Review: Lancôme Miracle Cushion + Giveaway!

stylelab beauty blog asia korea review lancome miracle cushion foundation 2

Beauty land has been buzzing lately, and one of the products that has something to do with it is the new Lancôme Miracle Cushion I will discuss today. But let’s get something out of the way first. Despite what many are saying, cushion foundations are nothing new. In fact, the first one was released back in 2008 by IOPE, a Korean brand that’s under the umbrella of AmorePacific (also home to other famous Korean brands like Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Hera, Etude House and Innisfree).

You could say Lancôme is a bit late to the party, but on the other hand they’re the first Western brand to jump on the cushion bandwagon, so kudos for Lancôme. The fact that YouTube star, makeup artist & newly appointed Lancôme make-up creative director Lisa Eldridge just got back from a beauty shopping spree through Asia might indicate more stuff is on the way. I say; bring it on! Other Western brands have already caught on, with Kiko launching its first CC Cream Cushion System and rumours are sprouting of Dior working on one as well..

stylelab beauty blog asia korea review lancome miracle cushion foundation 1

When I first saw the packaging of Lancôme’ version, I found it to be very similar to the Korean versions and the fact that its actually made in Korea might have something to do with that. After some investigation I found the L’Oréal group is having some of their products made by the Korean company Cosmax, who also makes products for Etude House, Too Cool For School and The Face Shop (= lower end brands). I’m not sure if this was also the case for the Miracle Cushion, but at least some Korean know-how was used in the creation of this product, which I find quite comforting. It’s not like all of those Western BB creams that turned out to be nothing more than tinted moisturizers.

The packaging is pretty white with a silver lid which has the Lancôme logo on top. When you open it up by using the use-friendly click system, you immediately see the Lancôme marked sponge applicator. The product itself is hermetically sealed in a separate air-tight compartment, which makes it more hygienic to use, keeps the product fresh and the sponge from drying out. This is also the part that you can pop out when you’ve finished it and just put a refill in, which you can buy separately. It’s a shame Lancôme didn’t add in another refill with the initial purchase like most Korean brands (yes, even high end ones) do. Lastly, it also contains a mirror in the top, making it easy to touch up on the go. I don’t use these kind of built-in mirrors a lot, but with this type of product I found this was a must. The packaging as a whole is quite bulky but due to the fact that it’s plastic, very light and easy to carry with you in your bag.

stylelab beauty blog asia korea review lancome miracle cushion foundation 1a

Normally I don’t use any type of brushes or sponges that come with a certain product, but a cushion foundation simply looks best when applied with a sponge applicator. The one Lancôme included here is super soft and specifically designed for using together with the cushion foundation because its anti-bacterial. It absorbs the right amount of product and holds it onto the surface of the applicator, so you don’t end up with a sponge that sucks up all of the product. After you’re done, you can just close the compartment and keep the applicator on top to carry around in your bag. You can wash it afterwards by soaking it in some hot water and soap to keep it hygienic, yet I still wished Lancôme would’ve included an extra one. Make sure you close the lid well after each use.

There are 2 ways to apply with the sponge applicator. For large surfaces, you can use 2 or 3 fingers to hold the sponge and press down into the cushion for the product to be absorbed. For areas that are harder to reach, such as areas around the nose or eyes, you can use your index or middle finger in the middle and curl the sides up to create a smaller surface that will help for more precise application.

stylelab beauty blog asia korea review lancome miracle cushion foundation sponge applicator

The best way to apply cushion foundation is to pat & dab the product onto the skin, rather than swirling around like you would do with a brush. It makes the product look more even and natural. You apply it by softly dabbing the sponge into the soft airy cushion, which will make the product come out. The harder you press, the more product will come out. I recommend going in with the sponge several times rather than pressing too hard, so you can make it look more even. To gain more out of the formula, you can take the cushion out of the compact and reverse it. Btw is it just me, or does the cushion kind of look like a kitchen sponge? I would’ve expected a more refined sponge from a high-end brand like Lancôme, but that’s just me.

stylelab beauty blog asia korea review lancome miracle cushion foundation sponge

Lancôme named their cushion baby the “Miracle Cushion“, and those who are familiar with Lancôme’s Miracle foundation range, know this indicates a natural looking finish. I don’t have any experience with Lancôme foundations prior to this one so I can’t really compare, but ‘natural’ is what I usually go for anyway and it’s also what I would recommend people need to look for in a foundation. The Miracle Cushion is marked with SPF 23 / PA ++ and promises a fresh dewy hydration, absolute weightlessness & glow. And it delivers.

I don’t expect it to have the same SPF as its Korean counterparts (mostly SPF 50) because I already wear SPF underneath anyway. Much to my surprise, the dewiness and hydrating qualities of the formula didn’t turn my combination skin into a shiny disco ball. It looks shiny in a way that is more youthful rather than slippery. This in turn causes the formula to be not that long-lasting on my skin and reapplication is definitely necessary after a couple of hours.

stylelab beauty blog asia korea review lancome miracle cushion foundation swatch 1

The Miracle Cushion comes in 6 shades and I’m wearing the lightest one in 01 Pure Porcelain. It’s a tiny bit too dark and yellow toned for me, but I can still make it work if I don’t go overboard. The formula itself is pretty lightweight and only manages to cover up to a certain degree. Don’t expect any redness or blemishes to disappear without the help of some concealer. I’d say this is a foundation I’d mostly wear on good skin days where I’m not too active physically. Heat (= sweat) will make this come off in a heartbeat. Then again, the cooling effect when applying this is pretty amazing too. The separate compact, isolating sponge applicator and airy cushion keep the formula fresh which helps in cooling the skin when applying down by 2°C.

stylelab beauty blog asia korea review lancome miracle cushion foundation

The Lancôme Miracle Cushion is easy & fast to apply thanks to its compact packaging and natural formula. Even though it doesn’t always last as long as I’d like, I’m pretty happy with the dewiness (I once feared) and the light coverage it gives on days where that’s really all I need. Less is more. The product definitely has some flaws and since I haven’t tested any other cushion foundations, I can’t give you much intel yet, but it it did intrigue me to try more of these – and I most certainly will.

The Lancôme Miracle Cushion Liquid Cushion Compact comes in 6 shades and retails for € 42 at the perfumery/ Lancôme beauty counter. Refills retail for € 30.

What do you think about his cushion foundation?
Is this something you’d like to try?

Good. Cuz I’m giving one of these away to a lucky reader!

***GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED***

Follow the steps to enter:

1) Comment below why you’d like to try it (use a valid email address)
2) Follow this blog on Bloglovin by clicking the button on the bottom of this post
3) Follow me on Instagram.
4) Tweet “I entered the @StyleLab_ giveaway to win the new Lancôme #MiracleCushion! Take your chances here: http://bit.ly/1EBFeN1”

Note: The shade you can win is 02 Beige Rose.
This contest ends on February 23rd at 22h00 (GMT + 1) and is open internationally.
The winner will be personally notified through email the day after.

This giveaway is now closed and the winner has been notified.
Thanks for joining everyone!

Disclaimer: Product featured is a PR sample.

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15 Comments

  1. February 3, 2015 / 2:54 pm

    I HAVE to try this 🙂 People keep raving about it.

  2. February 3, 2015 / 9:12 pm

    Handige review, ik moet er nog mee aan de slag, maar heb 2 en 3 dus hopelijk niet te donker!

  3. Radmila
    February 7, 2015 / 2:37 pm

    hi,+this+is+something+new+and+definitely+worth+trying,+especially+if+it+is+light.+i+like+it+when+the+skin+texture+shoes+as+well.+
    All+steps+done!

  4. Kim
    February 8, 2015 / 7:34 am

    I would definitely like to try it, because I hate sticky and thick foundations. I hope this one does it better then my chanel vitalumiere aqua, because it’s getting out of stock. If you would help me out, it would mean a lot!

  5. February 8, 2015 / 9:26 pm

    I+need+a+new+foundation+and+would+love+to+try+this+Korean-inspired+Lancome+one+:)

  6. Donna+Martin
    February 9, 2015 / 4:23 pm

    I really like to wear my makeup very light..i think this will suit me because it beautifully natural..it more of a velvet finish than dewy..

  7. February 13, 2015 / 10:30 am

    I would very much like to try this new product because I love make up but I’m so not a specialist in using it. That is why I am looking for products that are easy to use and look very subtle. This product seems to have all that!

  8. Aly
    February 20, 2015 / 6:42 am

    I am a nurse and work 12+ hour days so it would be great to have a foundation that is super easy to touch up and also doesn’t look like I am wearing a TON of makeup! This looks like it would be ideal for both!

  9. Angie
    February 23, 2015 / 10:17 am

    I would definitely like to try it. I’ve been using some of the korean brand such us: laneige, Sulwhasoo, verite and history of whoo. My fav one is Verite cushion. but for some reason they discontinued. I really hope that Lancome miracle cushion can replaced it.

  10. Rachel Leigh
    February 23, 2015 / 3:00 pm

    I seem to find that a handful of foundation I use are too cakey or doesn’t apply well. I’ve actually never heard of a cushion foundation until I came across your blog post; and after reading about it, it is definitely something I could see myself using in my regular makeup routine!

  11. Caroline
    July 6, 2015 / 4:02 am

    Hey!
    Can I ask you what lip colour are you wearing? It’s so lovely I wanna know!
    Thanks in advance! <3

    • Sté
      Author
      August 5, 2015 / 12:31 am

      It’s a combo of Essence 12 Wish me a Rose lip liner, MAC Gem of Roses (LE Semi-Precious collection) lipstick and NYX Eclair butter gloss.

  12. Putri
    March 22, 2016 / 4:25 am

    Please share what’s on your lips in the review’s picture above. It’s so pretty

    • Sté
      Author
      March 28, 2016 / 11:33 am

      It’s a combination of the Essence lipliner in 12 Wish Me A Rose, MAC’s Gem Of Roses lipstick and the NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie.

    • March 28, 2016 / 11:34 am

      It’s a combination of the Essence lipliner in 12 Wish Me A Rose, MAC’s Gem Of Roses lipstick and the NYX Butter Gloss in Vanilla Cream Pie.

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