Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++

Whoa!
A month without a new post!
How did that happen?

My new job punched me in the face, full force, so hard that it took me a month to get up and get my sh*t together. No, I don't work for the UFC as an MMA fighter. I'm just a proper Japanese salarywoman now. With work meetings that last into eternity, and nomikais to attend, and urgent paperwork to take care of, and weekend work, just because. That sort of stuff.

What keeps me going is payday (that's the reason I took this job in the first place) and one of my co-workers, who looks like a Japanese version of Robert Downey Jr.

Anyway, what was I going to talk about today? I forgot already.

That should tell you everything you need to know about this sad mess that is Dior's first attempt at a cushion foundation. That I am more excited to tell you about the guy I work with than this cushion. The guy is hot, this cushion is not.

If someone had told me this two months ago when I first bought this cushion, I would have died laughing. But here I am, two months later, ready to finally admit the truth.

This Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++  is as far from perfect as you can get without leaving our solar system.
There is no other way to put it - this Diorsnow Bloom Perfect long name cushion sucks.
And it sucks big time.

Actually, it shouldn't surprise me. Dior does everything on a grand scale. So no wonder that if they do something that sucks, it's sucking on a grand scale, too.

I love Dior. I have always loved Dior. I have loved Dior even when the products I bought were not working for me. Because Dior, you know? Just the name alone makes me feel important and fancy.
I live and die by Dior mascaras and Dior fragrances.
When Diorsnow first appeared on the market (yes, I am that old), my panties nearly melted off from sheer excitement.

When last year the news came out that Dior was working with Amore Pacific* to create a cushion foundation, it was as if a heavenly cherub choir was singing. I mean, Amore Pacific. Cushion. Dior. Impossible to f*ck it up, right? Right? RIGHT???

* Amore Pacific is a South Korean cosmetics giant, the home of such brands as Laneige and Iope among many others, that basically created the cushion foundation as we know it. 

And then the cushion landed.
And everything has changed.

My world will never be the same.

So let's get this train wreck started, shall we?

First, the name.

Really? Are you freakin' kidding me?
Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++ ???

Who the f*ck thought of this ridiculous name? Did they have a company-wide contest for the longest and most incomprehensible name and the janitor, who didn't speak any English, submitted the winning entry?

Second, the price.

Really? Are you freakin' kidding me?

Yes, I know that this Diorsnow long name cushion is sold with a refill, the way Asian cushions are, but seriously, 8500 yen plus tax?

What is this cushion made of? Unicorn farts and pixie dust?
Probably I'd bitch less about the price if this was a decent cushion, but alas, it is not.

Luckily, I didn't completely lose my mind because Dior and only bought a refill.

And luckily, because it was developed with Amore Pacific, it actually fits into Amore Pacific cushion compacts.

Third, the performance.

Really? Are you freakin' kidding me?

Really, if I am going to spend that much money on a luxury cosmetic, I expect it to be, you know, luxury and stuff.
What I don't expect it to do is to oxidize within 30 seconds of being applied.
And I don't expect it to totally rub off and disappear within 3 hours of being applied.

This cushion was released in Japan the same day that the Shu Uemura cushion hit the stores and, of course, I was at the Dior counter that afternoon ready to shop.

I'm glad they added that by Dior disclaimer, but I'm sure there will still be naive souls out there reading it and believing that it was Dior who came up with the first cushion ever.


I asked the sales assistant for the lightest shade, 005, and she dutifully swiped some on my hand. And we both stared in utter horror.
She looked at the cushion label, she looked at printed color table, and thinking the cushion was mislabeled, actually went to open a new one.
She swatched it on my arm again, and the same thing happened. The swatch turned into a dark mess within 30 seconds.
Her exact words were "I don't know why it's so dark, but it's too dark for you. I can't sell this cushion to you. The color looks nothing like the swatch table. I'm so sorry."

This cushion comes in 3 shades: 005, 010 and 020 - dark, darker and the darkest.

005 was supposed to be the lightest, developed with fair-skinned Japanese women in mind. I am not Japanese, but there is plenty of Japanese base makeup I can wear. Because it's light enough for me. And because it doesn't oxidize immediately upon application.

A week later, at a different Dior counter, the sales staff was much better prepared. They clearly knew that this shit oxidizes like crazy and were instructed on how to apply it.
I was sat in front of the mirror and flat out told that the color is supposed to be that dark. Because, guess what? It's supposed to be applied onto a pasty white primer base to look good.

Having said that, the sales lady grabbed not one, but TWO bottles of different white primers and went to work. When she turned me into a white faced geisha, she then applied a layer of cushion on top of it all.

She also clearly knew that this cushion has a lasting power of zero, because she then proceeded to use copious amounts of powder to set it all into place. She didn't stop until she turned me into a noh mask. And despite her best efforts the foundation still managed to darken. She pretended it was supposed to look like that. As if having a face several shades darker than the neck is a new fashion trend, or something.

When I was leaving the counter, I overheard another customer, a middle aged Japanese woman, complaining that "Why is this foundation so dark? Is this the lightest color?"

That somehow leads me to believe that Dior's mindset is still stuck in the colonial times, when them Asian savages were considered yellow faced beasts.
Asian brands somehow manage to make a variety of shades to suit a variety of lighter skin tones (darker skin tones, that's unfortunately, another story), both Asian and non-Asian. And a western brand apparently took the reference to "yellow race" quite literally.

What the fuck Dior?

Swatch of Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++ in shade 005:

Anyway, is there anything I like about this cushion?
Apart from the fact that it looks like a Korean cushion and fits into Amore Pacific cushion compacts, no, not really.

Fourth, the ingredients. 

Really? Are you freakin' kidding me?

Its magical brightening powers are supposed to come from its star ingredient - edelweiss a.k.a. Leontopodium alpinum.

But when you look at the ingredient list, you will see that Leontopodium alpinum extract is the 36th ingredient out of 48 ingredients total. Ahead of this magical extract we have "parfum" and nearly all other fragrance ingredients in the formulation. Which makes it clear that the poor edelweiss is there in trace amounts, only for marketing purposes.

Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++ ingredients:

So there you have it.
What should have been tears of joy that we finally get a decent cushion from a western brand, turned into the weeping hour over my own stupidity for buying this nonsense.

At least the puff looks familiar, wouldn't you say?

And the other side:

Conclusion:

I should have listened to myself and sat this one out.
But I didn't. Because Dior, you know.
Stupid me.

~~~

Po polsku:

Poniewaz podklad w poduszce Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++ to kolaboracja Diora z poludniowo-koreanskim gigantem kosmetycznym Amore Pacific, oczekiwalam poduszki o poludniowo-koreanskim standardzie (czyli o swiatowym standardzie).
Amore Pacific to koncern do ktorego naleza takie marki jak, miedzy innymi, Laneige i Iope. Marki Amore Pacific sa znane ze swoich podkladow w poduszkach i co roku plasuja sie na czolowych miejscach w kosmetycznych rankingach.
Od Diora oczekiwalam takiej samej jakosci.

A tymczasem to co zaserwowal nam Dior pod postacia Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++ to kosztowny bubel.

Podklad ten utlenia sie w ekspresowym tempie i ma zerowa trwalosc. 
Skladnik, ktory jest na czolowym miejscu marketingowej papki, edelweiss (szarotka alpejska), znajduje sie na 36 miejscu w skladzie. Caly sklad ma 48 pozycji i powyzej szarotki znajduje sie cala gama skladnikow perfumowych. To mowi samo za siebie.

Pomimo zapewnien, ze kolory tego podkladu zostaly dobrane z mysla o azjatyckich karnacjach, sa one malo trafione. Co wraz z ekspersowym utelnianiem powoduje, ze mamy trzy odcienie koszmarnej zoltosci - ciemny, ciemniejszy i karykaturalny.
Nie wiem czy eksperci kolorystyczni od Diora wiedza, ze Azjatki raczej stronia sie od slonca i ze wiele z nich odcieniowo plasuje sie w okolicach NC15. A jak ten podklad ma sie do NC15 to widac na swatchach.

Podsumowujac, Diorsnow Bloom Perfect Brightening Perfect Moist Cushion SPF50 PA+++ to bubel.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Cushion Encre De Peau - Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation

Yes, this is indeed my review of the long awaited and much praised Yves Saint Laurent cushion foundation.

If you are new to cushion foundations, please start by clicking on the "cushion foundations" tab in the top menu, though I'm assuming that by now most beauty fans around the world are already familiar with the concept.

Please, don't ask. I don't know how it happened. I guess I secretly must enjoy the feelings of pain and disappointment, because despite my previous experiences with cushions from the house of L'Oreal, I keep buying the damn things.

You know, it's like when people slow down to watch car wrecks, they are both drawn and repelled by the gory mayhem. I'm like that with cushion foundations from the many L'Oreal brands.

• First was the Lancome Miracle wreck of a cushion.
• Then came the Asian version, which was the same, but under a different name.
• Maybelline and L'Oreal cushions were so unspeakably awful that I decided to simply not speak about them.
• Shu Uemura's cushion compact filled with wall insulation fiberglass was just that. 
• As was the new Lancome Miracle cushion cover version. 
• Biotherm's cushion, famous mainly for its ability to leak from the case, is, mercifully, not available in Japan.
• Bobbi Brown's skanky attempt was too skanky, even for my own incredibly low standards. (Yes, I know it's not a L'Oreal brand, but it was awful enough to join this elite cushion failure club).

Yet, of course, all these cushions (I mean high end, let's pretend that L'Oreal and Maybelline never happened) got glowing reviews by sponsored and pro bloggers, who were literally bending over backwards to please the brands' PR overlords.

And then there was Yves Saint Laurent and its magical Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation.
Like a good lemming that I am, I obediently marched to the nearest YSL counter (which just happened to be at Tobu department store) on March 18th (the release date in Japan) and got me one.

The L'Oreal Inc beancounters in Paris must be laughing all the way to the bank. They know they have me by the balls. Or cushion puffs. Or both.

I had a chance to play with this cushion a couple of weeks before the launch day and I was very cautiously optimistic. The color seemed all right. The staying power was fine, too. The finish was acceptable. Only the price wasn't.
Holymotherofbatman, that thing was bloody expensive! Breathtakingly expensive. Stroke-inducingly expensive. 7500 yen plus tax.

Yet in the end the pros outweighed the cons, and even though initially I was saying I'd rather chew my leg off and bleed to death than buy another L'Oreal branded cushion, it turns out that I am glad I did. (Yes, in case you've been living under a rock in cyberspace - Yves Saint Laurent is a L'Oreal brand).

And here I should just collapse and self-combust, or something, because it seems that I just said that I actually like a western, L'Oreal branded cushion foundation.

Shocked?

Don't worry! No one is shocked more than me.

Basically, you could just stop reading right here, right now and go and buy yourself your own Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Cushion (you still here? what are you waiting for? go on and buy one already! and no, this is not a sponsored review), but if you want to stick around for the details, here they come!

So, let's get this YSL cushion party started, shall we?

The goods come packaged in a shiny, gold box. I suppose it meant to evoke the feelings of luxury, but instead made me think of old ladies who try too hard. Real luxury doesn't need to show off.

As you can see, I bought color number 10, or rather B10, as they call it in Asia.
Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation comes in 6 shades in most Asian countries, though only 5 are available for purchase in Japan.

The compact is black and gold. Again, I guess Yves Saint Laurent was going for rich and fancy, but instead ended up with high-end hooker esthetics.

On the back of the box it tells us that:

Yep, this cushion is supposed to perform all kinds of makeup sorcery:

• long lasting
• all-day wear
• shine-free (calling all nearly-matte finish lovers!!!)
• flawless coverage
• ultra-smooth texture
• weightless feel
• protection, hydration, blah blah blah...

In other words, pretty standard claims of just about any base makeup product out there.

The cushion is made in Korea:

There are 14 grams of product packed inside.
The YSL cushion compact is interchangeable with other L'Oreal branded cushions and with some Korean cushions (most those manufactured by Cosmax).

Oh yes, the compact.
It's black. Nearly all black. Which makes me want to get a silver fern decal on the case and force my guy to do the haka every time I apply makeup.

The puff is average. Rubycell it ain't, that's for sure.
And pity that the application side is nearly white. Buuu... So much for my All Blacks fantasy.

In Japan the bottom of the case has a Japanese-language sticker. I was too lazy to try to peel it off.

And speaking of cushion cases, Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Cushion came fully assembled. The refill was pre-loaded in the case. When I asked to purchase just the refill, I was told that wasn't possible. There was no option to buy the case separately, either. How very unjapanese, YSL!!! What were you thinking???

So let's open this baby, ok?

White sticker? How anti-climactic.
But yeah, if your cushion is brand new, the surface of the sponge should be protected by a sticker with the YSL logo. Any other generic sticker means that your cushion is no longer a virgin.


And under the sticker?

The cushion in all its glory.

Yes, this is why a cushion foundation is called that. It's basically a chunk of sponge saturated in foundation and placed in a compact. It combines the benefits of liquid foundation with the ease of powder application. And that's it, in a nutshell.

Ah yes, the same type of low-grade, extremely porous sponge that L'Oreal wants to be famous for.

I'll be the first to complain that it's really pathetic that a cushion with such a high price tag has something resembling a kitchen sponge inside. I b*tched and moaned about it last year when writing about the Lancome cushions, so I am not going to repeat myself this time around.

However, it was interesting to read the sponsored apologists explanations as to why L'Oreal brands use such crappy sponges in their products.

One of my favorite bloggers, normally a very level-headed and to-the-point reviewer - Musical Houses, while talking about Biotherm Evermoist CC Cushion (Biotherm is also a L'Oreal brand) totally drank the PR kool-aid and said that the porous sponge was one of the "features" of the Biotherm cushion.

As we can see, that is patently not true, regardless of what Biotherm PR spin machine claims. All L'Oreal cushions are stuffed with the same kind of porous pseudo-features.

In her review, she goes on to quote Biotherm that the bigger pores "are able to trap more air, moisture and formula for a light, breathable texture". Her guess was that "because the sponge is more porous, you pick up less (foundation) during application".

Unfortunately, the laws of physics don't quite work like that, no matter what them crafty PR folks tell us.

This is what bigger pores mean for your cushion foundation:

• Bigger pores mean more foundation is picked up during the application process. 
• That means you waste too much foundation with each application.
• That means you end up overapplying the product.
• Bigger pores mean more air gets trapped inside the cushion causing the product to dry out much faster.
• Bigger pores are more suitable for thicker, heavier textures (but then so are metal plate cushions).
• Sponges with bigger pores are also cheaper. 

This actually explains the infamous bit when the Lancome makeup guru, Lisa Eldridge, was seen applying the Lancome Miracle cushion while bending the applicator puff in half.
It took me nearly a year and a YSL cushion to finally understand why.

The puff picks up waaaay too much foundation and stamping it onto your face is an exercise in futility. To not waste all this already-picked up product, you gotta smear it the traditional way, which is damn hard to do with a cushion puff. So you gently bend it in half and start smearing. I actually caught myself doing that.

Anyway, where was I?


Ah, yes... The YSL Fusion Ink cushion surface.

I pressed it with my finger ever so gently. This is what happened:

See what I mean?
This is too much product for a gentle press. This is what big pores will do.

The color looks light enough, right?
It's B10, let's see how it stacks up next to MAC NC15 and MAC NW10.

Taken in natural light, no filters.

The foundation inside YSL Le Cushion Encre De Peau sets awfully fast, you gotta spread it out ASAP, otherwise you're gonna end up with a mask.
Here is a more blended shot:

I see pink undertones in there, but then again, that's me.

And because I am awesome like that, I also swatched for you shades B10, B20, B30, B40 and B50. B60 is not available in Japan.

(click on the image for larger view)


I also did an oxidation test.
Here are the results after one hour:

Right - freshly applied (artificial light, no filters)

Center - after setting (natural light, no filters)

Left - after one hour (natural light, no filters)

So, what do you think?
Not so bad, I'd say!

Now let's talk about the very misleading name - Yves Saint Laurent Le Cushion Encre De Peau, or YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation.

You might be excused for believing that the cushion contains the iconic Fusion Ink product. In fact YSL makes us believe it actually does.
But does it?

Well... A quick look at the ingredients tells us otherwise.
Despite the Fusion Ink name, the product inside is something else.

Don't believe me?

Here's a screenshot of what's inside the Fusion Ink Foundation:

From YSL's official page.


And here is what's inside the cushion:

Yves Saint Laurent Le Cushion Encre De Peau ingredients:
Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation ingredients:

Quite different, wouldn't you say?
Here, I even entered it into CosDNA for you - link.

So yeah, whatever it is, it sure as heck ain't the original Fusion Ink. Nice try YSL! Next time try harder.

What else?

Just like Lancome Miracle Cushion and Biotherm Evermoist CC Cushion, YSL Fusion Ink Cushion also has SPF 23/PA++.

Of course, as with most SPF equipped base makeup, this is just a vanity selling point.
Do NOT, and let me repeat it once again, DO NOT rely on makeup as your sole source of sun protection. Unless, of course, you want to age in a hurry and entertain the possibility of skin cancer in the future. Then, by all means, feel free to listen to idiots, who tell you that SPF 23/PA++ rating provides "an ample dose of sun protection".

What else else?

YSL is touting the "rolling ink gel system" that this foundation supposedly has, and which provides superior spreadability and color delivery, as well as a soft focus effect cover.
Whatever that means...

What else else else?

• It's a liquid-to-powder formula.
• The "innovative structure" of the liquid forms an ultra-thin veil on the skin.
• .... zonk.

Oh, what the heck... I'm too lazy to translate the official blurbs from the webpage.
Here.
This is what the very multi-lingual leaflet in the box says:

Yada yada yada...


My thoughts on YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation.

Guess what???
Their promises are TRUE!!! Well, nearly all true.

• - natural looking effect? YES.
• - long lasting? - YES.
• - lightweight? -Yeah.
• - matte finish? - Kinda.
• - coverage? - Sufficient.
• - moisturizing? - NO!!! Absolutely no!!!
• - comfortable to wear? - Yes.
• - light-diffusing? - How the hell am I supposed to know?
• - shine-free? - Absofreakinlutely.

And some additional thoughts:

• Did it break me out? - Too soon to judge, but so far so good.
• Accentuates fine lines? - At my age anything accentuates fine lines and wrinkles. But this foundation did not make me look 10 years older, so I'm quite pleased.
• Emphasizes pores? - Well, not in my case.
• Scent? - Minimal and non-offensive.

And now, excuse me while I collapse to the floor and self-combust.
I've gone and done it.
I'm liking this cushion. A lot.

Final verdict?

Yves Saint Laurent Le Cushion Encre De Peau (a.k.a. YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation) is a great cushion, western or otherwise. Few Korean cushions come even close.

The next sound you hear is me fainting and hitting the floor...

Bang!

Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact (updated March 2016)

UPDATE March 2016:

In February 2016 Lancome released (in Asia) a new version of its Blanc Expert Cushion Compact.
The new version is labeled as "cover" and has SPF 50.
The old version reviewed below has been re-labeled as "natural".

The new Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact SPF50 (cover) uses the same non-woven fiber matrix technology as the cushion from another L'Oreal brand - Shu Uemura (reviewed here).

Non-woven fiber matrix is basically a fancy name for fiberglass (including glass wool, a common wall insulation material). Yep, instead of a piece of sponge, these cushion have chunks of wall filler in them. I suppose we should consider it a step up from the low quality, extremely porous sponge of the "natural" version cushion.

The folks at L'Oreal Group were careful to cover it with a net, no doubt to disourage people from investigating what's underneath.

This is the surface of the new Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact SPF50 (cover version):

 Using wall filler, oh pardon moi, fiberglass, instead of sponge allows for packing the cushion with much heavier foundation. That in turn allows for fuller cover.

I was very interested in this "new and improved cover" version and I was ready to buy it, but...

The shades do not correspond to the "natural" version.
Let me repeat it - they do not match.


The cover version is a lot darker. Because apparently Lancome thinks there are no people in Asia who are around NC15 or NW10. Well played, Lancome!

So here you have the reason why I didn't buy this new cushion.
Hence you will not get a full review.


And here you have a closeup of the netting - you can clearly see the fibers below:

For what it's worth, sponsored shills are bending over backwards to praise this cushion, for example, this one.

Sponsored and paid reviewers also seemed to have fallen for the "new and revolutionary glass wool in the cushion technology" PR spin. Oh well...

And this is what it looked like inside the sister brand's cushion (Shu Uemura blanc:chroma), which uses the same "revolutionary" concept:

That's the end of the update.
If Lancome makes a lighter shade, I will totally buy it.
But as it is now, I'll pass.


Continue below for the review of the "natural" SPF 23 version released in 2015:

Lancome Miracle Cushion review can be found here. 

This is a side by side comparison of Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact (Japan version) and Lancome Miracle Cushion (European version).

If this is the first time you are hearing about cushion foundations, please click on the "Cushion Foundations" tab in the top menu to learn more.

Recenzja poduszki Lancome - Lancome Miracle Cushion jest tutaj. 

Wpis ponizej to porownanie poduszki na rynek azjatycki (japonski) - Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact z poduszka na rynek europejski - Lancome Miracle Cushion.

Jesli to pierwszy raz, kiedy czytasz o podkladach w formie poduszki, kliknij na zakladke "Cushion Foundations" w gornym menu, aby dowiedziec sie wiecej.

~~~

Yesterday the long awaited Lancome cushion finally hit the stores in Japan. Having had a chance to play with it very briefly a week before, I thought it might be a good idea to stick it next to the European version of Lancome Miracle Cushion and see what happens.

And this is what happened:


Wczoraj, dlugo wyczekiwana poduszka Lancome w koncu trafila do sprzedazy w Japonii. Mialam okazje pomacac ja juz w zeszlym tygodniu i pomyslalam sobie, ze moze warto byloby postawic ja obok Lancome Miracle Cushion dostepna w Europie i zobaczyc co wyjdzie.

A wyszlo to:

Ha! Ten points if you can spot the difference.
Yep. You're right. It's "same, same" but different.

The same outer packaging, a different name.
Europe - Lancome Miracle Cushion.
Japan - Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact, which also claims to have a "fresh brightening effect".

Ha! Ekstra punkty jesli zauwazysz wszystkie roznice.
Tak, zgadza sie. Niby taki sam, ale jednak inny.

Takie samo pudelko, ale inna nazwa produktu.
W Europie - Lancome Miracle Cushion.
A Azji - Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact, ktory ponoc ma nam dac "swiezy, rozjasniajacy efekt."

~~~


According to the Lancome website, "the Blanc Expert range features the latest brightening technology designed to regulate melanin production and awaken the luminosity of the skin."

OK, so it would seem that Europe got the no frills version, while Japan - the brightening bells and whistles.
I wonder why? Was it the convoluted logic of a Western cosmetics company convinced that if you label it "blanc" or "brightening", and imply skin whitening properties, it would sell better in Asia?
Or was it simply the fact that there was no other way to dress up this very average, drugstore quality product to make it seem worth the high-end price?
Your guess is as good as mine.

This is interesting:


Wedlug strony Lancome "linia Blanc Expert zawiera najnowsza technologie rozjasniajaca sformulowana do regulacji produkcji melaniny i do obudzenia naturalnej jasnosci cery", czy jakos tak.

Wiec wychodzi na to, ze poduszka na rynek europejski to nic szczegolnego, ale ta na rynek azjatycki ma dzialanie rozjasniajace.
Ciekawe dlaczego? Pewnie dlatego, ze zachodnie firmy sa swiecie przekonane, ze Azjatki kupia byle g*wno, jesli tylko w nazwie bedzie widnialo slowo "rozjasnianie".
A moze dlatego, ze po prostu Lancome nie moglo wpasc na zaden inny pomysl jak usprawiedliwic wysoka cene tej bardzo przecietnej poduszki w Azji, gdzie tyle innych, duzo lepszych poduszek jest dostepnych o wiele taniej.
Ciort ich wie.

Ale to jest ciekawe:

While initially the ingredient lists seem different (due to a slightly different layout, which fooled me as well), they are in fact identical.
You have Miracle Cushion on the left, and Blanc Expert on the right. They're the same. Only the very final item, in the "may contain" category is different.
Yet the one on the right, upon landing in Japan, suddenly acquired a fancy "Blanc Expert" title.

Hmmm... the plot thickens...

There have been voices that Lancome Miracle Cushion is nothing else that Teint Miracle Foundation in a cushion form. A quick look at the ingredients lists for both products tells us that that is not true. Despite sharing the name "Miracle", those are, in fact, two different cosmetics. 

Na pierwszy rzut oka, lista skladnikow wydaje sie byc inna (to z powodu innej czcionki, sama nawet sie na to nabralam), ale w rzeczywistosci obie listy sa identyczne.
Miracle Cushion po lewej, Blanc Expert Cushion Compact po prawej. Takie same! Tylko ostatni punkt w liscie skladnikow, na szarym koncu w dopisku "moze zawierac" jest inny.

Ale jakims cudownym trafem, poduszka po prawej, po wyladowaniu w Japonii nabrala nagle mocy rozjasniajacej i dostala nowa nazwe - Blanc Expert.

No niezle, Lancome, niezle...

Pojawily sie rowniez glosy, ze poduszka Lancome Miracle Cushion to nic innego jak lancome'owski Teint Miracle podklad przelany w poduszkowe opakowanie. Ale rzut okiem na listy skladnikow obu tych kosmetykow i od razu widac, ze sa to dwa rozne produkty, pomimo tego, ze oba maja slowo "Miracle" w nazwie.

~~~

To fleece you in a typical Japanese fashion, this cushion is sold here piecemeal - you have to buy a compact case and a refill separately. While this is the usual way cosmetics are sold in Japan, this is nothing but an elaborate scam to make you part with as much money as possible.

Aby oskubac cie do maksymum, w typowym japonskim stylu, ta poduszka sprzedawana jest tutaj "po kawalku" - trzeba kupic osobno kompakt i osobno wklad. Innej mozliwosci nie ma. To jest normalny sposob sprzedawania kosmetykow w Japonii, ale w rzeczywistosci to po prostu typowa sciema, aby wyciagnac od klienta jak najwiecej kasy przy jak najmniejszej linii oporu.

And they don't come cheap.
The Blanc Expert Cushion Compact Case will set you back 1300 yen plus 8% tax.
The Blanc Expert Cushion Compact Refill costs an outrageous 5200 yen plus 8% tax.
So, in all, after getting the entire set you will be 7020 yen poorer (tax added). That is nearly 52 euro, or USD 59.00 (according to Yahoo currency converter).

A kase ciagna az milo.
Blanc Expert Cushion Compact obudowa kosztuje 1300 jenow plus 8% VAT.
Blanc Expert Cushion Compact wklad to 5200 jenow plus 8% podatku.
Wiec aby zaczac uzywac ta poduszke, musimy pozegnac sie z 7020 jenami (podatek juz wliczony), co wychodzi przy obecnym przeliczniku na 52 euro lub 59 dolarow (wedlug Yahoo currency converter).

Unlike in Europe, where Lancome Miracle Cushion comes in six shades, there are only two available in Japan.
As you can see, I got BO-01. I don't know, but somehow when I see "BO", I instinctively start sniffing. Despite this unfortunate color name, this cushion doesn't stink.

The other shade on sale in Japan is this:

Choc w Europie Lancome Miracle Cushion jest dostepna a 6 odcieniach, w Japonii Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact ma tylko dwa kolory.
Jak widac, ja wybralam BO-01.
Ten drugi dostepny to O-01.

BO-01 has beige tones, O-01 is yellow.

The lovely ladies at the Lancome counter swatched them for me and even helped to take a photo:


BO-01 ma bezowe tony, O-01 jest zolty.

Panie w stoisku Lancome byly bardzo mile i zeswatchowaly oba odcienie dla mnie i nawet pomogly zrobic zdjecie w jak najlepszym swietle.

I brought my Miracle Cushion for comparison purposes, and it turned out to be a great idea. The ladies were quite surprised to see that the cushion sold in Europe is "same, same, but different". You should have seen their faces when I pulled out the A-True compact out of my purse. And the Banila Co compact. And then my new Hera. They honestly had no idea that cushion foundation was not a Lancome invention.

The sales lady assembled my new cushion for me:

Wzielam ze soba moja Lancome Miracle Cushion dla porownania i okazalo sie to bardzo dobrym pomyslem. Panie w stoisku byly mocno zaskoczone, ze niby poduszka taka sama, ale inna. Wyraz twarzy mialy bezcenny, kiedy wyciagnelam z kosmetyczki poduszke A-true i poduszke Banila Co i moja nowa poduszke Hera Ultra Moisture.
Konsultantki Lancome nie mialy najbledszego pojecia, ze podklad w poduszce nie jest wynalazkiem Lancome i ze istnieje juz od paru lat.

Tutaj pani konsultantka sklada moja nowa poduszke:

And watching her do it, I got an idea.

You see, on the Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Case box it says this:

I kiedy tak na nia patrzylam, cos wpadlo mi do glowy.
Na odwrocie pudelka do Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Case (obudowa), mozemy przeczytac, ze:

It claims to be "specially designed for Blanc Expert Cushion Compact refill".
Of course that is not true. Lancome Miracle Cushion and its twin - Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion are both cheap, run of the mill, no frills, drugstore quality (both ingredient-wise, as well as package design wise) Korean cushions.

So it should be possible to fit any other refill of the same design into a Lancome cushion pact, and vice versa.

Let's check:


Ponoc jest to "specjalnie zaprojektowane dla Blanc Expert Cushion Compact wkladow".
Oczywiscie to bzdura. Lancome Miracle Cushion i blizniaczka Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion to tanie, typowe, drogeryjnej jakosci (i skladowo i opakowaniowo) koreanskie poduszki.

Wiec powinny pasowac do innych kompaktow tego samego typu i wice wersa. A kompaktow tego samego typu jest sporo. Ja mam dwa.
No to sprawdzamy:

Yep. It works with my A-true cushion case.
Pasuje do A-true obudowy.

And it works again with a Banila Co CC cushion case.
You should have seen the faces of those poor Lancome sales assistants when they saw it.

So... Specially designed? Nice try, Lancome. But next time, try harder.

While on the European cushion box we had blurbs in a bazillion different languages, the Japanese version has a simple sticker:

I pasuje do kasetki Banila Co CC cushion.
Biedne panie konsultantki mialy niemrawe miny jak to zobaczyly.

Wiec... specjalnie zaprojektowane? Czy Lancome naprawde mysli, ze ich klienci sa totalnymi durniami?

Na europejskiej wersji poduszki mielismy opisy w kilku jezykach. Japonska wersja ma prosta naklejke.

I guess this is yet another way that Lancome saves money. Since there is no leaflet in the box, it seems to me that different countries just slap stickers in their own languages on the back and call it a day.

Under the sticker (of course I peeled it off, duh!) we have this:

Przypuszczam, ze w ten sposob dusigrosze lancome'owskie oszczedzaja kase. Nie ma ulotki w pudelku, wiec wychodzi na to, ze zamiast drukowac wersje papierowa w kilku jezykach, w roznych krajach po prostu naklejaja info w roznych jezykach.

Pod naklejka (oczywiscie, ze ja oderwalam) jest to:

The "air cushion" wording is still here.

You can also see that it claims to have "shades designed for Asian skin". And that's all fine and dandy, but what are we, Europeans? Chopped liver? For us, Lancome, you released nasty dark yellows and shades totally not suitable for very pale and fair skinned people. And yet for Asia you bent over backwards to make it coloristically half-way decent and wearable.

This convoluted logic of western brands will never cease to amaze me.

Ok, let's go on...

Fraza "air cushion" nadal tam widnieje.
Jest tez zapewnienie, ze "odcienie sa specjalnie sformulowane dla azjatyckiej skory". I spoko, nie mam nic przeciwko temu. Ale co to my, Europejki jestesmy? Niechciane bekarty? Dla nas, kochany Lancome, wypusciles ciemne i ohydne zolte kolory, ktore zupelnie nie nadaja sie dla jasnych kobiet z polnocy. Ale dla Azjatek, to od razu - specjalnie sformulowane.
Ta logika zachodnich firm nigdy nie przestanie mnie zadziwiac.

Ale, idzmy dalej...

Good grief, the fingerprints. I couldn't be bothered to wear gloves. Sorry.

The Japanese (or is it "generic Asian"?) version is also made in Korea:

Srebrne pudelka i odciski palcow. Nie chcialo mi sie wkladac rekawiczek. Sorry.
Wersja japonska (azjatycka) jest rowniez robiona w Korei.

And it has the same pitiful SPF23 / PA++. No comment.

OK, let's look at the compacts:

Ten sam nedzny filtr SPF23 / PA++. Bez komentarza.
Ok, tutaj kompakty.

Lancome Blanc Expert on the left, Lancome Miracle Cushion on the right.

And the other side:

Lancome Blanc Expert po lewej, Lancome Miracle Cushion po prawej.
I po drugiej stronie:

And opened:

I otwarte:

Other than the lid, they seem identical. So far.

Oprocz koloru obudowy wydaja sie byc indentyczne. Jak na razie.

Same...

And suddenly:


Takie same.
Ale nagle:

Different!

Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact on the left, Lancome Miracle Cushion on the right.
As you can see, the Blanc Expert inner sponge is marginally finer and better quality than Miracle Cushion.

And it might be just fine for most people.
Until you put it next to a very simple Korean cushion:

Inne!

Lancome Blanc Expert Cushion Compact po lewej, Lancome Miracle Cushion po prawej.
Jak widac Blanc Expert wklad poduszkowy, srodkowa gabka, jest odrobine mniej porowata i nieco lepszej jakosci niz Miracle Cushion.

I to pewnie zadowala wiekszosc kobiet.
Ale tylko dopoki nie postawisz poduszek Lancome obok bardzo zwyklej koreanskiej poduszki.

Ah, Lancome, Lancome...
You'd think that for the Asian market, a huge multi-national brand that wants to be seen as high end would release something a bit less bargain-basement looking, and something a bit more fancy.
But I suppose in the name of maximizing profits and squeezing every last yen (cent) out of this deal, Lancome simply couldn't afford any higher quality sponge for this compact.

If only the foundation itself was worth the price...
Sadly, no.

The consistency of the Japanese version is a lot less runny than what's inside the European Miracle Cushion. The texture is slightly more creamy than Miracle Cushion and on par with most mid- and lower-end Korean cushion brands.

Aj, Lancome, Lancome...
Ktos moglby pomyslec, ze wielka miedzynarodowa firma kosmetyczna, ktora zalicza sie do wysokopolkowych, moglaby wypuscic na rynek azjatycki cos bardziej ekskluzywnego i nie wygladajacego jak gabka z kuchennego zlewozmywaka. Ale wychodzi na to, ze w imie wycisniecia z tego kosmetyku ostatniego grosza (centa, jena), Lancome nie bylo stac na lepsza gabke.

Zeby choc sam podklad byl wart tych 7020 jenow...
Ale niestety nie.

Konsystencja wersji na rynek azjatycki jest ciut mniej wodnista niz to co siedzi w srodku europejskiej Miracle Cushion.
Tekstura jest tez bardziej kremowa i zblizona do tego, co oferuja typowe koreanskie poduszki.

In conclusion...
Lancome tried to reinvent Miracle Cushion as Blanc Expert Cushion Compact for Japan. It made a half-assed effort to make it slightly more presentable and exciting for the naive and western brand hungry Japanese women. But it's still the same mediocre cushion.

A cushion of this very average quality, with this generic design, and these bare bones ingredients and low SPF, and without an extra refill in the box, shouldn't cost more than US$25.

Shame, shame on you Lancome.

Podsumowujac...

Lancome przeinaczylo Miracle Cushion na Blanc Expert Cushion Compact na rynki azjatyckie. Cos tam chcialo wizualnie ulepszyc, zeby wygladlo ciut lepiej dla bardziej wymagajacych klientow azjatyckich. Ale efekt koncowy to ta sama mierna poduszka.

Poduszka tak przecietnej jakosci, w tak przecietnym, masowo produkowanym kompakcie, z tak slabym skladem i niskim filtrem SPF, i bez dodatkowego wkladu w pudelku, nie powinna kosztowac wiecej niz jakies 25 dolarow.

Wstydz sie Lancome!