Korean Beauty: Cushion Makeup 101

[carmine-pink.livejournal.com]

There has been a lot of interest and hype in K-Beauty cushion products ever since they were released. The cosmetics market has been saturated with an extremely large amount of cushion related products. This article will serve as a helpful guide to introduce cushion products to those who are interested in them.

First of all, what is cushion makeup? It first started as a BB Cream/CC Cream/Foundation product from IOPE. So many letters… basically it’s a lightweight buildable watery foundation product in a compact. The foundation is contained within a sponge. After pressing an applicator puff on the foundation sponge, you gently press the product onto your face to apply it. The consistency of the product and the anti-microbial puff makes it easier to prevent a cakey look.

See how Song Hye Kyo applies it here:

Cushion makeup is so popular that it is beginning to be copied by cosmetic brands in other countries. Lancome, in particular, has recently come out with a cushion makeup product.

Moving on to the actual cushion products. Since there are so many to choose from, let’s break it down by skin type. Please keep in mind that everyone’s skin is different and even those with the same skin type might have different reactions to the same product. This is just a general guide so please use your best judgement. Weather and climate should also be taken into consideration.

Dry Skin Recommendations

Most cushion makeup products are on the dewy side. However, there are some that are especially moisturizing for those with dry skin.

Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion



HERA UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture

Normal/Combination Skin Recommendations

The original IOPE Air Cushion XP is great for normal and combination skin. It will leave you with a natural dewy finish. There are two types of finishes to choose from: N – Natural finish and C – Better coverage.

IOPE Air Cushion XP




Laneige BB Cushion

If your skin is combination and it leans toward dry or oily, then try the other recommendations.

Oily Skin Recommendations

Innisfree Long Wear Cushion


Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control

For individuals with oily skin, you might be able to get away with some of the more moisturizing cushions listed in the other sections with some alterations. A primer, setting powder, or finishing spray will also help keep the oilies at bay.

Anti-Aging Recommendations

Most cushion makeup products contain anti-aging properties, but if it’s a primary concern for you, the following cushions are especially great for that.

Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion


O HUI Cover Moist CC Cushion

Recommendation for Men

Since cushion products are on the natural side, they are great for men who want coverage without it being too noticeable.

IOPE Men Cushion

Affordable Alternatives

Some of you might be really interested in trying a cushion product, but don’t want to invest a lot of money into something that you’re not 100 percent sure will work for you. Then try out some of these slightly cheaper alternatives. They might not be as longlasting as the products mentioned above, but they could be good introductory products as you enter the beauty world of cushion makeup.

Etude House Precious Mineral Moist Any Cushion



The Face Shop Natural Sun Smart Cushion

You can also save money by simply purchasing refills if you already own a cushion case.

The Saem Eco Soul CC Cushion Refill

Other Notable Cushion Products

Are you in love with cushion products? Try out these ones below to expand beyond foundation cushions!

IOPE Air Cushion Blusher


Banila Co Cushion Gel Eyeliner



Laneige Watery Cushion Concealer

Soompi, LANEIGE 라네즈 Korea YT, 에뛰드하우스 (ETUDE HOUSE) YT

This article is like months old but I haven't seen it posted here yet. Cushion seems to be the next K-beauty product Western brands are copying, and with Lancome's Miracle Cushion having 11 different shades this means more variety to choose from.
Have you tried cushions, Omona? Any favorite cushion CFs featuring your K-celeb biases? Mine is this:

So THAT's what happens when you pat cushion foundation on your skin, folks.

Comments

[in-noctem.livejournal.com]

I'm using the Laneige cushion and I like it! BB creams look horrid on me (I prefer mineral foundations) but I guess cushions are formulated differently? It flakes when I don't set it with powder though but it's not a deal breaker. I wanna try the IOPE cushion blusher.

Oh yeah but I must add, Laneige's range of shades is pretty sad. I use Coffee and I can't believe that's their darkest colour. (oh wait it seems that they've added another colour)

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

I mentioned it in the other post a few days ago but the Atrue CC cushion with fermented black tea is great for oily/combo skin 👌🏻 it's also cooling like the Skin Food Pore Fit. Also I bought it on sale at ibuybeauti again for $27 for a cushion PLUS a refill so I'm very happy with that.

I've also tried the Missha Magic Cushion which I loved the coverage of but it was too oily for me. As most Missha products are sadly.

The thing I hate most is the limited color options. Since I'm unwilling to pay $45+ for a cushion, I'm not going to get the Lancôme one even if it does come in my shade (haven't checked if it does tho). And it sucks cuz I'm usually just one shade darker than 23 but most only make 21 and 23 so I buy 23 and just have to use my Make Up Forever colored powder over it.

Another thing is with all foundations even if you find the right color sometimes the shade comes out more yellow or pink than I expect. I had no idea the N and C stand for Natural and Coverage lol I was always told it was Neutral and Cool aka what the base color is.

[wintersjuly.livejournal.com]

have you ever given etude house cushions a try? etude house actually have the next shade down in their cushions -- i use the 24 but lol, like you, i really need another shade deeper than that. i'm oily and dehydrated so i'm not sure if my experience with the etude house cushion will help, but it lasts decently well on me?

[kwonsoonyoung.livejournal.com]

i kind of made the wrong choice buying hera uv mist cushion when i have oily skin lol. it's so unfortunate bcs i actually really love it since i doesnt break me out and i have an acne prone skin.

i'm gonna try innisfree long wear cushion bcs i've seen a lot of bloggers/youtubers recommending it for ppl with oily skin.

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

I know that the Hera cushion doesn't have Mica in it which most foundations do. I think it is a mineral that provides the sparkles/glimmer so maybe that could be why it works so well for so many people. The UV Mist does have a Long Stay version which is supposed to be for more oily skin

[wintersjuly.livejournal.com]

i love cushions! cushions > bb creams every time. i just wish they came in more shades than super pale. i'm light/medium in shade and i can't even try 90% of cushions at all which means if you're deeper than beige there's almost no options on the cushion market. laneige and lancome are the only two brands with some deeper shades but unless you can afford higher end stuff, you don't have much choice.

i still can't work out why you'd watch cushion gel eyeliner though? i'm not likely to pat on eyeliner? just kind of confused by the idea tbh.

[crystalheng.livejournal.com]

It controls the amount of eyeliner that gets on the eyeliner brush.

[stereotastic.livejournal.com]

this is so random but does anyone have any tips/products to recommend to cover up pores? my pores aren't very obvious when i'm bare faced but once i slap some foundation on, they become really obvious and i want them to disappear :(

[wintersjuly.livejournal.com]

have you tried a pore filling or blurring primer? i have pore issues like mad but primers really help smooth out the skin.

[fabulousdoll.livejournal.com]

That CF link brought me to a compilation of ETUDE CFs, and some of them are too much to handle. I was not expecting Park Shin Hye to kiss.

[nurii.livejournal.com]

dara was perf in this! such a missed opportunity for YG not to market her more

[black-blasphemy.livejournal.com]

i love my iope cushion so much, i got mine in matte finish so it isn't as dewy looking as the others. i really wanna try the hera one. but i think the thing about cushions is that you've to make sure your skin is adequately moisturised, if not when the skin flakes and dries it'd be quite obvious (or maybe that's just me, i've normal - dry skin)

[jaeslurpy.livejournal.com]

i really want to try some korean makeup when i have more money. i did try some of the bb creams but it didn't work for me. but i love trying new makeup.

[itsglenncoco.livejournal.com]

I personally use the laneige pore control one, I like it. The actually compacts don't last long at all though, especially if you're using them everyday

[maebyfunke.livejournal.com]

I have the regular Laneige bb cushion and I want the pore control one so bad

[maebyfunke.livejournal.com]

i reaaaaaally want iope's cushion blusher. i'm waiting for my paycheck to drop so i can buy one ;_;

[kamoteatmani.livejournal.com]

Idk why but Im usually Honey beige in most Etude House foundations/bb creams but the bb cushion equivalent is too light on me its ridiculous :/ I wanna try out the Lancome one honestly even tho Ive completely given up on Korean bb cushions for my skin tone ;___;

Lately Ive just been using Blooming fit/Cotton fit and la girl's pro hd concealer ;u;

[frantastic.livejournal.com]

It's rly ???? that EH (and other brands) can't make equivalent shades for their products! I also use Honey Beige and I want to try their cushions but I don't want to look like a ghost???

[unbroken-glass.livejournal.com]

guh i really dislike the cushion foundation trend /sits alone in the corner

[engraved-16.livejournal.com]

Aww how come? >.<;

[imienazwisko.livejournal.com]

I use Missha Magic Cushion cause they always have fun special editions like Betty Boop or Wonder Woman. It's a decent cushion, nothing amazing. I don't really want to spend too much $ on for example Iope because there really isn't that much product inside... and I need heavy duty primers anyway, make up always slides off my face.

[belintuchiha.livejournal.com]

which primers do you recommend? XD
I need help with those, since I suffer of dermatillomania, I have a lot of deep scars on my face which are really hard to hide OTL.

[torontok.livejournal.com]

Could you tell me the name of etude's colour correcting products? I'm on the hunt for a green primer

[belintuchiha.livejournal.com]

Since I can't afford expensive ones, I use Missha's M Magic Cushion! Plus now with their wonder woman theme, I wanted to get that one but since their US website was giving away a set of face masks buying the normal cushion then I decided for that! haha

Then bought the Perfect Cover bb cream with the wonder woman theme lol.

I have no money but I keep getting in debt thanks to korean beauty products OTL

Anyway, my skin is oily but the M Cushion gives it a nice slightly dewy finish without making my skin oily, it really moisturizes my skin though since I also have dry patches on my cheekbones.

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I want the laneige one so bad but $40... that basically my entire Paula's Choice skin set.
JW, but how often do you wash the puff that comes with the compact? I have acne prone skin so I wash my sponges frequently but im guessing that isnt an option here

[glider.livejournal.com]

Daiso Detergent is basically the best brush/sponge/etc cleaner I've ever used. You can read more about it here (http://www.thebeautywolf.com/daiso-detergent-for-puff-and-sponge-review/). Also, this post on /r/AsianBeauty (which is specifically about washing compact sponges) (https://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/comments/30av93/just_washed_my_bb_cushion_puff_so_gross/cpr1o0d) really convinced me, lol.

[froggster.livejournal.com]

My friend has the IOPE one and she let me try it, but it's way too dark/yellow for me. My god. it was stage makeup all over again. :/ I looked like I did spray tan.
I'll keep my bbcream tube for now

[jia-zhang.livejournal.com]

Laniege and HERA my go to. The cushions formulas are just so so good, so gentle on my skin, great buildable coverage, and lasts a long time on my combination skin (fyi, if you buy a cheap Etude House case, the Laniege, IOPE and HERO refills go in perfectly, cuz they are all under the same company; it's cheaper than buying the actual case+refill.) Sephora carries both the Laniege and IOPE cushions now, and they even come in darker shades, but no SPF.

I would like the Innisfree cushions more, if you could actually put in a refill. None of the Innisfree cushions I bought allowed you to put in a refill, I dunno why. If you're looking to save and not spend to much, the Etude House ones are really good. I do find most cushions do leave a glossy/shiny finish, so I usually always top it off with the Innisfree no-sebum powder to get rid of shine and to make it last longer.

[haesica.livejournal.com]

I use the Nature Republic cushion and I swear that thing is like magic

[ah0000.livejournal.com]

How so? Coverage? Shade? No oiliness??

[liederkreis.livejournal.com]

I'm trying really, really hard not to give in to the desire to get the History of Whoo limited edition golden cushion because there's no sense in spending 70.00 when I just want the case ToT I'm lucky that Missha's cheap little 16.00 cushion looks good on me and lasts forever despite almost daily wear. I just have top it with some Innisfree no sebum powder because my face is essentially an oil slick, haha.

[xxhna.livejournal.com]

I've had my eye on the Sulwhasoo cushion but it is pricey! I am hoping some of my family visits soon so i can ask for this lol

[youlittle.livejournal.com]

question for everyone: whats the best way to apply it? with the sponge it comes with or brush?

[angela-derp-otp.livejournal.com]

The sponge of course, the sponge is like a beauty blender type of material so it leaves a flawless finish.

[angela-derp-otp.livejournal.com]

I own one too many I always end up giving them away.

I bought the dinoplatz cushion from too cool for school, i really like it.


Also I bought a cushion from this new brand from Amore Pacific, VERITE, it is actually really good i am impressed, I have only use it 1 week though.

[chimpansee.livejournal.com]

I wanted to try this but the only ones I could find available in my country were for oily skin and I have very dry skin :/ does anybody have any recs? Doesn't matter where they are available, I'll try to find them.

[ohlookshiny.livejournal.com]

i have really dry skin and i use innisfree's water glow cushion and i love it. the only thing is that the coverage isn't that great (it's quite light) so i wear it on top of an nyx foundation (plus it lasts for longer that way. i think you need to set it with smth, either by layering it up w another foundation or using a primer). the ampoule intense cushion (also by innisfree) is also supposed to be good for dry skin but i haven't tried it yet. i might give it a try when the weather gets colder.

(also you can get them on ebay! or innisfreeworld which ships internationally, but be aware of customs charges tho)

[amandaplan.livejournal.com]

i kind of want to try the lancome and laneige compacts but they're too expensive to use for such a short time and i'm scared that they have little coverage.