Oh… I am an outcast in the dewy look trend. I have been blessed (and cursed) with oily skin and have had a dewy (aka greasy) look my whole life. I don’t want any more dew. And I don’t care what anyone else says, when I see SHINE on someone’s face, I don’t think “ohhh, how beautifully glowing and dewy”… No, I think “get that girl some astringent and face powder, STAT!” Which brings me to BB creams… Oh, I understand their purpose ~ I know all of the benefits and I have wept in despair over the years when BB cream after BB cream was tossed out in the garbage. Why, you ask?

BB creams are an area that I have been always disappointed and unhappy. A few reasons behind my sadness ~ Koreans love the dewy look and I love the matte look. I already have oily skin and do not care to add more dew to my face. Also, I find that the dewy BB creams clog up my pores and make me break out and my skin greasy. The second reason is the shade ~ Korean BB creams are usually way too light for me and can lean more to the pink (cool) tones, whereas I am a light-medium warm (yellow) tone ~ Mac NW20 is my shade as well as Jouer Nude in their Matte Moisturizing tint. Another reason is the finish ~ they are so heavy looking ~ too much coverage for daily use. Birchbox keeps giving me those damn Dr Jart BB creams that do nothing but put a heavy greasy finish on my face ~ it feels like theatrical greasepaint to me.



Oily skin should allow their skin to breathe ~ I have personally found that I used to get plagued by horrible cystic acne when I would cake on the foundation to cover up blemishes, which of course, would cause MORE blemishes to crop up. Besides, I wasn’t fooling anyone with my “cover-up”. All I did was accentuate my blemishes as they were raised off my skin. If my foundation was not matte, it was even worse, as now and they were reflecting light off their shiny raised bumps. For me, the dewy look just makes blemishes more apparent. By mattifying them, they aren’t as visible.

However, I do try to find other alternatives to my tried and true foundations, as well… I do love beauty and skincare! I mean, I love it so much I started a blog, so yeah, it is in my DNA to look for new things ~ I am a magpie, always looking at shiny new precioussss. I did try Innisfree foundation and Missha Magic M cushion (review here), and whereas I didn’t find a good replacement for Jouer Matte Moisturizing Tint or Mac Studio Tech, I did like how Innisfree’s foundation felt on my skin and I noticed that they were warm based. I then started to look at their BB Cushions, as they did come in darker shades than #23. They have 3 different types of BB Cushions

Ampoule Intense Cushion Dry Skin:~ 24 hrs moisturized skin

Long Wear Cushion Oily Skin:~ smooth & fresh skin that lasts long

Water Glow Cushion Combination Skin:~ radiant & moisturized skin

So, based on the little youtube above, I felt that the Long Wear BB Cushion would be the one I want, as that is for oily skin. I looked at Innisfree’s Global site and discovered that their Long Wear BB Cushion is not only for oily skin, but it described as oil (sebum) controlling, which might mean matte. I first started with #23, as I was worried that #31 might be too dark. For those interested in the other 2 cushions, those shades do not go up higher than #23 at this time.

Description: A long-wear cushion formulated to keep the skin smooth and bright for a long time. This foundation reduces the appearance of pores, discolorations, and imperfections and ensures a perfectly flawless complexion every time.

Innisfree packages its cushion in a lightweight compact ~ it looks really nice, with the cream color of the compact and the brown and red-pink lettering. It contains a mirror and like all cushions, has an inner plastic lid that will keep the cushion from drying out. It has a really nice light scent, very herbaceous ~ green tea, mint and citrus. The scent does go away shortly after application, in case you are sensitive to scents.

Unlike foundations, where you can “smear” the product around, if you use a cushion, you dab the puff into to the product and then pat the BB cream into your face ~ do not try and blend. Pat, pat, pat. And more pats. This is a light, but not sheer coverage but it is sufficient for my needs ~ if I need more coverage, this is buildable. I have used this to pat over my blemish on my chin (yes, it is still hanging out there) a couple of times during the day and it does not cake up at all.

Innisfree Long Wear contains Jeju volcanic ash, which will help control excess oil and it does leave a nice matte finish on my face ~ I also apply Innisfree No Sebum Mineral or Blur powder over it to set my foundation. I would not recommend Long Wear for those with dry skin or even combo skin that leans towards dry, due to the fact it is not overly moisturizing.

The only time I had to reapply during the day was over areas that needed some extra coverage, like a blemish. My face would start to shine around my T-Zone after 3 to 4 hours, and I would just then apply some more Innisfree No Sebum Mineral powder over those areas. I do like how this feels on my face, as it is not heavy or sticky and is as if I am not wearing any foundation at all. It does cover any redness and blemishes, but darker spots need a bit of additional concealer. This product does not break me out nor causes any other skin irritations.

Now, the sticking point. Innisfree seems run a bit lighter in their foundation shades. I did purchase #23 True Beige initially, as the color swatch on their website looked promising.

source innisfreeworld.com

However, I felt that this might be a tad too light for my skin tone right now ~ it might be good for the winter, when my summer color is completely gone. That said, I did wear #23 for a week and just dusted a bit of matte bronzer over my face so I wouldn’t look too pale. I then purchased #31 Sand Beige during the Cushion Event on the 8th, and not only did I get my BB Cushion, I received 6-variety capsule packs for free.

I hate doing facial makeup photos as I cannot get the lighting correctly and never will I be the same place. I did swatches on my arm instead as that I can do properly!!

So, Innisfree #31 looks pretty darn yellow, doesn’t it? When I first stated to pat this on my face, I withdrew the puff from my skin in horror. OMG, what have I done?? However, it blends in and just melts into my skin and works nicely with my skin tone. It seems a bit thicker in consistency than #23, but I can pat, pat, pat my BB cream into oblivion on my face without it getting cakey.

My complaint with the packaging is that it sometimes doesn’t seem to close properly ~ it doesn’t have that satisfying “click” sound when you close the lid and pops open too easily. I have written Innisfree about this as it seems to be a common problem when you read the reviews. Hopefully, they will fix that. This only contains 15 mL of product, which doesn’t seem a lot, but it is about normal for BB cushions~ also, if you think that your cushion is drying out, store it upside down for the night to let the product drip down and you can also flip your cushion too. Innisfree sells refills for your compact as well.

When you think your cushion is dry, it probably isn’t ~ flip it!

How to use: Use puff to evenly smooth over face in the stage of foundation and gently pat to finish. Reapply by gently patting whenever desire

Ingredients: [No.23 True beige] water, zinc oxide (CI 77947), titanium dioxide (CI 77891), ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, cyclopentasiloxane, dimethicone, butylene glycol, peg-10 dimethicone, butylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, trisiloxane, HDI/trimethylol hexyllactone crosspolymer, methyl methacrylate crosspolymer, niacinamide, lauryl PEG-8 dimethicone, cyclohexasiloxane, polypropylsilsesquioxane, iron oxides (CI 77492), citrus unshiu peel extract, glycerin, orchid extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, camellia Japonica leaf extract, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, disodium edta, disteardimonium hectorite, lecithin, microcrystalline cellulose, mannitol, mineral salts, opuntia coccinellifera fruit extract, citrus aurantium bergamia (bergamot) fruit extract, boron nitride, vinyl dimethicone/methicone silsesquioxane crosspolymer, sodium chloride, stearic acid, silica, oryza sativa (rice) powder, adenosine, acrylates/ethylhexyl acrylate/dimethicone methacrylate copolymer, aluminum hydroxide, ethylhexylglycerin, ethylhexyl palmitate, citrus aurantium dulcis (orange) fruit extract, zea mays (corn) starch, isostearic acid, isopropyl palmitate, citrus paradisi (grapefruit) fruit extract, caprylyl glycol, citrus tangerina (tangerine) extract, triethoxycaprylylsilane, phenyl trimethicone, polyglyceryl-3 polyricinoleate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyhydroxystearic acid, propanediol, volcanic ash, iron oxides (ci 77491), iron oxides (ci 77499), fragrance cosDNA.com analysis



Final Thoughts

I really loved the application of this cushion ~ it went on matte and didn’t need a touch up for several hours ~ as I have really oily skin, it is to be expected. The scent is nice and light, the coverage is sheerer than Jouer Matte Tint and that took a bit of getting used to. However, I found that the cream was not sticky or tacky on my face and left a nice matte to semi-matte finish that lasted for several hours before I had to touch up with some powder. The compact is really lovely as well. I like that it looks “natural” with its cream case and earthy color lettering. I also appreciated that Innisfree released 2 darker shades on their Long Wear cushions and I do hope that is a trend that will spread to their other BB creams as well.

Long Wear also seems to focus on those whose skin tone is more warm/yellow than pink/cool toned, so this was a major plus for me. It also didn’t leave that horrible grayish cast that so many do leave behind on your skin and it was not greasy at all.

The down side of this compact is the lack of shades ~ yes, I know I just said I appreciated the 2 darker shades, but that doesn’t mean that Innisfree should stop there. If #31 is good for a white girl like myself, this does not bode well for ladies (and gents) whose skin tone is darker. I looked around at other BB creams, and it seems this is a common problem with Korean BB creams ~ the US and other Western BB creams (which may or may not be “real” BB creams, btw), have a wide spectrum of shades, including some darker shades, but Korean BB creams pretty much stop at like #23. Innisfree is also lighter in their shades as well ~ I have tried other BB creams and #23 is a bit darker.

The lid action is also an issue, but it doesn’t seem to be prematurely drying out my compact, so I guess the inner lid is keeping my BB cream nice and moist.

And finally, this is not directed to Innisfree in particular but BB Cushions in general. This is the first time that I actually stayed with a BB Cushion for more than a couple of days. I can tell you after using this for almost 2 weeks, that I am sick and tired of pat, pat, pat, pat, pat, pat, pat and patting this stuff on my face. I found that the air puff was messy ~ I either got too much product on it and it oozed out over the edge onto my fingers or I could not get anything on it ~ and it got dirty very quickly. It isn’t classy whipping out your BB Cushion compact in public and using that foundation stained air puff. It needs to be pristine ~ haha.

It is not economical or affordable to use a BB cushion. It only contains 15 mL of product, compared to 50 mL in Jouer. I use a little bit of Jouer as glides on smoothly and melts into my skin, and a 50 mL tube lasts me several months. At the rate I am using my BB cushion, I will need a new one within a month. No wonder Innisfree has a monthly “Cushion Day”. Seriously. Damn.

What I would really love is for Innisfree to come out with the Long Wear formula in the darker shades in a BB cream (tube) applicator. That would be great for initial application, as I do love to use my fingers to apply my creams. Then during the day, I can pat, pat and pat for any touch ups that would be needed.

I won’t be using this as an initial application of my foundation, but instead as a touch up compact as I find it too time consuming and tedious to pat, pat, pat my cream on.

Pros

Great for oily skin

Warm/Yellow tone

Matte/Semi-Matte finish

Smooth and airbrushed finish

Nice, light scent

Cons

Full compact only lasts about a month

Outer lid doesn’t always shut properly

Limited range of shades

Not for those wanting heavy coverage

Not a time saver in the morning

If Innisfree made this shade #31 in a TUBE, I would be all over it. What this means is that I will still look for an Innisfree BB cream ~ because I know that Innisfree actually makes a MATTE BB cream, plus I love the formula. I went hunting for BB creams by Innisfree on the interwebs and looky what I purchased on eBay. These are both for oily skin. Again, limited shade selection so I went with the darkest. I think it is strange that Innisfree has a Long Wear BB Cream, but the shade selection and numbering is different. I hope this means the shades are different too.

Innisfree Long Wear BB Cream SPF30/ PA++ – #03 True Beige Long-wear BB cream for long lasting clear and matte skin texture. This is on InnisfreeWorld‘s site, but it is sold out at this time. It is also listed at their Korean site, so I think this might be okay and not discontinued. This is a 40 mL tube

Description: Long-lasting BB cream that leaves a beautiful looking skin after complete adherence to skin. It covers the pores, uneven skin tone, and blemishes, turning your skin smooth. Keep your skin soft all day without darkness with the natural mineral powder made with natural ingredients. Jeju natural mineral and mint ingredients control the skin’s oil and moisture balance to keep the skin healthy. 3-free system: Free of animal ingredients, talc and synthetic colors. Jeju The green complex™(Jeju The green tea, tangerine, prickly pear and canola) keeps the skin healthy.

image innisfreeworld.com

Ingredients: Water, Titanium Dioxide, Phenyl Trimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Arbutin, Zinc Oxide, Cyclohexasiloxane, Calcium Stearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Magnesium Sulfate, Talc, Tocopheryl Acetate, Beeswax, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Diisostearyl Malate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Propylene Carbonate, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Adenosine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Mineral Salts,Lauroyl Lysine, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Orchid Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fragrance, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499

Innisfree No Sebum BB Cream (#03 True Beige) No sebum BB cream for smooth and matte skin texture without darkening. Again, InnisfreeWorld has it sold out, but they did carry it. Hopefully, it will come back in stock. Another 40 mL tube

Description: Sebum controlling powder made from natural ingredients keeps your skin soft without any stickiness. The mint ingredients control the moisture to oil balance. The Jeju green tea extracts give vitality to skin.

Match Maker on Innisfree

Now according to the “Find My Shade” on InnisfreeWorld, using Jouer Nude and Mac NW20, I am supposed to be #02 Natural Beige, which if that is similar to the Long Wear Natural Beige, that would be shades lighter than what I would wear in the Long Wear. Nope!!

WHAT?? I would be a ghost. Seriously, making skin tone several shades lighter than it should be via a foundation is not what most people want to do here.

image innisfreeworld.com

Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Dimethicone, Glycerin,Isododecane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Methyl Trimethicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Arbutin, Zinc Oxide, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Magnesium Sulfate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Talc, Nylon-12, Silica, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ozokerite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Quaternium-18 Bentonite, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Propylene Carbonate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Adenosine, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Isostearic Acid, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Caprylyl Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dimethylimidazolidinone Rice Starch, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Extract, Mineral Salts, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Orchid Extract, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Camellia Japonica Leaf Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Citrus Aurantifolia (Lime) Peel Extract, Mentha Rotundifolia Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499

So… Once I received these lovely tubes, I will do my testing and do another blog post on it. I fear that the shade might be too light, but I hope it will not be. Hope springs eternal and all of that jazz. Have you tried Innisfree Long Wear Cushion or their BB creams? What do you think of their product? I happen to love their finish and texture, which is why I am obsessing on finding one that is just right for me. Kinda like Goldilocks…



Where to Purchase

I am posting links to sites that carry Innisfree Long Wear Cushion at this time, although shades can be limited. They might also carry the other 2 BB Cushions, Ampoule Intense and Water Glow, if you are interested in those. It seems to me that only InnisfreeWorld has shades #31 & #33. The Cushion can cost anywhere from $18.00 to $25.00 and refills are around $15.00 (USD)

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[ descriptions in italics from innisfreeworld.com ]

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