Best BB Cushions for Oily Skin – HERA (Long Stay) vs Laneige (Pore Control) vs Innisfree (Long Wear)

I’m always on the hunt for the best base makeup for oily / troubled skin, and it sure is a difficult mission.  Sometimes it seems impossible to find the dream balance of coverage, matte yet non drying finish, troubled-skin-friendly formulas, a shade that matches your skin tone and the list goes on.

Among power foundations, liquid foundations, BB / CC creams and BB cushions – my clear favourite today is the Korean-invented BB cushion.  I have tried the following 3 brands for over a year now, and would like to share my opinion on which I think is the best!  Hopefully this helps to make your hunt easier 🙂

HERA UV Mist Cushion Long Stay in C21  (full review here)
LANEIGE BB Cushion Pore Control in #21  (full review here)
INNISFREE Long Wear Cushion in #21

All 3 are ‘long stay’, ‘long wear’, or ‘summer friendly’ versions best-suited for oily skin and in the most universal #21 shade.   Note the difference to their more dewy and more moisturized finish counterparts.

So let the comparison begin!

THE PACKAGING

For the top of the case:  HERA – Glittery purple.  LANEIGE – Skyblue.  INNISFREE – White.

HERA and Laneige are both manufactured by the same parent company – Amore Pacific – so they have exactly the same size and width.

Innisfree is less ‘thick’ and smaller than the other two, and is lighter.

HERA is slightly dome-shaped for the top cover, where the other two are flat surfaces.  You can also see from this pic Innisfree is less ‘thick’ than the other two.

HERA and Laneige has shiny reflective sides, while Innisfree is just pure white throughout the entire case.

All 3 has a mirror inside, and a central area to house the BB cushion pot.

HERA and Laneige cases are interchangeable – meaning a Laneige BB cushion pot would fit perfectly into a HERA case (and vice versa).   But Innisfree is a stand-alone and no inter-changing for this one.

Winner on Packaging:

To me, HERA win hands down in this category with its beautifullllll shimmery purple casing.  Since all 3 packaging are almost the same, the deciding factor is really the colour.  Next up, I love Laneige’s Sky Blue top too.   Then, Innisfree.   Don’t get me wrong – Innisfree’s pure matte white casing is very sleek and clean-cut but looks a bit boring next to the other two XD

THE AIR PUFF

HERA’s airpuff is the firmest of all.   Followed by Innisfree.   Laneige is the softest of all.  Laneige and Innisfree has blue airpuffs, and HERA’s airpuff is purple.

I find Laneige’s airpuff is the best for its softness and flexibility – and hence could bend to the natural contours of the face for better application.   HERA and Innisfree are abit too firm to apply smoothly around the nose area where surface is not flat – but can still be done.   Just that when you try all 3, the difference is pretty clear.

Winner on Air Puff:

Laneige – for its softness and flexibility that can bend to any contour of the face.  For this fact, I find it easiest to clean too!

THE SHADE, TEXTURE AND FINISH

The colour you see from the BB cushion mesh.  This is not good representation of the product colour itself since the mesh can be of a different colour.  Nevertheless, you can already see that Innisfree shade is the brightest out of the 3.

Tada!  About 2-layer swatches of each product.

The shade:  Innisfree is clearly the brightest – almost the same as Laneige #13 shade (brighter than Laneige #21).  Note that all 3 swatches are #21 but different brands certainly have a different shade despite the same number.

Laneige has the best match to my skintone, and is also the middle shade out of the 3.  HERA is darkest out of the 3, and has a stronger thicker colour – a bit more yellow tone maybe?

The texture:  Oohh… HERA is clearly the most dewy / shiny – and hence my least favorite texture.   On the opposite, Innisfree has the most matte and dry-est finish.  Laneige seem to have cleverly balanced both matte and dewy (but not shiny).

Now I will blend and pat the product and wait for it to settle to observe the finish.

This is the blended finish look!

HERA’s dewi-ness is toned down by the blending – but still has the most moisturized/shiny finish out of the 3.   Innisfree really looks matte… almost dry eh?  Laneige, again seem to achieve the clever balance of matte yet non-dry finish.

Winner on Shade, Texture & Finish:

This is a very personal thing – some people prefer abit dewy, some people prefer all-matte.  And everyone has different skin tones.

For me, Laneige is the winner here.  Not only its shade offers the best match to my skin tone, its texture and finish is also my favourite.  High on matteness, but has slight moisture retained so it is not drying.  Innisfree felt too dry for me, and HERA is way too dewy for my liking.

THE LASTING POWER

I think you can guess this one.  HERA lasted the shortest on me because it is already rather dewy to start with… I definitely needed to pat off the oil and touch up by lunch time.  Laneige and Innisfree has similar lasting power on me, and looked fine for a good 7-8 hours!  Of course I will turn slightly oily by the end of the day, but touch-up is more like a nice-to-have rather than a must.   However, Innisfree had some oxidation around nose area while Laneige stood pretty strong on this one.

Winner on Lasting Power:

Laneige and Innisfree is a draw here.  Lasts all-day… what a saviour!  Innisfree had abit more oxidation than Laneige around the nose area, but also nothing too disastrous. 

THE COVERAGE

Trying to cover up a dark brown eyeliner with BB cushion *mad*

I applied about 1-2 layers, waited for it to settle, then applied another layer on top.   I think all offers pretty good coverage!  If I had to pick a loser, it would be Innisfree because of its brighter tone hence less likely to cover up marks or scars.

Winner on Coverage:

HERA and Laneige is a draw here.  All 3 offers good coverage, but because Innisfree has a brighter tone, and HERA/Laneige has better undertone, they do offer slightly better coverage.  But don’t pack on too many layers, they may turn cakey – especially HERA.

THE SCENT

Winner on Scent:

Laneige (1st).  Innisfree (2nd).  HERA (3rd).

HERA’s scent is a bit too strong for my liking – especially in the morning.  Abit like artificial fragrance maybe?

Laneige and Innisfree scents are very pleasant and lovely.  A bit like spring, a bit flowery.  Mild and just nice, not too strong.  So refreshing in the mornings and makes me smile 🙂

THE PRICE

Gmarket sells all 3 products online and ships worldwide.  Off to the prices and links!

HERA UV Mist Cushion Long Stay in C21 – KRW48,000 (About USD 45)

Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control in #21 – KRW37,000 (About USD 35)

Innisfree Long Wear Cushion in #21 – KRW19,000 (About USD 17)

Note!  HERA and Laneige comes with free 15g refill so there are TWO BB cushion pots.  Whereas Innisfree does not have any free refill – so don’t get mistaken that Innisfree is half-priced.

Winner on Price:

Innisfree (1st).  Laneige (2nd).  Hera (3rd).

Just ranking from cheapest to most expensive.  No frills.

SUMMARY!

Laneige wins on shade, texture, finish, coverage, lasting power and scent.  It also has the best airpuff.  (See full review here!)

HERA wins on packaging and coverage.  (See full review here!)

Innisfree wins on lasting power and price.

Pretty obvious – the overall winner is Laneige Pore Control BB cushion for me!

And yes, it is my daily holy grail base makeup.  I’m pretty skeptical I’ll find a better alternative to this, but always waiting and hoping for the next launch of a ‘long wear’ ‘summer-friendly’ BB cushion 🙂

Please share with me your finds for great base make-up for oily skin!

[Review] HERA – UV Mist Cushion Long Stay in C21 Cool Vanilla Cover

I’m more or less sold for Laneige Pore Control BB cushion (see review here), but as a beauty junkie, I can’t resist from trying another brand after raving reviews about HERA UV Mist Cushion – especially when they launched a Long Stay version for oily skin or summer weather! *eyes widen* *money flies away*

HERA is a higher-end, more luxurious brand stouting models like Shin Min Ah and most recently national Korean goddess, Jun Ji Hyun.  Enough said!  Maybe it is human psychology but I find myself succumbing to ads or branding gimmicks, somewhat believing a more expensive product usually gives better result.  I know it is not always true but… *weak heart*

Brand:    HERA
Product:  UV Mist Cushion Long Stay
Shade:    C21 Cool Vanilla Cover
Price:    KRW 45,000 (about USD 45)
Type:     BB Cushion / Foundation
Size:     15g x 2  (one refill included)
Origin:   Made in Korea
Website:  Hera website (in Korean)

THE PACKAGING

VERY classy reflective light purple box 🙂

Oh-so-gorgeous light-purple case with a reflective circumference.   Love~~~~~~

Comes with sturdy packaging with mirror.  As HERA and Laneige belong to the same parent company – Amore Pacific – all their cases are the same size so you can put a Laneige cushion in a Hera case or vice versa!!  This is a superb plus point for me cuz I really love this luxurious case and will continue to use it even if I don’t repurchase the HERA cushion.

The back of the air puff is purple too!  The pic looks slightly blue but it is a gorgeous purple, matching perfect with its luxurious case.

Safety seal ~ Don’t understand the Korean words but not important haha.

THE PRODUCT

Hooray to English translations for the product details insert!  Finally someone in the manufacturing team knows there are tons of global buyers who does not understand Korean 🙂

Basically a super duper multifunctional foundation.

Versatile 5-in-one
Mist + Foundation + Sun Block + Brightening + Cooling effect

5 secrets of UV Mist Cushion
– Natural makeup like professional makeup artist
– Mineral Clay Water with fine water particle moisturizes skin as if spraying on a mist
– Powerful sun screen (SPF50+/PA+++)
– Brightening effect
– Lowers skin’s temperature

Mineral Clay Water
Fine sea water clay particles are melted in Mineral Clay Water.  It controls osmotic pressure of skin and moisturizes skin. And reduce dead skin cells, impurities and sebum and maintain skin clean and moist. Mineral Clay Water lowers skin’s temperature and keep it cool and fresh.

Magic makeup
Everytime pressing the cushion, stabilized emulsified formula passes through the dense cells of the cushion. It covers skin thinly and cleanly and illuminates the skin.

Antioxidant effect & damage prevention
Powerful sun screen level (SPF50+/PA+++) protects skin from UV rays. Extracts from 4 kinds of berreis with antioxidant effect act as a shield.

THE SHADE

There are a few versions of HERA UV Mist Cushion and the Long Stay one has 2 shades only.

• No. C21 Cool Vanilla Cover  (the one in review now)
• No. C23 Cool Beige Cover

There is also other versions like the Ultra Moisture one which gives you super moisturized and dewy finish – but that’s a no no for me.  Oily skin in hot summer weather all-year-round AND dewy foundation just can’t marry unfortunately.

Super fine and intricate cushion mesh just like others I’ve seen.

Oooh.. the air puff is firmer than the Laneige one.  Seems to capture product more easily, but the firmer texture could be slightly harder to apply in the natural curves of the face.

The scent is pretty strong.  Still a pleasant scent but I find it abit strong when I put it in the mornings.  Prefer Laneige scent anytime~

Can you see the superb coverage there?  But the layer of foundation is kind of obvious yea?  It gives me the impression of “I-am-wearing-foundation” look.  Personally I prefer a more natural finish like second skin but this one may turn abit cakey if you slap on multiple layers.

I’ve seen many reviews and they all mention a ‘very matte’ finish – but I beg to differ.  It is not as matte as Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion, and in fact, I see some dewiness and moisturizing glow in it (see above when I mention dewy + oily skin is a no no).

MY VERDICT

Pros

• Superb coverage
• Gorgeous gorgeous case and packaging
• Balanced finish of dewy + matte – suitable during winter or dry countries (but not favored in hot-summer Singapore)
• C21 is truly a natural beige (other brands #21 is a tad brighter and may not suit most skin tones)
• Lasting power…a good 3-5 hours?  Less if it is really hot and humid weather.

Cons

• Slightly thick finish with “I-am-wearing-foundation” look.  Could turn cakey.
• I don’t like the slightest bit of dewy and this one has that so.. this is a con for me (but maybe a plus for others).
• Scent on the stronger side but still pleasant
• Only 2 shades for the Long Stay version.
• More pricey than other brands offering the same function

Overall

I’ll be honest – I don’t like this as much as Laneige Pore Control BB cushion.  Proven more expensive product does not always mean better!  *slap self* I could wear it during winters in Japan, but in Singapore no….  It is already the Long Stay version but I am still fussy it is not as matte and long-stay!

If you have slightly dry skin, this could be best pick for you as it does give you some moisturizing dewiness.  For me…MATTE is the way.

Can you see abit of the dewy finish?  I don’t like dewy LOL XD  It means makeup sliding off my face a couple of hours later -_-

Have you tried any great MATTE BB cushions besides Laneige Pore Control?  Please let me know! 🙂

[Review] Laneige – BB Cushion (Pore Control) in No. 21 Natural Beige

Hi ladies! Today, I will share a product which in my opinion is THE greatest revolutionary invention in the history of foundation makeup ever.  See the pretty ambassador in the pic above?  Her name is Song Hae Kyo and she is the most gorgeous Korean actress ever (my favourite!). I am not the type to follow latest hypes so I was reallyyyy late in trying a BB Cushion despite all the raves going on in the Asian market and despite Song Hae Kyo… what was I thinking… –__–

Now that I have joined the brighter side, please let me introduce you to this awesome product!

Brand:    Laneige
Product:  BB Cushion (Pore Control) SPF 50+ PA+++
Shade:    No. 21 Natural Beige
Price:    SGD59 
Type:     BB Cushion / Foundation / Makeup base
Size:     15g x 2  (comes with 1 extra refill)
Origin:   Made in Korea
Website:  Laneige website

By now, I think there are already 3 versions of the Laneige BB cushion — (1) Whitening, the first to launch with extra whitening and more ‘moisturized’ final look; (2) Pore Control, more matte finish and more suited for oily/combination skin; and lastly (3) Anti-Aging, the newest addition to the range.

I will be reviewing the Pore Control version – best suited for oily skin and/or in hot/humid weather like Singapore.  It was launched during summer in Korea and went viral.

THE PACKAGING

The Pore Control version has a skyblue surface top (vs a white top for the Whitening version, and a Greyish Silver top for the Anti-Aging version).  I love the skyblue colour!

The case is really sleek and clean cut, with metallic mirror-like circumference. Really sturdy and durable and easy to maintain.

When you open it, you’ll see a mirror and the puff on top of the product.

Taking away the puff and trying to open the product cover, you’ll see another safety seal for a brand new BB cushion.  I like the extra care taken to prevent drying of the product 🙂

THE PRODUCT

Now onto the actual BB cushion product.  I’ll let the brochure do some talking first.

Can you count 800,000 pores…?  I don’t know how they came to that number, but one thing for sure is yes, they are very very fine pores on the BB cushion ‘mesh’ mechanism which lets the product seep through when you press that puff into it.

Like this, tada! Savour this moment when it looks the prettiest and clearest in its brand-new state!

THE AIR CUSHION PUFF

In my opinion, the Air Cushion Puff is the key revolution in this product.  It is the most amazing application tool for a foundation/BB cream/the like.

“The Air-cell dual texture is processed with a special technology that holds nine times more moisture than its weight for supple and glossy skin.  It is slightly thinner than synthetic rubber puff, and has a soft centre that effectively absorbs BB and spreads it evenly on the skin.  Firm yet supple in texture, it conceals pores perfectly and gives the face a radiant and natural finish.”

I truly agree with every word above having used it for a year or so now!  I have tried other BB cushions and the Laneige air cushion has the best balance of firmness to sufficiently capture the product, and softness to apply on your skin flawlessly.

THE SHADES

These are the shades offered in Singapore – I hear it may differ by country but #21 Natural Beige is their global bestseller and most commonly used for Asian skin.

See, the coverage is quite awesome too! Definitely helps in attaining an even skin tone.

Now on the face.  Left side (very obviously) is my bare face revealing all the redness, acne and a thousand other sad problems….. and Right side is with Laneige BB cushion only, no concealer or other makeup base.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The coverage is AWESOME, right??? Redness almost completely covered.  Also, it may be hard to see on pic but the finish is another mind-blower.  It’s the best balance of matte and glowy one can get.   I personally prefer matte finish but sometimes that can accentuate dryness, especially with combination skin where there are patches of dry parts among the oily T-zone.

MY VERDICT

Pros

• Semi-matte finish with light glow (just like flawless skin!)
• High coverage, no need concealer unless very red
• Lightweight texture makes it hard to get cakey.  One layer is sufficient to achieve dream skin, or maybe two at most.
• LONG staying power >7 hours for me.  I pat with dry tissue at times when my face becomes an oil tank.  Oxidation problems not particularly noticeable.
• Very easy application using air cushion puff. Use light hand for that dreamy flawless skin you see on magazines.
• Shade #21 is flattering for most Asian skintones, and I am lucky that it matches mine very well 🙂
• SPF 50+ PA+++  (what not to like about this)
• Cooling effect upon application  (a plus during hot weather times)
• Lovely flowery scent (the best among all the cushions I have tried)
• Value for money as 2 refills can last a good 6 months or more

Cons

• Not many shades available.  Some people complain shades are too ‘bright’, even #23 the darker one.
• The air cushion puff looks ‘dirty’ after use and needs some maintenance.  I wash it at least once a week but rubbing gently onto a mild soap and all the gunk gets washed out pretty easily.
• For very dry skin, the Whitening version might work better for a more ‘moisturized’ effect.

Overall

If you have not tried this product yet, you gotta put down everything and just buy one to try NOW…  that’s how confident I am that you’ll like the result.  You can choose either the Pore Control (like me if you have oilier skin), or the Whitening one (if you have dry skin), or the Anti-Aging one (which I am very keen to try next).

My skin is farrrr from flawless but thanks to Laneige BB cushion it definitely looks quite flawless! (^_^)