This weekend I tried the Laneige BB Cushion (Target Version) in Shade Medium.  I was feeling hopeful that this shade would be a good match for NC37, knowing that Light-Medium would be too light and Medium-Dark would be too dark.  Oh, the joys of being in between shades.

Laneige BB Cushion (U.S. Target Version)
Shade Medium

Laneige BB Cushion (U.S. Target Version) in Shade Medium

INFO SHEET

Brand:  Laneige
Product:  BB Cushion (Target Edition)
Shade:  Medium
Coverage:  Light - Medium
Dewiness:  Very Dewy
Scent:  Strong, Like Grandma
Oxidation:  A little
Price:  $34.00
Availability:  Target in Select Stores and Online

This cushion comes in the standard cushion packaging that you see everywhere.  It uses the old bulky Laneige case and not the newer more streamlined version - so I don't believe the refills from Korea will fit into this case.

SWATCH

Laneige BB Cushion in Medium Swatch (U.S. Target Version)

BEFORE AND AFTER

Laneige BB Cushion in Medium (U.S. Target Version)

I felt that the Laneige BB Cushion in Medium (U.S. Target Version) was a good match for NC37.  It is not exact because it is slightly lighter, but it does oxidize a little bit.  It is definitely a much better match than the Etude House Real Powder Cushion in No. W24 Honey Beige.  I showed the arm swatch to my BF and asked him if he thought it matched, and he couldn't see it right away (it was a big swatch too).  I had to point it out to him.

I was pretty happy to find a matching cushion but I was sorely disappointed with how dewy it was.  It did not feel nice on my skin at all.  I also did not use a setting powder for testing purposes but I honestly rather continue my search than try to work with a dewy cushion.

The Laneige BB Cushion in Medium does have pretty decent coverage.  You can see in the photo above that I had a pimple on my cheek and it did a good job covering the irritation from it.

 I wore the Laneige BB Cushion in Medium for the entire day and found that I had to blot more often than normal.  I definitely feel that this cushion is better suited for dry skin folk who don't mind the dewy look.  It also settled into my pores in a bad way, but did not pill in my oily areas like the Etude House Real Powder Cushion did.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I will not buy this cushion.  While the shade matches, it is just too dewy.  It also smells like grandma!  Scented products don't usually bother me but it had a pretty potent grandma smell for the first two hours of wear.  It's like they gathered a bunch of grandmas and studied them because the scent was on point.  I was worried that I smelled like grandma too :(.

I am going to try the Laneige Pore Control BB Cushion in Shade # 31 because I HEARD that it is the same shade as Target Medium (this is not true - see this post), but I am not sure.  I know it is catered more to oily skin so that piques my interest.

So if you are around NC35 - NC37 with dry skin, and want to feel nostalgic about grandma, then I would give this cushion a try.  You can find a little sample set on ebay for like $5 if you are not sure.

Rating

SWATCH COMPARISON LIST

The Jamsu Diving Method is taking r/AsianBeauty by storm!  Well maybe for like... a week.  But what is the Jamsu Diving Method, anyway?  Well, you've probably heard of "baking" which is a popular way of setting makeup by letting translucent powder sit on your face for 10 minutes and then dusting it off.  The Jamsu Diving Method is for setting makeup, but from a different approach...

The Jamsu Diving Method

(For illustration purposes only, because it is a cool picture.)

A fellow redditor stumbled upon this Vogue article (Kim, Monica. "The Wonderfully Weird Makeup Trick That’s Sweeping Korea." Vogue. Aug. 2016) where you essentially set your makeup by dousing your face with loose powder, plunging it into cool water for 30 seconds and then patting dry.  It seems to be hit or miss on the forums, so I decided to see how it fares with my combo / oily skin.

Many redditors used the alternate method cited in the article by liberally spraying their face with cool water rather than diving.  I chose to try this method because my hair is naturally curly, and I can't deal with the poof - not even for science.

Not nearly as cool.

TAKING THE PLUNGE

First and foremost, here is what I wore:

• Skin Food Salmon Dark Circle Concealer Cream # 2
• IOPE Air Cushion XP Shade N31
• Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner in Black
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Twice Baked
• Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy
• Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW Pomade in Chocolate
• Benefit Roller Lash Curling & Lifting Mascara (applied after Jamsu)

I purposely chose a the dewiest cushion that I had because I wanted to see if this method could make a dewy cushion matte.  However, the IOPE Air Cushion XP is more Semi-Dewy than full on shiny.  When applying the Jamsu Diving Method, I used my tarte Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Setting Powder - which normally doesn't work too well for me after a few hours so I figured I would get a better use out of it using this method.  The Vogue article states that you can use baby powder or any loose powder, but please note that the talc used in baby powder can be extremely dangerous if inhaled.  I would not recommend using baby powder at all.  Please do your research and take precaution!!!

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1:  Apply Makeup
Step 2:  Apply enough powder to create a white cast.
Step 3:  Scare your family (required)
Step 4:  Spray face with cool water until dripping wet
Step 5:  Pat dry

BEFORE AND AFTER

Stage makeup brows locked and loaded.

RESULTS

I really had no expectations for this... but it actually worked.  After application, my skin was matte, even, and felt baby smooth.  I went on to do my normal weekend activities such as cleaning and drilling choreography.  It was pretty hot so I had sweat quite a bit...   so imagine my surprise when I looked in the mirror after all of that and saw that I still looked pretty much the same.  I wasn't a hot mess or an oil slick.

The thing is, Jamsu made the area around my mouth uncomfortably dry.  So I decided to try it again under more extreme conditions, but this time I focused on my t-zone and did a light dust everywhere else.  Then I went to a theme park.  It was hot, sweaty, and I got rained on.  Now for the moment of truth...

Look ma!  I'm not a greasy mess!

So there you have it.  You can see I look more satin-ey than oily after 12 HOURS!  DUDE!!!

Yeah!  Take that, Oily Skin!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was very impressed about how well the Jamsu Diving Method worked.  My skin looked and felt smooth and actually softer than usual throughout the day.  My oily t-zone seemed like it wanted to be oily, but was being absorbed by the set powder.  It left an effect that left my skin looking not quite dry, but not shiny either.

It is not all peaches and cream though.  I do have some concerns:  My Biore Watery Essence Sunscreen is not waterproof.  Which means that spraying your face with water or "diving" into a bowl of water will rinse off or weaken the sunblock's effect.  Therefore, I do not think it is a good idea to use the Jamsu Diving Method during the day if your sunblock is not waterproof.  There are many waterproof sunblocks available.  I heard the Missha All Around Safe Block has a waterproof version that was nice, but have never tried it myself.

I also think that if you have dry skin, Jamsu may be uncomfortable for you.  My face is a kind of dry around my mouth, and when I initially tried this method it left the skin around my mouth very VERY dry.  To the point where it was not only uncomfortable, but painful enough to want to wash it off.  I can only imagine what that feels like on your whole face!

In the end, I am going to only use the Jamsu Diving Method for special occasions in the evening.  I am also only going to mostly use it on my t-zone like I did above in the 12 Hour Test.  This should address my concerns about non-waterproof sunblock and dryness around my mouth.

I have to say that the Jamsu Diving Method is definitely more effective than using just setting powder or any other primer that I have tried.  It helps your makeup stay put and last longer.  If you have translucent powder lying around, and a sprayer bottle or large bowl:  Give it a try!

Until next time...