Skin Type: normal/oily | Climate: arid desert | Skin Concerns: PIH/PIE, recent CCs

Skin Tone: I'm about an NC/NW20; my go-to foundation is BareMineral's powder in Fairly Light

Packaging: 4/5

The packaging for this cushion is beautiful. It's very sleek, feminine, and minimal. However, I'm not fond of the mesh net even though it's supposed to be one of the cushion's big selling points. The mesh is supposed to evenly distribute the product onto your puff, but I often have trouble getting out any product at all. The foundation under the mesh net is very thick, so there have been times where I'd press the puff all the way down on the net and the foundation under the mesh would just move to the sides of the container without coming out.

Puff Applicator: 3/5

The cushion puff is very cute and pink, but it's thin and kind of flimsy. I need to hold the puff with three fingers, but this might be good for those of you with bigger hands/fingers. The puff seems to just eat up most of the foundation at first, but after maybe 10 uses, the foundation starts to get caked onto the puff? It also stains very easily on the top and on the ribbon, so be careful or your puff will end up looking messy.

Coverage: 3/5

It gives medium coverage and it's buildable, but the formula is a bit thick. It does an OK job of covering up redness and some spots with one layer. It evens out my skintone overall.

Other reviewers have said that April Skin's other cushions tend to be a bit lighter than most cushions (I'm not sure if that also applies to this cushion), so I went for #23, especially since this was my first cushion. The color swatches dark and more pink-toned. However, I don't think the color is too dark for me in the summer or winter, though I think #21 would suit me better overall (I have since purchased an Isa Knox cushion in #21).

Application: 3.5/5

It's easy to blend and even though #23 swatches a bit dark for me, it does blend out to better match my skin tone without sacrificing coverage. Advertisements for this cushion say that it doesn't transfer, but I disagree. After application, the foundation doesn't feel tacky/sticky/wet, but it does transfer onto your fingers. Even after letting the foundation set on its own for a bit, I find that it still transfers and rubs off unless I use a setting powder.

Finish/Wear: 3.5/5

In my opinion, this doesn't give the most natural finish. It's not cakey, but the foundation has more of a satin finish (despite being advertised as having a matte finish), and a somewhat powdery look to it. The finish doesn't look bad or too heavy, but it does have a very "done up" look to it. It does look like you're wearing makeup.

After about 2 hours, I needed to blot my T-Zone.After about 6 hours of wear, the foundation was starting to break down and give off more of a cakey look.

Overall: 3/5

I've had this cushion for about 6 months now. Overall, I think it's OK to use in hotter weather, but it will emphasize dry/flakey skin. I mostly reach for my Isa Knox cushion nowadays and after storing the April Skin cushion for awhile, I've noticed that sometimes a thin layer of oil seeps out onto the plastic rim of the mesh net (?). I'm not a fan of the mesh netting or how thick the foundation's formula is since it takes longer to blend out and apply evenly. I don't think this cushion is great for quick touch-ups either. It's not a terrible cushion, but it's not amazing and I won't be repurchasing it.

Image:

Swatches from left to right - NARS Creamy Concealer in Vanilla, L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation in N2 (best match), CLIO Water Me Please BB Cream, April Skin Magic Snow Fixing Foundation in #23

Bare Skin - I recently had breakout of CCs from testing another product; otherwise, I have hyperpigmentation and a few moles/freckles but no active blemishes

1 Layer - Most of the redness in my face and the hyperpigmentation has been covered, but my cheek is still a little bit pinkish and my moles/freckles are still visible; the shine on my cheekbone has been toned down