Cushions, Foundations, And BB Creams 101: How To Choose The Right Fit For You

No matter if you enjoy wearing makeup outdoors or indoors, choosing the right foundation is a must in order to accomplish the final look you are looking for. No matter if you prefer a natural finish or you’d rather go full coverage, it’s important to know what you’re buying, and that’s when learning about the different options out there becomes rule number one. From long-wear foundations to BB or CC creams, tinted moisturizers, sunscreens, and BB cushions, there’s an option for everyone in the wide world of face makeup. Not really sure where to start? Here are some basics to keep in mind and some of our absolute faves to keep handy this season for a radiant, glowy, and healthy look.

BB Cushions

Did you know BB cushions originated in Korea? Yep. Like many other beauty holy grails, these fantastic and convenient cushions were first created in Asia and started gaining popularity in the rest of the world only a couple years ago. They are essentially cushions soaked in BB Cream inside a compact case, paired with an amazing applicator puff. Not only are they perfect to throw in a bag for on-the-go touch-ups, but the lightweight formulas are great for those looking for sheer, buildable coverage with added skincare benefits. Sadly there are not many shades available at the moment, but some brands are trying to come up with new colors in order to appeal to a bigger crowd. So the next time you see your favorite idols or actors pulling out of that little round thing from their bags right before an important meeting, a date, or while doing their makeup in the morning, yep, that’s a BB cushion. Nowadays you can find many different ones for different skin types, skin struggles, finishes, and coverage. It’s just a matter of finding the formula that fits your makeup style.

Our faves for the season:

Amore Pacific Color Control Cushion Compact

Think of this cushion as a weightless, buildable coverage partner that provides hydration and antioxidant protection, all while it protects your skin from damaging UVA and UVB rays. AKA, a wonderful multitasker.

Avon Ink Lasting Cushion Foundation Slim Fit

The perfect partnership between two beauty experts: Avon and Korean brand The Face Shop. This exclusive and innovative collaboration brings you an ultra-portable design featuring a smooth, natural matte finish formula that enhances your skin, leaving it smooth and fresh

Missha M Magic Cushion

A best-seller and with good reasons! This cushion delivers light, buildable, and long-lasting coverage while it conceals blemishes and discoloration, evens skin tone, protects from sun damage, and moisturizes your skin! A true multitasker.

Clio Kill Cover Ampoule Cushion

Think of this as a one of a kind mix between a serum, a foundation, and a sunscreen. Highly moisturizing and easy to apply, this cushion offers high coverage for those looking for a flawless finish.

Moonshot Micro Setting Fit Cushion

There’s a reason why BLACKPINK is an ambassador for the brand: these formulas are flawless! This ultra-popular, long-wearing cushion provides sun protection and a matte finish, without oxidation or caking. A great option for those looking for a matte, full-coverage finish.

Foundations

This was probably the first form of facial makeup you ever learned about. As the name suggests, these are the “base” upon which you’ll build your entire makeup look. Usually, its goal is to accomplish an even finish to the skin, in order to make it look smoother and healthier. To find the right fit for you, it’s very important to keep in mind the three decisions you’ll need to make ahead of time: your preferred coverage (aka, how much pigment you’d like in your foundation), formula (meaning if you want to go for a liquid, cream, whipped, powder, or stick foundation) and finally, finish (matte, radiant, glowy, natural, etc). Once you’re clear on those terms, you can kickstart the search.

Our faves for the season:

The Ordinary Coverage Foundation

Available in 21 different shades, this lightweight, full-coverage liquid foundation is rich and buildable, featuring a cream-like texture that smooths seamlessly over the skin to even, conceal, and disguise fine lines and wrinkles with a semi-matte finish.

Fenty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation

First of all: there are 50 shades available for you to find your perfect fit! This ultra-blendable, skin-smoothing long-wear foundation offers medium to full coverage, serious staying power, and a natural finish perfect for all skin types. Especially perfect for those looking for a dewy finish.

ILIA True Skin Serum Foundation

This is basically what happens when you get the best of skincare and makeup together. It’s a medium-coverage, serum-infused foundation with a radiant, skin-like finish and a featherweight feel, perfect for every occasion.

Milk Flex Foundation Stick

Infused with blue lotus to moisturize and chamomile to help calm redness and soothe skin, this medium coverage, natural finish foundation covers, calms, and flexes without creasing or caking for a natural, smooth look.

Benefit Cosmetics – Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation

The perfect choice for those in search of a medium-coverage liquid foundation with SPF! It feels so lightweight and looks so natural, it’s virtually undetectable on the skin. Plus, it contains photochromic pigments that instantly adapt to brighten skin in any lighting. Shine away!

BB Creams

Another holy grail originated in Korea! BB creams (short for “Beauty Balms”) basically provide the best of both worlds: coverage with added skincare benefits like SPF and antioxidants, depending on the formula you go for. These godsends are usually lighter than foundation but heavier than tinted moisturizers. Now, it’s very important to keep this in mind: even when BB cream usually features SPF, it’s not enough to only wear this as your sun protection. But BB creams got a couple of relatives that joined the family after they became so popular: CC creams. The main difference between BB and CC creams is actually very subtle. CC stands for “color correcting,” and as such, the formulas are meant to fight against redness or inflammation, while BB creams are like a lighter foundation with a few skin care benefits thrown in.

Our faves for the season:

Erborian BB Cream With Ginseng

In a nutshell, this BB Cream is a five-in-one formula that provides lightweight buildable coverage and helps to moisturize for a plumping effect and illuminated skin with SPF 20 protection. A must for the season!

Holika Holika Aqua Petit Jelly BB Cream

An absolute favorite of favorites! Containing 80 percent fresh mint water, this refreshing BB cream offers natural coverage while adding and retaining moisture, leaving your skin lustrous, dewy, and firm.

Klairs Illuminating Supple Blemish Cream

An SPF 40-powered BB cream that leaves your skin looking flawless and even without caking or a gray cast. Plus, its nourishing and hydrating ingredients help your skin recover from unhealthy stressors!

Skin79 Super Plus Beblesh Triple Function Balm

Now, this is what I like to call a triple-action BB Cream. Made with a brightening complex, BB Super+ Original Beblesh Balm SPF30 is perfect for opaque, dull skin whilst working to even skin tone and smooth the complexion.

Dr. Jart Premium BB Beauty Balm

This lightweight, natural finish cult-favorite is considered an all-in-one beauty balm that perfects the complexion with a powerful anti-aging complex while shielding skin from UV damage.

What’s your preferred type of skin coverage, Soomipers? Have you tried any of these before?

Caromalis is a K-pop, K-fashion, and K-beauty obsessed content creator and writer. You can find her interviewing some of your (and her) favorite groups when they visit NYC, trying the latest K-beauty trends or testing idols’ skincare routines. Say hi to Caro on Instagram and Twitter!