• Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
My Women Stuff
  • About Me »
    • Contact Me
      • For PR
  • Budget Beauty »
    • Save & Splurge
  • Makeup »
    • Eyes »
      • Brow pencil
      • Mascara
      • Eyeshadow
      • Eyeliner
    • Face »
      • BB Cream
      • Blush
      • Bronzer
      • CC Cream
      • Concealer
      • Foundation »
        • Cream Foundation
        • Liquid Foundation
        • Cushion Foundation
      • Highlighter
      • Loose Powder
    • Lips »
      • Lip Gloss
      • Lipstick
      • Lipbalm
    • Makeup Brushes
  • Skincare »
    • Cleanser »
      • Cleansing Balm
      • Cleansing Cream
      • Cleansing Gel
      • Cleansing Milk
      • Cleansing Oil
      • Cleansing Water
      • Makeup Remover
    • Mask
    • Moisturiser
    • Scrubs
    • Serum »
      • Vitamin C
      • Retinol
    • Sunscreen
    • Toner/Lotion
    • Treatment »
      • Acne
      • Anti-Aging
      • Brightening/Whitening
      • Hydrating
    • Bath & Body »
      • Body Lotion
      • Body oil
      • Hair
      • Shower Gel
    • Facial Oils
  • Tips »
    • Tips & Discussions
    • Blogging Tips
  • Lifestyle »
    • Cooking at Chez PB
    • Beauty Services »
      • Hair Salon
      • Facial
      • Spa
    • Fashion »
      • Bags
      • Jewellery
      • Shoes
    • Home
  • Brands
  • Product Reviews
    • Beauty hor d’oeuvres
  • Blog
Home » Beauty Roundup » Cushion Foundation Week 2 – The K-Beauty Edition : Round up and Comparison

Cushion Foundation Week 2 – The K-Beauty Edition : Round up and Comparison

September 19, 2016 Paris B 18 Comments

Ok tell me now, which day of Cushion Foundation Week 2 (the K-Beauty edition) did you miss?! LOL I’m sure not everyone was following every single day, and honestly I don’t blame you. It was quite a challenge for me as well, as it does involve a lot of work, as you can imagine. But I hope you found it useful, one way or another.

A problem I faced when compiling CFW2 (the K-Beauty edition) is the lack of information. I discovered very quickly that Korean brands update their cushion foundations very often, and have confusingly similar names, and a confusing lack of clarity in their product names and description. So, I was operating with a handicap right away. This was further borne out when I realised while doing my research, that a couple of the cushions I had, had been reformulated or repackaged and even renamed by the time I featured them. It was very frustrating for me because I bought most of the cushions this time around, and I just didn’t know about the changes when I got them just a few months back.

cushion foundation comparison korean brands
  • Save

Due to the avalanche of requests from the last Cushion Foundation Week, I focused on Korean brands this time around. I was very fortunate this time to have been gifted with the Laneige (Pore Control and Whitening), Sulwhasoo and Mamonde, which was really why I decided to do this back-to-back comparison, just to see how they all fare against each other. With these therefore, the information I have is current. With the others that I bought online, I only have whatever online information I have to go by and as it turned out, it was out of date. I found that very frustrating, and that will be your frustration when you too, try to buy online.

So, I’m done with cushion foundations for a while, but as I have received so many queries on Instagram about how they stack up next to each other, here is my round-up and final thoughts on the Korean cushion foundations that I own and that I’ve featured here on MWS. You can chime in too of course!

Korean Cushion Foundations

There seems to be a little confusion about whether these cushion foundations are foundation or BB cream. Their names don’t help. Laneige calls theirs a BB Cushion which implies theirs is a BB cream. The other brands I’ve featured call their product a plain cushion…  which doesn’t tell us very much.

Personally speaking, I categorize cushion foundations as foundation or base makeup. They are basically a light textured liquid foundation in a saturated sponge cushion, that is made portable and easy for touching up. In fact, if you like touching up your makeup, I’d say that cushion foundations are really what you should be carrying, instead of powder foundation. The light liquid texture is more flattering on skin, and when you use it as a touch up, you will get the coverage you need anyway, as it usually goes on top of your existing base makeup.

If you are the lazy sort who needs a smack for not using a separate sunscreen, then you’d better be touching up at least every hour. If not, use sunscreen. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can use a cushion foundation with SPF50+ PA+++ in place of sunscreen. If you do, and you burn or develop sun spots, look in the mirror and blame yourself 😛 I’m sorry, no sympathy for you from me! 😛

I started out my experiment thinking that most Korean cushion foundations would be similar in texture and performance. After 7 days, I’ve realised that they are just as varied, even if almost all the cushions I featured come from the same mother company!

cushion foundation comparison korean brands
  • Save

All the cushions on the left – Iope, Laneige (Pore Control and Whitening), Hera, Mamonde, Innisfree and Sulwhasoo are all brands under the Amore Pacific brand. Iope featured in my previous CFW but I’ve brought it back because it is a Korean brand after all!

The one that’s different, and the black sheep, is April Skin, which doesn’t come under the Amore Pacific umbrella. However, as you have seen over the week, the quality and performance of the cushions within the same umbrella brand are all quite different.

I also realised, as I’ve said above, that Korean brands move very quickly, and reformulate often, with confusing names and descriptions. So I cannot be sure that a product called Water Glow Cushion is the same as Water Fit Cushion (by Innisfree) or that the Hera UV Mist Cushion that has no description on mine, is the same as the Hera UV Mist Cover Cushion now available on the website. I don’t know, and I probably won’t know since we don’t have Hera here.

Sunscreen protection : Usually at least SPF50 PA+++

Needless to say, the sun protection offered by all the Korean brands are very high. This is impressive and really sets the standard for base makeup that is functional. Most, if not all of them use Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide as their UV blockers.

If you use enough therefore, theoretically, these would make excellent sunscreen touch up products. Not as a primary protection, but for touching up through the day.

The Packaging & Refills

Because I cut my cushion foundation teeth on Laneige back in the day, I had the impression that all Korean cushion foundations come with refills. All the compacts have 15g of product if I’m not mistaken, and including a spare refill usually brings it to 30g, that is a more common size for foundation.

However, I was very surprised therefore to note that it wasn’t the case. Ironically, it was the cushion foundations in the more affordable brands that did away with the spare refills. I found that surprising, but at the same time, clever.

By not packaging their product with a spare refill, the brand could reduce the price of their product, thereby giving the impression of affordability. If a cushion foundation set would cost e.g. RM159 for a case + 2 refills, and the brand could sell you a case + 1 refill at RM90 it gave the impression you were paying less. In fact, you end up paying more in the end.

For this reason, I found myself a little prejudiced against Innisfree and April Skin. While this also meant I didn’t have to slog through a 2nd refill of a formula I did not like, it did not give me the perceived value. Once I buy the product + refill, the price would essentially be the same as, or maybe even higher than a mid-high range brand.

However, as most of the brands are under the same umbrella, I did note in the individual reviews that some of the cushion refills fit into some other brand’s cases.

  • Mamonde, Hera, Sulwhasoo and Iope are all interchangeable in that the refills fit into any case from any of these listed brands. I do not know however, if any new packaging would impact this, so this information is current based on the products I now own.
  • April Skin refills do not fit any other brand’s compact case
  • Laneige does not fit any other brand’s compact case
  • Innisfree does not fit any other brand’s compact case, but they have a very wide selection of cases you can buy separately

I cannot compare the prices for you, because these Korean brands have different prices, depending on where you buy them from. There are many websites you can frequent, that offer Korean brand cosmetics at a lower price, so naturally you will then get a bargain. I can’t tell you where to shop as Korean cosmetics aren’t really my thing, so you will have to do your own research.

The Sponge Puff

For the most part, I found the sponge puffs to be of very good quality, and of similar construction i.e. a sponge puff with a rubbery surface. This rubbery surface actually acts rather like a beauty blender, for those of you who use it, and you use it the same way i.e. bouncing it against your skin.

I do find that the pat and roll technique is more effective to get the product to adhere to your skin and offer better coverage. However, as I had also noted, not all the sponges are equal. April Skin’s sponge puff was a little inferior for the product, I felt, as it did not apply it very evenly on my skin. When I switched to a better quality puff from Laneige (whose puffs are lovely with a nice rubbery bounce to the surface), the product applied much better.

The Amore Pacific brands had generally good quality puffs. Some were softer than others, but the surface density was nice, so it offered a nice bounce to the skin, as well as transferring product nicely without streaking or going on patchy. However, I don’t think puffs are sold separately for most, although Innisfree often gives them out as free gifts.

cushion foundation comparison korean brands
  • Save

The Cushion

The cushion quality too varied. Laneige in their 2016 version of their BB Cushion has come up with a rather dense and raised textured surface which might herald the future appearance of cushions. I have noticed that Laneige is more at the fore-front of cushion technology, as compared to the other AP brands. Their sponge puffs are certainly of very high quality.

Hera, Iope, Mamonde and Sulwhasoo had a similar texture to their cushion with a little give. I found that the surface may appear to dry out quickly with regular use, but there is a lot of product if you depress your sponge into the cushion. As all these apply very evenly and are lightweight on skin, you don’t need very much to achieve an even toned look.

April Skin had a different style cushion, which is slightly domed and does not come saturated with product. Love it or hate it, it’s up to you!

Texture, Coverage, Finish, Shade

Those of you familiar with my style here at MWS might be wondering why I did not have swatch comparisons in each individual review. The reason was because I felt it was better to show all the brands side by side. I realised from previous experience that comparing them with other types of foundation didn’t make a lot of sense.

The texture of the cushion foundation varied. Some were lightweight, some felt heavier on skin and more tacky. Which you like will depend on your tolerance, and whether you set your foundations with powder. I personally do with anything liquid or cream that goes on my skin. It just looks better. But it depends on how you like it.

Here are how the different shades I have tested swatched against each other. If you want to see how they look on the face, the before-after photos are in the individual review posts.

korean cushion foundation compared swatches
  • Save

Isn’t it interesting that they are ALL in shade #21 but look so different on my skin?! I’ve made these swatches by dipping my finger in the cushion, pressing down and swatching just once down my arm. I’ll just quickly break them down for you in summary – you can read the fuller version in the individual posts.

  • April Skin Magic Snow Cushion – You can see that it is clearly pink toned, and with a thicker creamier texture. It’s hard to sheer this out, and the pink offers a brightening effect but can make warmer skintones look ashy if not careful
  • Hera UV Mist Cover Cushion – The texture isn’t as “wet” as April Skin, and you may also notice that it is a little sheerer and lighter in texture. This is C21 which offers more coverage. The shade has a slightly peachy note and is fairly neutral without being too warm
  • Innisfree Water Glow Cushion – This, you may notice has a much lighter, sheerer texture compared to the other swatches. The shade is lighter and decidedly yellow, but because it is so sheer, it doesn’t show up that much on me. Evens out some redness but nothing much else and feels tacky on skin
  • Iope Air Cushion XP – Shade-wise this is similar to Hera with a slight peachy but neutral tone. The coverage is actually a little lighter than Hera but the texture is similar, drying down semi-matte on my skin.
  • Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control – The shade is a little light, and a little yellow toned. However, the texture is lightweight and a little sheerer than Hera. It dries on skin semi-matte and I find it gives me low-medium coverage which I find comfortable.
  • Laneige BB Cushion Whitening – The shade is similar but I find that the texture is sheerer on skin and remains tacky. I also find that the coverage is less compared to the Pore Control. You can’t tell from a swatch of course.
  • Mamonde Cover Powder Cushion – You can tell that this one’s high coverage. Yet, it looks lighter when compared to April Skin. I find you can sheer out Mamonde, but you can’t with April Skin. The shade is a peachy tone, with a fairly neutral base, but definitely peachier in tone than Hera or Iope.
  • Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening – True to its name, I find that although it has a peachy tone, it has a more brightening effect. The coverage is medium but it looks lightweight in the swatch, with some transparency to it, the same with Hera and Iope, the other cushions I like.

It’s actually a little mind boggling how or why the shades are so different when they are all the same code. I didn’t notice how significant it was till I did this comparison!

On the subject of shade selection, I must say that for the most part, those will deeper skintones will be frustrated when shopping Korean brands. More global brands like Laneige and Sulwhasoo have introduced slightly deeper shades to their line up. But brands that are Korea or Asia based still stick to just 2-3 shades, mostly in the lighter end of the skintone spectrum.

Scent

All the cushion foundations tested had a scent. Some were more bearable than others, but Koreans like scent in their cosmetics. I wish they’d remove the scent though. I mean, Clinique managed to do it!

Korean Cushions: Do I like them and which is my favourite?

cushion foundation comparison korean brands
  • Save

The fact I managed to do 2 Cushion Foundation Weeks is quite a feat considering I used to hate cushion foundation, finding them gimmicky and fussy. But having experienced quite a few so far, and those of better quality, I can understand why and how they may be used, or how I may use them.

I have also found it particularly useful to know that I can have better coverage with cushion foundation by employing the assistance of some concealer and powder, and making sure I apply them in the correct manner.

The other thing is that I may be appreciating cushion foundation more these days, because my skin is better than it was before, and because I feel more comfortable in my skin now than I did. I can see how they are useful for touching up and for travelling with because you don’t have to risk spillage, and using the layering trick, you get a pretty impressive natural no-makeup look.

However, my preference lies with light-textured formula that have a semi-matte finish on skin. In a hot and humid climate where I glow (read: sweat) without even trying, having a “dewy glow” on my face is hardly my impression of a healthy visage.

While I think the Korean cushions are superior (they have been aggressively innovating after all) they are not made equal. Also, unless you are a K-beauty fan and know where to shop for Korean cosmetics, it’s actually quite hard to get the better quality cushion foundations (in my view) outside of Korea. Deeper skintoned gals will have a problem having a colour match as well, which is big disadvantage.

So in a nutshell, here are my favourite Korean brand cushion foundations based on what I tested and featured in the past week, in descending order:

  1. Hera UV Mist Cushion (cover)
  2. Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening (without brightening, it might tie with Hera. Outside of Korea or if you don’t want to buy Hera online or if you need deeper shades, I’d pick Sulwhasoo as my No. 1)
  3. Iope Air Cushion XP (my top pick for a sheerer textured cushion)
  4. Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control
  5. Mamonde Cover Powder Cushion
  6. April Skin Magic Snow Cushion (in terms of preference, there’s actually a wide gap between my preference for this and Mamonde)
  7. Laneige BB Cushion Whitening
  8. Innisfree Water Glow (Water Fit) Cushion – this just pips Laneige BB Cushion Whitening to the last spot 😛

I can rearrange the top 4 of this list almost any way depending on what I prefer in terms of coverage. No. 5 stands alone because the bottom 3 don’t quite make my cut, but there’s no number (nor cushion) between 5 and 6 😛

So there you have it. If you read till here, GOOD JOB! 😛

Do you use Korean brand cushion foundations? What are your favourites?

I know there are many other brands out there, but now that I’ve done Western and Korean brand cushions, it doesn’t make sense for me to continue further. I hope you’ve found this little round-up useful 🙂 Now, there’s just 1 more post in this series, which addresses how I feel about the Western brands I tested for CFW1 vs the Korean brands in CFW2. Now, tell me which Korean cushion you’re most interested in, or have as a favourite, or whether you agree or disagree with my critique? 😀

Paris B

Read more cushion foundations here

Was this helpful? Tell your friends!

12 Shares
  • Facebook 12
  • Twitter
18 Insightful comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

YOU MAY FIND THESE THESE POSTS HELPFUL TOO!

About Paris B

Paris B is a 40-something beauty and skincare enthusiast with a practical and very critical view of beauty products and the world of beauty. Her mission on My Women Stuff is to deliver clear, honest reviews and facilitate discussions about beauty trends and life, tempered with a healthy dose of humour. Let the buyer's remorse be ours not yours! When not testing the newest skincare creams and lotions, or playing with makeup, find her testing her culinary skills in the kitchen at Chez PB. Read more about us here or leave a comment below or connect with us on social media at Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

PREVIOUS POST: Cushion Foundation Week 2 Day 7: Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening SPF50+ PA+++ made me love cushion foundations!
NEXT POST: Cushion Foundation Commentary: Western brands vs Korean brands

18 comments ... Read or JOIN THE DISCUSSION

  1. Esther says

    September 19, 2016 at 12:53 pm

    *sheepish* I was tracking every single day, actually – this has been a most awesome reading week! Thank you for all the hard work you’ve put into reviewing; all of these are going to make it a lot easier for me to figure out which BB Cushion I want to treat myself to next.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      September 19, 2016 at 5:26 pm

      Aww thank you so much for tracking every single day Esther! I truly appreciate knowing that someone is reading my posts! LOL 😀 So, which have you narrowed your selections down to? 😀

      Reply
      • Esther says

        September 20, 2016 at 8:51 am

        I actually own a Laneige one as of present (the Anti-Aging one), but I’m oh so very tempted by the Hera and Iope ones as of at the moment. Still bouncing between which of the two I should get, oh dear.

        Was actually thinking of caving and getting the Iope cushion some time back until you mentioned that you were planning to do a whole week on Korean brand cushions. xD I thought it wise to wait and see what you were going to try, and it seems that patience has paid off. (Or has it? Now I’ve got even more choices to agonize over! :p)

        Reply
        • Paris B says

          September 28, 2016 at 12:02 pm

          Ooh ooh I’ve heard the Laneige Anti-aging cushion is good too! Do you like it? As for which to choose between Hera or Iope, it’ll come down to what sort of coverage you prefer. For fuller, less moisture coverage, go for Hera. For lighter more erm… moistful (LOL!) coverage, you’ll like Iope 😉 No, I’m not helping I guess 😛

          Reply
          • Esther says

            September 29, 2016 at 1:08 pm

            It’s actually not bad, but doesn’t really hold up in my office environment (goes somewhat powdery, iCry.) I’m not sure if it’s just the formula or the air con around here in general, hence why I’m itching to get another cushion to test out under the same factors. :p

            Hmmm, the moisture plug you’ve given Iope is tempting, but I generally don’t use foundation at all, so the idea of better coverage is equally enticing, arghhh! :p

            Reply
            • Paris B says

              September 30, 2016 at 9:26 am

              hehehe… any excuse to get another cushion eh? 😉

              Reply
  2. Amalia says

    September 19, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    My country has no access to Korean beauty companies, but I must congratulate you for this hard work. If ever, I will look up to your articles. Big hugs from Greece.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      September 19, 2016 at 5:26 pm

      Thank you Amalia, I’m glad you enjoyed it anyway! You could try buying them online (although it’s a bit of a gamble with shades) and try some that way! 😉

      Reply
  3. Firn says

    September 19, 2016 at 1:54 pm

    You should also post a collage of your full face application here along with the swatches!

    I thought the Sulwhasoo gave off the most natural finish out of all, even the Hera one. Having all the after full face shots would help bring home the differences even more clearly.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      September 19, 2016 at 5:29 pm

      I considered the collage Firn, but my lighting was not consistent in all the photos, which could affect the perceptions. Don’t have swanky controlled studio lighting like some people use, unfortunately! I only managed to get the lighting sort of similar in each of the before/after pix which were all done on different days 🙂 Sulwhasoo gives off a bit more glow compared to Hera but I attribute it to the brightening formula. They are both otherwise very good products.

      Reply
  4. trb says

    September 19, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    this was great. really thanks for the week. now i want some cushion in my life…

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      September 19, 2016 at 5:30 pm

      Thank you, I hope you enjoyed it and that it helped you narrow down your cushion choice! 😉

      Reply
  5. Victoria Shanti says

    September 20, 2016 at 4:21 pm

    Thanks for the Cushion Foundation Week 2. I really enjoyed it and I am now really interested to go over to Sulwhasoo and Laneige counters to test on the shade selections. LOL.

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      September 28, 2016 at 12:03 pm

      You’re most welcome! I hope it’s been helpful and that you can now try a cushion! 😀

      Reply
  6. Beauty Bee says

    September 23, 2016 at 9:07 pm

    Such a great series Paris an d the hard work is appreciated 😉 A friend of mine is living in Korea atm and I have requested that he (yes, he – which means this could get very confusing haha) buy me the Hera and Sulwhasoo cushions 🙂 I did tell him though, to buy me a spare refill, but if they already come with a spare, I probably wont need it will I??? In that case Ill ask for two colours from Sulwhasoo… I also found that researching Korean cushions and colours difficult and did NOT clear up any doubts/questions that I had lol!

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      September 28, 2016 at 12:23 pm

      Thank you Sylvia! 🙂 Ooh you are a resourceful bee you are! 😀 And no, they come in a box with a spare refill that will last you a while so you won’t need another refill! I find it hard to research Korean cushions primarily because a lot of information out there isn’t in English. Some are, but don’t tell you anything! It’s frustrating haha! I hope you get your cushions soon, and that you enjoy them! 😀

      Reply
  7. Erum says

    April 4, 2017 at 11:22 pm

    Hi do I know about MCC aqua watery essence cushion

    Reply
    • Paris B says

      April 4, 2017 at 11:32 pm

      I’m afraid I have no idea what brand that is but as I’ve indicated in my post, I’m not particularly interested in trying anymore cushion foundations. Perhaps you can try and see how it works for you.

      Reply

Comment Policy:At MWS we love reading your comments. However, if you are new to leaving comments you may benefit from reading the comment policy first.

What's your view? Share it! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Women Stuff by Paris B

Welcome to My Women Stuff, a beauty blog based in Malaysia, written by veteran blogger, Paris B. What you can expect is honesty, critical views & a healthy dose of shared life lessons sprinkled amongst beauty product reviews. What you shouldn't expect is a page filled with unnecessary narcissistic photos. MWS is a blog for those who love to read, because we love to write! Read More about MWS and Paris B

Subscribe for weekly updates of all published content

RECENT REVIEWS

biologique recherche lotion p50 review

Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 revisited : Is it a facial in a bottle?

mad hippie cream cleanser

This Mad Hippie Cream Cleanser is one of the better cream cleansers I’ve ever used

skin rocks retinoid 2 serum

Might this Skin Rocks Retinoid 2 Serum by Caroline Hirons be the best Vitamin A serum I’ve ever used?

I tell stories on Instagram @parisbmws

I bought the Kinbor A5 planner on a whim about 2 m I bought the Kinbor A5 planner on a whim about 2 months ago. It’s one of my best purchases under RM30 so far! Read it on the blog www.mywomenstuff.com

It’s not too late to buy one 😆

#kinbor #kinborplannerweekly #kinborplanner #parisbmws #verticalplanner #weeklyplanner
This #elemis cleansing butter had been on my radar This #elemis cleansing butter had been on my radar for the longest time! On the blog mywomenstuff.com

#parisbmws #elemismy #elemismalaysia #elemissuperfood #cleansingbutter
Let’s talk about makeup and whether your prefere Let’s talk about makeup and whether your preferences/style has changed post pandemic? One of my signature makeup items is now optional! 😱 

On the blog: mywomenstuff.com
Hoppy CNY every bunny! 😆🧧 From me and my fur Hoppy CNY every bunny! 😆🧧 From me and my fur kids, one of whom is uncooperative and the other has no choice 😆
Listen for the ASMR 😁 I love balms and this blu Listen for the ASMR 😁 I love balms and this blue balm had me wondering if it was any similar to Blue Cocoon 😆 Review on the blog mywomenstuff.com 

#skincreamery #skincreamerybalm #naturalskincare #savannagoodness #skincarebalm #skincarecommunity #skincarejunkie #skincarelover #skincareblogger #parisbmws #over40blogger #over40skincare #dryskincareroutine
Belated new year musings on the blog mywomenstuff. Belated new year musings on the blog mywomenstuff.com 

This furry fella is so much a part of my life, but yet I have so few photos with him 😅 I shall remedy that this year! And I also hope to post a little more this year. Maybe quick shots that may not be so ✨aesthetic✨
Join over 10500 followers on Instagram

ABOUT ME · CONTACT ME · DISCLAIMER & COPYRIGHT · PRIVACY · ARCHIVES

© Copyright MY WOMEN STUFF 2007 - 2022 · All Rights Reserved