Pretty Gossip: A Foundation Revolution

We’re partnering with the PrettyGossip blog to provide this story. PrettyGossip is the site where a beauty-obsessed woman shares things she has tried — cosmetics, treatments, procedures — to make her feel pretty. PrettyGossip is pretty honest about the products she tries. She acknowledges that she sometimes receives samples of new products for review, but she tells the truth (at least her truth) about them.

CUSHION COMPACTS have been around for years, but they’re now making a big splash in the States which is exciting. Today, I’d like to review a product that I’ve been using for months! I even had to buy a replacement recently. Let me introduce to you… Lancome’s Miracle Cushion Liquid Compact!

Lancome Miracle Cushion Liquid Compact: Selected as Allure Best of Beauty 2015 – Best Medium Coverage Foundation. A foundation revolution has arrived—liquid makeup in a cushion. Finally, a liquid foundation you can take anywhere. A cushion releases the perfect amount of makeup for effortless application, creating a dewy, fresh glow in just seconds. This lightweight and refreshing formula contains hydrating and brightening benefits. Available in 11 skin-perfecting shades.

Available at Bloomingdale’s, Sephora, and Ulta for $47. Refills available for $39 at Sephora.

CUSHION COMPACTS:

A few years ago, after the BB and CC Cream craze, Koreans moved onto the next innovation in foundation: Cushion Compacts.  IOPE’s Air Cushion Compact was one of the first cushion compacts and it is still a best seller with 1 sold every 30 seconds in Asia! It’s great to see global brands come out with cushion compacts because Korean brands only offer 2-3 shades. I’m so happy Lancome has come out with 11 shades!

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

With your purchase, you get 1 cushion compact and an application puff. Unlike Korean Cushion Compacts, Lancome’s Miracle Cushion Compact did not come with a refill which was disappointing. Also, when I went to Sephora and Bloomingdales’ to purchase a refill, they didn’t carry them in the store.  You can purchase refills at Sephora.com for $39 (vs. $47 for full compact).

CUSHION:

The liquid foundation is stored in the cushion sponge making it portable and easy to use. 800,000 pores deliver the perfect amount of formula. Just press the puff on the cushion and tap tap on your skin for your custom coverage.

Tip: The newer the product, the less pressure you’ll have to use to get product on the puff.

FORMULA:

The lightweight formula keeps skin hydrated and bright while providing sheer to moderate coverage. The result is a dewy glow and a flawless finish. Lancome claims that the product has a cooling effect, but I didn’t feel it at all. With or without the cooling effect… I really like the coverage and brightening effect the formula provides.

PUFF:

The puff applicator is great because it doesn’t absorb any formula like other sponges/applicators. Hooray for no wasted product!

SHADES:

The compact is available in 11 shades:

• 110 Ivoire C – For porcelain skin with cool/pink undertones
• 140 Ivoire N – For fair to light skin with neutral undertones
• 220 Buff C – For light skin with cool/pink undertones
• 250 Bisque W – For medium-light skin with warm/yellow undertones
• 310 Bisque C – For medium-light to medium skin with cool/pink undertones
• 320 Bisque W – For medium skin with warm/yellow undertones
• 360 Bisque N – For medium to medium deep skin with neutral undertones
• 420 Bisque N – For medium-deep skin with neutral undertones
• 450 Suede N – For deep skin with neutral undertones
• 500 Suede W – For deep to dark skin with warm/golden undertones
• 555 Suede C – For deep rich ebony skin with cool/red undertones

I purchased 250 Bisque W. I’m light to medium with a lot of yellow undertones. Here is a close up of 250 Bisque W.

APPLICATION:

Press the puff onto the cushion to get product on the puff. Tap the puff to transfer product onto your skin. On average, I go back to the cushion about 3 times to get enough product to cover my entire face. After placing the product on my skin, just gently tap tap tap to blend.

COVERAGE:

This compact has light to medium coverage depending on how much you apply.

Below are photos of my cheek before and after application. You can definitely see a difference between the two photos. Notice my freckles and hyper-pigmentation in the before photos. In the after photo, my skin looks healthy, natural, bright, and dewy. 

REFILL:

Sadly, many retailers did not carry the refills in stores. Maybe they do now, but I purchased my refill from Sephora.com for $39.

Tip: Another way to get more use out of the cushion is to flip it! You’ll get a few more uses by doing this.  

OVERALL THOUGHTS:

I really, really like Lancome’s Miracle Cushion Compact. So much so that I even bought a replacement. I knew I liked the product but when people started complimenting my skin, I knew the product was a winner.

I recommend this product if you’re looking for a sheer to medium coverage with a brightening effect. The finish is dewy so it’s great for chronically dry skin like mine. If you have oily skin, you might need a light dust of translucent/finishing powder after applying the cushion compact.