Image Credit: isadora.com
Maybe you’ve seen them at the drugstore or at the department store’s cosmetics counter, little compacts that aren’t powder and aren’t creams but look like they have a sponge inside of them. That sponge? Full of thin, fluid foundation that you press onto skin with an applicator pad. They’ve been popular in Korea for some time and have finally made their way West. Cue the obsession.
What makes these cushion foundations so special? The packaging for starters. There’s something genius about a liquid foundation being packaged in a convenient compact. This works well for cream foundations and makes touch ups on the go a breeze, but cream foundations aren’t right for ever skin type. The cushion foundation compact solves the problem for those who need or prefer a liquid foundation. The saturated sponge is housed in an air-tight compartment that snaps locked. This keeps the sponge nice and moist, while keeping the applicator neat and separate. All together it makes for a neat, convenient compact that can be carried along for touch ups on the go and travels too.
Cushion foundation goes well beyond being a neat, innovative trend item from Korea. Cushion foundations are a solid product choice for those who want makeup that is simple, pretty, and feels good. Many of the formulas go on sheer, but contain enough pigment that give the skin more coverage and an overall more finished look than a simple tinted moisturizer. They can be layered too, which means you could easily contour with a darker shade or selectively build additional coverage on trouble spots without looking “cakey.” Some formulas even incorporate a high SPF, giving people a lightweight option for a product that can otherwise feel very thick on its own.
Want to give a cushion foundation a try? Here are a few options worth checking out.
Amore Pacific Color Control Cushion Compact Broad Spectrum SPF 50+
The top-selling cushion foundation in Korea may be pricey at $60, but it has great reviews and won both the ELLE “Genius Award” and Allure “Best of Beauty.” What makes this foundation special is its high SPF that doesn’t leave a white cast on skin. You can be sun safe and gorgeous all at the same time.
Lancome Miracle Cushion Liquid Compact Foundation
Also an Allure “Best of Beauty” award winner, the Miracle Cushion doesn’t have the high SPF the Amore Pacific product does. It doesn’t have the price tag either (the Miracle Cushion is priced at $47). What it does have is a good range of colors, including deeper shades, to accommodate a variety of complexions.
L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation
It doesn’t have the range of the Lancome options and it doesn’t have the SPF of the Amore Pacific foundation, but the Lumi Cushion performs incredibly well. It also has a luminosity to it that makes the skin look absolutely fabulous. The formula uses L’Oreal’s Precise Match Technology to adjust to your skin tone, assuring a good match. And it’s easy on the budget, coming in at $17.
Have you tried a cushion foundation? Let us know what you think!
The Hudsucker 
I love cushion foundations. The Korean brand “Laneige” has an amazing BB cushion. Have you tried it?
I have not tried it! I will have to order it and see how it works. What do you like best about it?
Lightweight, high spf, and moisturizing! It’s great for good skin days when you don’t want to wear a heavy foundation!
I’ve never tried a cushion compact, what’s the coverage like with the L’Oreal one? X
I found it to be sheer to medium. I have really bad acne around my lips (and some red-toned scarring) and it covered it to where my skin looked nice and natural, though by no means airbrushed.
I’m going to check it out x