Have you heard of cushion foundation or bb/cc cushion? 

This type of fundation comes from Korea and is really, really popular there. Cushion fundations were launched a few years ago in Korea and are slowly making their way to Europe. Lancôme and Kiko have both just released their cushions.

For those who are not familiar with cushion foundations, it is basically a cushion (or sponge) soaked in foundation and housed in a compact.

Today I will show you my first cushion foundation. It's Hera UV Mist Cushion. I've been using it for about 5 weeks and sincerely I cannot live without it now. It changed my life!

So...this cushion foundation is by the Korean brand HERA. Hera is a mid- to high-end brand. I'm currently using one of their emulsion and I used some time ago their sleeping mask (discontinued now). I really like all the products from Hera I've tried so far.

I said this cushion changed my life. Yeah, let's be honest, when you have to apply your foundation, you have to pump some on the back of your hand, take a brush and if you put too much on your hand you have to wash it and it can get a bit messy sometimes. Cushion foundations are miracle fuss-free products, belive me. It's so simple to apply your foundation! And you can easily carry it in your bag for touch-ups.

According to Hera

"The ultra-fine emulsion formula, stabilized by dense cells of the cushion, thinly smears onto the puff while pressing the cushion. This think layer lightly covers the skin like an invisible sheet while giving moist and lustrous skin like spraying a mist."

With a SPF50+/PA+++, the foundation protects the skin from UV rays. The cushion contains sunflower seed oil, beta-carotene, and tocopherol to help prevent photoaging. That said, I wouldn't rely on SPF contained in foundation only because to get a real sun protection, it means you should use a very thick layer of foundation, which is something nobody wants to do of course. So a separate sunscreen is always welcome.

Instructions are given in Korean and English, but the ingredient list is only in Korean.

For the shade N13, the 5 first ingredients are: Sea Silt Extract, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate. For the other shades, you have the ingredients in English HERE.

Packaging is well...gorgeous, isn't it? The compact is sturdy and of high quality. The color of Hera is purple and that's why the edges are made of a pretty lavender metallic material. The cover is white with a pearly shimmer running through it.

The cushion comes with a refill. You can also buy separate refills so that you don't have to buy the compact again.

Thanks to the special puff that comes with the cushion, you are left with a very thin and even layer of foundation and it looks very natural. The puff is very different from a regular makeup sponge. And to me, this special applicator makes a huge difference in the final result (a very even look).

All Amore Pacific (Hera belongs to Amore) puffs are made of a material called Rubycell. Amore claims their puffs are antibacterial. Adoredee did some research about this material and she came to the conclusion that they are indeed antibacterial. Therefore applying your foundation with the same puff everyday shouldn't be an issue. That said, you can wash it with soap and/or oil. I use a bar soap to clean it like in the video here. Alternatively, you can also buy separate puffs. From my experience, buying a few separate puffs is a good idea.

To apply the foundation, gently press the puff on the cushion and then dab the puff on your skin.

Commercial video that shows how to apply it :)

Different colors and finishes

Hera UV Mist Cushion exists in Natural (N) or Covering (C) finishes. There is also a S (shimmery) finish.

Natural has sheer to medium coverage and gives a very natual finish. Covering shades are more appropriate if you have blemishes you want to conceal.

 I did a comparison with other foundations that I have to give you an idea of Hera N13. N13 is the lightest shade they offer.

Typically, my shade in Dior is 010. I love the Estée Lauder Perfectionist foundation but it's unfortunatly too dark for me (and I don't even talk about Dior 020 and 030 which are lucky only samples). Hera is slightly yellow-based but very slightly. It's almost neutral I would say. I suit my skin perfectly! Yay~

As I said at the beginning of post, this cushion foundation changed my life. It's so easy to use, so convenient and I love the overall look it gives me. 

It doesn't flake, cake, doesn't settle in fine lines or dry patches you may have. 

It hydrates your skin and it gives you a refreshing sensation. It's not drying.

It does last very long. I apply it in the morning and when I get back home in the evening, it's still perfect (incredible, I know!).

It's very lightweight, you don't feel you're wearing something actually.

Coverage is sheer to medium (with the "N" shades), it gives you a natural even look but it still can conceal redness. I love, love, love how it makes my skin even and bright. Oh by the way, it gives a dewy look. At first, I was a bit scared because I prefer matte finishes but this cushion rather gives you a healthy glow and it doesn't make you look greasy. 

Honesty, I just love this cushion so much, I think I've found my holy grail foundation! *so happy*

And you, have you already tried a cushion foundation or are you planning to try one?

Purchase info

When I buy Korean cosmetics, most of the time I use the 3 following stores. The 3 of them are great.

• HonestSkin. I bought my Hera cushion from HonestSkin when they had a 30%off everything sale and I must have had another discount because I got it for only $26! Normal price is about $45 (it comes with a refill). Shipping is only $5 and they ship fast.

• W2Beauty. You get a ton of free samples when you order there! Alice, the shop owner, is really friendly. I've already bought from her a couple of times and was always happy with my orders! Shipping costs only $2.5 (independant of the amount of your order). They ship fast. You can use my sponsored link to get a 5,00 € voucher after registration, and you can use it immediatly. Shop via this link to get it.

•  TesterKorea.They often are the cheapest. Shipping is not free and depend on the weight of your order. They used to ship products very fast but since the end of December 2014, they're quite slow, which can be annoying if you're really waiting for something. They reply fast if you send them a mail though.