We all want to put our best faces forward. Sometimes we need a little help to make sure our best faces are present and flawless. Missha’s Magic Cushion SPF 50 foundation has the potential to be a strong contender for making someone beautiful as it promises an anti-caking formula, long-term coverage, rich pigments, a flawless complexion, and sweat and sebum absorption. With this, it has SPF 50 to help protect skin from the sun. After reading positive reviews online, we decided to try the makeup to see if it lives up to the hype.
Packaging
Missha does a nice job packaging their products. This foundation comes in a pretty white box that looks like you spent a lot of money. Then, the compact is made from a sturdy white and silver plastic that has a mirror, a compartment for the makeup pad, and another compartment for the cushion makeup. Everything is kept separate, so the pad isn’t always touching the makeup, and the makeup is enclosed well so it doesn’t dry out, separate, or harden like some other liquid compacts tend to do over time. The overall presentation looks great for the price.
Ingredients
Water(Aqua). Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Glycerin, Peg-8 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima(Avocado) Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Xylitol. Helianthus Annus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Calophylum Inophylum Seed Oil, Bambusa Vulgaris Water, Cereus Grandiflours (Cactus) Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Oxygen, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetyl Peg/Ppg – 10/1 Dimethicone, Peg-8, Magnesium Sulfate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Stearic Acid, Alumina, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Silica, Boron Nitride, Peg-32, Dipropylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Disodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance(Parfum), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides(Ci 77499)
Application
This foundation promises an even, medium coverage. To apply, press the makeup pad into the cushion to pick up the foundation. Then, pat the makeup onto the skin; do not rub. Once there is even coverage, use a makeup sponge and roll it on the face to help smooth out the makeup. The foundation will be dewy once application is complete.
Impressions
Upon opening the compact, the product doesn’t look like much. The compact makes it look like you’re getting more makeup than what’s actually inside. The makeup pad is small and clumsy to use even for small fingers and hands. The foundation section is no more than two inches in diameter, and since it’s a cushion compact, it’s difficult to tell how many ounces are contained within the cushion.
One of the first elements I noticed about the product is that it has a light fragrance to it. In the container, it doesn’t smell bad, but when it heats up during application, the fragrance becomes stronger and starts to become weird as the day continues. The fragrance is okay if you don’t mind smelling like a light perfume, but it could be an allergy-trigger for those with sensitive skin or fragrance sensitivities.
For lighter skinned individuals, this compact has some nice pale and medium shades that match well and adjust to your skin tones. For the review, we used shade 21 and it matched well. Unfortunately, for people with darker skin tones, this makeup wouldn’t work because it doesn’t have a variety of shades. This is an issue with Asian makeup brands in general.
On paper, the dewiness sounds like it would be a good thing and something that would make skin look healthy all day long. Unfortunately, this is not the case with this foundation. The dewiness looked more ruddy and sweaty; as the day wore on, the makeup looked less attractive. It started to flake in spots and settled into pores badly. After a while, the makeup wasn’t an improvement because my skin appeared much older-looking and like I engaged in a lot of drunken shenanigans.
As the day continued, I noticed that my skin started to itch and burn slightly. Apparently, there are ingredients that can serve as allergy triggers for allergy sufferers and those with sensitive skin. Check the ingredient list to see if there’s anything that can be a trigger. For me, it was the sunflower ingredients.
The one plus for the Missha cushion foundation is that it washes off well. Double-cleansing works best for removing the makeup at the end of the day.
Verdict
Even though the Missha cushion foundation has a lot of positive reviews, this foundation did not work for me. For a 30-year-old, I have a fairly young-looking face, but wearing this foundation aged me about 10 years. I did not like the coverage or the wear, and I felt worse wearing the makeup than I did without it. Of course, I don’t have quality skin, so for those with good skin, the foundation may work. For me, this was a no-go. The foundation earns a 1/5.
—-Joelle Halon