Review: Shangpree Crystal BB Cream and Luminous Cushion Cover Compact

SPOILER: This Shangpree BB Cream has changed my life. For real.

And the cushion isn’t doing badly either.

Read on for a full review of each! (These products were provided as a gift, courtesy Shangpree).

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Luminous Cover Cushion

Product Description

This is Shangpree’s new cushion compact, to be used after skincare routine as base makeup. Personally, I use cushions as a lighter alternative to BB creams and foundations, for thin layers of product and very natural, glowing skin.

You use the puff provided to press into the cushion, then pat the product onto your face to cover and blend. 

Ingredients and Product Details

Full name: Shangpree Luminous Cover Cushion Compact

Claims: Sun protection/ Brightening/ Anti-wrinkle

Amount of product: 13.5g

Time to use after opening: 12 months

Ingredients: I don’t currently have an English ingredients list, but as soon as I can get my hands on one, I’ll update.

Packaging

This is a truly pretty cushion. It’s a pale pink plastic case, with burgundy text, a holographic design on the front, and rose gold metallic trimming. It’s unique and beautiful.

Texture and Application

The texture is, as with most cushion products, very thin. It’s not creamy like a BB cream. This thinness allows for even application, easy layering, and a natural finish. I like to pat on several layers of the product for more coverage.

The scent is very lightly perfumed and pleasant. It isn’t detectable after application.

Shade and Colour

My cushion is shade #21. It’s a perfect match for me, although the undertones are slightly more yellow than my skin tone. It is also available in #23.

Finish and Coverage

The finish is less dewy than many cushions, but still with classic Korean-style glow. It doesn’t dry out, and maintains a fresh look throughout the day.

The coverage is decent for a cushion. I don’t expect as high coverage with cushions compared to foundation/BB cream- even if they cover, the look is usually a lot more natural than any other form of product. Having said that, this stands up there with the likes of my Hera UV Mist Cover cushion, and Iope Cover Cushion, which are the best coverage cushion options I currently own. Since I changed birth control pills about four months ago, (although it’s generally one of the best I’ve ever been on) I’ve experienced more frequent and unpredictable mini breakouts and pimples. Therefore coverage is higher on my agenda than it was, say, six months ago.  I’m definitely happy to add another good cover cushion option to my rotation. I usually stick with cushions on weekdays for work and for more casual situations, for a natural look, because of the more natural finish.

 

 

Lasting Power

The lasting power is probably the best cushion I own. No joke. During the day it lasts incredibly well, and instead of breaking up or flaking, showing obvious signs of makeup issues, it just seems to fade slightly. It still looks natural and not a total hot mess. I only begin to notice the fading around my more oily areas, such as my nose and forehead. On those areas my redness begins to show through a little, but like I said, it doesn’t look as bad as when many cushions begin to lose power. I’ll be interested to see how this holds up during summer- I have very few cushions that can handle the intense humidity of a Seoul summertime. 

Overall

I reeeally like this cushion, and as I said, it holds a valuable place among my higher coverage options. It’s similar in finish to my Iope cover cushion, and less dewy than my Hera UV Mist Cover Cushion. The lasting power is awesome for casual days, and I hope it will also turn out to be a good summer option. 

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Crystal BB Cream

THIS IS THE GAME CHANGER.

Product Description

This is a BB Cream- to be applied at the end of a skincare routine as base makeup, but with added skincare benefits. I use BB creams in place of foundation/cushions, for natural coverage, radiance, and evening my skin tone. I usually find them to be more comfortable than foundations (more natural, more moisturizing, less cakey), but with more coverage and a more polished look than cushion compacts.

Ingredients and Product Details

Full name: Shangpree Crystal BB Cream

Claims: Anti-wrinkle, special multi-action skin treatment and makeup

Amount of product: 50ml

Time to use after opening: 12 months

Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Talc, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/dicaprate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Dimethicone, Arbutin, Hexyldecyl Myristoyl Methylaminopropionate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Zinc Oxide, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Sulfate, Iron Oxides(ci77492), Dimethicone/vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dipentaerythrityl Tri-polyhydroxystearate, Piper Methysticum Leaf/root/stem Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Vinyl Dimethicone/methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/dimethicone Copolymer, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Iron Oxides(ci77499), Iron Oxides(ci77491), Methicone, Glycosyl Trehalose, Palmitic Acid, Methylparaben, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Fragrance, Propylparaben, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Apium Graveolens (celery) Root/seed Extract, Beta Vulgaris (beet) Root Extract, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica (broccoli) Extract, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Taraxacum Platycarpum Extract, Aluminum Hydroxide, Aluminum Stearate, Butylparaben, Adenosine, Madecassoside

Yesssss, it’s a lengthy list. The ingredients include chemical sun protection (although I always apply sunscreen too for full UV coverage rather than relying on any base product). There’s also a number of moisturizing, calming, and antioxidant ingredients. Adenosine and arbutin are notable ingredients, with potential anti-wrinkle and brightening properties. 

Packaging

The product comes in a beautiful, luxe, deep red plastic tube, with a gold twist cap lid and gold lettering.

It’s easy to dispense and control the amount of product you need. It’s also good for travel. 

Texture and Application

The texture is like a light cream. It’s easy to work with, and can be applied best, IMO, with a beauty  blender or air puff, for a pore-less finish. It spreads easily and seems to sink into skin, rather like a moisturizer but with the added makeup coverage.

The scent is very light and powdery, and fades almost immediately upon application.

Shade/Colour

Okay, so here is the bizarre aspect of this product. It only comes in one shade. Yes, really. The shade is, as is common for Korean base products, for fairly pale skin. However, I do think it adjusts to some extent to match skin tone within its spectrum. I’ve seen ladies both with slightly darker, and slightly lighter skin, (compared to me) wearing the product, and it seems to match all. When I first swatch the cream on my hand, it looks too dark/yellow, but on my face, it’s a perfect match with seemingly pink undertones. I’m always shade 21 in Korean products, for reference, so my guess would be if you’re 21, or ever so slightly either side of 21, this would be suitable for you.

Finish and Coverage

The finish and coverage are FABULOUS. It’s literally everything I look for in a base product. It’s glowy, gives a good level of dewiness, brightening, skin tone evening, covers my blemishes and redness, and just…makes my skin look bloody brilliant.

The finish is soft and dewy, but without shine. It keeps my combination skin perfectly moisturized all day without any drying or caking. 

In terms of coverage, I’d say it’s one of the best Korean products I own. It’s not as high coverage as some Western foundations, but it gives a good natural finish as a BB Cream should, whilst hiding everything I need hidden! It perfectly evens out my skin tone and conceals redness and blemishes, but all with a totally natural look. I feel like some kinda radiant goddess with light beaming from my skin when I wear it…and I honestly don’t think the below photos do it any justice, just sayin’.

 

 

Here is a photo in bright sunlight, taken from my instagram, so you can see how it looks in a different light:

There was zero editing on any of the above photos. I’m totally sold on the way it makes my skin look, and I own very few products that can even begin to compare. I’ve been reaching for it for more social occasions or events, when I want really beautiful makeup and skin that looks flawless. 

Lasting Power

The lasting power is also good. I test wear time on my work days, when I have no time to top up. It lasts reasonably well from morning until after work, including commute. It still looks okay after all of this (at about the 7 hour mark), only slightly broken up in between my eyebrows, and in the creases of my nose. It doesn’t look terrible, and you can only see it when you get up close.  

Overall

This is definitely one of those life-changing gems of a product. It may have just become my HG BB cream, overtaking Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura that I’ve sworn by for the past few years. It makes my face look so radiant, natural, and healthy, whilst still managing to cover and conceal. I don’t even need to write much else, honestly, it’s pretty much a perfect product. Of course I can’t judge the skincare benefits too accurately because I don’t use it every day (I save it for more special occasions than the daily work grind), but the consistency alone and the way it keeps my skin fresh and moisturized throughout the day works well for my combo skin type. IT’S TRUE TRUE LOVE. 

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How do the two compare?

I’ve got them both in totally separate categories in my head to be honest.

Cushions, for me, are day time, casual makeup options. They’re easy to carry around to top up, and give a very natural, pretty skin finish. This cushion absolutely ticks all the boxes, whilst providing more coverage than I usually expect, and with great lasting power, especially for busy days at work. 

The BB Cream is on a whole other level. It makes my skin look FLAWLESS. For this reason, and because it is more expensive, I save it for occasions when I really want stunning makeup. It totally delivers.

Where can I purchase?

If you’re in Korea, you can purchase the cushion and BB Cream on Shangpree’s online mall on their site. Both are 38,000 Korean won.

For those of you abroad, as far as I’m aware the cushion is not quite available just yet, but I’m sure will be soon! The BB cream I have seen available on Peach and Lily, for $67.

(Neither of the above are affiliate links btw, I’m just tryna be helpful leading you straight to the glowing goddess goodness and being a complete enabler- sorry).

These are luxury items, but in my opinion, if they are within your budget, they totally lived up to expectations and matched the price. I would 100% repurchase both.

What do you think of them?!