If you love a fresh, radiant complexion with minimal effort, cushion foundation might just become your new best friend. This clever compact brings together skincare and makeup in one portable, mess-free package; perfect for touch-ups on the go or quick morning routines.
What Is Cushion Foundation?
Cushion foundation originated in South Korea and quickly became a beauty staple around the world. Instead of pouring or pumping out liquid foundation, the formula is soaked into a soft sponge (the “cushion”) housed inside a compact.
When you press the accompanying puff into the cushion, it picks up just the right amount of product, giving you light to medium coverage that can be built up if needed. Most cushion foundations are infused with skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid and SPF, so you get hydration and protection alongside coverage.
It’s essentially a liquid foundation in a compact, offering the best of both worlds: the dewy finish of a liquid with the portability of a powder.
How to Use Cushion Foundation
1. Prep Your Skin
Start with your usual skincare routine: cleanse, moisturise, and apply SPF. Cushion foundation looks best on well-hydrated skin.
2. Press, Don’t Swipe
Gently press the puff into the cushion to pick up the product. A little goes a long way, so start light!
3. Use the Blending Palette (If Applicable)
Some cushion foundations will have a ‘blending palette’ – a little textured grid on the cover – to blot the cushion on before you apply it to your skin, so it is more even.
4. Tap It On
Instead of dragging or rubbing the cushion, use tapping or patting motions to apply. This technique helps the foundation blend seamlessly and maintains that natural, luminous finish.
5. Build Where You Need It
For more coverage, repeat the process on areas like the cheeks, nose, or chin. Cushion foundations are designed to layer without caking.
6. Set (Optional)
Use a setting spray to keep it in place for longer if you want – although a cushion foundation is easily portable for on the go touch ups, so you can just fix your makeup later on if needed instead.
7. Touch Up Anytime
One of the biggest perks? You can pop the compact into your bag for quick touch-ups throughout the day, no brushes or extra tools required.
Why to Use a Cushion Foundation
- Portable & travel-friendly: Contains the makeup, applicator and mirror in one compact.
- Skincare-meets-makeup: Many formulas nourish skin while also providing coverage.
- Customisable coverage: Go sheer and glowy or build up to medium.
- Perfect for dewy looks: The cushion format gives a naturally radiant finish.
The Cushion Foundations I Have Tried and Tested
I have tried a few cushion foundations and these are the ones that I regularly use:
Parnell Cicamanu Serum Cushion (SPF 45 PA++)
A makeup-skincare hybrid, the Parnell Cicamanu Serum Cushion is a cushion foundation infused with skincare ingredients, so you can get great coverage plus a radiant glow.
It contains Centella Asiatica to soothe and calm skin while providing great foundation coverage. It also includes UV protection, with SPF 45 PA++, so you can also top up your sun protection throughout the day as you reapply your makeup.
It is fairly easy to apply and it has a nice lightweight finish. The combination of calming ingredients and coverage means that it does a good job of concealing the redness in my cheeks without irritating it. It is buildable and leaves a smooth finish. For me it’s a pretty normal finish – not too matte, not too dewy – a good natural finish.
There are 30 shades available, and I have tried shades 21, 23 and 24, which are all ideal for my skin tone around the year.
The cushion of the Parnell foundation is an actual sponge, which compared to some of the other options can be a little harder to get the makeup out of – I usually have to press a bit harder to get product on the sponge.
Tocobo Apple Dewy Fit Cushion (SPF 50+ PA++++)
The Tocobo Apple Dewy Fit Cushion offers a long-lasting and dewy finish with a light coverage. It’s perfect for giving your skin a more even tone without it looking like you’re wearing makeup.
Providing a blend of makeup and skincare, it has SPF 50+ PA++++ UV protection, as well as 10 types of Hyaluronic Acid to provide hydration and prevent moisture loss.
This one is great if you like a glowy, dewy finish. It feels lightweight on my skin, but effortlessly covers up the redness in my cheeks. It doesn’t go cakey or settle too much in wrinkles, but in bright sunlight it can be a bit too shiny on my oily skin.
So far the shade range is pretty limited – there are only 6 so far – with shade 27 being the darkest shade – but it’s one I could easily wear in the summer and I’m obviously white!
Amuse Dew Jelly Vegan Cushion (SPF 38 PA+++)
A lightweight cushion that covers blemishes and redness, leaving a glowy and dewy finish.
It contains SPF 38 PA+++ UV protection as well as moisturising ingredients like hyaluronic acid, panthenol and birch juice.
The shade range is limited – there are only 5 shades so far – and they’re all fairly pale.
For me, this offers a nice dewy finish, it covers my blemishes and redness while staying smooth and lightweight. I have been using shade 1.5 Clear, which is a bit too light for me, if I was rebuying this one I’d get shade 2 or 3 instead.
TirTir Mask Fit AI Filter Cushion (SPF 30 PA++)
A cushion with a velvety matte finish, the TirTir Mask Fit AI Filter Cushion aims to provide a blurred effect, like an AI filter in real life! It is long-lasting and high coverage.
The cushion also provides SPF30 PA++ UV protection, and contains vitamin C, offering skincare benefits too.
I’ve been using shade 21N, which I think is a pretty good match! On my skin it has a velvety matte finish that really easily covers all blemishes. It feels pretty lightweight and it stays well throughout the day, especially when used with the waterproof setting spray.
Compared to the others, this one is much ‘drier’, with a matte finish not a dewy one, and so I notice that it settles into my lines and wrinkles a bit more and makes the texture of my skin a bit more noticeable. I think if you’re younger and have oily skin, this would be an ideal foundation cushion, but it probably wouldn’t suit dry or mature skin as well.
Cushion foundation is a game-changer for anyone who loves effortless beauty. It’s ideal for everyday wear, travel, or touch-ups before a night out. Whether you want to achieve that signature glass-skin glow or just simplify your makeup routine, a clever little compact like these are definitely worth a spot in your makeup bag.
