The time is here and a lot of people have been curious about the Medicube cushion. This product went viral on social media after a promotional video where they showed this amazing coverage – a product that could cover up a tattoo, coat a spotted quail egg and work on three different models with intense acne and scarring. The best part about all of this, however, was that the product was non-comedogenic; it doesn’t clog pores, so it is completely safe for use on sensitive or acne prone skin. For myself, I don’t really have problem skin though I know a lot of people who do and I thought that the concept of this was really great. Although it is best not to use make up and cover up sensitive skin, especially during flare ups, for a lot of people this can affect their self esteem or how they view themselves. Acne is such a normal part of life, but it’s sad that something like that can affect someone so much. Some people will cover it up with their hair, or just layer on foundation and – if it’s not an appropriate formula – this can actually worsen the situation.
And, I guess, that’s where the Medicube Red Cushion comes into play. This product comes in two shades (21 Light Beige and 23 Natural Beige) and I got the lighter colour. However, I find that it doesn’t oxide much like a usual BB cream and that the slightly darker tone would have matched me better. But it isn’t too far from my natural colour and so a bit of contouring and I’m back in the game!
I tried out this cushion for a while with different lengths of time and found that it works better with some products, and has adverse effects with some others. Read on for the full (and detailed) review!
I got this product to test from Early Picker for review along with more things from their Red line, so look forward to it! If you want to get your hands on it, it’s available on their website for USD$31 (discounted from USD$42).
So the theme of the red collection makes a feature of the colour red – which is also in their logo. There’s a sort of clinical feel with the packaging of all of their products – very white with very clean and modern feel. I think that this really suits their brand image and, even though it’s not the sort of cute style most of us would be expecting from Asian cosmetics, I really like it. This cushion is definitely not cheap (the online price is very close, if not on par to its price in-store in Korea too) so I appreciate that it has a clean, almost medical aesthetic.
When you open the box, it also suggests that the product is used within 12 months of opening and that it is stored between 10 – 30°C and kept out of direct sunlight; this is what I usually do for all of my cushions anyway, but it’s a good reminder!
The case of this cushion is actually really interesting too. For those who haven’t seen the viral video (and I’ll link that at the end of the post), this one is actually a square case – and I’ve only seen that in a few instances – with a matte silver finish and the logo printed over the top. I actually like the shape of this in that it makes stacking really easy but there are down sides – it’s a different shape to the standard cushion, so storage can sometimes be annoying if you have a lot of them like me. Another negative can be seen below when you open it.
So even though the cushion case is squared, the actual cushion sponge and puff is still rounded. I suppose that this might be because of technical issues on why it wasn’t made a square too (not sure what that might be though) but this means that you now have a bulkier product that contains the same amount of a smaller one. It’s excess design, not as streamlined as it could have been, so as a designer I feel that there is definitely improvement that could be done here.
I like the black interior of the case though, which has a very luxurious feel and the black puff means that it’s pretty obvious when it’s dirty – something will will encourage you to use it. This is a point some people will love and some will hate, but considering the target audience of Medicube, I don’t think this is a bad thing.
Opening it up, the cushion has a mochi style sponge – so it will look almost pure white at first. The cream is housed in between the sponge, like a mochi cake, and is only dispensed once you push down. This allows for easy usage – as you’re not having to push too far to scrape up the formula from underneath – and might be a bit more hygienic (?) – I’m not completely certain about that point. Generally, I think that the normal sponges are prettier but mochi cushions are easier to use – I just like having that very evenly dispensed look for my product. Another downside is that the mochi sponges are a little bit rounded and puffy due to their design, so it presses against the lid of the cushion, leaving a bit of residue. I usually just take a brush to that and use it to fill in the sides of my nose.
And below is a swatch of the product on my hand – only using the amount that was on the puff. To be honest, I don’t think that this was a particularly good example because my liquid eyeliner seemed to have melted a little and melted through the formula – which is why the coverage looks so average. However, I like how you can see that natural glow from the foundation though!
The coverage of this foundation is more like a medium to high coverage, buildable. I definitely isn’t as high as it is in the viral video that went around, but it’s actually still pretty decent and I wouldn’t want my base make up to be more than this or it would look like a face full of concealer.
For acne prone skin, I think that this foundation will help to cover up most of the redness. Concealer will still be needed for severe areas, but for most mild to average break outs, I think that this will be sufficient. I had no break outs, no clogging of my pores and my skin feels great after using this (in that, it doesn’t feel tired or ‘dirty’ afterwards).
When you first apply this cushion, it looks amazing. It has a great natural glow with a demi-matte finish, covers up pores really well and you can build it up on certain areas if you need a little bit more coverage. For myself though, since I don’t have any break outs, I like to apply this lightly. A concealer is needed for undereyes, but I find that it covers up any redness that I have and keeps my skin hydrated too.
I kept this foundation on throughout the day – up to twelve hours – and while I did fade on my nose and forehead (where I am pretty oily) the rest of my face lasted really well with no caking, and it looked really natural. I could have easily blotted and did some minor touch ups and looked fresh again.
However, and this is definitely something to keep in mind, this foundation can cake up really quickly and strangely if you apply liquid on top of it – especially setting spray or mist. I always use sunscreen underneath and I have used primer too, both are fine as long as they have absorbed properly before application. If you spray any liquid on top though, the foundation gets really heavy, powdery and strange looking. It’s also impossible to retouch at that point and you’re only choice (which is what I did) is to wipe your whole face off and reapply. Sad, I know.
My recommendation for using this is do not set the foundation. It will last fine on it’s own or with a primer underneath – adding powder on top will make it look heavy, and sprays will ruin the formula.
I am guessing that this has to do with the silica powder in the make up, which is used to absorb oil. I assume that it is absorbing the liquid sprays instead, which is causing it to bunch up and look like baking powder – or something both creasy and powdery. As long as you don’t do this though, your make up will wear amazingly all day!
Here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A non-comedogenic glowing cushion foundation.
THE GOOD
- Great design/packaging
- Interesting base design
- Mochi sponge – easy to dispense
- Non-comedogenic and skin still feels clean after
- Light tea tree scent – pleasant and fades quickly
- Natural, glowing finish
- Easy to blend and spread
- Medium to high, buildable coverage
- Covers redness well
- Wears well through the day – lasts long, fades naturally
THE BAD
- Interior of cushion could be improved
- Cannot set/spray mist on top
- Average oil control
- Expensive
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
Yes. This cushion is definitely not cheap, but I think that it’s very worth it for someone with sensitive skin, especially if you’re prone to acne or redness. I don’t think that this will cover up everything for you, but it will be very sufficient in most cases and the use of a good formula like this will help your skin to breathe and recover. Please do keep in mind my suggestion of no mist – because you will regret it if you do it.
WHERE TO GET IT FROM
The Medicube Red Cushion is at Earlypicker for USD$31 – discounted from the full price of USD$41. Click their name to go to their homepage or, alternatively, click the below banner to go straight to the product page:
