Review | IOPE Air Cushion XP in C23

Hi. Hi!!
It took me long enough to get this review out. I hauled the IOPE Air Cushion that I got from althea.kr in August 2015 but it was not until 4 months later I finally decided to use it. The reason was because I wanted to finish up using at least one of many liquid foundations I've own. 

First thing first! I must admit I'm not someone who caught up with trends. I'm also someone who just recently got back in discovering k-beauty (....and it all started again after my trip to Seoul last winter). Buying my first cushion foundation was actually a bit hard. I got lost since there are a lot of brands to choose from. I thought of going for the popular ones, hence it was a between IOPE and Laneige and I ended up choosing the former because it has a lot of online positive reviews. 

P/S THIS REVIEW GONNA BE LONG (AS USUAL) BC I'M A DETAIL ORIENTED PERSON LOL SOMEONE HOLDS ME IM ABOUT TO WRITE AN ESSAY.............


What it is?
Here's a graphic information taken from althea.kr since I bought the IOPE Air Cushion from them. I can no longer find the original ones on their Korean official site because IOPE literally just relaunched their newly designed Air Cushion XP last two weeks??!
Packaging/Design
I personally really liking the concept of cushion foundation. Although the compact itself seems bulky, it has everything that I'd ever need on the go for a touch up- foundation (better than powdered compact), a sponge and big mirror. I decided to get the one that comes in with an extra refill, so I believe the price is rather affordable.

Design- very simple and minimalist. Despite its white exterior, it doesn't attract dust, makeup residue and fingerprints quite easily. The case itself has glitters all over, making it looks expensive and exclusive. 

The upper case has a dome-like shaped.

Separated puff and foundation. There's a sticker seal too to prevent leaking and dryness.

Ingredients
Almost everything on its packaging is in hangul since I received mine directly from South Korea. 
Noted that the following ingredients are for AIR CUSHION XP IN C23 only!! Each of the IOPE cushions has different ingredients. 


The only alarming ingredient according to CosDNA would be the chemical sun filter, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate since it's able to cause burning and stinging sensation to some people. I don't have any problem with it. 

How To Use
IOPE suggested to apply it either as a makeup base or foundation. You can also reapply it throughout the day as a sunscreen. 
-[before makeup] Dap the puff completely onto the product and pat onto skin from the centre and work outward.
-[after makeup] Dap the puff onto the product and pat lightly onto skin.

How I use it? 
As a foundation. Only sunscreen and sometimes, moisturiser underneath. No primer. 

Scent
I don't know how to describe it but it's not a pleasant scent. Powdery-ish? They do put in fragrance inside their foundation but it's way down the bottom of the ingredient list. 

Shades
Something important to note is that the shade range of IOPE Air Cushion is very limited. This is because Koreans do prefer their skin to be lighter and brighter. It only has 3 shades the C line, (C means 'Cover')- C15, C21 and C23. I picked up mine in the shade C23 and I'd say it's equivalent to NC20-25 in MAC. The 'C' line is supposed to have more coverage than the 'N' (Neutral) and 'S' (Shimmer) line. IOPE also comes out with the Air Cushion XP Intense Cover but it's not available at althea.kr.

As you can see from the picture below, the foundation is slightly darker than my hand complexion, but worry not, I tanned a lot on my face lmao. My skin tone is uneven, but for most of the part, I have redness. Redness + tan, I'm literally NC30. LOL. Damn I need some whitening and brightening skincare. I wouldn't say the shade matches me perfectly on the centre part of my face because it's definitely lighter. So, this is when oxidation of the foundation helps.;P ;P ;P.

One layer of IOPE Air Cushion XP in C23, without primer, under natural light

Formulation/Application
-Thin and lightweight unlike traditional liquid foundation, however, it tends to be cakey if you don't blend it well with the puff. My pieces of advice are to start with a thin layer and gradually build it up if you need more coverage.  
-Set immediately. It doesn't really leave me finger marks when I touch my face.

Coverage
Medium coverage and it looks natural. At least to me it is natural looking. With the foundation, I was able to cover up most of my redness. Concealer is still needed to cover blemishes.
Finish
-Semi-matte, almost dewy but it's not overwhelming dewy compared to other Korean BB cream/cushion I've tried before (Eg: Peripera Peris Water Cushion).
-No grey undertone detected! (because of the physical UV filters) and that's really great! :D
-I have a problem with claim number 4 though, the foundation definitely turns darker after a while and a lot of Korean beauty gurus on youtube also pointed out the same thing. However, it isn't as orange as how Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation oxidised. 

Longevity
Mine lasted long enough without any primer and powder. I don't feel the need of blotting or touch up even after 4 hours. 

Experience/Overall
I'm still having a love-hate relationship with IOPE Air Cushion XP. It's definitely giving me the natural, semi-matte, 'no makeup' look but I have 4 problems with the foundation. 
1) Foundation moustache. Here comes my real struggle. None of my liquid or cushion foundations is giving me this problem and I still don't know how to fix it. 
2) It becomes itchy after sometimes. Whilst everything else seems good and promising, I believe it's not the right formula for my skin. I can wear this for like 4-5 hours before my skin starts to itch.  
3) Creases under my eyes area, even if I set it with powder. So I'm not sure if I'd recommend this IOPE Air Cushion XP in the C line to people with dry skin. Maybe the N line is more moisturising. 
4) The foundation makes my pores look huge, Morgan from TheBeautyBreakdown on Youtube also pointed out the same issue. 

Puff-wise. I like it better than the Peripera and Lameila Rubycell Puff. It's so soft and bouncy! I don't know why people are saying it doesn't absorb a lot of product because it definitely is. I squeezed mine onto a wet tissue and there are a lot of foundation coming off.  

Personal rating: 4/10. 
Buy this if you want a foundation that sets immediately, long-lasting and giving the natural finish makeup look especially to those who have a strong yellow undertone. 
Skip this if.... well, you're looking for an affordable & easily accessible cushion. The price is a lot to digest, though. 

I believe IOPE Air Cushion XP is still extremely popular in South Korea, I just watched Beauty Bible Episode 4 yesterday and they ranked this cushion as number one. 

Product Info;