If you know anything about me, you’ll know that I love lemon tarts. That is no lie! You know, when I first moved to Malaysia, I was astounded — astounded — at the severe lack of citrus-based deserts here. It’s ridic, and it does not please me. Not one bit. I guess the only saving grace is that I’m currently trying to cut out sugar… but dang, if I wasn’t… who would know what would happen!
This is a slight aside from what I was actually going to write, which I thought would be a little obvious — any regular reader of my blog will know that I am a big ride-or-die fan of Nature Republic. Nothing to do with lemon tart, I know, but… the love is the same. Don’t judge my love!
So I thought today that I would shed some light on a product I’ve been loving since my little jaunt in Korea — and which is sadly coming to an end. This, of course, would be the Nature Republic Cushion CC Natural in Natural #1 Light Beige.
You know, I actually have about three different cushions stashed away, but I just couldn’t resist this one when I saw it. When it comes to light bases, K-beauty really nailed it with the cushion. I’ve previously raved about the IOPE Air Cushion XP (read it here), which is the original and arguably the best… but since all the other Korean beauty brands started copying their innovation, I appreciate that I have options now!
So you’ll notice that the aesthetic of the cushion is nothing new. It’s actually practically identical to IOPE’s — right down to the royal blue puff. I wonder when they’ll start to make some changes to this design because, while it’s practical, I’m also getting a bit bored, dagnabit!
Anyway, for reasons unknown I decided to show you the sad state of my puff — this is a relatively new one and somehow it’s still covered in product:
Yep… that’s that. Actually, this reminds me: one of the good things about this product is that it comes with a free refill. I know this is standard for a lot of cushions, but I have the Innisfree Ampoule Intense Cushion (Cover) sitting right next to me, waiting to be next in line to the throne… and there ain’t no free refill in there, lemme tell you! So I definitely appreciate having a backup on hand — as CC cushions are the sort of thing that seem like they’ll never run out… until they do.
I realise at this point that it may sound like I’m not impressed with this cushion… but that’s just not true. While there isn’t anything seemingly groundbreaking aesthetically, I really like the formula of this product. It’s lightweight, and doesn’t make me feel like I’m wearing any makeup (which is just the way I like it).
Also, I appreciate the Korean pragmatism of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. If you happen to go to Korea (and I would advise everyone to, if possible), you’ll probably see a lot of copyright infringement — and that’s okay. It’s just sort of how it is… so even though I know my Walter White t-shirt isn’t technically legit… it still does the trick. Yup.
Anyway, lemme show you the spongy goodness of this CC cushion (I almost wrote “sushi” then — think I’m hungry… again):
As always, I find it quite difficult to get an exact colour match, but this one is pretty good. It’s less orange than it looks in the picture above, mostly because CC products always look denser in the “sponge” than they actually are (just ’cause there’s so much of it there). I have #21, the lightest colour (obvs), and it’s a pretty good match — mostly because this formula is so light and designed to be natural-looking.
There are other types of coverage in this range — off the top of my head, I know they have a Cover version, which is heavier — but the thing I like about the Natural one is that it gives a slight glow to the skin. Koreans are all about dat glow, and this product is no exception. At the same time, it’s not like it’s luminescent or full of glitter; it just makes you look healthy and natural.
I took a few shots in natural light, but none really seemed to capture this cushion in action — and did you know how difficult it was to take a selfie with a DSL-R? That’s certainly not what they were made for… but anyway, here’s a particularly bright shot with me wearing my cushion:
Pretty natural, ey? The fact that someone as light as me can find a product that doesn’t look cakey is nothing short of a miracle, because my skin colour is like a canvas, and every little thing shows up on it. This can be good and bad; when I’m having a good skin day, it glows, but if it’s not-so-good… watch out! Luckily, the tropical Malaysian weather has been surprisingly good for my skin’s moisture levels, so things have been pretty chill lately (not literally).
Again, this product is not for those looking for a full-coverage foundation, as this won’t reeeeally cover many blemishes or spots. If, however, you want something lightweight and natural, then this is your guy.
And so, that brings me to the end of this review… almost to coincide with the end of the product. As I mentioned, I think the Innisfree CC Cushion is next on my “hit list”, but I also have a Holika Holika one stashed away that needs to see the light of day. How about you guys? Tried any awesome CC cushions recently? They are one of my favourite inventions, perhaps on par with the internet and science (lolz), so do let me know in the comments 🙂
Steph x