Review: Sulwhasoo Evenfair Perfecting Cushion

This review was an adventure for me. Why? Well, because I’ve been using the same foundation for the past year – the Tarte BB cream I posted a review of a few months ago – and was frankly very reluctant to try anything else. However, I was running low on the BB cream and had a few things I was dissatisfied with about it (mainly that the closest color to my skin tone was still a subpar match), so I figured maybe it was time to try something new! I scoured the AB subreddit and some blogs looking for the yellowest-toned Korean cushions I could find, and this one emerged as the winner. Better yet, Nordstrom carried it and has free shipping, so I figured why not?

Product Description: A liquid-foundation-soaked sponge in a compact case with an included applicator, the material of which is quite similar to a Beauty Blender. The product comes with a refill sponge as well.

Unfortunately, since the closest Nordstrom is like a day’s drive away, I had to guess at the correct color rather than getting to swatch the product first. Luckily(?), there were only three shades to choose from: one that was clearly too pink, and two strangely near-identical ones that were a little darker. Of the latter, I chose #23, as #25 was a little darker but also looked more beige than yellow. From the swatches I could find online, it looked like it would be a pretty good match for me, so I wasn’t too worried.

My initial impression of the cushion was actually very good. The first thing I was surprised by is that it applies very easily. I was a little suspicious of having to apply my foundation with a flat sponge/puff, but the formula was really easy to work with and I was able to get an even base layer down in probably under a minute. Given the other reviews I’d read and the type of product, I was surprised both at how relatively heavy the coverage was, and how matte the finish. I’d been expecting something more on the dewy end of things, but this was somewhere between totally matte and satin. Maybe that was just because the air is so dry where I live, I dunno.

A word of warning to my readers: this product, at least on me, looks much lighter on skin than it does in the compact. I’m pretty fair-skinned despite being mixed-race, and had actually expected it to possibly be too dark for me, but far from it. I don’t know if it’s the high SPF or what, but with it on my face was markedly paler than my neck. I was able to more or less hide this with some creative usage of bronzer, but still, just a heads up.

Even though I prefer a satin or dewy finish, I actually liked how the product looked when first applied. However, within a couple hours, I remembered why matte foundations just don’t work for me. I had checked the ingredients list to make sure this would be compatible with my primer/serum, but even though it was, it definitely started to break up around my nose by mid-afternoon. I tried using powder over the top on the second day I used this, which helped a little, but it was still a problem. The rest of the foundation actually wore pretty well, other than clinging a little to dry patches. And, another bonus, I’m now on day three of using the product and it has yet to break me out at all; in fact, my skin usually looks pretty nice when I take it off in the evening. I can’t speak to the purported anti-aging properties of some of the ingredients, but this felt a lot gentler and nicer to my skin than any other medium-to-full coverage foundation I’ve tried.

Overall: This cushion definitely has some great points. It applies well, it has surprisingly good coverage (assuming that’s what you’re looking for), it seems to be okay for sensitive or clog-prone skin, and it wears pretty nicely throughout the day. However, it definitely isn’t for me. Not only is the shade range very limited, to the point where I don’t think there’s a close enough match for me or many other people, but the finish is too matte for what I’m looking for. I really wanted to make it work, because I hate returning high-end products, but in this case I think I actually might considering the cost ($60 for the product and included refill).

Review: 2.5/5

1: “I will never use this product again and intend to immediately throw it away or return it”

2: “I’m not a big fan of the product, but I’ll probably use it once in a while”



3: “I’ll use up what I have, but don’t plan to repurchase this product”

4: “I really like the product, and will keep using it unless I find a better replacement”

5: “I absolutely love this product, and will probably never look for a replacement unless it’s discontinued or the formula changes”