Amore Pacific CC Cushion Compact Review

 

Price: $$$*

Coverage: 5/5

SPF: 5/5

Scent: 1/5

Texture: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

*Each $ is ~$20

I’ve posted about cushion compacts before (see my review of Laneige and Hera BB cushion compacts here), but I have found THE cushion compact to END ALL OTHER cushion compacts! Ok that’s a bit dramatic but seriously guys I am IN LOVE with this product and I have been using it every single day since I came home from Korea. This is not even a sponsored post; I paid for it in full and I am so so happy I bought it.

When I was in Seoul I was on the hunt for an everyday product that A) provided light coverage B) kept my skin moisturized C) contained SPF D) stayed on all day and E) took less than 5 minutes to apply since I am lazy and like to sleep in as long as possible in the mornings. The Amore Pacific CC cushion compact checks ALL of those boxes. I decided on this brand vs. others after trying several cushion compacts in Myeondong from Laneige, Innisfree, Etude House, and more. Amore Pacific, long described as the more refined and high-end producer of Korean beauty products, came highly recommended from Matt’s Korean cousins and from various Korean women with flawless skin that I met at the Four Seasons (yes, I was randomly polling people with perfect dewy skin).

For starters, this cushion compact is a CC compact, which means color or complexion correcting cream. CC creams offer even more benefits than BB creams; like BB creams, CC creams contain sunscreen, moisturizer, and foundation, but CC creams take it one step further and correct red or dry spots and even out your complexion. Many CC creams, the Amore Pacific one included, contain special ingredients to brighten and heal the skin, such as Vitamin C or licorice. People with dark spots, dry patches, or red areas on the skin could benefit more from a CC cream rather than a BB cream.

The formulation is lightweight and non-greasy, and application is super easy. You just press the cushion onto the presoaked foundation sponge, and then gently pat the liquid on your face. The amount of product that gets onto the sponge is just right, not too much, not too little. It takes me about 3 minutes to lightly pat the foundation all over my face. The coverage is buildable, meaning you can use as little or as much product as you want depending on how much coverage you want to have. I wear color 102, which is a light flesh color with pink undertones. There are also four other shades which cover the spectrum all the way to tanner complexions.

Koreans are really into glowing moist looking skin, and this cushion compact definitely delivers that “I just moisturized and my skin is so well hydrated” look. If you aren’t used to K beauty, you may think this cushion compact gives a shiny appearance, so make sure to test the product before buying if you like a more matte foundation look.

I find that this product hides my pores, redness (I have rosacea, more on that here), brown spots, and random discolorations very well. It also doesn’t cake into my wrinkles like other foundations do, which in my opinion actually ACCENTUATES the wrinkles. My skin looks super smooth and glow-y, and I don’t think I can go back to any other type of foundation ever again! It also contains broad spectrum SPF 50+, which helps defend against UVA and UVB rays (why is that important? read more here). I tend to use my Etude House Face Blur primer (review here) prior to putting on my CC cushion, to help even out my skin tone even more.

The only drawback is that the Amorepacific CC cushion compact has a faint artificial scent, which I notice only upon application but don’t smell after it dries. I wish they would remove it, since people may be allergic to scents and why would we need a scented foundation anyways (?!), so be aware of this before buying. Also, know that we tend not to put on enough foundation in order to get the full sunscreen benefits, so layer on sunscreen underneath if you’re going to be outside all day, or grab a wide brimmed hat if you don’t like putting too many layers of product on your skin.

At $60 per cushion compact plus one refill from Nordstrom, the Amore Pacific cushion compact is at the higher end of cushion compacts. However, I really feel that you get what you pay for. It also comes with a refill, so really the cushions are $30 each. My Hera and Laneige cushion compacts worked okay in terms of coverage, but both left my skin dry and flaky, and the coverage didn’t last the whole day. You can also get the Amore Pacific travel size cushion compact at Sephora here. I highly recommend the Amore Pacific cushion for everyday use.

What are your favorite cushion compacts? Have you ever tried one?

* if you’re ever in Seoul, check out the duty free Amore Pacific store, which sells 2 compacts with 2 refills for $85.