Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion #13 Review & Swatches

I used to hate cushions.  I didn't like the unsanitary concept, the limited shade ranges, the high price point and low product volume, the lack of samples for colour matching before purchase, and after the DIY cushion method was a hot mess, I gave up on the idea as just a runaway hype train.

I was wrong, kinda.  Like their BB cream counterparts, shade ranges are limited although there are signs that's improving, and I was relieved to hear that cushions are apparently formulated with the maximum preservative concentration possible to offset the hygiene concerns.  There are now cushions for every budget and one really shouldn't be using them for longer than a few months anyway, but unfortunately there's still a dearth of options should you want to test to see if a cushion shade will fit you before you buy.  There are adorable tiny cushions out there, but they're rare.

That means swatches are critical to the "sight unseen" buying process of cushions.  As fellow Snailcast podcaster Tracy of Fanserviced-b put it during our episode on cushions,"people who swatch cushions are first in line for heaven" so it's time for me to pay it forward.

Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion #13 refill and limited edition peony case
Insert in #13 via a buying service + Limited Edition Peony cushion purchased from 11st
One of the things I love about cushions is the ability to swap in different inserts but keep the same case; I managed to get my paws on one of the 2014 limited edition Sulwhasoo Peony cushion cases last year, although I purchased it in a shade I knew was wrong for me.  That's no barrier-- I simply purchased some refill inserts and swapped those in instead.  You can read more on how to use 11st here: Level Up Your K-Beauty Obsession: a Guide to 11st + My 1st 'Real' Cushion!

In this post:

  • Product details
  • Ingredients
  • Comparison swatches of Mac NC15, Sulwhasoo Perfecting Brightening #17, and Sulwhasoo Perfecting #13
  • Cushion demo & why I shouldn't apply makeup in my bathroom
  • Instagram 10k thank-you giveaway details

In an effort to be thorough, I'll be providing both arm swatches comparing the Sulwhasoo cushions I have next to Mac NC15, and also face swatches as well, so you can see the coverage, finish, and what it looks like on a real face.  When I finish this review, I'm going to try to drink away the image of my bare skin in HD.  Clearly I need to get back on the PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation) fading wagon after slacking off on actives for the summer.

Just as a quick reminder: this blog uses both affiliate and non-affiliate links, and if you choose to click the fomer before you shop, your purchase may contribute a tiny amount to the maintenance of this blog.  See full details at the end of this post! #receipts


Product details

Full product name: Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++ in #13 Light Pink
Purpose: Foundation in a cushion form, suspended in a cushion sponge with product picked up and applied via a cushion puff.
Scent: Medium floral scent with herbal notes, which I like.  Not noticeable once it's on my face.
Texture: Not really applicable, as the foundation is saturated in the sponge.  Cushion foundations are ultra thin and runny to facilitate this.
Finish: Semi-dewy finish, may not be suited for oily skin in the summer/humid locations, may be better for winter or drier skin types.  I like a very natural, skin-like look, so I really like the finish and I'd rather powder something down in my oily zones than have things highlighting every flake and dry patch.
Coverage: Cushions aren't meant to be full coverage, but I find that a single layer gives me sufficient coverage to even out my skin tone and cover most of my PIH (post inflammatory hyperpigmentation) while still looking like skin.  I spot conceal any breakouts with an actual concealer if I have anything nasty going on/if I care that much.  See demo photos below.
Quantity: 15g, most cushions come with 1 insert + 1 refill insert, for a total of 30g of product.
Price: Between $40-$60 for cushion with insert + 1 refill, with limited edition versions being more expensive.  Refills are $15-25.  I purchased a single #13 refill insert direct from Korea via a buying service so I could swap it into a case I already owned.
Rating:  4/5, I'm planning on repurchasing it in the new #11 shade to see if I can get a better colour match.
Repurchase:  See above repurchase plans in a different shade.  I'll link several places where you can purchase it at the end of this post; there's always a danger of fakes when buying from unknown sellers, so if you're worried you could stick with official vendors like Sulwhasoo US, and Nordstrom)  However, there are quite a few available on Amazon Prime, and they have a pretty aggressive policy about counterfeits on Prime. Update: You can also get the beautiful Limited Edition 2017 version on Kultfinds!

Ingredients

I'm going to go with the ingredients list from Sulwhasoo's official US site, which has it listed for #23 and #25, but I doubt the base formula is different between the shades other than the pigments.
Water, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Cyclopentasiloxane, Zinc Oxide (Ci 77947), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/dicaprate, Arbutin, Lauryl Peg-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Acrylates/ethylhexyl Acrylate/dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Stearic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Glycerin, Lecithin, Isostearic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polysorbate 80, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/root Extract, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Lilium Tigrinum Flower/leaf/stem Extract, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/stearyl Acrylate/dimethicone Methacrylate Copolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Mica (Ci 77019), Silica, Alcohol, Squalane, Dimethicone, Disodium Edta, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Adenosine, Honey, Dimethicone/vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium HyaluronatePinus Koraiensis Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Prunus Persica (Peach) Flower Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil, Alumina, Prunus Persica (Peach) Kernel Extract, Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Honey Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Germ Extract, Iron Oxides (Ci 77491), Iron Oxides (Ci 77492), Iron Oxides (Ci 77499), Fragrance
I ran this through Cosdna, and the only flags of note on this list are the two forms of palmitate, which are comedogenic although like many things in skincare, the dose is the poison; as famous DIY formulator Swift Crafty Monkey points out, while the comedogenicity of the undiluted ingredient may be very high, once it's mixed with other ingredients/the concentration drops, so does the comedogenicity.

As you can see, there are a lot of tasty Hanbang (traditional Korean herbal medicine, which heavily features fermentation) extracts, although like the silver lining of the palmitate concentration, they're likely to be so low concentration that they're not going to have much impact.  It also contains some whitening (brightening) ingredients, such as arbutin, some anti-aging ingredients, such as adenosine, and some hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and honey, but most of the hydration is going to come from the usual suspects of water, glycerin, and the glycols.


Comparison swatches of Mac NC15, Sulwhasoo Perfecting Brightening #17, and Sulwhasoo Perfecting #13

Writing this review allowed me to make an important discovery about this cushion.  I've always wondered why the cushion looked like a great match in my bathroom (my face is darker than my neck/chest) but then looked like hot trash as soon as I got outside.  It looked even too light in the bathroom, but was always noticeably darker/orange outside.

I assumed that this was due to the very yellow lighting in our bathroom (I wonder if our landlords would be up for daylight bulbs) working some sort of optical magic that wash swiftly and brutally dispelled by harsh natural light.  Apparently, this is not actually the issue.  The culprit is oxidization.

Why didn't I notice this before, you might ask?  Well, I don't normally pat a blob on and just leave it it sit like I did with these swatches, I pat it all over my face immediately and in a very thin layer.  Then I get to the car and stare at the passenger mirror in horror, cursing my bathroom for flattering me too much.  Be warned: my camera has washed out Mac NC15 in this photo, so I've taken another just for Mac below.

Sulwhasoo Cushion #13 and #17 swatches with Mac NC15
My neighbours were definitely side-eyeing me as I took these on our back porch.
The photo taken in the shade is more accurate, but I was not able to get a truly accurate photo of the swatches.  Although this was quite frustrating, I have not corrected these images to be more true to life.  Please be advised that in reality, Mac NC15 is noticeably darker and more peachy (it's washing out on the camera for some reason) and both of the Sulwhasoo cushions are darker and more orange in person.

Mac NC15 swatch for context
This was taken in the last dregs of
natural light coming in my window.
I had a swatch of just NC15 alone on the back of my hand (before I decided to arm swatch instead) and as I was typing this review the discrepancy bugged me so much that I actually dragged out my camera again just to take a photo.  This is what Mac NC15 actually looks like indoors, for context:

Without sunlight reflecting on it, Mac NC15 is actually noticeably darker than my skintone and it's almost the same shade as #17.


Cushion demo & why I shouldn't apply makeup in my bathroom

Obviously if one talks about coverage, it's beneficial to show what it actually looks like on skin.  For that reason, I'm overcoming my hatred of cameras and posting my still-partially-ravaged-by-this-mask bare skin to demo the cushion properly.  Please note that I have attempted to colour correct the middle photo because my bathroom lighting is very yellow, but the other two have not been adjusted as they were taken in natural light.  These photos were taken as were were rushing around getting ready for an out of state trip, which is why I applied the cushion in front of my bathroom mirror as per usual.

Before and after swatches of Sulwhasoo cushion #13
The bathroom lighting is so forgiving, but then you get outside and the truth hurts.
Although the direct swatch looks quite light here it does oxidize, and as a result the cushion is actually a bit too dark for me a bit peachy/orange, which you can see more clearly in the photos below.  It's also more obvious in person, which leaves me trying to blend things down my neck and hope no one looks closely.  I'm so confused by undertones; if I apply 'cool' toned products the result is so pink I might as well have applied blush all over, but then yellow products sometimes pull orange and that doesn't look right either. (If you have some undertone wisdom for me, please pleeeeeaaaase let me know because I'm at a loss.  I know that warm shades look better on my skin than blue-toned ones, but other than that ... *flails around* ... halp.)

As you can see, the coverage is decent considering that it's a cushion; I tend to apply one press (i.e. I firmly press down the puff onto the sponge to pick up the product, resulting in the amount shown above) per cheek/side of my face, and the one more to cover  forehead, nose, mouth area, chin, and undereye area,  I might apply a little more in areas that need it, but cushions are best used as a 'no-makeup' type base, where you blur your imperfections instead of covering them completely.  I'll go in and spot conceal with a real concealer if needed, but for everyday use I don't bother.  The best thing about cushions is the application puff; it's the same idea as a beauty blender but the Amore Pacific patented cushion puffs are even more amazing.

Cushions aren't noted for their wear time, but they're easy to reapply/reblend if needed.  Here's a before and after comparison of our trip, where you can also more clearly see that this cushion is just a bit too dark for me:

Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion #13 swatch before and after trip
Not bad for midsummer in the midwest?  On the left I'm wearing a plum lipstick, on the right is a burgundy gloss.
Man, I wish I had the skin that my low-res front facing camera thinks I have.  Anyway, at least it manages to show the point here, which is that the finish is very natural, the cushion isn't quite a match for me, and the wear is decent for a dewy/natural cushion.  I sent a friend of mine an extra refill of #21 which was leftover from purchasing the Peony case, and she found it went greasy by mid-day in the summer heat.  It's definitely not a mattifying, cotton, otherwise dry finish, so keep that in mind if you're thinking of grabbing one.

Where to get Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion:
 Amazon | eBay | Sulwhasoo US  | Nordstrom | ViaSeoul | Sasa | Jolse | TesterKorea

Update: You can also get the beautiful Limited Edition 2017 version on Kultfinds. They also have LE matching puffs. Goodbye, my wallet; we've had a good run.

Instagram 10k thank-you giveaway details

Eeee, it's exciting to be finally able to post this.  I decided that when I hit the 10k+ milestone on my Instagram, I would do a little giveaway to say thank you!  This giveaway will be international, to anywhere that Korea Post will ship to.  I'll be purchasing and giving away a Sulwhasoo Perfecting or Perfecting Brightening cushion now that they have expanded their shade range.

The new range is (per the Sulwhasoo KR website) #11 pale pink, #13 light pink, #21 medium pink, #23 medium beige, #25 deep beige, and #33 dark beige.  There's also a #17 light beige in the Brightening, for a total of 7 shades.  That's an improvement over just #21 and #23 but there's still a long way to go, so if your shade isn't part of the new lineup or you don't want the cushion, I'll be happy to offer something of equivalent value if you win.  So how do you enter?



Since this giveaway is meant to give back to those who were part of the first 10,000 followers, all you have to do to enter is like and then comment with something that you've learned or liked about this blog/my Instagram on this Instagram post.  The upcoming Instagram post will have the duration of the giveaway and further details.  After it is complete, I will choose a winner and confirm they were one of the initial 10k.  No reposting or retweeting required, just a walk down memory lane of our time together. 💕

Here's the boring but necessary fine print:
This giveaway is open internationally, to any countries to which Korea Post offers regular shipping.  Entrants must be 18 years of age or older, or must have the express permission of a parent or legal guardian to enter and receive the prize. Entries will be verified. The prize will be marked as a gift and the cost of the prize plus regular shipping will be covered by me, but any additional fees charges by your local country including customs charges, taxes, etc, will not be the responsibility of myself or this blog. Neither the blog nor myself are not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen prizes. The winner is responsible for verifying the freshness and suitability of all prize items before using them; neither my blog nor myself are responsible for the effect of any products received as part of a giveaway on skin or general health. I will notify the winners within 48 hours of the contest close. The prize winners will have 48 hours to reply to my Instagram message in acknowledgement. If any of the winners do not reply back to me within 48 hours, the winning entry is void and I will draw another winner. This giveaway is void where prohibited.
And with that, we're done, at least until the giveaway post goes live on Instagram.  It's live now!

Have you tried one of the new Sulwhasoo shades?  Do you have undertone wisdom to share?  Hit me up on Facebook or Twitter and let me know!

Have something you'd like to share with me in general?  Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram at @snowwhiteandtheasianpear because I'd love to see it!

All the best,
-Cat

**Disclaimer: All products I review on my blog are 100% purchased with my own money, with a single exception of a press sample I tested & reviewed in 2015 which swore me off of them forever.  Any products received as personal gifts from family or friends will be clearly stated as such.  This blog contains both affiliate and non-affiliate links, and clicking the former before you shop means that this blog may receive a small commission to assist in this blog supporting itself.  Please see my Contact Info & Disclaimer policy for more information.

28 comments

  1. Can I just say you're one of my favorite bloggers and I like everything you say even when it doesn't really apply to me? Cause that's the truth. <3 I'm glad they have shades other than #21 and #23. It's nearly impossible to find a cushion I can try because I'm related to casper the friendly ghost.

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  2. I always thought my skin is on the lighter side and I bought shade #21 of the laneige pore control bb cushion. But after using it, I realised it was too light, so I went around my house looking for different mirrors in different locations to see if my face is truly as pale as it seemed in the bathroom lighting. I found out that it really is quite pale, even after minutes of walking around the house and searching for mirrors. I used a bronzer to warm the tone up, but I had to ask myself this: does laneige cushions not oxidise to a darker shade? As it was my rule of thumb when buying foundations.

    I tried the cushion again a week later, and found that it resulted in a much warmer shade, without looking too pale. My verdict, I guess, is that it does oxidise, but the lighting affects our perception. To have seen it really really pale, the slight changes after oxidisation could be too small to register in our minds. The second time I used the product, I was in my room near the window, with lots of natural light streaming in. I looked fine, and even better when I went to the bathroom afterwards.

    First impression and perceptions are as important as the foundation itself:)

    geeswatches.blogspot.sg

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    1. Lighting is definitely important, which is why I drag out a hand mirror and prop it up next to a window if I'm going to a special event, but it's so inconvenient and I end up with products strewn all over my living room. :C

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  3. This is a nice review, I like seeing cushion reviews/swatches because like you said - there aren't that many available! Us Kbeauty bloggers have a lot of catching up to do :D

    How does the cushion do with a flash? I've had some experiences where the cushion does give a bit of a white cast when photographed with a flash.

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    1. There's always room for more cushion swatches :D I haven't experienced the cushion with flash, but if it happens I'll definitely leave you a new reply with the info. :)

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  4. Ahhh man don't get me started on the whole undertones thing! It's so difficult. The thing that finally helped me decide I had cool undertones was looking at my veins on my inner wrist. If they are blue then you are cool, if they are green you are warm.
    The problem is that it still doesn't help as some people/brands say if you are cool toned you should wear a warm foundation to 'colour correct' your skin and vice versa. Personally I always find that looks a bit unnatural and prefer to wear a shade that's an exact match and warm my skin tone up with blush.
    Then there is the whole gauntlet of buying online and struggling to tell what undertones the foundation has from a swatch and trying to decide if the brand says it is for cool skin do they mean it has a cool tone to match your skin or a warm tone to cancel out your cool tone. Aggghhhh.
    I currently have about 20 different foundations of which only about 5 are actually a good skin match!
    Maybe I need to just stop buying foundations from korea! 😉

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    1. Undertones are a pain for sure. My veins are very green, which makes me think I'm yellow/warm undertoned, but then I get this whole yellow/orange/peach thing going on ... I just don't understand. OTL

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  5. Regarding undertones, I have the same problem of everything pulling too peach or pink, although cool tones look better. MAC NW10 is a decent match for me, as is Missha 13, but I haven't found a good formula match in my shade. So I finally gave in and ordered MAC Face and Body in white and N1. I was going to return it if I didn't absolutely love it, and I do love it. It never even dreams of emphasizing any dryness, it doesn't break me out, and mixing the white with everything else I have is very enlightening. I can wear pretty much all of it with white mixed in. I think the issue for us is just too much pigment in base products.

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    1. I think white mixers are a great idea, and if I was still using BB creams, I'd definitely get one; I've had my eye on the Illamasqua one. Unfortunately they're not really compatible with cushions, although I have used physical sunscreens as a brightening primer underneath the cushion, which kinda worked.

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  6. I LOVE this post. I'm so relieved to hear there's someone else out there whose face is darker than her neck. Every beauty professional I talk to about this problem looks at me like I'm a freak, since apparently the more common problem is a whiter face than neck. Also, it never occurred to me that my cushion may be oxidizing, and that's why I look perfect in my bathroom (albeit, the lighting is just too good in my bathroom — it's like a freakin' Amaro filter) and orange/pink in my car mirror.

    I also have issues with undertone — for the life of me, I can't figure mine out. My mom actually has a sort of pinkish undertone, so I think I'm more of a neutral undertone. Of course, all my Asian hyperpigmentation sort of throws everything off.

    Thanks for the awesome post and congratulations on 10,000 Insta followers!

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    1. Apparently it's called the "reverse eagle" haha! I think it's due to the skin on one's face being so much more delicate and vulnerable to sun damage, maybe? Also, thank you! <3

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  7. I've had the same problems with how a cushion looks in the bathroom mirror vs. in natural light. Sometimes I just console myself that I will be inside most of the day anyway so it'll probably be alright, ha. My skin is about your shade, and I too am a cool undertones person (no orange lipstick for me!) who finds warm undertones, yellow, or neutral-to-yellow base makeup looks best, because cool/pink toned stuff just amplifies the redness on my face. (Your "ravaged by the horrors of the bubble mask" skin...looks like mine on its best day, alas, but my Sad Rosacea Feels are neither here or there) The catch is that if the shade is too dark it ends up looking orange, so a good undertone but too-dark cushion shade can look like an undertone mismatch.

    I was excited when I read that there's a shade 11 now, but the fact that it's a pink-toned one makes me think it might not work for me. I've used Iope N13, and it wasn't too dark (unlike most prestige brands' #13 shades) but it was too pink; I wonder how Sulwhasoo #11 will compare. What worked for me with Sulwhasoo was to use a light yellow color correcting cc primer and then #17 over it: the slightly-too-light of the primer combined with the slightly-too-dark of the cushion to result in pretty-good-actually. What worked *best* was a different cushion altogether that was the correct shade, but it took testing well over a dozen cushions to find it.

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    1. Hmm ... for what it's worth, I didn't find #13 to be pink at all, it was definitely on the yellower side despite the name, so I'm hoping that #11 will also lean yellow. I found that #17 was very, er, brown? Not orange or yellow, but brown, and it ended up giving me a very flattering tanned look, at least until you looked at my neck or hands. D:

      What was the goldilocks cushion for you, in the end? I've actually used a whitecast physical sunscreen has the primer for the #17 in much the same way you described. I've been considering looking for a green primer, wondering if that would help to cancel out the pink overload of most products without going too orange with a strong yellow?

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    2. Yeah, come to think of it the #17 is actually more beige than yellow/orange. Maybe it's a neutral undertoned one? That's probably another reason it's more easy to work with.

      My goldilocks cushion was the original version of the Lalavesi Akma Cushion F/W in Y1. I saved up money to buy a replacement (they're not that expensive, I just have little income currently), and it is...different. I think they reformulated it, and it is less dewy and moisturizing, and lighter in color, and I am seriously bummed that companies cannot just leave well enough alone. It's still fine, but not ~*perfect*~ the way the other one was. Espoir's Nude Cushion in porcelain is another light shade cushion with neutral undertones.

      Green primers do indeed cancel out redness, but I've had mixed results with them. The one that works best for me is Etude House's green Magic Any Cushion, applied sparingly. I have to be careful because green primers cancel out the red so strongly that it's very easy for me to end up looking washed out and colorless. Since I have red cheeks to begin with, it feels like too much work for daily makeup to negate all the redness only to have to use blusher to add it back in. My favorite color correcting primer is Clio's VF21 color correcting primer--the lemon meringue shade, which is a pastel not strong yellow--but it's out of production now whyyyyyy. I swear, half the work of creating a skincare and makeup routine is constantly searching for a replacement for the great stuff that actually works but gets discontinued. :(

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  8. If neither cool nor warm shades feel like the right matches, you might be a neutral! Most brands should carry neutral shades, although you might have to do some research to figure out which ones (I know some brands will do things like if the number of the color ends in a 0 or 5 or whatever that will indicate the undertone).

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    1. I'll definitely keep an eye out for neutral shades in the 11/13/17 range; I think part of the problem is that the labelling/name isn't always going to necessarily indicate what's actually in it.

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  9. Musicalhouses' undertone blog post remains one of my faves in determining undertones. Have you checked for olive markers? After going through the same things you mentioned, I figured out in neutral skewing olive, but also really pale. You may be olive, skewing neutral, and also pale!

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    1. I've read it, actually, and it's a great post! I think her comments about being a cool yellow instead of a warm yellow are really insightful.

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    2. i totally agree, I have the same issues with undertones, cool looks pink and warm looks orange. Sounds like you belong to the pale olive crowd :) there's some nice reddit posts about this that may help!

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  10. I have the Evenfair Perfecting refill in #25 and I love the finish. Since I'm trying to do a "cushion comparison" for oily/combination - acne prone skintypes picked this one, the Cover powder from Mamonde, the Long wear cover from Innisfree and the brightening from H. of Whoo (which is more suitable for cold-dry climate) I swatched all these and I believe 25 is my perfect tone even is more yellow than I'd like, because 23 always makes me look a little pale, but sadly Korean Brands don't make many tones...I wonder if they don't think in overseas customers.

    Annnnd, I have the same issue with the bathroom light...or with any artifficial light. That's why I now take all the photos with natural daylight, even it's cloudy. It's a little difficult, specially because I'm like Mr.Magoo without my glasses, but after many shots can get some useful pics...(and I'm still hating the iPhone camera, it's like enhances the flaws in my skin >_< and that's really depressing).

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    1. I think the kbeauty boom is definitely encouraging Korean brands to start thinking outside the country in terms of shade options! Innisfree has also launched more shades, iirc. I love the look of the Whoo cushions (how could I not) but they don't have anything in my shade range ... yet. *crosses fingers*

      I feel you on being blind without my glasses; I can use the tiny mirror on the cushion case lid but that doesn't help with making sure everything is blended evenly all over, sigh.

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  11. I wear shade 13 in perfecting, and 17 in brightening. I feel like both match my skin tone. I'm neutral on face, warm on the rest of my body.
    Shade 13 is a tad too light going on, but after an hour or so i think it match quite well. Shade 17 match me better, but I prefer the formula of perfecting cushion (which sadly doesn't come in 17)
    Used to be NC20, but i feel like all the sun screen usage has made me lighter than that right now.

    Other shade I've tried is laneige shade 21, and it was obviously too dark for me.

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    1. I think #13 and #17 are good matches for an NC15-20 for sure. You also noticed the oxidization, eh? I am annoyed with myself for not realizing it before, but I just assumed it was the bathroom lightning OTL

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  12. Ugh, undertones. I am going to save you the explanation of my own special hell that is finding a foundation match and just skip to the things I have discovered.
    1) Yes oxidation is real, it can happen on your face throughout the day AND it can happen halfway through a bottle/tube/whatever which is also frustrating af.
    2a) you might actually have neutral undertones like someone suggested above OR (since it sounds like you are more of a warm).
    2b) The interpretation of what is "warm" "neutral" or "cool" is very much brand (and sometime product line) specific. I find that a lot of "neutral" tones end up being more warm/yellow (even in brands that have all 3 options, which a lot only have options for warm or cool). So if you go for a warm and its looking orange, maybe a "neutral" in that same brand would actually be the perfect amount of warm for you.
    I still have to mix my own colors out of “oh this is the right tone but too dark or light” with “oh this is the right shade but the tone is beyond wrong” at the moment, but maybe I’ll find a match that doesn’t oxidize one day …

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  13. amazing content , yes u r right, I m also like to seeing cushion reviews because like you said - there aren't that many available! UK beauty bloggers have a lot of catching up to do. thanks for your thinking.

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  14. I have only tried the Intense, and 13 is a good match for me. Do you know if the cases are the same size? I am thinking of getting a refill of the Perfecting to try it, but I am hoping it would fit into the case from the Intense. For some reason there are not separate refills available of the Intense, at least not yet.

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  15. Would you say that #17 is lighter than NC15? Would #13 be too light when im. Between NC15 and NC13? It so hard to try to shade match online.

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