is £10 and powders are £25 each (HERE) – the collection is on a (slow) roll out on ASOS and while the powder case and powders are already in stock, the new look BB Illuminating Cream isn’t there yet.

 

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All products are sent to me as samples from brands and agencies unless otherwise stated. Affiliate links may be used. Posts are not affiliate driven.