Review: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Cushion Compact

Hola~! How was your Wednesday? Perhaps, just perhaps a tad bit more gloomy without my daily rambles – were you in shambles hurhurhur? All shamelessness aside, did you manage to catch the solar eclipse yesterday, where the sun was blocked by the moon and all you see is a round black circle with a shining rim? I was unfortunately chained to my desk. Alas~The only round black circle I saw was this Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Cushion Compact.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Cushion Compact – S$75

S$54 (Refill) / S$21 (Empty Compact)

Note the difference in this refill versus other cushions which usually are attached to the sponge-holder tray – Bobbi Brown’s refill is just the refill that has the sponge and the foundation.
Ooh, this is also different from the usual cushion foundations – instead of the foundation being evenly spread out and soaking through the cushion, this is kinda like the a water hole, from which the foundation will spring forth from (if you press down with the sponge puff).





Face: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation (Shade: Light), Eyeshadow: Laneige Two Tone Shadow Bar

I say…

The Packaging: Generally, it seems to be the same usual compact casing – yes it comes with a mirror and sponge tray holder/airlock. However, after removing the refill, I noticed that it differs from the other casings because the refills usually come with the sponge tray holder. Bobbi Brown’s refill is sort of like a coffee capsule – you open up the plastic film and pop the pod-like refill in.  Another way that this differs is the cushion sponge – instead of having the foundation fully and almost evenly spread out, you’ll need to press down to dispense it (I peeped slightly under the cushion and noticed that there was a “reservoir” of foundation at the bottom). So far, I haven’t had any issues with picking up enough product for the face, but I’m not sure if it’ll be as easy when you’re into your first month of usage. The cushion, upon first usage, is tougher than the other brands, which is a given, seeing as it’s not soaked and therefore softened by the moisture from the cushion.

• Note: Since the refill of this function as more of a “capsule/pod insertion”, it’s not compatible with any cushion in the market, be it Korean or Western brands.

The Scent: Again, it seems like Bobbi’s going all out to differentiate itself from the rest of its Western cushion companions – instead of a strong fragrance, this cushion smells slightly herbal (with a slight whiff of mint) and is quite pleasant actually.

The Texture/Finish: It’s lightweight and glides on smoothly. At first glance, the finish seems more moist/dewy, which immediately got my “meh” face on. The coverage is also medium, and there is a need for concealer for the dark undereye circles. It covers most of the skin’s blemishes and gives it a natural finish. But wait, wait – here’s where it gets interesting. Unlike other moist-type cushions that generally increase in shine as the day goes on (a combination of a lack of oil control as well as the sebum glands kicking into action), this one, very surprisingly, does not get shinier. The moist/dewy finish actually got more matte as the day went by – not that it becomes fully matte, but I’m just relieved that the shine does not increase, and instead, dies down slightly by about 10-20%. There is no oxidisation (yay!) and no oil slicks (yay!). It also kept the dry cheek areas from drying out and looking too patchy after spending about 4-6 hours in aircon. Outdoors, it can get a little shiny as it doesn’t have much oil control.

The Verdict: Overall, a pretty decent cushion that works relatively well with my combi-oily skintype in a humid country. It doesn’t particularly stand out as a wow product, but it certainly meets certain expectations. It has a dewy-matte finish (say 60:40), gives a decent coverage and a slight brightening finish, stays on for a medium amount of time (about 4+ hours) before melting, and most importantly, does not oxidise nor get patchy. You can touch up with it, but there’ll be some shine /dewiness added then. Dabbing with a tissue can result in some foundation being lifted off your face (not as much as Dior’s Perfect Moist Cushion, but less than Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Cushion BB). At S$75, it’s on par with Lancome’s Blanc Expect Cushion Compact High Coverage, slightly cheaper than YSL’s gorgeous Le Cushion (S$88), but pricier than Biotherm’s Evermoist CC at S$68 (which comes with an extra refill). I’d even say this would be suitable for most skintypes because of how it sets; plus, it comes in a 6 shades which can be considered a relatively wide range.