Review: Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] in 23 Sand Beige

I used to think of the BB Cushion concept as "just another gimmick that wouldn't work". Obviously I was very wrong because right now, I can't think of a better way to apply liquid foundation or BB cream. The magic is in the cushion puff used to apply the product. I used up my Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion but I didn't want to stop using the puff so I used it to blend out my favourite Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. Best decision ever because the puff and the patting motion resulted in a well-blended, no-streaking application. 

I now have purchased back-ups of the puff ONLY because the puff seems to work well with almost all of my base products. 

But of course, that didn't stop me from trying out more cushion products. I'm now more wary of trying out these BB cushions because most of the available ones in the market are targeted towards dry to normal skin users. There are very few that are formulated for those with oily skin, hence when find one, I will get it. 

The Laneige BB Cushion is not a new product - it's probably the most talked-about BB cushion in the beauty industry. It's like the Naked palette of South Korea. Cult product status. However, the original formulation was more for those with dry to normal skin types. I've read a multitude of positive reviews on the Laneige BB Cushion (and very very few negative experiences. Quite a feat!) and I was upset that I wasn't able to try out the product. 

Then, they had a Pore Control version out. It's like Laneige was testing the waters first, then once the product boomed into mega stardom, they released a semi-matte version which will delight those with combination to oily skin types. Similarly to the original version, the Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] barely has any negative reviews from users. Very li hai hor? So I also must buy. 

And I did. 

But not the full compact, just the refill. I got mine from Carousell for just S$20. 

I didn't buy the full compact (S$59 in Luxola) because I still had my Etude House compact. Luckily I did some research. Etude House and Laneige are owned by the same company (Amore Pacific), and so some of their products have similar packaging. The Laneige BB Cushion refill fits perfectly into the Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion packaging. S$39 saved! 

Random fact: I just did a quick Wikipedia search for Amore Pacific and I'm quite shocked at how many brands Amore Pacific owns. Aritaum, Hera, Mamonde, Sulwahsoo, Innisfree, IOPE, etc. It's like the Asian L'oreal. 

Packaging: I don't have the actual Laneige BB Cushion packaging because the refill is currently residing in the Etude House compact, but I'm very glad that someone in Amore Pacific decided to make the refills compatible across brands. Yes, they are not going to earn a full S$59 from customers, but they are going to earn the refill money from returning customers. Kengyang is in South Korea now, and I have asked him to get me 2 refills of the Laneige BB Cushion (Pore Control). If they only sold the full compact, I wouldn't even ask him to get me one.

Shade: I got mine in 23 Sand Beige. I think there are 5-6 shades available depending on where you buy the product. I searched online and the darkest shade is 33 Coffee (which looked NOTHING like coffee). 23 Sand Beige is an almost perfect match for my skin tone. My skin tone is more on the yellow-olive side and 23 Sand Beige is a little bit pinker than my skin tone. This is great because I always look for foundations with a slight pink in them to neutralise the yellowness slightly.

Pigmentation/Coverage: The Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] has incredible coverage. I always forget that it's marketed as a BB cream product because the coverage is almost like a liquid/cream foundation. I would say that one layer will give you medium coverage, and you can build it up to almost full coverage by piling on the layers without feeling like you armed yourself with a thick face mask. It covers my acne scars quite well even only with one layer. I usually apply two layers - one on the entire face, then a second one on the areas that need more TLC.

Come, come I show you pictures!!

First photo: No makeup at all. This was after I applied my day moisturizer.
Second photo: First layer of the Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] (as you can see, it has a semi-matte finish, and not dewy finish)
Third photo: Second layer of Laneige BB Cushion [Pore Control] on lower cheeks and upper mouth area.
Fourth photo: Follow up with finishing powder
Fifth photo: Completed look!

Very impressive right?

I show you a more drastic change.

Lai, before and after!

有没有很厉害 !!

Longevity: You definitely need to use a primer before using the Laneige BB Cushion. I tried with and without primer and the difference is quite staggering. Without a primer, this lasted me for 3-4 hours before things started to look a little bit too oily for my liking. With a primer, this lasted double the time. A good 7-8 hours before I needed a powder touch-up.

Will I buy it again? I already have 2 backups, and I'm willing to stick to this BB Cushion till I find another one suitable for my skin type. Whenever I find a product that works for my skin, I will stick to it and I'm quite resistant to product changes. Just like how I have used my ZA two-way foundation for almost 10 years. If there are no better alternatives out there, I will stick with the Laneige BB Cushion (Pore Control). Great, great product!

Have a great day guys! Do let me know if you have more BB Cushions that you want me to try! :)