Skincare · Makeup prep buying guide
Bobbi Brown Face Base+: Smooth Makeup or Too Rich a Start?
In this guide
Your foundation looks smooth on one morning and catches on dry areas the next, so a moisturizer that also prepares skin for makeup sounds appealing. Bobbi Brown's familiar vitamin-enriched jar now contains Face Base+, a replacement that makes older recommendations harder to interpret. This guide examines the updated cream, its application and fragrance, contrasts two other makeup-prep moisturizers and separates recent experiences from original-formula nostalgia before the final buying recommendation.
The plus sign marks a new formula
Vitamin Enriched Face Base+ Moisturizer & Primer is the current US version of the two-in-one cream. Shea butter and squalane sit alongside glycerin, niacinamide and panthenol in its ingredient list. Its scent includes grapefruit and geranium oils, which makes fragrance preference part of this particular skincare purchase.
The distinction matters when you are replacing an old jar. Bobbi Brown labels the original formula separately as last call. A glowing account of years of use describes the person's relationship with that earlier product, while a review that explicitly names the new formula gives more relevant information about Face Base+.
Keep that version difference attached to a counter sample too. Ask which formula is in the tester, particularly when the display uses the familiar Vitamin Enriched name. A previous favorite is useful background, but the texture you are evaluating for your next purchase should come from the jar you will actually receive.
Creamy prep is a visible-finish decision
In her July 2026 NewBeauty review, Marisa Petrarca describes a familiar creamy but lightweight texture and refreshing scent. After a month with Face Base+, she found her makeup looked smoother through a workday. She expressly says she had yet to put the brand's full 24-hour claim to the test.
That is a useful distinction between a daily cosmetic result and a duration promise. Look for the part of your base that needs help: a smoother-looking cheek, a more comfortable forehead or a better finish around the mouth. A rich-feeling prep cream and an oil-absorbing primer answer different shopping briefs.
For your first makeup application over a sample, keep your foundation amount familiar. Evaluate how easily you blend its edges and whether the finished face has the sheen you wanted. Adding more foundation to compensate for a richer skincare layer changes both parts of the combination at once.
A pea-size amount gives the routine a clear starting point
Bobbi Brown directs you to warm a pea-size amount between fingertips and gently massage it into freshly cleansed skin. The cream serves as both moisturizer and makeup prep. Starting with that stated amount is more informative than applying a thick mask-like layer and then trying to spread foundation through it.
Work the cream across the intended makeup area before adding pigment. If one area still feels especially coated, examine that area after applying your usual foundation rather than automatically adding another preparation step. The useful question is whether the completed combination feels comfortable and looks even where you need coverage.
Our NARS Light Reflecting Foundation guide considers the separate choice of base makeup. Matching a primer and foundation by their first ingredient alone gives an incomplete picture of two finished formulas; judge the actual layering result instead of a water-versus-silicone shortcut.
Recent users disagree about the richer feel
On Bobbi Brown's Face Base+ page, a recent United States reviewer named Cathy explicitly discusses the new formula and describes an initially greasy, tacky feel followed by dryness. MKS, another US reviewer, describes the modern version as smooth and creamy, with the review marked as received free product. These are individual, differently situated experiences.
The contrast makes texture a sensible deciding test. A buyer who enjoys a substantial cream under makeup has a different threshold from someone who wants preparation to feel almost imperceptible. The fragrance also stays relevant: enjoying a citrus scent briefly at a counter is a different experience from wearing it close to your face during application.
Bobbi Brown notes that reviews submitted before July 2026 relate to the previous formula. Keep that cutoff in mind when scanning the page. The large review history contains useful context, but its oldest praise cannot settle the new cream's finish for you.
Magic Cream changes the luxury formula
Charlotte's Magic Cream is the higher-cost moisturizer-and-primer alternative. Its current US version highlights Recoverstem Peptide and ectoin; the ingredient list also includes dimethicone and shea butter. It offers a different formula for someone comparing substantial skincare beneath foundation.
The tradeoff is the larger investment and another scented cream to evaluate. Compare the complete texture, rather than assuming that the more expensive jar creates a better makeup finish. Check that a tester or recommendation describes this version, since Magic Cream also has a long history of earlier reviews.
Embryolisse lowers the cost with a wax-and-oil cream
Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré provides a lower-cost route to moisturizer and makeup base. The US formula includes mineral oil, beeswax, shea butter and fragrance. Its instructions call for a small dab on clean, dry skin.
The tradeoff is a different rich cream and floral scent, rather than a duplicate of Face Base+. Beeswax also matters to a buyer selecting vegan products. Concentré, Sensitive, Oil-Free and Fluid+ are distinct choices, so keep the complete name visible when comparing skincare offers.
FAQ
Is Face Base+ the original Vitamin Enriched Face Base?
It is the replacement formula. The brand lists the original separately and identifies older reviews as referring to that version.
Does Face Base+ contain fragrance?
Its ingredient list includes grapefruit and geranium oils and fragrance allergens. Scent is part of the cream's experience.
How much does Bobbi Brown say to apply?
Warm a pea-size amount between fingertips and gently massage it into freshly cleansed skin.
Is Lait-Crème Concentré the fragrance-free version?
Concentré contains fragrance. Lait-Crème Sensitive is a separate product.
Verdict
Buy Face Base+ when you want a creamy moisturizer-and-primer step and enjoy its citrus-and-geranium scent; skip it when a very light or fragrance-free prep layer leads your choice. Judge this replacement on its own texture, even if the original was a longtime favorite. Magic Cream fits the buyer exploring a higher-cost luxury prep cream with a different formula. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré fits the smaller-budget buyer who likes a rich, fragranced cream and is comfortable with mineral oil and beeswax. Choose by the finished feel beneath your usual makeup, using the exact version you plan to purchase.
More to explore: NARS Light Reflecting Foundation: Glow Without Heavy Layers? · NARS Soft Matte Concealer: Spot Coverage or Under-Eye Glow? · Peach & Lily Glass Skin Serum: Hydration or Makeup Glow?