What a wonderful time we live in and by that, I mean how brands have finally corrected their formulas when it comes to high coverage cushion foundations. Now, the thing is that there were always options when it came to them but the issue I’ve had (and other disgruntled editors actually) is that the heavier you applied them, the more of a fake finish you’d get. The tell-tale signs are simple. You’ll experience caking around the nose or laugh lines and if god forbid you perspire, your perspiration turns the exact shade of the cushion itself.
What does the term mean to me then with these products? One swipe gives sheer to medium coverage, a tap delivers full and because 2022, each of them comes with skincare benefits too.
Pictured above: The Burberry Matte Glow Cushion is basically their liquid foundation in a cushion form but what is great about it besides its convenience is how “smart” it is. It mattifies oilier parts of the face while delivering a hydrating glow to drier sections and this effect, clocks in at an insane 12 hours.
One of the highest coverage cushion foundations on this list is the Christian Louboutin Teint Fétiche Le Cushion, a 12-hour formula that also contains vitamins B3, B5, E and sodium hyaluronate to hydrate and soften as the day goes by. However, because it contains luminous oils, people of an oilier disposition might want to mattify their skin appropriately.
Technically, the formula of the Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Cushion Foundation is a gel instead (it even slightly cools the skin down) but what this means is that no matter how heavily one applies it, it “melts” onto the skin and evens itself out. Props to the brand too for being realistic about its wear under a mask: a reasonable and realistic eight hours.
Everything you love about the Dior Forever Couture Perfect Cushion Foundation — the full coverage, its anti-oxidisation properties and its hydrating-meets-anti-aging formula — is present but this time round, it comes in a limited edition Diorviera compact.
Givenchy is having some kind of makeup revival and its Teint Couture Cushion Foundation makes the mark: an anti-blue light skincare formula, skin-adhering polymers (perfect if you perspire profusely) and when it dries down, provides a “soft focus” finish to the face.
For a Korean brand, the HERA Black Cushion ranks pretty high on this list of cushion foundations with coverage. While its technology called the Asian Skin Fit Shade is designed to flatter Asian skin tones, it also means that 1. You can go up one shade or below if you decide to blind buy and 2. No chances of oxidation that turns you orange.
The MAC Cosmetics Lightful C³ Quick Finish Cushion Compact Foundation SPF 50/PA++++ provides what industry goers call a “tone up” effect which in simpler terms, means it brightens the face with pink pearls. However, its coverage ranges from sheer to full in a way that is very controllable: its puff picks up just the right amount of product to cover wider or smaller areas of the face.
The name of this cushion — The History of Whoo Gongjinhyang: Seol Radiant White Moisture Cushion Foundation — is a mouthful but so are its benefits. A brightening ampoule within its formula to eradicate dark spots, moisturising agents to hydrate the skin and a streak-proof formula ubiquitous to Korean cushions. However, it only comes in two shades.
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with our May 2022 issue!
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