My k-beauty picks: More of the best cushion compacts

Cushion compacts from Clio, Moonshot, The Face Shop and Tony Moly. SCREAMfmLondon

It’s time for a sequel to my first list of the best Korean cushion compacts! I’m simply enamored with this beauty innovation, and I can’t imagine ever returning to clunky traditional foundations. Korean beauty brands release new formulas and new collaborations regularly, so I’m always experimenting with the next great products.

Here are four more of my favorite cushion compacts:

Clio Kill Cover Liquid Foundation Cushion

This Clio cushion is absolutely amazing if you’re looking for a super full-coverage foundation. The Kill Cover cushion has an incredibly high-coverage formula for such a lightweight compact, and it’s great to work with if you want a really long-lasting, flawless makeup look. This is my go-to cushion for fancy nights on the town because it’s smoothing, moisturizing and brightening, and it really doesn’t require any touchups. Definitely recommended if you like full coverage foundations. You’ll be impressed with Clio’s Kill Cover compact.

Tony Moly’s Pikachu Mini Cover Cushion. SCREAMfmLondon

Tony Moly Pikachu Mini Cover Cushion

Pikachu is having a big moment in Korea right now, so you’ll find various Pokémon in all the shops, on all the fashion and in all the beauty products. As I am very easily swayed by adorable packaging, I had to pick up the Pikachu Mini Cover Cushion from Tony Moly’s latest beauty collaboration with Pokémon. The line includes all kinds of Pokémon products, from face masks and cleansers to nail polishes and lip tints. This cushion is smaller than your average compact, so it’s great for on-the-go spot treatment. Although it’s cute, the formula is actually quite decent, and it provides good coverage. But I’m mostly in love with the detailed packaging, including the Poké Ball-shaped applicator sponge.

The Face Shop Oil Control Water Cushion

Speaking of adorable packaging, The Face Shop is also stocking some super cute character compacts at the moment. They have a Disney collaboration featuring a Monsters, Inc. cushion and a Mickey Mouse one, but I’m much more drawn to the darling Kakao Friends collaborations. The Kakao Friends are various characters used as emoticons on the Korean messaging app KakaoTalk. My favorites are Frodo, the dog, and Ryan, the bear. So, I had no choice but to buy this cushion compact featuring one of the best Ryan illustrations (he’s cheering for you amidst a backdrop of confetti!). It’s a light-coverage formula, so it’s best for daytime wear. This particular cushion is designed for oil control and boasts sebum-minimizing powers. But, let’s be real: I bought it for the packaging, and I’d do it again.

Moonshot’s Microfit Cushion. SCREAMfmLondon

Moonshot Microfit Cushion

I briefly touched on this cushion in my review of the moonshot x BIGBANG10 LUCKYBOX. Moonshot is the beauty brand owned by YG Entertainment, Big Bang’s record label, so all of the products are endorsed and modeled by YG artists like G-Dragon and Blackpink. I just dream of having skin as luminous as GD’s, so I am very drawn to this product. I really love the formula, the semi-matte finish and brightness of the Microfit Cushion. My only complaints are with the design: the applicator sponge broke really quickly, and the sponge inside that holds the product has gotten weirdly off-centered. While I’m disappointed with the durability of the compact, I’m still really into the product and will continue to use it.

My k-beauty picks: Best cushion compacts

A small fortune in BB creams and cushion compacts from Banila Co., IOPE, Holika Holika and Etude House. SCREAMfmLondon

This time last year, I shared some of my favorite Korean BB creams. Now it’s time to discuss South Korea’s most recent foundation innovation: the cushion compact. These cute, travel-sized compacts contain a sponge soaked with the foundation formula and a separate area for the uniquely designed sponge applicators. The creams provide light coverage as well as SPF, hydration and anti-aging ingredients. They’re so easy to use, there is no reason to return to clunky bottled foundations.

So, here are my picks for the best Korean cushion compacts:

IOPE Air Cushion Compact

I’ll start with the most obvious choice. The IOPE Air Cushion Compact is so popular in Asia that — allegedly — one is sold every 30 seconds. If you are going to buy one Korean makeup product, this should probably be it. It offers great sun protection (SPF 50), has cooling properties and lightweight coverage, so it’s perfect during the summer. It’s offered with natural, coverage or shimmery finishes. I chose the one with more coverage, but it is still one of the lightest creams I own. It’s sheer and blendable, and the sponge applicator helps the product go on super smoothly. This compact is legendary in Korea, and it’s worth checking out.

Banila Co.’s VV Bouncing Cushion. SCREAMfmLondon

Banila Co. VV Bouncing Cushion

This is a product that I actually mentioned in my BB cream post last year, and it is still one of my absolute favorites. Of all these cushion compacts, the Banila Co. Bouncing Cushion provides the best and fullest coverage, so it can be used on a wider range of occasions for a wider variety of makeup looks. This is also the only compact that doesn’t use a sponge soaked with the formula for application — instead, you press the rim of the compact to dispense product as needed. I love the detail of this packaging, and the product works amazingly well. Cannot recommend this cushion enough.

Etude House Precious Mineral Magic Any Cushion

The Etude House Magic Any Cushion is more of a primer or base product to use before adding BB cream or foundation. These cushions are intended to create a smooth surface, moisturize and eliminate redness before you move on to the next step in your makeup routine. Etude House offers the compacts in three shades: pink, mint and peach. Pink is meant to lessen the appearance of dark circles and brighten pale skin tones. Mint helps cancel out redness, blotchiness or uneven skin color. Peach is meant to brighten dull skin and create a glowy finish. This product doesn’t really provide any coverage, but it prepares the skin so you can get the most out of your other compacts. I really enjoy using the mint cushion to begin my makeup routine.

Holika Holika’s excellent and amazing collaboration with my favorite Japanese character, Gudetama, the lazy egg. SCREAMfmLondon

Holika Holika x Gudetama Face 2 Change Photo Ready Cushion

Ahhhhh. It’s so cute. Honestly, this formula does not really match my skin tone. But do I care? No, I do not. I allowed the salesgirl to swatch it for me, but I already knew that I would buy this product anyway. I love the entire Holika Holika/Gudetama collaboration. The cushion compacts come in three different designs, but the shades don’t vary much (very light with pink undertones). It provides a dewy finish, which is very popular in Korea but can be off-putting to anyone with oily skin. For me, the product is perfectly nice, and I will continue to use it just because. The coverage is fine. The product is fine. But the packaging is to die for(!!!), really. I love it so much.

My favorite cushion compacts from IOPE, Holika Holika, Etude House and Banila Co. SCREAMfmLondon

My picks: Best Korean BB creams

A section of my BB cream collection. SCREAMfmLondon

Since 2011, BB creams have been a presence in the beauty section of US stores. BB creams (aka. blemish balms, beauty balms, beblesh balms — whatever tickles your fancy) are one of my favorite cosmetic products for their all-in-one functionality. Ideal for anyone who wants to spend as little time as possible getting ready in the morning (that’s me!), BB creams serve as a primer, moisturizer, foundation and sunblock. I started loving them a few years ago, but the creams have been popular in Korea since the 1980s. Korean brands continue to innovate the balms, evolving into CC creams and cushion compacts (“air cushions”).

Here are my picks for the best Korean BB creams, foundations and more:

Banila Co. VV Bouncing Cushion

I am loving this Banila compact. It’s sleek and easy to carry with you throughout the day. It contains collagen intended to firm, lift and plump the skin, and it has an SPF of 50. And the cream has a great, light coverage. The packaging of this product is also really cool: you press down on the compact to dispense the cream onto the puff and then apply it to your face. It also comes with one full refill! I walked into Banila to buy a different cushion compact, but I’m very glad that I was persuaded to pick up this one.

Skinfood Pore Fit Cushion Bottle. SCREAMfmLondon 

Skinfood Pore Fit Cushion Bottle

This is the weirdest beauty product I own. The Skinfood Pore Fit Cushion Bottle is a substantially-sized metal canister that you switch on and shake up as if you were going to use some spray paint. Then, you pump the lid a few times to dispense the product onto the cushion. Then, you open the lid and apply. I’ll be honest with you: it smells a lot like nail polish remover, and that doesn’t sound like a quality something would have if it was good to put on your face. But this cream makes the skin look so smooth and bright. It also has an SPF of 50, and it feels really cool going onto the face, which is refreshing for enlarged pores or skin that is affected by heat.

Mamonde Total Solution Moisture BB Cream

Mamonde serves as a good everyday BB cream when you haven’t got time for all the bells and whistles that go along with fancy spray paint bottle foundations. It has a lower SPF (just 35), but it provides very good coverage and really evens out the skin tone. Mamonde products, unfortunately, come in extremely light shades, but they blend into the skin quite well to effectively brighten and conceal redness. This BB cream provides more thorough coverage than some of the others, as it is a traditional pump bottle rather than a cushion compact. I really dig it on days I look and feel particularly tired.

Skin79 VIP Gold Super BB Cream. SCREAMfmLondon

Skin79 VIP Gold Super BB Cream

This is the product I have been using for the longest. There are about 5 million variations on the Skin79 BB creams depending on your skin type — the VIP Gold is a bit richer for creamy application and full coverage. Like the Mamonde, the Skin79 BB creams come in a very specific shade of very light, but once this product oxidizes, it matches my skin color quite well. It is moisturizing and provides a kind of dewy finish. Also, I like the cool holographic bottle. I’ve been enjoying this BB cream for many months now, and I definitely think it’s worth a try.