First Look| L'oreal True Match Lumi Cushion in N 3.5

Woah, it's a breakthrough in the American drugstore cosmetics game! A cushion foundation that's not a Laneige import (and flagrantly overpriced!?) and available at any ole CVS, Target, etc.!? I've even seen it online at Ulta.com for $16.99. 

The L'oreal True Match Lumi Cushion ($15.99 at Target) contains 0.51 fl. oz of product so it's not a complete steal, but it's a fun way to try a product that's usually catered to fair-light skintones. Similar to the other products  in their existing line-up, there's the typical warm/neutral/cool division and several shades in each category giving you a total of 12 shades that range from light to deep (W2 to W8, for example.) I couldn't find a true olive match in Lancome's release of a cushion foundation and didn't care for the high price tag. 

The rose gold packaging is sealed at the store. It's made of a sturdy (albeit very lightweight) plastic and is not refillable like its Korean counterparts. I'm sure you can pump your own (thin consistency) liquid foundation into the cushion once you're out of product but I would suggest buying a new one for sanitary reasons...

Because the sponge is WHITE AS FUCK on both sides, you can expect a giant nasty mess of foundation residue all over your compact lid if you're not careful. I believe these sponges are "rubycell", meaning they don't harbor too much bacteria if you're diligent about cleansing them frequently. You can buy extra sponge puffs at Daiso or online if you like to use several times and toss. 

Here is a weird part. I saw swatches for W3 and N3.5 online and they both looked yellow in pan. However, the W3 dries down too peachy and the N3.5 is more neutral yellow. W2 would have been too light for me and I'm guessing it's for NC15-20 skin. I pulled the trigger on N3.5 and it's a great match for me at NC25. Derp? 

Here's the short and sweet round up for its performance: 

• Portable with a big mirror but dodgy/convenient sponge application- standard issue cushion pros and cons. 
• Lightweight and light (not sheer!) coverage that lasts for 6-7 hours. 
• Dewy finish but not ultra glossy. 

It's suspect that the formula is the same as L'oreal's True Match Lumi foundation bottle poured into a cushion delivery method. Very suspect. However, it's a fun way for American consumers to touch up  during the day or bounce/pat their foundation on during our long commutes to work. 

But you know what would REALLY make this product awesome? A thinner setting powder nestled in the packaging for setting everything down. 

xo Be

Haul| MISSHA Holiday Sale

The U.S. MISSHA website had a very long sale of 40% (read it and weep!) off for Black Friday and Christmas. I've always been curious to try the other BB products in their line apart from the Perfect Cover BB, which used to be a favorite of mine when I had very oily skin. 

Their M Magic Cushion SPF 50+/PA+++ ($16.00) comes in the standard two shades as most Korean brands: No.21 and No. 23. This usually translates to: very fair (NC10-15) and fair (NC15-20). I'm usually NC25 for most of the year but get very light in the dead of winter. 

It would be nice to see a few darker shades (or even a spectrum of skin color) but I've noticed that the goal of Korean base makeup is to lighten (their words: "brighten") the skin, regardless of whether you're actually NC15 or in all honesty an NC35! I am currently NC25 and can barely pull this off. In actuality I look like an ashen vampire especially when I pair this with red eyeshadows or red based brown lipsticks. Scary. 

It does not come with a refill but is a reasonably priced cushion product. Higher end varieties can run you $45 and up for the compact and refill! You can also buy refills online at sites like Amazon or EBay. Inside of the mirrored compact is standard blue sponge...one that helps you pat the product into your skin but gets incredibly filthy with a single use. 

Overall, it lasts for around 6-7 hours on my skin by itself with minimal fading or splotchiness. Like most BB cushions, here are the pros:

• ULTRA light weight feel on the skin for sheer to light coverage. 
• Dewy finish.
• High SPF. If you're around the ballpark range you can use this as your sun protection underneath another foundation or base product. 
• Caters to fair-light skintones that have a neutral undertone. 
• Compact and refillable delivery method.
• Easy to touch up your base product without it caking up. Very natural finish on the skin. 

As for con...:

• WHERE are the shades that match humans?!

Luckily, MISSHA has a wider range of colors beyond No.23 that are suitable for NC30-35 and even NC35-40. I purchased their Signature Real Complete BB Cream ($29) in shade #27 hoping that it would be a tad lighter than their Perfect Cover in #27, which matches me at NC30-35. 

This is a solid product but I wouldn't pay full price. It's very fitting for normal skin that leans just a tad dry or oily but not for very dry spots (hello flakes!) or oily skin (goodbye perfect complexion...) Not to mention the SPF is paltry for a Korean skincare product. I appreciate the pump but it can get very messy inside of the clear cap. A side note: the bottle is a hard plastic that's harder to store! 

I found that it held up well during the day with a thin coat of powder but the satin finish didn't completely knock me out of my chair. As for the color match, #27 is a slightly peach leaning NC30. It's not SO peachy that it's not a perfect match, but I feel like I could pull it off only on the tanner side of NC30. 

Overall I appreciate how quick and easy to blend this product can be for lazy mornings but I wouldn't repurchase since it didn't wow me away.

xo Be