[Review] Iope Air Cushion XP Cover 23

Do you chase beauty trends? 
I don't - not really.


But even if you're not a trend chaser, you've probably heard of "air cushions". They were a huge hit in Korea recently, and is currently the product to use now as well. Almost every brand has their own air cushion product, but Iope's Air Cushion XP is the #1 best selling. It's seen as the cushion that started it all~




Literally every single Korean girl/woman I know has heard of this particular product. If they don't already have it, they want it. My friend, Shin, brought one back from Korea and she raved about it so much my ears dropped off.

At first, I didn't really understand the insane hype. It's just another way to put on foundation, isn't it?
Hmm. After actually trying it - I get the hype now. I've been bitten by the cushion bug! ): Oh NoOoOOo.





The Iope Air Cushion XP (upgrade from EX) - here's what's inside this small white pact.

1. Built in mirror (good size!)
2. Blue "air puff" (a special puff to dab at the foundation sponge and apply the makeup)
3. A sponge soaked with foundation

The air puff and the sponge are divided with second "lid". It holds the air puff in place, while keeping air out from the bottom compartment (where the sponge is).







Description 

"Not to mention the greatly increased SPF, it includes more than 25% of hydro-mineral ingredient to keep the skin moist and glossy.

It's application over makeup does not push away the makeup, and keeps the skin protected from the UV ray all day long.

Small container with more bang!

A 4-in-1 marvel of whitening + cooling + UV block + makeup with consumer's convenience in mind!"
- Description from Mootta.com.




This product is actually really convenient - they're not joking about that. It's "bam bam apply done" with this thing. I don't need any brushes, soak a beauty blender, or get my hands dirty. A+!

The air puff is also made specifically not to absorb too much product. So what you have on the puff... will go to your face. Magic, isn't it? If only all worldly sponges were like that.

The pact itself is a little bulky, but small at the same time. It's easy to fit into a purse. It's also easy to pull it out in the middle of the day, and touch up. (I don't find myself needing to touch up, though.)

- SPF 50+/PA+++
- Sweat proof
- Vitamin B5, Vitamin E derivatives, Vitamin P.
- 30% mineral water 
- Usually comes with refill (warning: some stores will not include the refill, so make sure you know what you're paying for)



Types / Shades
I have the "cover" in shade 23.

There's 3 types of the Iope Air Cushion.

1. Natural
2. Shimmer
3. Cover


Then, there's 3 shades (colours) that you can choose from.

1. 21
2. 23
3. 22 (for "shimmer")



Size (amount of product you get)

It's a small pact and you can easily carry it in a bag, big or small. There's about 15ml of product in 1 pact. That's half the size of a MUFE HD Foundation.
- If you buy it with an additional refill, that's 30ml. (same amount in MUFE HD)



Price 

You can buy this for $39 at Mootta. (No refill)



If you buy it with no refill, it's quite expensive for that price imo.
But obviously, Iope is pricier compared to the "cute brands" (i.e. Etude House, Tonymoly, The Face Shop, Holika Holika).



Swatches

Yeah, I probably took way too many pictures for this section. But overdoing is better than under-doing?  I think?

There are 2 pictures for each "set".
1. Picture with flash (the brighter one)
2. Picture with no flash (dim window light - it was a rainy day)
- "Natural light" photos will be posted as soon as this impossible Toronto weather gets better.

I've compared the "Iope cover 23" to other well known BB/CC creams/foundations. Below:
(Note: My skin colour is usually MUFE N120; and Cover 23 is similar to that.)


(Left to right)

1. Makeup Forever HD foundation (Shade N120)
2. Etude House CC cream (#1 Silky)
3. Missha BB cream (#23)
4. Etude House nymph aura volumer baby glow balm (02 natural beige)

1) MUFE N120
2) Etude house CC cream
3) Iope Air Cushion Cover 23 
4) Etude house baby balm 02 natural beige
5) Missha 23


Spread

Blended



Applied

The "cover" shades obviously (through name) offer more coverage than "natural" or "shimmer". Many of my friends/family use the natural version, and it looks like it covers any bits of skin redness just fine.

I'd have to say that coverage is good for Cover (23). It offers medium coverage - but it's buildable. If I have particularly red skin for a day, this will easily cover most of it up.
- That being said, I don't think it covers large, red, inflamed pimples that well.


Left side; covered. [Right side is bare]


It still looks natural, and I don't look "caked".
The Iope air cushion gives a healthy glow, but it doesn't look greasy either. I still like to put on some powder on top of it.

Forgive my chappy lips... omg.
And the unruly brows. This is what midterms do to me, ok? ):

Which brings me to my next point - staying power is decent. Stays on for a good while, and I don't even think about touching up.

The "sweat proof" claim. If it's a bad day (i.e. hot and gross), it'll slip off a bit. I don't know why Iope claimed that this is sweat proof... I don't see anything that really helps support that.



Thoughts / Experience 

I actually really liked this Air Cushion! It's one of my favourite products right now - granted, there are a few "cons", but the overall experience of using this was awesome.

I'm quite tanned from the summer, so the shade doesn't fit me perfectly right now.
For much of the year (October - May), I'm a MUFE N120 and this is a very close shade match to it. So it'll match me later on in the upcoming months. I hope I get a bit paler, I really want to use this more often!

Convenience? This is convenience in a pact.
You don't have to soak a beauty blender, bring out 'yo brushes, get your fingers dirty, etc. Take out the air puff and use.
Touch up throughout the day? Easy.

It looks really natural, and light - but still offers enough coverage for me. (Again though, I don't think it'll cover large, inflamed acne too well.)

Additional note: I don't think this is easy to use on dry skin, though. I have combination skin (usually), but when I'm a little drier than usual and use this product... it will show. It will. If you have dry, flaky skin, it'll accentuate that more than other BB/CC/foundation pacts I've tried. I guess you can exfoliate well and super moisturize, though. Hmm.



The Air Puff 

I thought this was a noteworthy thing to talk about. Some people  have been talking about the air puff, how difficult it is to clean, etc.

The puff is specially designed to pick up the foundation and apply in on your face "flawlessly", without absorbing a lot of product (compared to usual sponges). And it works!

But when it comes to cleaning said air puff... hm. I've tried to, just to see how hard it was to clean.
It's difficult.

So rather than spending time attempting to wash and clean this air puff (or using a dirty puff for a long time, or using a puff with soapy/remover remains still in it), in my honest-honest opinion... I would just get a new one.
It's not too expensive.
- You can find air puffs for $2-3 in Korea.
- They're around $4 (lowest) on eBay. Some are priced at $9-10, but... I say just get the $4 one. Same thing. (Just make sure you're getting an air puff, and not a "regular puff")



Pros 
- Lightweight
- Natural looking
- Gives off a lovely, healthy glow
- Medium, buildable coverage
- SPF 50+/PA+++
- Vitamins included



Cons
- Accentuates flaky skin patches
- Air Puff is difficult to clean
- Not sweat proof
- Expensive (If you're used to buying the "cute brand" foundations/BB/CCs)



Recommend?

Yes, I would definitely recommend this product if you're looking for a natural, pretty, healthy look! I'm a big fan of this cushion, and I'm really happy that I had a chance to try this out.



Repurchase?

Yes, I will be repurchasing a refill of this. I won't be buying a full, new set (i.e. a new pact + refill) because I don't need a new pact (the "shell" part).

Yeah, the price for the Iope Air Cushion is pretty pricey.
But if I had to shell out that $35+ for a new pact, I'll bite the bullet and get it. It's too good to pass up.



Rating 
Note: I don't give half marks.

Coverage: 3/5 (medium but buildable)
Quality: 5/5
Ease of use: 4/5 (loses a point for the "air puff problem")

Overall: 4/5



That concludes the review! Maybe you'll jump on the cushion bandwagon?





What about you?
What do you think about the "legendary" Iope Air Cushion? Have you tried cushions before? 



Note: This product was sponsored. The review is 100% honest. My opinion cannot be bought.

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