L'Oréal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation Review + Demo

Hello blogger world,

It's been a while since I did a beauty post. During summer I don't fuss too much over makeup so I just didn't have anything exciting to share, but as soon as fall kicked in I knew I needed to revamp my makeup drawer. So long story short, I popped in the department store and picked up a few goodies to change things up in my usual routine, among which the much-talked about  L'Oréal Nude Magique (or Lumi in some parts of the world) Cushion Foundation.

After Lancome introduced cushion foundations to the western market (they've been a thing in Korea for ages) naturally many brands hopped onto the bandwagon and released their own version. L'Oréal happens to own Lancome and is known to offer more affordable versions of high-end products so there was no doubt it would soon come up with its own cushion foundation. Mind you this product was actually made in Korea.

 At 18,10 euros, L'Oréal's offering isn't exactly that cheap considering it contains just 14,6 grams of product, which is about half the amount a usual liquid foundation contains. To be fair though, most cushion foundations contain small amount of product so they don't dry out. However if you want value for money, this product just isn't it.

What drew me to this foundation was mainly the fact that it's supposed to be a dewy, glowy, lightweight no-makeup makeup kind of base which ticks all the right boxes for me. My skin is normal to dry without many issues, just the occasional spot here and there. I can't stand the feeling of anything heavy on my face or anything too matte as I feel that it sucks all the moisture out of my skin.

So let's start with the basics:

PACKAGING:

Now I'm not one to care too much about packaging, although it doesn't hurt when it's pretty. I would say that for a "drugstore" (I'm using the drugstore term rather loosely since the pricepoint is a bit more mid-range than drugstore) product the packaging is lovely, if not nicer than its Lancome counterpart. The metallic rosy lid would look so lovely and girly on anyone's boudoir. (The photo doesn't really do it justice, so apologies for that.)

It includes a mirror and an application puff.

When you open the first "layer" there's a sticky seal to keep the product fresh. You'll need to keep this since it prevents the sponge from drying out.

Once you remove the seal you come across a sponge soaked in foundation. You press it gently and the product comes out.

And here is a first look on how it looks worn on its own in artifical lighting.

Now let's break it down:

SHADE:

I got the shade 03 which is a rather neutral fair shade. It seems to be a great match, it blends into my natural skintone seamlessly. I will say that at least in the European market the shade selection wasn't the greatest. For reference I will say that I'm shade no31 in the Bourjois 123 CC cream and 52 in the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation (these two are my go-to bases).

APPLICATION:

Although I usually side-eye the applicators products come with, I decided to give it a go and try to apply it with the little puff that was included, mainly because the cushion technology is a different system entirely and I wanted to see if the included applicator made any difference. Now I don't think it made any difference, but it does work with the product quite well. It was very quick too so it renders the compact extra handy to have in your purse for touch-ups during the day. I would advise you to go ahead and use your usual preferred method of applying foundation.

COVERAGE & FINISH:

Well this foundation is exactly what it says: dewy and glowy. They ain't kidding about that! If what you're looking for is glossy, editorial, juicy skin you can take my word for it and purchase it with closed eyes. The coverage is decent but if you have major skin issues you want to cover, this isn't for you. I'd say it offers pretty light coverage which can be built up to a medium opacity but not more than that. You can still see your skin through it which personally I like. It's very lightweight and comfortable on the skin and glides smoothly over dry areas. It does seem to set a bit, it's not sticky by any means but it doesn't fully dry down either (I suppose if it did it would lose the luminous effect).

LASTING POWER:

This one is definitely not for the oilies. I have normal skin and I could notice some shine throughout the day. For optimal results I powder the T-zone lightly and keep the glowy look to the cheeks and periphery of the face. However although dewy foundations tend to separate and disappear more quickly than matte ones, I found this one lasted very well on me and my face looked uniform and evened out for several hours until I took it off.

Who will love this product:

Anyone with normal/dry/dehydrated skin

Those who look for a dewy finish

Those who like a natural look

Those who don't suffer from any major skin problems

Who won't love this product:

Anyone with oily/combination skin

Those who like a matte finish

Those who like medium/full coverage

Those who want value-for-money products that will last them several months

Those who live in a hot/humid climate

FINAL VERDICT:

This seems to be perfect for me and my skin's needs. I've been after a product like this for a long time and it ticks all the boxes. I feel like my skin will love this especially in the drier, colder months. As for the cushion mechanism, I'm not convinced yet that it adds anything special the final result, but it definitely makes the whole experience enjoyable and fun!

Now some before and after images:

left: no makeup / right: Nude Magique cushion foundation - Milani Luminoso blush - Essence I love extreme volume mascara (waterproof)

What do you think of cushion foundations? Do they really make a difference or are they just another gimmick?

I hope you found this review useful!