L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation Review & Swatches

L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation is a new, permanent cushion foundation that’s available in 12 shade selections with the L’Oreal Spring 2016 Collection which is launching at drugstores now.

This year there were quite a few higher end brands that ventured into the world of the popular Korean cushion foundation world. One of my personal favorites is the It Cosmetics CC Veil Beauty Fluid Foundation although It Cosmetics was way ahead of the game as their cushion makeup launched in 2014. Psstt but it is made in Korea!

Lancome also introduced their Miracle Cushion Liquid Cushion Compact and we even got cushion blush from Stila’s Summer 2015 Collection and cushion eyeliners from the Stila Fall 2015 Collection.

So obviously Western and Eastern trends are joining forces at the drugstore this year as L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation isn’t the only cushion makeup arriving for Spring 2016 but also expect to see a Physicians Formula Cushion Makeup and a few other budget brands who will launching their own formulas!

L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation is currently available in 12 shade selections for $13.59 in Bed, Bath, and Beyond Beauty and Makeup section (also check Harmons or Christmas Tree Stores). I haven’t a clue if more shades will be available as sometimes these displays only have a few preview shades and with a wider launch we see more shades available but as of now displays have a total of 12 shades.

L’Oreal calls their new cushion makeup a “fresh luminous glow in a tap”. Having never used L’Oreal Lumi Foundation I can’t compare the formula of the cushion to the regular liquid and/or cream foundation sadly.

This comes housed in a double lid chunky compact which has a full size mirror located on the top compartment and a secondary lid that cover the cushion is also located here. A rubber sponge lays a top the secondary lid which clicks open and closed to protect the cushion located below that top compartment. I have a lot of experience with cushion makeups and I’ve never had issues with any of them drying out aside from It Cosmetics formula. I wouldn’t say it dried out but it does seem to change color over time and becomes darker and also the cushion is less saturated with color as it tends to leak down into the well of the compartment versus staying in the cushion if that makes sense. This happens within an eight month period so honestly, you should be tossing it at that point anyway. I just wanted to mention this because I think cushion makeup can be a cause for bacteria concern and also people are just generally curious if the cushion is going to dry out. Out of all my cushion makeup I’ve never had any dry out.

If you’ve never tried cushion makeup before the concept is fairly simple. Inside the compact you’ll find a cushion or a sponge of sorts which is heavily saturated with foundation. Simply press on it with a brush, the sponge applicator it comes with, or your fingers and apply! Done! It’s simply your regular run of the mill liquid foundation in a new and innovative packaging.

L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation actually has a selection of small sticker cards located next to the display. Each card features a group of four foundation shades in cool, warm, and neutral shade selections. The idea of the stickers is you peel them off, stick them on your face, and bob’s your uncle you have a color match.

Ahhh yeah not so much. The idea is cute but it didn’t quite work for me. I ended up purchasing several shades because I was very unsure about the best shade for me. The colors seemed either too dark or too light for me. The neutrals are very yellow based and the warmer shades seem to be lighter than your average medium fair skin tone. I could be completely wrong here but the colors seemed a little weird and dare I say they kinda looked like they all worked for me except for one (W5.5 Suntan was a big no). Although I did decide that the shade W3 Nude Beige was the one that worked best although I wish it was a smidge darker as it looked a little pasty on my skin. Some of the shades look like they either darken or lighten upon contact with skin. In the pot they are one shade applied they look either darker or lighter.

They call this buildable coverage but personally I felt it was sheer. It does perfect, it does conceal minor issues such as redness, and it does brighten your complexion considerably but for those who like a higher amount of pigmented coverage this might not be for you. I liked the natural, second-skin coverage it provided. It eases my dullness, brightened my complexion, and gave my skin a very natural, flawless finish. I also loved the super creamy consistency that blends easily into skin without adhering to drier areas. I think L’Oreal has the texture down just right as too many times I run into Korean cushions that set to a matte or satin finish that ends up clinging to my drier areas. This formula had a soft, smooth, semi-satiny set that felt moist but not oily, greasy, shiny, or dewy. It does wear a shorter time if you aren’t setting it with powder. I can get about five hours from it without powder and at hour five it shows signs of fading.

All in all L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation is an excellently formulated cushion makeup that does Korean brands proud! Dry skin users should love this one as it sets to a soft, smooth finish and those looking for natural flawless coverage will love the second-skin natural look on skin but beware if you’re looking for a high coverage foundation product as this isn’t it.

I think L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation is a welcome addition to the drugstore world and it’s rather nice to see Korean beauty coming full circle now and becoming more readily available not only at higher end counters but also at your local drugstore.

L’Oreal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation is launching now at drugstores and is also on sale now at Ulta.com with Buy 1, Get 1 50% off.

Tried it?

Do share your experience with it!