| Review | Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation

| Review | Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation

Michelle Phan's ethereal beauty brand has blessed us with another glowing complexion item to add to our collections, a cushion foundation! If you're a fan of the legendary beauty influencer, it will come as no surprise to you that she's a very big fan of Asian beauty and their formulas. A cushion foundation is exactly what I expected her to release and I couldn't be more excited to try this formula out. 

The Em Cosmetics Daydream Cushion Foundation retails for $48.00 USD and it is available at Em Cosmetics. The cushion is housed in a simple and chic white compact with the brand's logo printed on the front. This packaging suits the brand's aesthetic; however; I am personally not a huge fan of white packaging for beauty products because they will notoriously get dirty. The compact opens up to a mirror and a pointed cushion sponge sitting atop a plastic covering for the cushion. This cushion comes with a refill, which I appreciate, and for the price, gives this foundation some great value because each cushion contains 12g/.42oz. 

The sponge is very nice and high-quality. It has a pointed end and a rounded end, allowing you to get precision in your application. The sponge can also be cleaned and reused, which I appreciate. However, I'm not a fan of using the included sponge with any cushion unless I'm in a real pinch or I'm touching up. I like using a large buffing brush or a beauty sponge to press and stipple on the foundation. 

SHADES 

This cushion currently has a very limited shade range with only 6 shades. I understand that small brands have a hard time producing a wide range of shades; however, these days, it will really deter people from purchasing from your brand. Especially, because the brand is only available online, which requires customers to rely on online swatches only or to buy blindly. This isn't my ideal shopping situation but based on what I could tell my closest shade match is Sweet Secret. This shade is described as a Medium/Tan. The shade before this one is described as Light/Medium and the shade after this shade is described as Tan/Dark. 

Sweet Secret - This shade is yellow-toned medium beige shade that will suit many medium skin tones with a warm or neutral undertone. I tend to normally go for a neutral undertone foundation but this shade doesn't lean too yellow and actually blends into my skin tone seamlessly. For reference, I am a MAC NC30-35. 

Cushion swatched heavily

Cushion blended

FORMULA 

The sponge is soft and very saturated. You can easily pick up a lot of product with very little pressure. This formula has a sheer to medium coverage and it is very buildable. The first layer will cover light redness and discoloration. You can continue to layer the foundation on until you get slightly past a medium coverage. This cushion covers quite well and eliminates dark spots on the skin and other imperfections but don't expect to get full coverage from this cushion. It isn't meant to cover everything but it has a surprising amount of coverage for a cushion foundation. 

The cushion feels very lightweight on the skin and the formula blends into the skin seamlessly because it is so light. The finish of this cushion is very natural and skin-like. This is often quite rare for a cushion foundation, which often leans toward a very glowing finish. This natural finish is a skin-like satin finish, leaving the skin looking naturally healthy but not overly glowing. This foundation will work for all skin tones; however, if you are very dry or very oily, you may need to prep your skin accordingly to wear this foundation. I find that if I apply a much dewier moisturizer, the finish of the foundation is dewier but it doesn't affect the wear time. 

I find the wear on this foundation to be impressively long, even without setting it. On my normal to dry skin without a primer or setting powder, I was able to wear this foundation for a solid 8 hours without fading or breaking down. Although, if you choose not to set the foundation, there will be some transfer because the formula doesn't set down. However, I do find that after the first hour or so, I can touch my face without any transfer to my fingers, if I touch my face lightly. It also doesn't feel wet or tacky even though it doesn't set down completely. 

THE LOOK

You can see this foundation layered over a dewy moisturizer, it looks very natural and dewy on my skin. I did apply cream products on my cheeks as well but the cushion on top of a dewy moisturizer looks dewy and fresh. The foundation adapts to the textures underneath. I didn't powder my face, which for some people will be too dewy but I like the finish. It lasted all day long for me. 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

Considering the quality, the amount of product, and the price, this foundation is totally worth it! That's if you can find a shade that is suitable for you. The formula does start off sheer enough for it to be forgiving when it comes to shade matching but only if you choose to wear it sheer. The formula can be built up and when you build the foundation, it's will be more obvious if your foundation doesn't match. I really do hope they will expand their shade range but other than the shade range, the formula is fantastic! While, I prefer a dewier finish to my foundation, this natural finish is beautiful and universal for a wide variety of skin types. 

If you've avoided cushions because they lack coverage or are typically too dewy, this one may be perfect for you. This natural finish is actually great if you are pairing the cushion with dewier cheek products, like the Em Cosmetics Serum Blushes. It really keeps your complexion balanced in textures. Also,  the versatile finish allows you to go more dewy or matte depending on what you use under and on top of your cushion. Overall, I highly recommend this cushion and I think it's worth a try for anyone who loves a cushion foundation!