REVIEW: Etude House Precious Mineral MOIST Any Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++

Etude House is a brand that I particularly appreciate for its excellent product quality, gorgeously cute packaging and star-studded endorsements, like Krystal and Sulli of f(x), and previously Park Shin Haye and Lee Min Ho, who I admire a lot. It is somehow thanks to them that I came across the first ads of the brand, which were amazing and appealed to me as a young girl. The growing popularity of BB/CC cushions in South Korea, more specifically among K-Pop idols and Hallyus, has particularly made me wanted to give it a try.

Coming back to the Precious Mineral MOIST Any Cushion Review, it is among the first products I purchased from Etude House. It contains 3.38 fl. oz. / 100ml of product and is available in 3 different shades: N02 Light Beige,  W13 Natural Beige, and  W24 Honey Beige. I bought the one in N02 Light Beige as I have very fair skin (despite living on a tropical island).  So let's check it out. 

 

As expected, Etude House likes to project that girly image, which really appeals to young girls, making them feel like "PINK PRINCESSES". The packaging is appealing and sweet. It comes in that off-white box and compact with an airpuff for application (which is practical to keep our hands clean). It is also very portable and can be easily carried around.

(Sorry, could not get a good picture of my cushion due to bad lighting and very light-reflecting white packaging. Had to upload from the Net)

As for the benefits it claims to have on various ads and on the packaging itself, its main highlights are: 

-SPF 50+/PA+++, which is highly recommended if you are daily exposed to extreme sunlight (hence, it is very appropriate for me). But this does not mean you should not apply a sun block or sunscreen prior to applying make-up. 

-Moisturizing, which indicates that it hydrates your skin. So, if you have dry skin or a combination skin type, this is the product to use.

-Anti-wrinkling; maybe it helps to keep a youthful look because Korean make-up is all about achieving a young and baby-like aegyo face.

-Whitening, tone correcting, which might not be very appropriate for darker skin tones, as it might  look unnatural. So, it is very important to know how to choose your appropriate shade.

 

So, below is the actual compact and the accompanying air puff. The compact comes with a push button and an in-built mirror.

As with most cushions, there is a protecting film covering the product and that should be peeled off:

This is how it actually looks after you peel off the sticker seal. It comes with a sponge/cushion that was soaked in the formula which had quite a nice sweet floral scent.

After gently pressing the air puff into the sponge, it looked like the following. It actually very practical compared to squirting BB or foundation on the hands first, then apply on the face. Doing one's make-up in the morning becomes less time consuming. I think this is in itself a great advantage for those who have hectic mornings.

Appearance of product on air puff

On the visual aspect, the product looks like any regular BB/CC cream or foundation cream. However, after application on the skin, it feels surprisingly quite different. Unlike foundation which gives a more cakey texture, the cushion, on the other hand, has a more silky, softer texture. It's as if there were nothing on it. It does not feel sticky at all. It actually feels like I have a moisturizer on my skin. I believe that setting the makeup with loose powder is even unnecessary.

The first two pictures on top show the appearance of the swatch on my skin. The bottom pictures show its appearance after patting the product with airpuff till it was eveny blended with my skin. It doesn't look like I have foundation on my arm :) My veins still look quite visible.

Now, on 'them' cheeks. No primer, concealer and powder used (not even required). Just a well-cleansed and toned face.

I chose to make the comparison taking pictures with and without flash and it really did make a difference as you can see. Let's start comparing the 'no flash' pictures. I have had some breakouts for some time now and they are somewhat visible on the picture. After applying the Precious Mineral MOIST Any Cushion, my pores and breakouts were covered up to a large extent. My cheek looked more even but there is no major change. So, on that side, it is a big thumbs-up :) Now, coming to the pictures where flash photography was used, the difference is very noticeable. Not only did my skin tone became fairer and even but there is also THE 'Glow', the korean celebrity glow, that we all want to achieve. As you can see, I have a nice glow on my cheekbone. However, for all those who want to use the Light Beige Cushion, it is recommended to pat the product even on the neck as there might be a visible difference when taking flash photography even if you have fair skin like mine. On the downside, there is a risk that a white cast might appear on your face.  I would also not recommend it to people with darker complexions as it could even if you use the Natural and Honey Beige versions. In my opinion, these shades appear still very light although I did not use them. Too bad it is not available in more diverse shades.

To sum up the benefits and drawbacks of the Precious Mineral MOIST Any Cushion:

Pros:

-Nice coverage

-Perfect cover-up

-Nice scent

-Comfortable to wear both in summer and winter (Mauritian winter=European Summer, lol). 

-No cakey feel.

-Light and portable compact

-Doesn't dry out the skin

-Fast to apply (since it already an all-in-one product, some steps can be skipped during make-up application)

-Quite long lasting (despite requiring a slight touch-up, especially after sweating in the hot summer here.)

-Natural-looking if not overdone and in natural lighting.

-Affordable

-Even more affordable refill available (no need to buy new space-invading compacts each time)

Cons:

-The cushion might become a breeding ground for bacteria if the puff is not cleaned after each use or/and shared with other people

-Not suitable for all complexions

-Can leave a white cast in bright light and flash photography (unless you want to glow like a K-pop star,hehe)

-Not waterproof (Don't dive into a pool wearing it, I did, NG!)

Conclusion: I give a big thumbs up to the Precious Mineral MOIST Any Cushion. I will definitely recommend it and I will certainly purchase a refill.

Hope you found my first review helpful. Don't hesitate to express yourselves so that I can improve in the future. And don't forget to follow me on Instagram and give a thumbs up to my Facebook Page.

 STAY BEAUTIFUL AND SWEET!

\(^_^)/

 AEGYO GIRL

You can buy this product on: 

-Etude House Official Website: http://www.etudehouse.com/index.php/face/etude-house-precious-mineral-moist-any-cushion.html#