NEW Korean Beauty Craze- {IOPE} Air Cushion XP Compact

Hello Beautiful!

Get ready to get even more beautiful! While Americans have been wrapping their heads around the BB and CC creams, fickle Koreans (me included) have already moved onto the next beauty craze. Say hello to the air cushion compact that started the latest Korean beauty craze ~ IOPE Air Cushion XP Compact.

This compact is raging through Korea, and all of Asia as a matter of fact. According to some articles, an IOPE Cushion compact is sold every 30 seconds in Asia. Wow. IOPE is owned by Amore Pacific so I wasn’t surprised when the IOPE Cushion Compact was very similar to the Amore Pacific Color Control Cushion Compact I reviewed last year (review HERE). Keep reading to see the similarities and differences between to two. Let’s start!

AVAILABILITY:

• IOPE Air Cushion XP Compact is not readily available in the States. BUT, you can find them at your local Korean beauty stores or HERE for about $45 (w/ refill).

SHADES:

• Available in 2 shades: 21 (Fair) and 23 (Light)
• 3 Finishes: Natural Finish (N), Full Coverage (C), and a Shimmer Finish (S).
  • C No. 21- Full Coverage in Fair
  • C No. 23- Full Coverage in Light
  • N No. 21- Natural Finish in Fair
  • N No. 23- Natural Finish in Light (My shade. I’m a MAC NC20)
  • Shimmer No. 22- Shimmer Finish

• Unfortunately, IOPE does not offer any deeper shades. For most Koreans, the go to shade is 23.

SUN PROTECTION:

• IOPE’s Air Cushion Compact has a SPF of 50 and provides both UVA and UVB protection. Woohoo! Remember SPF only means UVB protection. For more SPF and PA information, click HERE.

PACKAGING:

• Sturdy and super pretty. Please note that like other cushion compacts, it’s thicker than normal powder compacts.
• The neat freak in my obsesses about keeping the white edges of the compact clean, but it’s almost impossible. I deal with it, but the OCD me feels anxiety every time I use it.

BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS:

• I purchased the natural finish in N23. You can see from the photos below that it provides coverage while looking like natural skin. My freckles are covered with a natural dewy finish.
• I have dry skin so this works out well. No settling into my lines and wrinkles.
• Unlike powders, my skin felt comfortable and hydrated. Love, love, love.
• You can reapply throughout the day too without getting cakey!

Below is a before and after taken in indirect sunlight. Notice how my freckles are covered, skin is luminous, and I don’t look like I have a ton of makeup on?! Wonderful!

Below is a before and after taken indoors. Notice the dark spot in the before photo (just to the left of the swatch)? Can you find the spot in the after photo?

APPLICATION:

• This cushion compact is best applied with the provided dense sponge. Each compact and sponge are meant to last about 2 months. So with the refill, you’ll have a 4 month supply.
• The dense sponge is not washable and must be disposed once the compact is empty.
• One thing that’s great about this sponge is that it doesn’t absorb any product, so no product is gone to waste. All the product that you place on the sponge will be transferred onto your face, so use sparingly! Don’t drag the sponge. Use tapping motions to press the product onto your skin. Tapping will help the product melt into the skin.
• I tried applying with a brush and wasn’t happy. I was wasting too much product in the bristles of the brush. The sponge is really provides the best application.

REFILL:

• The product comes with a replacement air cushion sponge. The compact pops out very easily and you can just as easily pop the new cartridge in.

• Here’s a side by side of an empty and full compact.

• Before you throw out the old cartridge, I recommend flipping the thick sponge. There will be a ton of product at the bottom of the well and by flipping the sponge, you’ll be able to get some additional applications out of it!

AMORE PACIFIC vs. IOPE?:

• In case you’re not familiar with IOPE and Amore Pacific…
  • Amore Pacific is a Korean brand that has been around for many many years in Korea. Recently, they launched a line of products for the US at retailers like Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Sephora.
  • IOPE is a brand under the Amore Pacific umbrella, but specifically for the Korean and a few Asian countries. You can find a selection of their products at local US Korean beauty stores or order them HERE.
• In terms of color match… IOPE had a better color match for me even though it only has 2 shades available: fair (21) and light (23) shade. I’m pretty light but I still wasn’t light enough for 21 and purchased 23. I can’t imagine how fair you haveto be a 21… I’m thinking porcelain white!
  • Amore Pacific is available in 4 shades. I purchased 204 in Tan Gold which was still too dark for me (review HERE) but I purchased it anyway because it was the best fit. Amore Pacific shades run a bit darker than IOPE probably because it’s made for the US market.
  • In case you’re interested… my color matches include: Mac Studio Fix Fluid- NC20, Giorgio Armani Foundation- 5, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua- 20 Beige, Nars Tinted Moisturizer- Alaska Light 2, Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick- Beige 3. To sum it up… I’m light with yellow undertones.
• IOPE is not easily accessible in the US, but at least it’s cheaper than Amore Pacific! Amore Pacific is available at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Sephora for $60. You can order IOPE HERE for about $45.
• While Amore Pacific made my sensitive eyes water due to the strong fragrance… IOPE did not! So even though the formulas are probably the same, the fragrance is much stronger in the Amore Pacific version.
• I would choose IOPE over Amore Pacific any day. Better color match, cheaper, and no more teary eyes! #Winning!

FINAL THOUGHTS?:

• IOPE Air Cushion is amazing for dry and normal skin. Skin is left luminous and hydrated while flaws were covered.
• Initially, you may feel that your skin is too dewy/shiny. Give it a few minutes and you should notice that the shininess calms down. If it’s still too shiny, just dust a little bit of translucent powder.

I highly recommend this product! I wish the US market would quickly make IOPE’s cushion compact available in more shades. Amore Pacific is a good substitute (review HERE), but in my opinion… IOPE is better. Cheaper. Better color match (for me). No teary eyes. Oh, and did I mention cheaper?!

Hope this review has been helpful!
Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

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