It's taken me a while to get this review together because...well... I feel like it's pretty self-explanatory. I reviewed 32 CUSHION FOUNDATIONS in one video! So not only was the testing process super long, but it took me a while to be comfortable with the cushion foundations in this video. I mean, you've seen how often Korean Beauty companies come out with new products. I just couldn't decide when I'd had enough to do this review with. Well, I broke down and just did it! It took a ton of work and, of course, this video is super long but I think it's really informative. So I hope you enjoy this video and I also included the close up swatches I did on paper!
Let's get to the breakdown...
Here's a list of the cushions I reviewed in this video, plus links of where to buy them!
Also, be sure to select the YOUR shade for the cushion foundation!
I decided to swatch each of the cushions on a piece of lined paper for two reasons: 1. So you could see the coverage because it's lined 2. So you could see the contrast in undertones against the white. Notice, I placed the brand name above the swatch and the particular cushion and its shade below.
FTC: Links used are affiliate links! You can choose to use them or not :) This is not a sponsored review.
Anyways guys, I hope you enjoyed this video! It was a lot of work, but I think it's helpful for those of you guys who are looking into any of these :)
I know, I'm a sucker for cute packaging. Who isn't though?! I saw Etude House's promos of this cushion and I was smitten. Call it love at first sight? Yes, I think so. This is the new Etude House Any Cushion Cream Filter so...
Packaging
I REALLY like the packaging of this cushion. Personally, I'm really liking what Etude House has been doing lately. I've noticed they're really slimming down their cushion packaging. Not only does this make it more compact, but it just looks so sleek. And can we talk about the holographic cover?! I'm obsessed. It's so beautiful and eye-catching!
The back of the box and compact
Coverage
The coverage of this is low. This does not cover a lot of imperfections and you would definitely need to use a concealer with this cushion. If you have great skin already, you could probably get away with using this alone. For me, I like my pimples, dark circles, etc. to be perfectly concealed so I would've liked this cushion more if the coverage was higher.
I have a dark, little freckle on my wrist. I use that to demonstrate the coverage :)
Blend-ability
The formula of this cushion is extremely blend-able. It's very effortless and in no time, you're perfectly blended. The formula of this is also a bit sticky upon first applying this. This helps with the adherence to the skin, therefore, making it very easy to work with. Also, this cushion has a "net" aka, the filter. This helps the foundation smooth over the puff more evenly. In turn, making it easier to work with as well.
Shades
Shades. Shades. Shades. This is something that, for most, is an immediate "yes!" or "deal-breaker!". Fortunately, Etude House came out with 5 shades for this cushion foundation! Thank goodness. I personally feel like more Korean Beauty brands need to come out with a higher range of shades. There's vanilla, petal, beige, sand (the one I got!), and tan. I included the promo swatches in my video, but if you're still unsure, I would definitely recommend checking out other live/blog swatches online. Always super helpful, right?!
Lasting-ability
This lasting-ability of this is.. meh. I felt like a lot of it wore off by the 4-5 hour mark. Although, this isn't necessarily marketed as a long-wearing cushion. I feel like a little primer and powder would make it last a lot longer. However, on it's own, it doesn't last spectacularly long.
Finish
This finish of this is another win for me. I love how natural this looks. Now, when I heard this was a "moisturizing" cushion, I was torn. I loved the packaging, but I know myself... I usually don't like moisturizing or dewy cushions. I just don't like the look personally! Although, this is always a battle because I do have dry skin. To me, this cushion was the perfect balance. I LOVED the glow, didn't find it overly sticky or wet, and loved that it kept my skin hydrated.
Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
This is not going to make your skin look perfect... unless your skin is already really nice. I do find this is a nice, light cushion but I love me some coverage (like most people I think!). I just wish the coverage was a little higher and that it lasted for a bit longer. Do I think this is a bad cushion? Absolutely not. Is this a must-buy? Absolutely not. Worth a shot if you're curious but keep in mind the notes I made above :) For more information, swatches, and a demo, don't forget to check out the video review I did of this! Also, check out my youtube channel, The Beauty Breakdown, for more Korean beauty, travel, etc!
Hello lovely :) Today I've got a review for you that a lot of you guys have been asking about! Since I showed the IOPE Air Cushion XP in my Biggest Korean Makeup Haul ever on my channel, The Beauty Breakdown, some of you have been requesting a review on it... and continually asking. So here it is for those who were curious :)
Let's get to the breakdown...
Packaging...
The packaging of this IOPE Cushion is very simply and classy. I like that it looks very clean and mature.
Shade...
I have shade N23. The "N" stands for natural. This means the cushion is supposed to have a natural finish and light to medium coverage. I'll get to the coverage in a second but I LOVE the color of this cushion. I have about an NC 20-25 MAC foundation shade so this matched me very well.
Coverage...
I liked how it concealed my dark under eye circles but I don't think this had enough coverage on some red spots on my face. You can see in the pictures below, I have a pimple on my chin and this failed to cover it enough. Although, you can always just use a little extra concealer :)
Finish...
When I initially applied this on my skin, I liked the finish. It was dewy but not too dewy. However, as the day went on, this got WAY too dewy looking. It made my dry skin look down right oily. Also, this never sets on its own. This definitely requires to be set with a powder. When I didn't do that, I had things sticking to my face all day. When I set it, it did help with the oiliness and stickiness, but I do wish they'd adjust the formula a little bit!
Wear...
Like I mentioned above, I really liked how it looked at first. After a couple hours, it settled into my pores, creased all over the place, and moved around a ton. I was pretty much afraid to touch my face all day because I didn't want to disturb the foundation.
Look at how much this emphasized my pores!
Overall...
Alright, without a powder and primer, this cushion kind of sucks. haha. When I wear this IOPE cushion alone, it creases, emphasizes my pores, gets super oily, and remains sticky. I couldn't STAND it. However, when I do wear a primer and powder, it really is a bit better. It's still slightly sticky and dewy with the powder, but I can live with this. For oily-skinned people, I'd say proceed with caution.
Cushions, cushions, cushions! They're all the rage and if you're ever tried one, you know exactly why :) They're portable, compact, and super natural looking. They've been popular in Asia for quite a long time now and they're finally emerging the the "western" market. YES! So when L'oreal came out with the True Match Lumi Cushion foundation, everyone was scrambling to get their hands on one. Including me! Easier said than done I guess!
As I mentioned in my video review, I had a heck of a time tracking one of these down! I checked Ulta, Target, CVS, Walgreens, AND Rite Aid. Finally, I found it at...Walmart! You read that right! Walmart. Not to take anything away from Walmart, because I love Walmart, but I usually find newly released makeup at drugstores like CVS or Walgreens! Although I will say, they were HEAVILY picked over :/ So I ended up buying a cool-toned foundation, even though I'm warm or at least neutral. I'll write more on that soon but I was just happy that I found one in the first place!
Let's get to the breakdown...
Packaging
Like I mentioned above, cushions are designed to be very travel-friendly, or purse-friendly, and easy to use. You simply use the sponge to pat the foundation on your skin. Cushions are meant to blend in like a dream, which this one does!
Shade
The shade I have is C23. C stands for cool-toned and there are 2 other tones that L'oreal offers; N for Neutral and W for Warm. I should've gotten warm or at least neutral but actually the cool doesn't look too terrible on my skin. This is one of the big points for this L'oreal cushion; the shade selection! There is such a wide range, which is saying a lot considering most brands that offer cushions only have 3-5 shades at most!
Blendability
This cushion is super blendable. I love how it applies on the skin.
Finish
Like the name implies, this is a very dewy looking foundation. This looks great on my dry skin and makes my face look so healthy!
Lasting Ability
This lasts a fairly long time actually. I do find I need to touch this up throughout the day (which is what makes the being purse-friendly awesome) but it wasn't too terrible. It will also last longer if you use a primer or set it with a powder like any other foundation!
Coverage
The coverage of this foundation is light-medium. It does offer some coverage but I still prefer to use a concealer with it.
When I was in Korea a couple weeks ago, one of the brands that I was super excited about checking out was 3CE. 3CE, or 3 Concept Eyes, is under Style Nanda and is a brand that is a little bit more expensive in Korea. They recently launched their Fitting Cushion Foundation so you know I had to get my hands on it and review it for you guys! I did a first impressions of it on my channel, where I tested it for a couple days in a few different ways, so check that out if you haven't yet!
Let's get to the breakdown...
Packaging
It comes in the typical 3CE packaging... matte and black. I actually like this but the only downfall is that the matte packaging gets really dirty easily. It picks up all your fingerprints and is kind of hard to clean.
Application
This goes on very thick and heavily. I'll get into that later, but you can definitely feel the makeup on your skin. Also, I think it's worth mentioning the the puff that comes with this cushion is terrible. I was reading about it, and evidently, it's a "ruby cell" puff. I used the puff the first day and felt like it didn't blend the makeup well and applied it even heavier. So I switched to an air puff (the blue one that comes with other cushion foundations) and it applied much better. Another thing I want to point out is you have to work in sections with the foundation and fast!
Coverage
This is a HIGH coverage cushion foundation. Like I mentioned above, it does feel a bit heavy on the skin (even when using an air puff) but, in my opinion, that's the natural of high coverage foundations. So for those of you who have been on the hunt for a high coverage Korean foundation, this will be great for you! For someone like me, who prefers not to have a ton of coverage on a day to day basis, I'll use this on special occasions or when I just want more coverage. Not an everyday foundation for me.
Lasting-Ability
I took a close up to show you guys what happens when you use the ruby cell puff. As the day goes on, you can see the foundation sitting in your pores because the ruby cell puff doesn't blend the foundation in enough. I would like to note I did not have this problem with I used an air puff and when I used a little powder to set this foundation. So, to sum it up, I found the best way to use this foundation and make is last all day is to use an air puff and set it with a little powder! Then it last easily for 6-8 hours and starts to fade around the 8-9 hour mark. Keep in mind, I do have dry skin though, so for those of you with oily skin... you might need to use more powder to set this (because it never really sets if you don't) and need to carry the powder with you touch-up!
Shade Range
There's only two shades available in this foundation. I used the shade 002, which is the darker of the two. For reference, I'm about an NC 20-25 in MAC foundation shades.
Overall: ****
Packaging: *** (and a half)
Application: ***
Coverage: *****
Lasting-Ability: ****
Shade Selection: **
Thoughts
I kind of have mixed emotions about this foundation. Once I used it with a different puff and with a bit of setting powder, my skin was FLAWLESS. The coverage is so high, I didn't even need a concealer. That's insane! I really like that aspect and the finish looks pretty natural. The only complaint I have with this the puff sucks and you can definitely feel it sitting on your skin. However, to me, this just comes with the territory since it's high coverage. I've never found a high coverage foundation that feels light.. it's just not a thing. So you can decide for yourself whether you think this would be a good foundation for you!
