I stopped wearing foundation when I was 19 because I didn’t want to spend my youth covering up my skin. Isn’t youthful skin supposed to be so special? So I put on sunscreen and cheerfully let myself forget how to apply foundation. When South Korean pop culture started spreading across the globe, people referred to it as “The Korean Wave” or “Hallyu.” This fascination soon transferred over to cosmetics, which has led the South Korean beauty market to become one of the top 10 in the world.

Everything looks bad in my bathroom, so all I knew was that my application was even. I applied some brown powder and brighter white powder to account for foundation’s natural tendency to flatten out skin tone, then a cheek tint. Dry skin types would love its moisturizing formula! It doesn’t cling onto dry patches, even with minimal prepping steps. I can simply use a lightweight toner under it, and it looks perfect. This cushion foundation smells more like skincare than makeup. The scent is subtle and goes away after some time. Performance of the AGE 20’s Essence Cover Pact CushionI got out to my car to drive to work, and I was very surprised to see my face in the rear view mirror. It looked good! Like I said, I did not have concealer underneath—but the circles around my eyes were very improved, almost gone. Consumers the world over suddenly saw beautiful South Korean celebrities regularly and sought to duplicate their smooth, flawless-looking skin. Korean skin and beauty products, known as K-beauty, follow a tradition of using exclusive and natural ingredients like turmeric, ginseng and ground mung beans. Finish: Effortlessly glides onto your skin, delivering a dewy, natural-looking finish that enhances your complexion without feeling heavy. The texture is incredibly smooth, allowing for easy blending and seamless application.

My first attempt with this cushion was streaky. I saw one reviewer who said that they will use a foundation brush from now on to avoid streakiness. I didn’t want to. In fact, I decided to try cushion foundation specifically to avoid face brushes. Lasting Power: Since the formula is moisturizing, well, you guessed it – It is not that long-lasting. After a couple of hours, it gradually fades, requiring touch-ups or a setting powder. I use the powder right after application to take care of the extra shine.Then I realized that I had put it on wrong. I had patted it across my face almost like I would do with a stippling brush, then swiped as if to blend. And I had just kept patting it. The makeup has a cooling effect, and patting it in feels too nice. It’s addicting. I think it can be easy to overdo i application by mistake. Even though the coverage is light, patting foundation over itself a few times will absolutely give a caked-on look. Swipe first. I first use a toner or serum to reduce my skin’s redness and then proceed with the cushion. I need a separate concealer for the under eyes and other blemishes. Don’t be surprised to see some strange-sounding ingredients listed in your Korean makeup. Some of the skincare products have things like snail cream, salmon cream and pig collagen in them. If those sound off-putting, compare them to some of the things commonly used in American cosmetics: carmine (crushed beetles), placenta proteins and snail secretions (KNU). It is actually remarkable what is in cosmetics, no matter where they were made. But now I’m 29. And I work in an old building with really bad regulation of temperature and humidity/dryness and god-knows-what in the HVAC system. So I’ve developed dry skin with some red patches (haven’t solved it yet—I’ve tried lots of moisturizers and I’m still looking for the one). Otherwise, I’m very pale and yellow in tone. At worst, I look sallow and gray-green.

The formula has organic and inorganic UV filters: Titanium Dioxide, Octinoxate, Octocrylene, and Zinc Oxide.Texture: I love this cushion foundation! First, unlike most other cushions, it doesn’t come in liquid form but has a hard creamy consistency. When you rub the puff onto the surface, it starts to melt and become softer. I got a cheap luminizing primer by ELF to pair with this while I wait for “nicer” stuff in the mail. I don’t have any concealer to wear underneath the foundation right now. Skincare ingredients include Niacinamide (brightening, anti-acne, pore care), Ascorbyl Glucoside (a stable form of Vitamin C with antioxidant protection), Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 (antiaging), a lot of fermented ingredients (barrier support and soothing).

Coverage: Provides a fresh, plump, and dewy appearance. However, the coverage is sheer to medium-ish, so if you have skin concerns like dark undereye circles and active acne, it won’t cover them. However, this type of formula would suit me better during the colder months. If you have dry skin and want that luminous, moisturizing finish, this cushion is worth trying. Ingredients

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I love the angled design of the puff and prefer it to the round ones. It allows for more precise and controlled application, especially in hard-to-reach areas such as the corners of the nose and the inner corners of the eyes. Scent