Review: Magic Snow Cushion White (AprilSkin)

I have heard so much about the April Skin cushions. They are a small South Korean brand and were relatively unknown until this product, which was raved about for it’s super high coverage, which went viral and also sold out in many places. From what I’m told, they are still rather small in South Korea, where the market is still dominated by big name brands like Innisfree, Nature Republic, Laneige and IOPE, but they definitely have a great international following. They have been reviewed a lot by asian beauty bloggers and youtubers alike, so I am relatively late coming onto this but… let’s go!

I personally love reviewing cushions and BB creams. I love how they look sitting with my make up because they’re all so different and make for very ‘collectable’ products. I also have very specific things that I look for in a cushion – buildable or high coverage, a dewy finish (which is why I personally steer away from matte finishes which simply don’t suit me) and how it sits on my skin. I’ll be keeping these attributes in mind while writing this review.

This product was sent to me for review by StyleKorean so if you’re interested in checking out their store, just click on their name to go to their home page.

When I was checking out the cushions, I decided to go for the ‘white’ version of the cushion which (in comparison to the black cushion) has lower coverage and spreadability, but looks more natural and moist. It is recommended for Spring/Summer as well as Combination and Dry Skin. Since I have combination skin that often leans more towards dry – especially in the recent Australian weather – this definitely seemed the most suitable for me.

My overall skin tone is quite even with very minimal break outs or blemishes, so I didn’t need the super high coverage – though, from testing, this white one already has super high coverage! I feel like the black one might really turn me into a blank canvas.

You can check out the below chart, which was taken from the StyleKorean website:

The packaging for this one was… so so. It feels sturdy and clicks easily into place, so I have no complaints about that, but I feel like the design is rather lacklustre. I’m not a big fan of their original logo so it is pretty obvious that, at the time of launching this collection, they were still a rather small brand. They definitely improved with their packaging and branding in the future though.

The packaging is relatively slim in comparison to some of my other cushions, so it is really easily to slip into the side pocket of my bag. It’s rather indiscrete, so is easily to pull out in public (which was my problem with the hot pink Lioele packaging).

The cushion comes with a orange puff, which is pretty similar to the other cushion puffs. Overall, there’s nothing too different about it aside from the colour, so there isn’t much I can say.

As for the actual cushion though – this one is different to what I am used to. This one is more foam like than the others I have used and isn’t completely saturated until you press down and ‘open’ the product. I’ve been using it for a few days and I still have a slight white ring around it which isn’t the prettiest, but I don’t think it’s an issue. If anything, I think it will help to keep product more sanitary.

The BB cream is quite thick and very high in coverage, so you don’t need to press too hard or use too much of it at once. For myself, I usually only dab very lightly and them slowly work the product on my face, adding a little more when necessary.

An example of how high coverage and dense the BB cream is: See the above puff? I had pressed down on the cushion as I usually would for other BB creams and quite a bit of product had dispensed itself. Usually, this would be enough for half of my face (or my entire face if I wanted a very light layer). However, this was actually enough to cover my entire hand (as seen below) as well as my whole face in a very intense layer.

The BB cream has very even coverage with a dewy, natural finish. The colour matches my skin tone well but is a little bit light for me – which is pretty standard for a shade 21. It is quite true to colour and its shade would be comparable to Etude House, I think. The finish would fall between IOPE and Clio for me – high coverage but dewy.

Overall, I really liked this cushion – even more than I thought I would to begin with. Since the coverage is quite high, I have learnt that less is definitely more when it comes to the April Skin cushions. It is much better to work with a light hand than it is to go in full powered. My own real issue with the packaging (discounting my feelings about the design which is more about personal taste), is that the cushion is a little puffy and raised even after daily use. This shouldn’t be an issue except that when I close the compact, it presses against the plastic cushion holder, leaving a small mark of product on the top.

I feel like this will eventually stop being a problem when I use it more, but perhaps this is the downside of them making the packaging too slim? It isn’t a big issue but I can see how it would frustrate some people.

SO WHAT IS IT?

A high coverage, moist/dewy finish BB cushion

THE GOOD

• Sturdy and click-in closed compact
• Slim and easy to carry around
• Super high coverage (even for the ‘lower’ coverage product)
• Pretty, moist finish
• Long lasting (survived by birthday dinner + karaoke)
• Sits well on your skin
• Good colour match and quite easily blendable
• Very affordable

THE BAD

• Packaging design is rather bland
• The cushion presses against the plastic holder

WOULD I REPURCHASE?

I definitely would! I’ve been reaching for this BB cream pretty much every day and the only other cushion that I do that for regularly is the IOPE – this is definitely proof for me. When the weather becomes warmer, I would be interested in trying the black cushion (as my skin will be less dry) but I definitely like the dewy finish of this one. The coverage is meant to be lower than the black cushion, but I already think it’s great. 100% would recommend!

HELPFUL TIP

If your BB creams and foundations don’t feel like they’re sitting evenly on your skin, or if it feels like it’s ‘floating’, don’t be afraid to shave your face. I know that it sounds really strange to people who have never done it, but it is definitely a normal thing to do and helps make up sit better.

I’m sure that you can google articles on how to do it, otherwise I’m open to writing up a tutorial! Let me know in the comments below.

WHERE TO GET IT FROM

The April Skin Magic Snow Cushion White is currently on sale at StyleKorean for USD$18.31 – 30% off the full price of USD$26.17. Click their name to go to their homepage or, alternatively, click the below banner to go straight to the product page:

EDIT

I have a question: I read online that this sponge is actually called a mochi cushion, where the BB cream is housed in between the sponge (and not beneath it). In order to save me from cutting it open, perhaps someone can comment below and let me know? I have seen others call the applicator sponge the mochi, but the new versions seem to say that the sponge is the mochi. Help?

aprilskinkbeautymakeupstylekorean