I am officially cutting myself off from buying any more BB cushions until I can get through the ones I own. My latest acquisition is the Hanyul Luminant Cushion, adding to my collection of cushions by AmorePacific, IOPE, Laneige, and HERA (links are to past reviews).
I’ll review the Hanyul cushion first and then compare all my cushions. Update: I did an even bigger cushion roundup in this post.
Hanyul Luminant Cushion Review
I bought the Hanyul Luminant Cushion PURELY because it’s shilled by Jun Ji Hyun (Cheon Song Yi from “My Love From Another Star”). Ugh, I’m so obsessed with her glowing skin. Ji Hyun, just start the protective order proceedings now.
Boasting SPF 50+ PA+++, the cushion comes in two shades, 1 Pink and 2 Beige. I bought the latter. I haven’t really seen Hanyul products in the U.S., but it is yet another brand under the umbrella of the AmorePacific Corporation.
The shade 2 Beige is a neutral creamy beige that is akin to MAC NC15. The coverage is buildable to medium. The finish is satiny and luminous, but not as luminous as on Jun Ji Hyun sadly. You know that clear, almost wet, plump glow that K-stars have? This cushion won’t make that happen. The finish is perhaps 10% more luminous than some of my other cushions but it doesn’t perform magic. In the comparison swatches below, you’ll notice that the Hanyul looks the dewiest even after it’s dried.
Despite not being as luminous as I’d expected, it still offers a lovely finish while softening the appearance of spots and covering up redness. It also feels a bit more moist than some of my other BB cushions. It lasts all day, but then again, I always powder over my cushion foundations (which will take away a lot of the luminosity). So overall, I still recommend the Hanyul cushion if you can get your hands on it. (Btw, I didn’t post an ingredients list because the packaging and insert are in Korean.) Update: My Asian Skincare Story has the translated ingredients here.
Comparison of AmorePacific, IOPE, Hanyul, Laneige, & HERA Cushions
The cushions I’m comparing are:
- AmorePacific Color Control Cushion Compact in 104 (Tan Blush)
- IOPE Air Cushion XP in C23 (Cover Beige)
- Hanyul Luminant Cushion in 2 Beige
- Laneige BB Cushion in Light
- HERA UV Mist Cushion Long Stay in C21 (Cool Vanilla Cover)
So I’ve realized that all of my cushions are from one AmorePacific brand or another and that probably explains why they all feel and look similar (despite the widely variable price points and target demographics). If you’re wondering which one to get, my best advice is to choose a cushion that best matches your skin color because the coverage and finish are similar among them: they start off sheer but are buildable to medium coverage with a satin finish. I don’t find any of them particularly drying or moisturizing and they are all most definitely makeup despite their various skincare claims (moisturizing, brightening, skin-balancing, oil control, etc.). Update: I gravitate towards the AmorePacific, Hanyul, and HERA Ultra Moisture (not in this post but reviewed here) as the smoothest, least drying formulas relatively speaking, but as I said, the cushions in this post are all quite similar and not drying per se.
In the arm swatches (all taken outdoors), all of the shades surprisingly appear peach and all except the Hanyul oxidized to a medium peach that I would guess is in the NC/NW20-25 range. The Hanyul looks to be a peachy NC15-20. The AmorePacific and the HERA have the strongest orange tones. But keep reading because on the face, it’s a different story.
Due to oxidation or whatever reason, the shades–when worn on the face–are actually more dissimilar than the arm swatches show.
When I’m very fair (NC15), I like the Laneige Light, HERA C21, and Hanyul 2 Beige. Update June 2015: I’ve been reading cushion shade-matching posts on the Asian Beauty subreddit and have noticed a few comments saying that Laneige Light is dark and orangey on NC15 skin. It’s possible that Laneige has changed the color over time (I bought mine in Feb. 2014) or that I was just plain wrong. Please read more recent reviews before buying.
In the summer or when I self-tan (NC20-25), I like the AmorePacific 104 Tan Blush. On the face, this is the only one that I would say has a strong orange/peach tone. The orangeness is very apparent if my neck is still pale, but the shade looks natural when I’m tanner.
The IOPE C23 is sort of in-between; I think it matches when I’m around NC15-20 (it looks slightly too light/brightening when I’m NC20 but is passable). Update: It can look slightly too dark and yellow when I’m NC15.
I hope this was helpful. The arm swatches might have confused things, but they show how similar the coverage levels and finishes are. The shade names/numbers are a decent guide to how fair/deep the shade will appear on the face.
Update: Added a photo taken indoors in indirect sunlight.
BeautyandtheCat's Beauty Blog 
For me Hanyul (#1 – light pink) was a revelation. It dries a lot faster than any other cushion I’ve tried so far (I have 8 of them, LOL!), can be worn without a layer of base makeup and stays on forever. And it’s a perfect match to my skintone.
And you’ve inspired me, I will need to do my own epic cushion comparison.
Ooh, I look forward to reading your comparison. Your cushion reviews are great. I gravitate towards the Hanyul too even though the color is similar to other cushions. –Angela
which one would you suggest for nc25-30?
Unfortunately I don’t have firsthand experience. I think any shades numbered 23 or lower would be too light (my co-blogger, Renee, is about your skintone and found Laneige No. 23 to look chalky and too light). Perhaps check out reviews for IOPE N31 or the other AmorePacific shades (the other shades sold at Sephora are all darker than the one swatched here, 104). Beauty Professor has swatches: http://www.beautyprofessor.net/2013/04/amore-pacific-color-control-cushion.html
Is it too early to say I’m in love with your blog? Perhaps, but I’m going for it and saying so anyway. You seem to have such a fun personality, and I read for that aspect as much as I read for information. Anywho, I am oober interested in cushion products but am at a loss as to which to get. I want something that is dewy/satiny, but DRIES DOWN such that it is not tacky/sticky at all upon contact. I wear goggles/glasses all day and sticky things migrate and stain my lab apparel. I don’t like powdering because my ultra dry skin rebels in the face of powder products. Which would you recommend?
Thanks for the kind praise, Cindy. That made my day ❤ I think you can get a good sense of the difference in my and Renee's personalities, too. 😀
As for the cushions, I know what you mean because I wear sunglasses and reading glasses a lot. I also powder the area where glasses would sit, so I'm not 100% sure that my recs will work for you. Also, although most cushions *are* sticky, the skincare/primer worn underneath *can* make them less sticky but that probably also means making them less dewy. For example, the IOPE XP is normally pretty sticky and satin-dewy, but today I wore it atop a sunscreen that dried to a satin finish and the IOPE looked satin-matte and felt so un-sticky that I didn't even need to powder (although I did anyway out of caution).
The one that sets into a non-sticky finish most reliably is the HERA Ultra Moisture, but that one is a soft, polished matte finish unless applied atop dewy products. I haven't worn that one in a while (color's too light for spring), so I can't recall whether it became sticky when worn with dewy products. In any case, you can try applying a glowy primer or moisturizer beforehand on everywhere *but* where your glasses sit to dewify the finish while keeping the tricky areas unsticky.
Out of the dewy cushions, Hanyul may be a good option. I think it will still be a little sticky but less so than others such as the AmorePacific. Sorry I couldn't be of more help; you posed a tough question.
Thanks for reading this essay of a response and good luck with cushion shopping 🙂
Essay responses are my favorite responses! I love it when people take the time to converse and educate, so your reply was much appreciated.
What sunscreen do you use? I typically fluctuate between the neutrogena dry touch and the yes to cucumbers version. I usually various bb creams over them, such as the skin79 hot pink. I don’t find they leave my skin AT ALL sticky, its rather satin-dewy? You can see a shine but touching my face leaves the hands dry.
I’ll try the IOPE XP though if thats one you quite liked. How long did it last on your skin [with powder]? As for the HERA, did it exacerbate any dry spots for you? I’m afraid that going for non-sticky cushions would compromise how it sits on the skin, and would emphasize all my dry bits and pieces. It’s a tough question indeed.
With powder, the IOPE (and my other cushions except for Innisfree) last 8-10 hours.
The HERA Ultra Moisture didn’t make my dry spots worse. I think if you have regular dry skin and prep well (wipe off skin flakes, moisturize well, create a smooth canvas), it will not exacerbate dryness. On a few occasions, I did develop some flaky patches over the course of the day, but I attribute that to using tretinoin, meaning the flaking wasn’t completely due to dryness; it was also skin turning over and so moisturizing won’t stop that.
For sunscreen, I’ve been using all Japanese ones, all PA++++. The satin-finish one that I used with the IOPE the other day is the Solanoveil Watery Gel. I quite like that one, but I want to use it some more to see whether it dries my skin out over time. Before using that, I’d been using the Sekkisei Sun Protect Essence Gel and the Nivea Sun Protect Plus Skin UV Cream. Both of those leave a dewy moisturized look to the skin (without actually moisturizing that much), so that contributed to preserving the dewy look of the cushions.
I’ve actually used the Yes to Cucumbers (or was it Blueberries) sunscreen before and found it quite drying. But I think that is just my skin not taking well to physical sunscreens in high concentrations.
I’m so glad I found your blog. I’m addicted to cushion foundations now too! I have 3 currently, Laniege, Iope, and It cosmetics (which I just bought today from ulta). I have some questions:
1) Where do you buy your Korean brand cushion foundations from? I bought laniege from eBay, the Iope from a local h-Mart cosmetic store. I’d like to try other kinds, but I’m so impatient when it comes to waiting for them through eBay. Lol
2) I have combo skin, so the dewy look winds up oily looking later on. You said you put powder over your cushion foundation – what brand do you use? And how do you apply it? I have bare minerals mineral veil, but when I apply over the cushion foundations, it makes the foundation separate, and doesn’t look good.
3) Have you ever used matte cushion foundations? I’ve been eyeing the Iope Matte. I just don’t know what to try next. I’m guess I’m hoping to find a more matte cushion foundation, that lasts a super long time, and doesn’t smudge so easily – I wear glasses and sunglasses a lot and while it’s easy to touch up, it’s annoying to have to do it all the time, and ultimately wastes more product.
4) do you know how much darker the Iope 23 is compared to 21? I’ve been using 21, but I know I’ll be darker soon in the summer, and 21 will be too light.
I love your blog! Thank you so much for posting all this!
Hi Meghann, thanks for reading! 😀 The It Cosmetics cushion sounds intriguing. That one has snail in it I think, so I haven’t tried it. To answer your Qs…
1) I’ve bought a few from TGIWholesale, but there are a bunch of online stores. Check out this list on the Asian Beauty sub-Reddit for more sellers. BeautynetKorea, Jolse, RoseRoseShop, and TesterKorea are frequently mentioned on that sub, but I’ve yet to try them. I bought the Laneige from Target, the AmorePacific from Sephora, and the IOPE from an Amore (Aritaum) store.
2) I’m not too picky with loose powder. I brush or tap it on with a big powder brush. I’m currently using the Mally Poreless Perfection Skin Finisher and Tarte Smooth Operator.
3) Oooh, the IOPE Matte sounds promising. The only matte one I’ve tried is the HERA Ultra Moisture (my review here). I like this one a LOT. Matte, not flat.
4) I’m not sure how IOPE 23 compares to 21. Sorry 😦 In general though, 21s are about MAC NC15 and the IOPE C23 is half a shade darker, like darker than MAC NC15 but not quite NC20.
Hope this helps!
-Angela
Thank you Angela! FYI, the It cosmetics cushion is terrible, and I’m returning it. Lol nothing I’ve tried makes it look as nice as Iope or Laniege.
Ugh. Good to know. It Cosmetics is normally good quality, so that’s disappointing.
Hi, can I know if the Hanyul Lumimant Cushion are interchangeable with Laneige BB Cushion and Iope Air Cushion XP? And which tone of Hanyul will be comparable with Laneige #21 Natural and Iope #N23? Also can I know which is the most lightweight and which hydrates and moisturizers the best? Thank you very much! Really appreciate your help!
I’m away from my cushions right now (traveling), but I can check whether they’re all interchangeable when I get back home next week. I think they should be.
I haven’t tried IOPE N23 (only C23) or Laneige 21 per se (I’ve tried Laniege Light, which seems to be the same as 21), but I would guess Hanyul No. 2 might match. Might be a little too light if you can match a no. 23 shade though. The Hanyul cushion is quite fair!
None of the cushions actively hydrate; they are makeup primarily (despite the skincare claims) and the best they can do is *not* dry out your skin. None of these are really drying, but the least drying (after like 8-12 hours) are the HERA Ultra Moisture, Hanyul, and AmorePacific.
Hi I just stated reading your blog and I absolutely love how you reviewed these products!!! I’ve been wanting to try an air cushion foundation for the longest time. My only question is im a neutral medium skin completion and I really want to try Hanyul Luminant Cushion in 2 Beige, but im afraid it will be to light. Do you have any suggestions for a light/medium Hispanic completion?
Hi Nina! This is Renee (the more tanned girl of the beautyandthecat duo.) Korean cushions tend to be very pale and chalky. I personally recommend making your own cushion using empty cushions and your favorite foundation containing SPF. The magic of cushion is really in the application. There is a tutorial on our blog about how to make your own. I made one using Koh Gen Doh in shade OC2 which is a tan beige. You can purchase empty cushions on eBay and Iope sells those cushion puffs with ruby cell technology as well. That’s one way to make sure you have a cushion that fits your shade and needs. Any other questions? 🙂
hi! i have light skin, however i’m middle eastern so i have olive undertones and i get quite tan in the summer. as a result, when i wear cushion foundations i’ve noticed a white cast – this is why i apply some powder bronzer to my skin, which cancels out the “whitening” effect. this works out fine, but i’m wondering if you have any other suggestions – would mixing a bit of liquid bronzer in the compact be effective?
Hi, Nina! Thanks for reading. Hanyul 2 will definitely be too light. Unfortunately most Korean brands have not expanded their shade range beyond fair to light skintones. Most cushions come in shades 21 and 23, but I think any shades numbered 23 or lower would be too light. Check out reviews and swatches for the IOPE cushion in 31, Laneige Medium, and any AmorePacific cushions. I wonder whether you would match the shade that I use when I’m at my tannest (104), but AmorePacific cushions are worth checking out since the shades at Sephora in the U.S. seem geared to light-medium to medium skintones. Good luck! –Angela
hii! love the blog, thank you for the in-depth review 🙂 couple of questions –
1. i have light skin, however i’m middle eastern so i have olive undertones and i get quite tan in the summer. as a result, when i wear cushion foundations i’ve noticed a white cast – this is why i apply some powder bronzer to my skin, which cancels out the “whitening” effect. this works out fine, but i’m wondering if you have any other suggestions – would mixing a bit of liquid bronzer in the compact be effective?
2. i’m using etude house’s any cushion right now and i love the dewy finish it gives my skin, but i’d like to try this one out as well. i’m wondering if you have any reccomendations as to how to cover up acne scarring and contour/add blush/highlighter etc without losing that gorgeous glowy finish – i do have oily skin, so i’m cautious about switching to cream as opposed to powder contour/blush/highlighter. i have a few acne scars and occasional pimples to cover up, and im not sure if i should try to apply concealer on top of or below cushion foundations. i blot my skin throughout the day which tends to remove contour/foundation throughout, but i can’t bring myself to powder it because i don’t want a matte look. such a dilemma ~!!
Hi Diyana! Sorry for the delayed response. Thanks for reading our blog 🙂
1. As Renee (the darker of us two) responded elsewhere in these comments, it’s best to make your own cushion. I’ve never tried mixing a bronzer directly into a cushion, but I could see it being hard to evenly mix it with the makeup already in there and therefore hard to pick up a predictable color.
2. I have the same issue with keeping my cushion dewy! I used to use all powder contour/blush/highlighter. Other than using cream makeup (there are some cushion versions of bronzer/blush/highlight that look lovely), I’d suggest powdering only the specific spots where makeup tends to fade and where you blot your face.
You can add the dew back in in a controlled way by using a dewy skin mist (I love Tatcha’s) or by using “radiance” powders such as Hourglass Dim Light (beige sheen) or Guerlain Meteorites. It won’t look as wet/like fresh skincare like some dewy cushions do, but it might be worth it for the increased longevity.
As for concealer, I like to lightly touch a small fluffy concealer or eyeshadow brush onto the surface of my cushion and then dot the foundation onto my face. It increases the coverage! For some cushions, it will still be only medium coverage, but my IOPE Intense cushion is almost full coverage when applied this way.
I hope this helps!
hey, thanks so much for your response! 🙂 so what i’m planning on doing is finally getting a setting spray for right after i apply my makeup (urban decay’s de-slick), powdering with ambient light when i need to, and topping with tatcha’s skin mist. just a couple of follow-up questions –
1. when you say make your own cushion, do you mean adding a foundation that matches your skin tone to an empty cushion compact?
2. any recommendations as to where to start to find long-lasting cream or cushion bronzer/blush/highlight?
1. Yup, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. If you search “DIY” on our blog, you’ll see our posts about it. Memebox sells prepackaged empty cushion cases with empty sponges. So does Missha.
Another option: Look up swatches of darker cushion shades because there are several options now. Lots of Western brands make cushions nowadays in deeper colors (IT Cosmetics, Pur Minerals) and some Korean brands, too (Laneige goes up to No. 33/Dark, IOPE up to No. 31, AmorePacific’s shades at Sephora are along the medium-tan range).
2. “Long-lasting” cream makeup is tricky, and I admit I suck at cream makeup. The best I do is to try to not touch it. I’m currently using a bronzer stick by Memebox’s house brand I’m Meme; it’s OK. Sephora recently came out with cushion bronzer, Laneige has a cushion highlighter, and IOPE has cushion blush (but the shades look too light for anything darker than light skin). I made my own cushion blush using a very pigmented pink liquid blush, and it works great even though it fades a little by the end of the day.
oh and one more thing! you mentioned the IOPE Intense cushion – does that one work better in terms of coverage than the Hanyul one while still providing a dewy finish?
The IOPE Intense is a little bit more coverage when patted on like a normal foundation and is a LOT more coverage when dotted on as concealer. It’s not as dewy as Hanyul though, but again, there are ways to add the dew in with other makeup (or even a light dab of oil, Vaseline, or face gloss).
Hi, love your review and I have a question here! Can hanyul refill fit in Laneige cushion?
Yes! 👍
Hi Angela or Renee,
Would you say laneige #21 is pretty much the same as IOPE N23? I am using IOPE N23 now and interested to try laneige, but not sure if I should get #21 or #23. I’ve read somewhere that laneige seems a little darker compare to IOPE for the same number (i.e. Laneige #21 is a bit darker than IOPE N21. Any advices are appreciated, thanks.
Hi Jo! Unfortunately, I’ve never tried Laneige #21. I’ve only used “Light” from Target, which probably equates to either #21 or #23. Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like #23 would suit you if IOPE #23 suits you. The differences between #21 and #23 are quite small in most brands (occasionally, there’s a huge difference in undertone), so I make a too-light or -dark cushion work with bronzer.
Hi Angela or Renee,
Thanks for the reviews! It helps, though your comments about dewiness doesn’t apply to me, because I have very very oily skin. I’m currently using Laneige cushion (light from Target). I’ve read elsewhere that I should start using the IOPE line because it’s targeted for my age range. What do you think?
I don’t think it matters to use a particular cushion just because of your age. I go with what suits my skin type, lifestyle/climate, and my preference for dewier skin. I’ve tried only one Laneige cushion (the one from Target) and a few from IOPE. They’re both pretty similar, but IOPE is ever so slightly high quality, just a bit smoother formula. IOPE also has a matte formula that you might like more (the shades start with “M,” like M21, M23). That’s why IOPE is worth trying, in my opinion. –Angela
I’ve been using Laneige for a few months now, and I have no complaints. I might switch to IOPE based on your advice. Thank you!
Another thing: I’ve tried Amore Pacific’s cushion (in a small sample size), but stopped short of buying it because it’s twice as much as Laneige or IOPE. (I settled on Laneige because I love the smell of Laneige.) Is the quality of AP cushion worth the price point? AP that is readily available in the US (via Sephora or their AP US website) is pretty limited. It’s also dewier than Laneige, hence my apprehension.
I love AP! There are two versions of the foundation in the U.S. now (Color Control and Anti-aging) and both are terrific and even smoother on the skin than Laneige and IOPE! I would spend the money for it over Laneige and IOPE, but for your preferences, AP is probably too dewy for you. To me, it’s a naturally radiant and creamy look (there are even dewier cushions out there), but it is definitely a notch up on the dewiness and doesn’t control oil.
For something a bit higher quality than Laneige but meant for oily skin, you could check out the IOPE Matte as well as Hera Long Stay and Hera Ultra Moisture (I don’t know if it’s meant for oily skin, but it lasts long and doesn’t add any dewiness–just takes on whatever finish your skincare has). Too many choices!