REVIEW | L’oreal Lucent Magique Cushion Lumiere

I am quite possibly the last person on earth to jump on the BB cushion wagon, but better late than never, right? I saw this product on sale in Sasa recently and did a double take - this girl loves a good sale. Swatched it on my hand and before I knew what hit me, I was waiting in line at the cashier.

L’oreal Lucent Magique Cushion Lumiere SPF 29 PA+++

$199 HKD at Sasa, Watsons, Mannings (around $25 USD)

2 Shades: Nude Rose, Nude Miracle

First of all, let’s all take a minute and take in the gorgeousness that is the mirrored rose gold packaging. Swoon. Okay, minute over. Inside you’ll find a nice sized mirror and a sponge puff on top of the plastic separator, and underneath that is the cushion. This would be great to bring when traveling since you can apply on the go, and there's no worry that the foundation might leak out.

This only comes in two shades - Rose Miracle R2, which is the lighter, pinker shade, and Nude Miracle N3, which is the slightly darker, yellow shade. I chose Nude Miracle and it’s just a tad light for me but workable. Yes I know, the shade range is not ideal. But since this product is sold exclusively in Asia, I guess the idea was to try and cater to Asian skin tones (but come on, there are some tan Asians out there, people). I believe L’oreal sells this cushion under a different name, the True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation, in the US and the UK and it's available in 12 shades. Lucky peeps.

The texture of this foundation is very smooth, and blends into the skin quite beautifully. The sponge does a decent job of applying the product but I find that I have to dip it back into the cushion quite a few times in order to cover my entire face. Hmm.. hygiene issues? I’m not even going to get into it, but if you’re a germophobe, then this foundation format might not be your cup of tea. The coverage is quite light and natural, as it claims to be, but can be built up to a medium coverage.

Blended out | Swatched

 In natural light

I’ve worn this foundation a handful of times, and so far, I'm in like, not in love. Guys - it is dewy. Yes, I know, the claim of this foundation is exactly that. But I can't help but notice it stays quite tacky on the face. It's not uncomfortable by any means, just a tad sticky. So setting the face with translucent powder is a must for me. Even so, my face starts to look shiny, especially in the T-zone, after just two hours. After four hours, it's girl-please-blot-your-face-that-ain't-cute shiny. It certainly doesn’t help that I have combination oily skin; if you have dry to normal skin, this should have much longer staying power. 

The SPF 29 PA+++ is nice and helpful for those of you who are too lazy to put on a separate SPF. But experts do recommend an SPF of at least 30 if you want adequate sun protection. Do not use this foundation at night and especially if you know you'll be taking pictures - the SPF does give your face a bit of a white cast. Not the look we're going for, girls.

Bottom line, I would say if you prefer a natural, light coverage foundation, and appreciate a dewy, glowy finish, then definitely give this a try. I see myself using this foundation when I want a natural look and don't mind blotting throughout the day.

For those of you who use cushion foundations, I would love to hear some recommendations from other brands!