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It’s the battle of the massive cushions! I was introduced to these cushions from Elroel by StyleKorean and, honestly, I was so fascinated by the sheer size of them that I really wanted to feature them on my blog. I haven’t been using cushions a lot lately because I have been wearing Western foundations, but I actually always carry one (or two) of these in my bag to touch up with during the day. For the sake of review though, I did change up my make up routine!
Today, I want to review and compare to vastly different products from the Elroel line – their Big Pang Pang Dot Cushion, which is more like a standard sponge type cushion, and also their Blanc Pact, which is like a solid cream compact type product. Both of these are foundation/base make up type products (the latter is not a sun pact) and are selling for USD$33 on the StyleKorean website. They also have Mini Cushions if you aren’t about that oversized life.
So, let’s go right into the review and let these two battle it out.
About the Brand
Elroel (which stands for Elegant Romantic Elle) is a make up artist started brand – this brand is owned by Yoo Yang-Hee, an artist with over twenty-six years of experience working with professional models and celebrities.
This brand aims to “help women express their uniqueness in an easy and beautiful way by using makeup sensible for every kind of skin.” Essentially, Elroel’s products are meant to be easy to use and suitable for a variety of skin types.
At the moment, most of their offerings are skin based products: foundation and sun cushions, cream foundations and also blusher cushions. Considering that Korean beauty has such a strong focus on glowing, healthy looking skin – this seems like a natural first step to take.
All in all, Elroel is a relatively new brand (from what I know) and I always pay exceptional attention to those headed by professional make up artists. Personally, I’m super keen to see how they grow too!
Big Pang Pang Dot Cushion (#21) | USD$44 (discounted from USD$55)
First off, let’s chat about their Big Pang Pang Dot Cushion, which is easily their most eye-catching product. It is a foundation cushion that comes in two shades (21 and 23), with a moisture formula and an interesting design. The actual cushion is easily the biggest one I’ve seen with the following stats:
- Mirror: 9cm
- Puff: 7.3cm
- Cushion: 25g on product
The downside of this cushion though is that it is quite expensive, with a full price of USD$55 (though StyleKorean often has sales and deals), and it doesn’t come with a refill either. With that high end price tag, it may be better to purchase a Mini Cushion or invest in a Laneige Cushion. However, let’s take a closer look first.
Packaging
This product comes in a cute box with the red lip design and the cursive text over it – reflecting the design of the actual compact. The box has a gloss coating which gives it a nice quality. All in all, the packaging is very bold and trendy. It doesn’t look very elegant, but it doesn’t look (or feel) cheap either. It also has a a sticker to seal the product closed but, as you can see, I peeled it off and it took some of the coating off too.
Onto the compact, this cushion is so massive that it really makes a statement! I like the red lip pattern on the white, and the black text is nice too – even if I don’t really understand it. The compact has a click closure that is secure an easy to use.
Because of the size of this cushion, it makes application (especially initial application) really fast and easy. However, it also means it’s bulky to carry around. In fact, this doesn’t fit in my make up bag so I have to carry it loose.
Internal Design
As previously mentioned, the puff for this cushion is significantly bigger than a regular cushion at 7.3cm – approximately 30% bigger than a standard puff. It has a cream dotted design to reflect the sponge design and a very soft and fine underside; it feels like silk to the touch. The size of it means that it fits really well into my hand and that application time is a lot faster. It has a bigger surface area, and the puff makes the product blend out really well.
The sponge, as you can see below, has a cream beige foundation as well as a light yellow dot design. According to the claims, the beige base make up covers blemishes with pigment, while the yellow dots combine with the formula to make skin brighter and more radiant. After continued use, the dots do fade.
Formula & Product Claims
According to the product description, this product has three main points:
- Formulated with Hippophaerhamnoides water and Vitamin components, it adds vitality to the skin.
- It contains 82% of royal jelly and essence ingredients, leaving the skin moist and shiny all day long.
- This is the best long-lasting cushion with 14 light yellow dots that make the skin luminescent and bright and beige base that covers blemishes.
This product has a very moist and dewy finish, giving skin a healthy and bright radiance. It had a medium to high buildable coverage and blends in well to the skin. I wouldn’t say that it has a very natural finish, as its very dewy and does sit on top of skin, but it doesn’t feel or look overly heavy either. I think that this formula would suit combination to dry skin well.
I personally lean towards oily at the moment so I always set the foundation with a powder after application. It only last a few hours before my oils start to peek through, but it is easy to blot/re-powder as well as touch up. The product mainly breaks up around my upper lip and nose area, but lasts well on my cheeks and other ‘normal’ areas.
Scent wise, this is fairly light and dissipates on application. It has a sweet, jelly-candy like smell (I had to check a few times) that I personally like.
SO WHAT IS IT?
An oversized foundation cushion with a dewy finish and medium to high, buildable coverage
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 2/5
- PACKAGING | 4/5
- PIGMENTATION | 5/5
- COLOUR | 5/5 (no oxidising and true to first application)
- HYDRATION | 5/5
- LONGEVITY | 2/5
OVERALL RATING? 7.7/10
THOUGHTS? The main downside of this product would have to be the high end price point – especially considering that it doesn’t even include a refill. For this price, and for the sake of suitability to my skin, I would rather spend the money on a Laneige cushion (which is less dewy and more natural coverage).
If you don’t mind that though, this is still a cushion that I enjoy using. The coverage is really nice, to the point where I only use very little concealer, and the formulation is very dewy but not heavy on the skin. It is also easy to bend and touch up during the day, which is why I carry it around in my bag a lot. It works on top of most foundations.
Blanc Pact | USD$44 (discounted from USD$55)
And the second product from them that I tried is also a compact, but is actually not a cushion! At first, I mistook this as a whitening compact but this is more of a ‘no-makeup makeup’ sort of product. Unlike the foundation cushion, this product comes in one shade and is meant to blend into your natural skintone on application.
This like a ‘pact’ formula, so it has a cream formula that then applies to skin like a foundation. This is meant to have a more natural finish and coverage.
Packaging
Similar to the previous compact, this product is also signifcantly bigger than a standard cushion compact size. It comes in a glossy black box with metallic gold detailing. This design looks a bit more elegant than the standard cushion, and has the same box quality – not exceptional but also pretty decent and not cheap feeling. It also has the sticker seal (as you can see in the above photo).
Opening it up, the compact case has a matching glossy black design with the gold detail in the middle. It has a decorative feel but it’s minimal enough that I find it really pretty and elegant. The closure is also a click function, just as secure as the other.
Out of the two compact designs, I definitely prefer this one – just because the aesthetic of it suits my personal tastes better. I like the black gloss, and I like the simple gold detailing too.
Internal Design
Opening it up, this case has a similar build to the foundation cushion. The lid closes down tightly and is practically air tight, so that keeps the product from drying out. It also has the full-size mirror and a black internal design.
The main difference here is the puff, which has a different underside pattern. This puff is a little stiffer – it is still soft but doesn’t have the same silk feeling. It also has a cross-hatch design on it. This slightly textured puff probably works better for the cream formula, as it does work well to blend out the product. There is also minimal residue left on the puff and I don’t feel like it is absorbing much of the product.
Formula & Product Claims
Similarly to the cushion, this pact has a handful of claims taken from the product description:
- Its formulation changes from cream to compact.
- It contains the moisturizing power of cream and the covering power of foundation in one product.
- 70% Water Oil essence and patent elasticity ingredient nourishes the skin and expresses it as a healthy and lively skin.
- It is a cream compact that creates a bright skin with excellent adhesion and natural covering power.
This product also has a hydrating and dewy finish, with the cream changing from a white to beige appearance in the compact (it changes once you rub it). It claims to contain the moisturising benefit of a cream, with the coverage of a foundation – which I do agree with to an extent.
The compact has a medium coverage and needs to be blended in well to the skin, as it will otherwise appear a bit while. The finish is very dewy but thin, with a lightweight and natural appearance. Since the formula is so thin, it also wears well during the day and gives you that ‘no makeup makeup’ glow. As a cream formula, it also helps in covering up pores – which is a trait I love from these type of foundations.
However, as I often notice with these ‘colour changing’ products, this product oxidises quite significantly. Although it looks fine on first appearance, in a few moments the formula has become warmer and darker – it isn’t exactly orange, but it doesn’t suit my skin tone anymore. I don’t feel that this should be a one shade product.
It also has a slight soap-like scent, which does dissipate but I don’t like as much as the cushion scent.
SO WHAT IS IT?
A colour changing cream compact makeup base
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 2/5
- PACKAGING | 5/5
- PIGMENTATION | 3/5
- COLOUR | 2/5
- HYDRATION | 5/5
- LONGEVITY | 2/5
OVERALL RATING? 4.7/10
THOUGHTS? Hypothetically, I thought that I would really like this product. I generally enjoy cream foundations – whether it is in a compact or a foundation – but this does have all of the functions that I like: it applies smoothly, covers pores and hydrates skin. However, the oxidising is a disappointment for me. I tried to wear a lighter powder on top of it, but it was still noticeably darker than my natural complexion.
This may suit people with a slightly darker and warmer skintone but, for someone who usually wears a 21, this isn’t it.
So it’s clear from my review which is the winner here – the Big Pang Pang Dot Cushion! Although it is a bit expensive, I will be continuing to use this because I really like the formula and the coverage – it also works so well to touch up on top of my usual foundations during the day.
The Blanc Pact has a lot of potential but the colour just didn’t work on my skin tone. If they had a few different shades, or even if they didn’t use the colour-changing technology, then this may have eliminated that issue.
If you’d like to check out these products for yourself, hop on over to the StyleKorean website where you can check out all of the Elroel products, the Big Pang Pang Dot Cushion or the Blanc Pact individually.
You can also get them in a Duo Set but the price is actually the same, so it doesn’t make a difference.
