People in my family don’t wear makeup, so I never grew up buying or testing it out on my face. However, now that I’m a so-called “adult,” I find that, once in a while, I need a little something extra to make myself look just a tad bit more polished when I’m off to a party, wedding, or job interview. It turns out that compact cushions are perfect for people like me who don’t normally wear makeup.

A few reasons why I like compact cushions over liquid or powder foundations:

• They’re highly portable and spill-proof. Just throw the case in your bag and you’re good to go.
• The barrier to entry is low. A compact cushion usually includes a powder puff so you don’t need to already own (or buy a new) special makeup brush or blender sponge thingy in order to start using it.
• Compact cushions are often formulated with major SPF power. Yay for not only covering up existing hyperpigmentation, but also preventing new hyperpigmentation from forming!

Today I’m going to review my go-to “makeup” option for special occasions: Missha Magic Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++ (No. 27).

Missha M Magic Cushion SPF 50+/PA+++ No. 27 Ingredients

The active sunscreen ingredients in this product are titanium dioxide (UVB and UVA2 protection), octinoxate (UVB), and octisalate (UVB). (Ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate = octinoxate and ethylhexyl salicylate = octisalate.)

Aside from the excellent SPF and UVA protection, a few beneficial ingredients caught my eye:

• niacinamide, which helps treat hyperpigmentation. However, note that the linked study involved a product that contained niacinamide at 4 percent concentration, and there’s no way to tell how much niacinamide is actually included in this particular cushion compact.
• adenosine: may provide anti-aging benefits (in this study, subjects noticed an improvement in crow’s feet and other facial wrinkles after two months of using adenosine cream).

Now let’s move on to a few cons about the ingredients in Missha Magic Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++. This product contains cyclopentasiloxane, trimethylsiloxysilicate, and other silicones, so if your skin is sensitive to silicones, or silicones make you break out, this is probably not a good product for you. It also contains “fragrance” which may irritate sensitive skin.

Interestingly it also contains xylitol. Remember, artificial sweeteners were also included in cosmetics, including Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Eye Concentrate. They help soothe and moisturize the skin. Read more about how xylitol and other sweeteners are used in cosmetics in my other blog post.

Missha Magic Cushion SPF 50+ PA+++ Review

If, like me, you have uneven skin tone, acne scars, hyperpigmentation, or other imperfections, you’re probably always looking for something that will give your skin a flawless finish. This cushion compact does a great job at evening out my skin tone (probably because the silicones act as fillers), without looking too gaudy. I like the soft puff as well, but note that it does get a bit stained after you use it a couple of times, even if you wash it in soapy water.

The puff includes a strip along the top where you can insert two or three fingers. Simply press the puff lightly into the cushion and then blend it all over your face. I find that I usually only need about two or three “presses” of product to provide medium coverage for my face. You place the puff on a separate layer of the cushion compact, so it’s not touching the spongey foundation material at all while in storage.

The cushion compact is actually just what it sounds like: a cushion that has been soaked in a foundation that includes a mixture of mainly silicones (to smooth out your complexion and make this product easier to apply), sunscreen actives (titanium dioxide, octinoxate, and octisalate), and tinted color (with iron oxides and alumina, similar to how tinted sunscreens generally get their mineral-based hues).

I used No. 27, which sound like a music composition, but it’s really referring to the color/tint of the foundation/sunscreen. It turned out to be a pretty good match for my yellow/gold Asian complexion. This product also comes in two lighter shades and one darker shade (to accommodate an unfortunately small range of four skin tones in all).

This product did not aggravate existing acne, or cause new breakouts to occur after use. Indeed, it helped reduce redness associated with post-acne or active acne flareups. It also left a dewy finish that got a bit too oily for me after about five or six hours. So if you have oily skin like me, this is probably not the best way to make your skin look completely flawless. It will do a good job of blurring out imperfections, but it won’t stop your face from looking like an oily slick if it usually does after a few hours of being out and about. You may need to apply a finishing powder (I’m just guessing on that one, since, as mentioned earlier, I know basically nothing about makeup) or make sure to keep some oil blotting papers on hand (P.S. I personally like these) if you are planning to use this compact cushion.

Related reading

• PURITO Centella Green Level Unscented Sunscreen SPF 50+ PA++++ Review
• The Ordinary Serum Foundation review
• Kiss Me Heroine Mascara review: What makes it so waterproof and smudge-proof?
• Tinted sunscreen guide: A brief exploration of tinted ingredients
• Other Korean beauty product reviews