Korean Beauty: Innisfree Longwear Cushion Foundation Review

Korean Beauty Friday : I've secretly become a huge K beauty junkie in the past couple of months and I need to fill you in because trust me it's worth talkin' about! So I'm starting a new series on the blog from today. Every week, I'll be posting about everything Korean Beauty - be it product reviews, routines, hits & misses and all that good stuff every Friday. K beauty enthusiasts, newbies and everyone in between - you're welcome to join me and talk about some interesting new skincare and makeup. I hope to see you back again next week if you enjoy it. 

I’ve really wanted to try a cushion foundation for a while now and almost picked up the Maybelline and L’oreal ones from the drugstore but given my current obsession with Korean skincare I knew my first one had to be from Korea where these actually come from. They’re basically round sponges soaked in lightweight foundations in a compact. Its summer & I have combo skin – so it was a given that I had to pick up the Longwear version of their cushion foundations. They have a few other varieties too – Innisfree Waterfit Cushion & Ampoule moisture cushion.

What it claims:  

1. Sweat Proof

2. Lasts for 12 hours.

3. SPF 50+ and PA+++

Shelf Life : 12 Months

The way this whole thing works is these cushion foundations are a 3 step purchase. (It’s a part of their marketing and it’s working for them so why not)

#1 Pick up a cushion foundation refill of your choice. Comes in shades - (C13, C21, N21, N23, N27, N31)

#2 Pick up a Cushion case – They come in 100 designs.

#3 Pick up an application tool – a cushion puff, a cushion brush or a sponge.

So I picked up the Longwear cushion refill in N27 ($14 for 14g), orange striped case ($9.50) and the air magic fitting puff ($2.50) – I paid $26 total.

This cushion foundation in N27 turned out to be a great shade for me. It has the right amount of yellow for my skintone. I could have done with N23 too since these do oxidize a little bit to match your skintone better but it’s a pretty light finish so it isn’t that noticeable. N27 is a perfect shade for NC25/30 in Mac. I love Innisfree because they’re one of the few Korean brands that actually have more than 2 shades of foundations.

It is a light coverage foundation which is perfect for summertime or just anytime if you’re fan of a light finish (I certainly am!). It feels like wearing no makeup but you still look put together. I’ve been leaning towards the ‘no makeup- makeup skin’ look these days and really enjoying it. This does not cover dark circles, scars or anything just evens out your skintone, some spots and makes it look glowy. I use concealer on top of it because I have dark circles and viola I’m good to go!

This is NOT matte so don’t let the ‘longwearing’ part fool you. It goes on matte but turns into a beautiful dewy finish on my oily skin once blended. I did set it with powder but in Korea it’s quite a trend to have dewy, shiny skin. I tried it once without powder and honestly I looked too glowy for my liking so I’m going to be sticking with the powder. That’s how I apply any foundation really so don’t see why I wouldn’t use it with this one. Using a powder foundation adds back some colour into your face in case the shade ends up being too ashy on you. The SPF50 can do that on some undertones.

I haven’t had the chance to test this out for 12 hours because I simply don’t wear this on a long day like that but I did for 8 hours ( close!) and this stuff really stays on. Although it gets oily on my tzone towards the end of the day, my skin looks naturally beautiful throughout. The SPF factor is just an added bonus! I love that it’s SPF50. I wouldn’t skip my sunscreen for it but it’s a  saviour on days when I do forget to put some on.

The puff actually blends the foundation quite evenly and it’s made of the kind of material that doesn’t soak up much of the product. I’m quite impressed with that at only $2.50! I do use the puff to touch up but most of the time I use a wet sponge(beauty blender, real techniques) or  a flat foundation brush (because it fits perfectly into the cushion) to apply it and it gives me a beautiful finish. It honestly looks like my skin but better.

Looks much lighter in the swatch but turns to the colour of the pan once blended on the skin.

Overall, I am obsessed! This has truly become something I reach for more often and my other foundations have been pushed to the back of my drawer. It feels like a layer of skincare more than a thick pore blocking foundation and it’s a refreshing change. The best part? I can repurchase any other foundation refill from them and it’ll still fit into my case. Honestly though the designs are so cute, I wouldn’t mind getting another one.

Places to Find it :Style Korean, Innisfree World, Cosmetic Love,Yesstyle, Amazon.