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Korean beauty products are well-known everywhere now, and with good reason. They work well, have good coverage, and are known for improving the appearance of your skin.
If you’re looking for smooth skin and a comfortable foundation, you really can’t go wrong with one of Korean beauty’s top secrets: cushion foundation.
Cushion foundation is the ultimate in foundation, with a formula that is made to feel light on your face and yet still last throughout the entire day. These foundations are in compact cases that use BB cream rather than the usual powder on a cushion, and must be applied with the included applicator so that you get the right amount.
Not only do you end up with great skin, but that cream ensures that your skin remains hydrated and luminous throughout the entire day—and without you needing separate BB cream and foundation either. You also don’t need a saturated powder pad every time you apply your makeup either.
It’s no surprise that so many people have their eyes on cushion foundation, or that they tend to sell out so quickly. You can easily buy these Korean cushion foundations online no matter where you are today, but the problem is that there are so many brands now that you may not know which one will be the best for you.
They all say that they’ll provide you with great coverage, so which one do you choose? We’ll help you make your pick between all of these great options in this guide that we’ve put together.
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MISSHA has never failed to provide quality yet affordable Korean makeup. They set the bar again with a fantastic makeup sponge that makes putting on makeup easy with lightweight adherence, build-up prevention, and micro cover pigment to help cover up bumps and dark spots.
This magic cushion uses natural ingredients to perfect your daily makeup routine. With the help of bamboo water and baobab tree fruit extract to moisturize and witch hazel to soothe your skin, this cushion foundation is top quality.
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This cushion foundation is about as authentic as it gets. Even the website you buy it from is in Korean so get your translator ready if you want to learn more about this authentic product.
APRILSKIN is a popular makeup cushion foundation across Korea and is a little higher end. It goes on smoothly and helps hide pores and blemishes without excess application or feeling like you’ve caked your face in makeup.
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This foundation is made to be unisex and blend on all face types. It uses traditional Korean herbs and apricot seeds to make a foundation that provides a flawless glow. It uses a watercolour method to help disperse colour through water instead of oil across your skin.
Sulwhasoo’s cushion foundation is long lasting for up to 12 hours after one application. It also doesn’t make your face feel like it’s covered in makeup and features SPF 50 for a little extra sun protection.
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This is another cushion foundation that comes straight from a Korean web market. It includes SPF 50 and is completely hypoallergenic. While this is a foundation, it puts a bigger focus on skin care than coverup aspects and still works flawlessly.
TROIAREUKE is a long lasting skin care cushion with anti-aging and anti-wrinkle components. It reduces excess sebum and uses natural ingredients such as tea tree extract, calendula extract, and centella asiatica extract.
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This cushion foundation provides SPF 50 coverage and is good for all skin types. It features anti-aging and anti-wrinkle components as well and is great for wear during the day or night. It’s ultra fine to prevent a heavy, caked on make-up feeling.
Within this foundation order, there is also a refill so you don’t have to pay for a new one as soon.
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This cushion foundation is super affordable and is sold by a Korean web market, so you know it’s authentic. It’s very lightweight and smooth so your face will feel fresh and light while still being covered.
This makeup is moisturizing and doesn’t use oil that clogs the pores. It has a cool feeling to keep your skin happy for the full duration of wear. The foundation covers redness and pores easily and has a matte coverage that gives your face a natural glow.
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This cushion foundation includes extra cushions and a refill. It’s lightweight and works for both genders on any occasion. It gives your face a very natural glow and provides SPF 50 for a full day of wear.
IOPE is a great cushion foundation for those who have fairly smooth skin, but may need something to brighten their face or even out redness. You’ll need a powder to cover any large blemishes, but this foundation does wonders for giving your face a little extra glow.
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This is the longest lasting cushion foundation on our list. It can hold up to 24 hours, though we definitely don’t recommend you wear it to bed. It provides a natural finish and a watery smooth texture. With high UV protection, SPF 50, your face will be protected all day long.
You don’t need to cake this makeup on to cover blemishes and even out your skin tone. It has a radiant and consistent finish that will have you feeling like you’re wearing no makeup at all.
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First off, let’s go into a little more detail on what exactly a cushion compact is. As the name suggests, a cushion compact is like a regular compact, but instead of powder, it holds liquid makeup products on two levels.
The bottom level is a sterile sponge—which is the cushion part of it—that is saturated with the liquid makeup. The makeup sits on the sponge, making it lighter and airier than formulas that are compressed in bottles.
Over that cushion, there will be a plastic separator that will prevent any contaminants from getting into the makeup.
Then you’ll find the anti-microbial applicator sponge for you to use. Just shut the compact to ensure that your makeup remains bacteria free even if your compact gets jumbled around in your makeup bag or your car.
Generally, there are a few things that you can look for when you’re looking for your Korean cushion foundation which will make it easier to make your choice. These include the shade, the coverage, and any extra benefits that you’re looking for.
In the end, coverage is a preference and depends largely on your skin type. If you have hyperpigmentation or a lot of freckles that you would like to cover up, you’ll want a lot of coverage.
Other people may want something that’s lighter and more natural to provide them with an even finish. Coverage doesn’t necessarily mean that the formula is heavy, but usually, it does. This is why if you have heavy coverage, you might not want to wear makeup all day long.
That being said, these products are generally pretty light. Many Korean skincare products tend to be lighter with the appearance of a more natural look.
Also Read: Top Face Washes & Cleansers for Treating Hyperpigmentation
You know that these products tend to have lighter coverage, but it’s also important to look for the airiness that characterizes good cushion foundation. You’ll be able to feel that airiness when you apply your makeup using the included sponge, since it’s meant to go on smoothly and without that cakey feeling.
This might not be a huge factor for you, but there are extra features in many of these cushion foundations that make them even better. For instance, you’ll likely be able to find a few options that have SPF in them, since many Korean beauty products value skin protection.
These types of products can brighten your skin while protecting it at the same time.
It helps that many Korean beauty products are made to allow the skin to breathe, and usually include serums added. This means that wearing your usual makeup can improve the health of your skin overall.
This is a little obvious, but do make sure that your chosen option has the correct shade for your skin tone. It can be difficult to find the right shade for you though, especially since
Korean makeup tends to have lighter shades and focuses a little more on fair skin.
You should expect these lighter shades when you’re choosing, and shouldn’t only try out the foundation on your hand either.
What foundation you buy depends on what type of skin you have. Your foundation needs the right finish for your skin type after all.
If you have oily skin, you’d want to pay extra attention to cushion foundations that are oil-free and has a matte finish. If you have dry skin, your foundation must be able to keep your skin moisturized for hours, so look for a product that has hydrating ingredients. This will ensure that your skin stays dewy while you wear it.
You might also have sensitive skin. In this case, check the ingredients to make sure that there are no irritating components, and that there’s no scent to it either. Even just a scent might end up irritating your skin.
Most of these products are small and easy to carry around, but the size of each one does matter. If you need to reapply your makeup throughout the day, you’ll want to make sure that you have something that’s small in size and easy to use on your face.
Most good cushion foundations will already be small, but make sure that you have something that you feel comfortable using.
Check the ingredients on your Korean cushion foundation. If you have more sensitive skin, you’ll want to make sure that there are no irritants, but if you’re looking for something that will keep your skin moist, that’s also something to consider when you’re picking out your foundation. It really depends on what you’re looking for.
Know that these foundations are all made to be safe though, and aren’t that much different from the regular makeup options. Everything is clinically tested, although if you have sensitive skin, you may want to try out the foundation on your hand to make sure that there’s no reaction.
One thing that you can look for is cushion foundations with a refill option. Not every type of foundation includes this, but many foundations that you buy do come with refills. This will get you the most formula for your dollar, which is great as well since most of these options are already inexpensive.
Most of these foundations are large enough to last for three months though. If you’ve bought your foundation before, you may consider buying more than one at a time, but just make sure to keep your foundation moist and protected from dry weather. Otherwise, you might struggle with patches when you’re applying it to your face.
For the most part, using a cushion foundation is like any other foundation you might use, except that it’s not powdery like other options. Despite the ease of use, there are a few things to keep in mind before you apply it.
Korean cushion foundations tend to build up easily, so as you’re applying it, it’s important to make sure that you smooth it over evenly on your skin. You don’t want to layer it too heavily on your skin, so you might want to tap the product lightly and then just use your fingers to do any blending if you need it.
You might also want to prepare your skin prior to application by applying either primer or a moisturizer. After this, you can gently soak in your applicator sponge to smooth your formula onto your skin through gentle taps—don’t smear it on too heavily.
These foundations are so light, and that’s because they’re made to look very natural on your skin. You can apply them in a way to help them look more natural as well.
Start by making sure to apply your foundation in a well-lit corner of the room. You need natural light to make your makeup look natural, and to see what your makeup will look like even outside of your makeup mirror.
It helps to blend your makeup too. This might take you a few minutes, but don’t be afraid to use your fingers to smooth out your make up and give you that natural look that you’re looking for. This will give you that flawless skin in a way that will also protect your skin from UV rays, wrinkles, acne, and other blemishes.
You might have some acne or blemishes to cover though, which means that you may believe that the natural look won’t work as well with your skin type. If you’re hiding dark spots or blemishes, then think of using your Korean cushion foundation in combination with a concealer.
This will help your skin look completely flawless. You can even keep your old foundation if you think that it will cover up your skin better, but don’t count out a good cushion foundation. Compare the two of them after you use your cushion foundation so that you can see which one will work the best for your type of skin.
Also Read: Best Powders for Acne-Prone Skin: Reviews & Buying Guide
The key to good makeup is to ensure that your foundation doesn’t look too cakey. You want a natural look that will stay throughout the entire day and that won’t irritate your skin. The Korean cushion foundation might just be the solution to all of your problems.
These foundations are made to be smooth, natural, and comfortable on your skin. All you need to do is apply the formula with your puff, and make sure that you’ve checked out all of your options before you buy. Once you use it, you’ll understand why these foundations have become so popular!
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