Written by Clémence Rubiella | Published on 23 July 2023 | Makeup
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Dear readers,
The world of cushions is an exciting one. They are basically built-in sponges saturated with foundation and packed into a cute and compact little round container that can be easily carried around in your bag. If I had to describe them in one word, I would choose convenient. Everything about cushions is convenient. They come in with a puff that picks up the right amount of product and allows for a seamless application on the skin. You are not wasting excess product from traditional pump foundations. No need to get your hands dirty, they remain clean throughout the application process. If you are on the go and in need of a touch-up, cushions got your back. In order to achieve the best-airbrushed look, it is recommended to use a dabbing motion and not drag the foundation all over your skin. It is important to note that, typically, cushion foundations are usually buildable light-to-medium coverage that effectively hides pores, has hydrating properties and some may contain SPF protection.
Koreans are so fond of cushions that you can find so many formulas from different brands, marketed to both men and women. Choosing one might get overwhelming but not to worry, let’s go through a few of the best cushions out there.
As a side note, I have a combination skin.
My recommendations:
Best Overall: Espoir Pro Tailor Be Velvet ($23)
Best High-End Cushion: Hera Black Cushion ($55)
Best Dewy Finish: Fwee Glass Cushion ($26) Best Dewy Finish Runner-Up: Amuse Dew Jelly Vegan Cushion ($29)
Best Matt Finish: Clio Kill Cover The New Founwear Cushion ($27)
Best Natural Finish: Amuse Meta Fixing Vegan Cushion ($30)
Worth mentioning: JungSaemmool Essential Skin Nuder Cushion Foundation ($27)
1. Best Overall: Espoir Pro Tailor Be Velvet Cushion
Rating: 4.5 / 5 Awards: OliveYoung 2022, PowderRoom 2023 Product quantity: 15g
Highlights:
Long-lasting
Beautiful velvety matte finish
High-coverage
Light-weight
Vegan formula
What we don’t like
Casing can be faulty
Shade range
In a Korean beauty market with so many cushions options, the Espoir Pro Tailor Be Velvet Cushion's red case packaging caught my eye with its sleek and graphically original design. Then, I was surprised by the perfect combination of high coverage with a yet lightweight and creamy formula that feels extremely comfortable on the skin. This cushion really delivers a flawless, long-lasting base that conceals enlarged pores and blemishes for a velvety finish (soft matte). The formula is so rich that a small amount goes a long way. If you are not a fan of cushions, there is a Be Velvet Foundation in the same collection. Espoir developed a special tear-sponge applicator for this cushion that absorbs less product than typical cushion applicators. If you want to elevate your application to a fuller and more even-toned finish, you can use the Espoir Super Soft Face Brush. I cannot insist enough on how lovely and sleek your skin looks with this product. It is an amazing product through and through. However, the shade range is limited to light skin tones (6 shades) which is not ideal. Also, the plastic case can at times have a faulty closing mechanism which is not a big problem in itself but may be annoying when you are carrying the cushion in your purse.
2. Best High-end cushion: Hera Black Cushion
Rating: 4 / 5 Awards: Glowpick 2022 Product quantity: 15g
Highlights
High quality product
Long-lasting
Matte finish
Buildable coverage
Light-weight
What we don’t like
Missing originality
Shade range
This Hera Black Cushion is an oldie but a goodie. Not only has it been on the market for a while (since 2017) but it has also won repetitive awards and has been a best-seller continuously, making it one of the holy grails of the K-Beauty. Hera is known in Korea and worldwide for its high-end products that deliver incomparable quality and this Black Cushion is no exception. Its formula is incredibly lightweight, the pigments are super fine and the coverage is buildable. So what you are essentially left with, when you are using this product, is a semi-matte finish that is very natural and also waterproof. The packaging is sober but elegant however, I do feel there is a “je ne sais quoi” missing, may it be in the packaging originality or the intensity of the pigments. Personality, I feel it is lacking a bit of freshness but it is nonetheless a highly reliable product for everyday use.
3. Best Dewy Finish: Fwee Glass Cushion
Rating: 4.5 / 5 Product quantity: 15g
Highlights
Long-lasting
Natural glass finish
Mid-coverage
Light-weight
Non-scented
What we don’t like
Shade range
This Fwee Glass Cushion will be your best ally if you want to achieve the Korean glass skin look. It's the right amount of glassiness addition to the skin and also long wear adherence which is the weak point of those shiny/glassy base products as they tend to wear off faster than matte formulas. And even as time goes by, I have a sensitive/combination skin and this cushion never made me look oily, but more like a beautiful tasty glazed doughnut. The Fwee Glass Cushion contains SFP50+PA+++ as well as hyaluronic acid and aqua ceramide to keep the skin moisturized while delivering a very natural healthy glossy finish, concealing hyper-pigmentations and pores. The applicator is drop-shaped, which is perfect for covering the eyes area. The coverage is buildable so it's very versatile in terms of usage; light everyday look or high coverage night look, anything is doable with this cushion.
Best Dewy Finish Runner-Up: Amuse Dew Jelly Vegan Cushion
Rating: 3 / 5 Awards: OliveYoung 2022, PowderRoom 2022/2023 Product quantity: 15g
Highlights
Very glassy finis
Vegan formula
Buildable coverage
Light-weight
What we don’t like
Little coverage
Limited shade range
The Amuse Dew Jelly Vegan Cushion is by far THE glowiest cushion I have ever tried. It is unbelievable how glowy and dewy it makes your skin look and contains SPF 38 PA+++ UV protection. It is hands down the best cushion for achieving the Korean glass skin look. And interestingly, the foundation product is held by a mesh and not a sponge, which is the traditional cushion design. The applicator is a simple round one, nothing new there. However, it is not as long-lasting and as high-coverage as the Fwee Glass Cushion. It offers only a mild blemish coverage and it is a bit complicated to build the coverage to a decent one.
4. Best Matt Finish: Clio Kill Cover The New Founwear Cushion
Rating: 4 / 5 Awards: OliveYoung 2022, PowderRoom 2022 Product quantity: 15g
Highlights
Long-lasting
Matte finish
High-coverage
Non-scented
What we don’t like
Formula is a little drying
Shade range
Clio went through a reformulation and repackaging recently and they delivered a better version of their already famous Kill Cover Cushion. It is a statement piece in the world of K-Beauty to the point that it feels like most Korean ladies have purchased one Kill Cover Cushion at some point. So let’s dive in as to why this little guy is so popular, shall we? First, the packaging, a slay. 10/10. They slightly changed their puff to a curved one for facilitating the foundation application to hard-to-reach areas. Then, the formula; blurring effect, mid to high coverage, great natural finish, not cakey, easily reapplies, long-lasting (claiming up to 72 hours but 24 hours is good enough), non-scented and feels incredibly light on the skin. It is one of Korea's best sellers to this day for a reason.
5. Best Natural Finish: Amuse Meta Fixing Vegan Cushion
Rating: 5 / 5 Awards: PowderRoom 2022 Product quantity: 15g
Highlights
Long-lasting
Semi-matte natural finish
Buildable coverage
Light-weight
What we don’t like
Colour range
Amuse launched four cushions, ranging from glowy to matt finish; Dew Jelly Vegan Cushion, Dew Power Vegan Cushion, Skin Tune Vegan Cover Cushion and finally Meta Fixing Vegan Cushion. All of them are really nicely formulated but I have to admit, their Meta Fixing Vegan Cushion is for me, the most natural matte finish cushion I have tried. I reach out for this cushion the most for my daily makeup looks. It is a medium coverage, buildable and non-scented foundation that lasts the entire day and more! It is very comfortable to wear on the skin and let's not forget to mention a vegan and hypoallergenic formula which also contains SPF45 PA++, collagen, niacinamide and Japanese white birch juice for moisturizing benefits.
6. Worth mentioning: Jungsaemmool Essential Skin Nuder Cushion Foundation
Rating: 4 / 5 Awards: OliveYoung 2021, Glowpick 2022/2023 Product quantity: 15g
Highlights
Long-lasting
Semi-matte finish
Mid-coverage
What we don’t like
Shade range
And the last cushion on our list is the Jungsaemmool Essential Skin Nuder Cushion Foundation. This one is definitively worth mentioning because it does not excel in one category but several. Jungsaemmool has been created by a famous Korean makeup artist and she thrives on enhancing the natural skin by creating “nude” skin products. The Essential Skin Nuder Cushion formulation makes it an ideal cushion for daily or special occasions. Lightweight and long-lasting, it blurs your pores and hides your skin hyper-pigmentations to a point where your skin looks flawlessly dewy. It also contains SPF50+ PA+++. This cushion is a great pick if you are looking for a soft dewy natural look.
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