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Japanese And Korean Cushion Foundations

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  4. 4 Best Tried and True Japanese and Korean Cushion Foundations in 2023 (IOPE, Missha, and More)
4 Best Tried and True Japanese and Korean Cushion Foundations in 2023 (IOPE, Missha, and More)

4 Best Tried and True Japanese and Korean Cushion Foundations in 2023 (IOPE, Missha, and More)

Cushion foundation is like a mix between liquid and powder foundation. It covers and moisturizes, and yet it’s fast and portable and well-suited to rushed makeup routines in the morning. It was born in Korea, but soon caught on all over the world–and Korea’s close neighbor, Japan, wasn’t going to miss out on the fun.

Lancome and NARS have their own much-beloved versions of cushion foundation, but it’s worth talking about brands that come from this part of the Pacific. So we ordered the 4 most popular Japanese and Korean cushions from Japan’s e-commerce giants (such as Amazon, Rakuten, and @cosme) and tested them all. We also consulted three experts, who looked for the following:

  1. Finish
  2. Ease of Application
  3. Longevity

This is how we tested and found the most exceptional Japanese and Korean cushion foundations.
Last updated 06/15/2023
Mutsuki
Expert
Hair and Makeup Artist
Mutsuki

She's a popular freelance hair and makeup artist who can turn anyone into an idol. Her creations are known for being girly, exquisite. In the industry, she has a huge following who can't get enough of "Mutsuki Magic," which brings out the innate beauty of actresses and models, leaving them doll-like yet natural.

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Chie Kato
Expert
Former Fashion Retailer and Instagrammer
Chie Kato

She used to work in fashion as a retail clerk (also the time when she started her blog). After she got married, she quit her job in in the fashion industry. Now, as a housewife, she's still very active, Instagramming daily about fashion, cosmetics, and hair. She's got over 100,000 followers.

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Rika Fujiwara
Expert
Freelance Hair and Makeup Artist
Rika Fujiwara

She's a freelance hair and makeup artist and an expert in aromatherapy certified by the Aroma Environment Association of Japan. She also pens beauty columns. She studied under Mr. Hiroki Murooka from the hair and makeup studio ThreePEACE for four years before going independent.

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mybest US Editors
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mybest US Editors

mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.

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The expert oversees the Buying Guide only, and does not determine the products and services featured.

Table of Contents

What’s a Cushion Foundation?

What’s a Cushion Foundation?
Cushion foundation is just a liquid foundation that’s been absorbed into a sponge and stuffed into a compact. You apply it just as you would any other foundation—by tapping or buffing it onto your face with a cushion puff.


Cushions originated in Korea, but everyone loved the idea of being able to apply liquid foundation with just a few tools and without getting it all over your hands. It spread like wildfire over to Japan, where there are now tons of brands. Cushion foundation’s appeal lies in its ability to shorten any makeup routine.

How to Choose a Japanese or Korean Cushion Foundation

We’ll get into how we tested and compared all of our products, but first we want to share three things you should keep in mind when choosing cushion foundation.

① Leave Your Skin Looking Flawless With a Natural Finish

Leave Your Skin Looking Flawless With a Natural Finish

When choosing a cushion foundation, you want something that can go on thin and make it look like you aren’t wearing any makeup.


Generally speaking, cushions don’t offer much in the way of coverage when compared to other types of foundation, though this does differ by brand. However, this means that cushion foundations are perfect for lending glow and a natural finish to your look.

② Find Something That Melts Easily Into Your Skin

Find Something That Melts Easily Into Your Skin

Choose a cushion foundation that blends well into your skin. That means you should find something that’s so light, you can’t even tell it’s on your face.


On the other hand, if you get a cushion that’s too thick, you’ll start rubbing at your skin when buffing it out, which can dehydrate your skin. With cushion foundation, less is more.

③ Look for a Long-Wearing Foundation

Look for a Long-Wearing Foundation
One of cushion foundation’s great strengths is you don’t need to apply it over a primer. But what that also means is if your foundation does start wearing off, then your skin is directly exposed to the sun’s rays.


That’s why its essential you find a cushion that’s long-lasting—and this holds doubly true in summer.

④ Choose a Brand You Can Trust

Choose a Brand You Can Trust

Ultimately, when thinking of what type of cushion foundation to buy, it's best to look at reviews. You can also take a look at trusted brands, such as the well-known Korean brand, Missha.


Missha makes its products with continued use in mind, with customers seeing more improvement in skin the longer they use their skincare and beauty products. And despite the great quality, it's very affordable. 


As for Japanese products, there are plenty of long-selling drugstore brands and top-brand items that are still affordable and popular, such as Shiseido's Integrate brand. Generally, with a trusted brand, you can't go wrong.

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4 Best Japanese and Korean Cushion Foundations

Now, we'll introduce the 4 best Japanese and Korean cushion foundations available online. They were ranked by how well they did on our tests.
Products
Image
Click to purchase
Key features
1

IOPE

Air Cushion Cover

IOPE Air Cushion Cover 1枚目

A Wonderful Cushion That Makes Your Skin Glow and Blots Out Blemishes

2

Missha

M Cushion Foundation

Missha M Cushion Foundation 1枚目

Boasts a Natural and Vibrant Finish! That is, Depending on Your Skin Type

3

Time Secret

Mineral Liquid Cushion Foundation

Time Secret Mineral Liquid Cushion Foundation 1枚目

A Drugstore Foundation, but Blended Well and Provided Great Coverage! Doesn’t Leave You with Porcelain Skin, Though

4

Sweets-Sweets

Marshmallow Cover Cushion

Sweets-Sweets Marshmallow Cover Cushion 1枚目

Has None of the Dewiness You’d Expect from Cushion Foundation

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No.1

IOPEAir Cushion Cover

Air Cushion Cover Image 1
Reference price
$27.01

A Wonderful Cushion That Makes Your Skin Glow and Blots Out Blemishes

IOPE’s cushion foundation is meant to go on thin, so it spreads easily, doesn’t look cakey, and hugs your skin in just the right way. Just a bit goes a long way in covering up blemishes, pores, and wrinkles.

We also loved the sleek case. However, for some reason, we had to push pretty hard into the cushion to get any product out, so it was just the slightest bit annoying to use.
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No.2

MisshaM Cushion Foundation

Boasts a Natural and Vibrant Finish! That is, Depending on Your Skin Type

Missha’s cushion foundation put up a great fight during our longevity test. Furthermore, it leaves your skin vibrant and looking like skin. It’s got a nice dewy finish–and we’d say that as far as drugstore cosmetics go, this cushion is a good find.

However, Mutsuki warned us that, on certain skin types, this foundation could end up greasy or wearing off faster. If you can, look out for a tester first, especially if you have oily skin.
No.3

Time SecretMineral Liquid Cushion Foundation

Mineral Liquid Cushion Foundation Image 1
Reference price
$19.59

A Drugstore Foundation, but Blended Well and Provided Great Coverage! Doesn’t Leave You with Porcelain Skin, Though

This cushion was affordable, but it blended so easily into our skin that even our experts were impressed.

It also had great coverage for a cushion foundation and evened out skin tone. On that note, however, it didn’t do much to give us translucent porcelain skin. It’s a good choice if all you’re looking to do is hide blemishes.
No.4

Sweets-SweetsMarshmallow Cover Cushion

Marshmallow Cover Cushion Image 1
Reference price
$19.59

Has None of the Dewiness You’d Expect from Cushion Foundation

We appreciated that it had moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides–but it somehow still managed to be far too matte for our tastes. Also, it didn’t blend well into the skin, so it’ll most likely crease with time.

How We Tested the Cushion Foundations

How We Tested the Cushion Foundations

We gathered 4 popular Japanese Japanese and Korean cushion foundations from Amazon, Rakuten, and @cosme and tested them for their finish, ease of application, and longevity.

Test ① Finish

Test ① Finish
First, we looked at finish.


We had our three experts apply the cushions onto their hands and give us their impressions—whether it left skin looking translucent or was rather cakey.

We Loved Cushions That Went on Thin but Had Decent Coverage

We Loved Cushions That Went on Thin but Had Decent Coverage
There were quite a few products that looked cakey or turned out too matte for our tastes. However, comparatively speaking, cushions from high-end brands didn’t go on too thick and had lovely translucent finishes. A little really went a long way.


Our experts especially love the cushions that managed to even out skin tone and leave you looking put together, even without primer.

Chie Kato
Former Fashion Retailer and InstagrammerChie Kato
When it comes to cushion foundation, you want something that isn't thick and leaves your skin glowy and translucent. It's important that it doesn't feel sticky or heavy upon application.

Test ② Ease of Application

Test ② Ease of Application
Next, we asked our experts to look at how easy each cushion foundation was to apply.


They told us basic things like how easily each compact opened; they also looked for things like how thick the foundation was and whether it blended easily into the skin (rather than just sitting on top of it).

When It Came to Application, High-End Brands Won Yet Again

When It Came to Application, High-End Brands Won Yet Again
We couldn’t help favoring high-end brands this time around as well. Sadly, most of the drugstore cosmetics we tried tended to feel heavy.


We also thought there were cases that were so cute, they were tacky, as well as cases that were just difficult to open. Note that the products from Time Secret and Sweets-Sweets were thick when applied.

Mutsuki
Hair and Makeup ArtistMutsuki
If a product doesn't feel like it's bonding well to the skin, then chances are that, as the day goes on, it'll separate and look more and more like it's sitting on top of your face. You want something that's soft and blends!

Test ③ Longevity

Test ③ Longevity
Finally, we tested for longevity.


We applied the cushions onto our arms. We then combined horse oil and water in a bottle and sprayed the swatches three times. Finally, we wiped at our arms with a tissue to see how much foundation came off.

IOPE and Time Secret Stuck Fast!

IOPE and Time Secret Stuck Fast!

{Above: IOPE Air Cushion Cover; Below: Time Secret Mineral Liquid Cushion}


The thicker, wetter foundations started trickling from our arms. We had products that started fading as soon as we sprayed them with liquid and others that came off completely when we swiped at them with a tissue.


On the other hand, the cushions that applied like silk did well in repelling our mixture. And when we wiped the swatches with a tissue, they didn’t come off in a way that was immediately noticeable.

How to Use Cushion Foundation

How to Use Cushion Foundation
Apply cushion foundation with brisk tapping motions. Don’t hit yourself, but if you use just a bit of force when applying, the foundation adheres more readily to your skin, which will help it last longer.


If you top everything off with a face powder, you’ll also save yourself a few touchups. Just remember that, to keep a dewy finish, you should be applying just a thin layer of powder.

Make Sure You Keep Your Sponges and Puffs Clean

Make Sure You Keep Your Sponges and Puffs Clean
If possible, you want to regularly switch out the puffs and sponges you use to apply cushion foundation. After all, these sponges are soaked through with cushion foundation—cushion foundation is a liquid, and liquid is breeding ground for all sorts of microorganisms.


In order to keep your puffs clean, you should wash them once a week and only use them after they’re completely dry. You can also keep a few spares as backup.

How About a Concealer to Go With That?

Have you suddenly sprouted a pimple and need a little extra coverage? We also tested top-selling Japanese and Korean concealers and plenty of other J-beauty products that can help cover your red spots. Check it out below.

Top 4 Japanese and Korean Cushion Foundations

No. 1: IOPE | Air Cushion Cover

No. 2: Missha | M Cushion Foundation

No. 3: Time Secret | Mineral Liquid Cushion Foundation

No. 4: Sweets-Sweets | Marshmallow Cover Cushion

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The descriptions of each product is referenced from the content available from the manufacturer, e-commerce sites etc.

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