REVIEW: Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening

 

The set of Perfecting Cushion

 ~AG~

Bought this Sulwhasoo Perfection Cushion Brightening last year when I was in Seoul, Korea. It retails for KRW 65,000 (S$78) there. The set comes with 1 x Cushion Brightening and 1 x Cushion Refill. This Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion has a brightening effect. It contains magnolia extract and Pearlescent Complex to give radiance to the skin. The cushion evens and brightens the skin for 12 hours. Sulwahsoon Perfecting Cushion Brightening contains Licorice Purifying Water that hydrates the skin and helps promote a translucent look. This cushion has a special oil-capture system to control excess oil and gives the skin a nice satin finish. 

This is the Cushion that my makeup artist, Shaun Lee, used on my face for the wedding day. He mentioned that Sulwhasoo Cushion Brightening is great because it would not clog the pores. This Cushion has light to medium coverage. For those that prefer more coverage, you can try Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion EX. iShop Changi is selling it for S$72.20. The duty free at the airport is a great place to buy cosmetics at competitive prices. 

The great thing about this Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion is that it comes in 7 shades to match varying Asian skin tones. The saleslady at the counter matched my skin tone to Shade 21 Medium Pink. For reference, I am Urban Decay Shade 3.0 and Bourjois Vanille 52.  I was afraid that this Sulwhasoo Cushion might cause a white or grey cast on my skin, as my previous experience with  banila co. and The FaceShop Cushion has been unfortunate. Fortunately, this shade matches well to my warm medium skin tone.This Sulwhasoo Cushion is great on days when I need something to brighten up my complexion. On days when I do not have enough sleep, I like to apply this on my face to give a nice radiance to my dull complexion. The texture of the Cushion is very light and does not feel like anything on the skin. I would still apply a concealer for my under eyes area and blemishes when necessary. It has a decent staying power and does not melt off in Singapore's humid weather.On normal days, primer is not required to have the Cushion stay on all day. Though for days when I will be outdoor, I would apply primer as a precaution.

Typical packaging of a Cushion

For special occasions, I would not use this Sulwhasoo Cushion as a foundation because I prefer more coverage. Even though my wedding makeup artist did use Sulwhasoo Cushion as my base makeup (as he is truly a makeup extraordinaire), his magic hands made my makeup stayed on all day. Overall, this Cushion is good to have in your beauty arsenal when you need a quick touch-up. This product is available in 7 shades to match different Asian skin tones. With that being said, one cushion will lasts for a long time, as the puff dispense minimal product. Highly recommend this Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion Brightening for those who wants a natural radiant glow.

REVIEW: IOPE Air Cushion Blusher SPF 30 PA ++

~AG~

Bought this cool IOPE Air Cushion Blusher for KRW 22,000 (S$26) from Aritaum store in South Korea. IOPE Air Cushion Blusher is pricey for a blush, but the advanced packaging and applicator warrant for it. You have probably heard of CC Cushions that have transformed the beauty market. CC Cushion is available not only by Korean beauty brands, but established Western beauty brands such as Lancome, Bobbi Brown and Dior have their own version of a CC Cushion. The CC Cushion technology was created by Amore Pacific which is the parent company of well-known Korean brands such as Laneige, innisfree, IOPE and Etude House.

IOPE Air Cushion Blusher comes in two shades:
01 Rose Pink
02 Peach Sherbet

The shade that I purchased was 02 Peach Sherbet, I was contemplating between getting this one or the 01 Rose Pink. But opted for 02 Peach Sherbet because it is a blush shade that I do not have. 

The usual CC Cushion packaging 

Peach Sherbet

So after trying it for a few week what can I say?
IOPE Air Cushion Blusher is very pigmented, and the shade Peach Sherbet shows up well on my medium skin tone. This peach shade surprisingly looks nice on my NC30-35 skin tone. A little product goes a long way. You only need to tap the cushion slightly to get enough pigment. IOPE Cushion Blusher gives a nice glowing finish, and will work especially well for those with dry skin type or live in drier climates. I can imagine this blush will be very suitable for my mother who was dry skin type, as it will not accentuate her fine lines. 
This IOPE Cushion Blusher has fine shimmers that look flattering. For those that do not like a moist look, you can apply a bit of colourless powder after applying this blusher to make it matte. This is what I usually do after application of IOPE Air Cushion Blusher, because I have oily-combination skin. IOPE Cushion Blusher stays on pretty well, it does not lasts all day in Singapore's humid weather, it lasts for about 4-5 hours. 

Shimmery blush

The blush shows up even on fair complexion

It gives a lovely peach glow

IOPE Air Cushion Blusher 

Korean Beauty Products Haul - Face Products

~AG~

Korean stars are famous for their flawless and luminous skin. Korea is a country where BB Creams, CC Creams and CC Cushions are must-haves. So, without any question, I had to buy some base makeup to bring back to sunny Singapore. My makeup collection is lacking of base makeup. There are only a few products that I use consistently - Bourjois Healthy Mix Skin Foundation, Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Compact and Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer. 

At the top on my shopping list was to find a CC Cushion that will perfectly match my skin tone. Additionally, I also wanted a CC Cream that did not leave my skin looking white or grey. Sounds simple enough? From my past experience, it is tough to find a CC Cushion or CC Cream that match my medium skin tone, since Koreans tend to have fairer skin tone. For shade reference, I am Bourjois Shade 52 (Vanille), MAC NC 30-35, Bobbi Brown Beige (3) and Chanel Beige (10).

Below are the base makeup that I purchased on this trip:

>>> Hera CC Cream (KRW 31,000 = S$38)
This is MG's most raved about CC Cream. Click link for MG's review of Hera CC Cream. She loves it so much because it gives her radiant, flawless skin. It has a heavy pricetag, but it is worth it! People always compliment MG's skin whenever she wears this CC Cream. It is also Allure Korea's 2013 Award Winner for CC Cream.

>>> VDL Metal Foundation (KRW 27,800 = S$34)
This product was not on my shopping list. While at the VDL store, this metal foundation was placed at the very front. It is their newest product! Being the makeup junkie that I am, I had to try it. When I tried the foundation on my hand, the texture was Grrreeeaaatt! It felt very light and natural. However, I hesitated buying it at first, because I really wanted to buy the Hera CC Cream. On the last day at the airport, I looked high and low for this VDL Metal Foundation. I finally saw the VDL section when I was almost at the gate. This was the very last-minute buy before boarding the plane. I felt so HAPPY afterwards. :)

>>> The Face Shop Velvet Skin Primer (KRW 14,900 = S$18)
This primer accidentally sneaked into my shopping basket. I only realized that I had bought this product when I was unpacking my stuff. This product has a Get It Beauty sticker at The Face Shop store. So, I guess it should not be too bad. I hope it works for my sensitive skin and does not clog my pores *fingers crossed*

>>> The Face Shop Concealer (KRW 10,900 = S$13)
This was my must-buy from The Face Shop because it won Get It Beauty blind test in 2013. Concealer is an essential makeup product for me. I wear it almost everyday to disguise my dark circles, and conceal my blemishes. I hope this affordable concealer works well to hide my imperfections.

 

 

I will do a separate review of each product some time in the near future. Stay tuned :)

REVIEW: banila co. it Radiant CC Cushion

The sponge part of the CC Cushion

The puff provided to apply the CC Cushion

~AG~

What an interesting concept of CC Cushion. It makes applying CC Cream so much more convenient. It is like a cream foundation but with less coverage.

Clink link to see my previous post about this product. http://beautyloverssisters.blogspot.sg/2014/06/banila-co-it-radiant-cc-cushion-spf-35.html

So what can I say about banilla co. CC Cushion?

It has a light coverage. If you have a huge zits or severe redness, this CC Cushion does not full cover those blemishes. It also does not help conceal dark circles. Texture wise, it does not feel heavy on my skin. It blends easily onto the skin, and leaves behind a nice finish. 

I noticed that the shade on this CC Cushion (BP #15) does not match well for my skin. The banila co. it Radiant CC Cushion only comes in one shade. 
EDITOR'S EDIT (May 2, 2015): Just found out on the banila co official website that there are 3 shades available for CC Cushion. The shades available are: BE10, BP15 and BE20. http://www.banilaco.com/product/productDetail.do?seq=101466
The salesperson gave me the wrong information that there was only one shade. I feel so CHEATED! I think BE20 would have worked better for my skin tone.

The shade, BP#15, is too white for my yellow/beige skin tone. For reference, I am NC 30-35, Chanel Beige 30, Bourjois 52 Vanille and Bobbi Brown Beige. I used this CC Cushion twice, and was so turned off by the shade mismatch that I discontinued use. Even though the shade somehow blend in with the skin tone, it has a white effect that is unflattering. You can see the obvious shade mismatch around my undereye area (See pics above). I think this product will work better for people that have a lighter skin tone.

CC Cushion on application is very light colored

 

It has a white effect

 

This CC Cushion is for those that have fairer skin tone and have relatively good skin without much blemishes and discolouration  With that being said, there are better skin base/foundation/BB cream/CC cream with the same price point that do a much better job compared to banila co. it Radiant CC Cushion such as Hera CC Cream  & Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation.