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

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

If you lot are novel to cushion foundations, delight start past times clicking on the "cushion foundations" tab inward the exceed menu, though I'm assuming that past times instantly most beauty fans approximately the Blue Planet are already familiar alongside the concept.

Please, don't ask. I don't know how it happened. I guess I secretly must taste the feelings of hurting in addition to disappointment, because despite my previous experiences alongside cushions from the household of L'Oreal, I move along buying the damn things.

You know, it's similar when people tiresome downwards to picket auto wrecks, they are both drawn in addition to repelled past times the gory mayhem. I'm similar that alongside 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 nether a unlike name.
• Maybelline in addition to L'Oreal cushions were therefore unspeakably awful that I decided to but non speak well-nigh them.
• Shu Uemura's cushion compact filled alongside wall insulation fiberglass was exactly that. 
• As was the novel Lancome Miracle cushion comprehend version. 
• Biotherm's cushion, famous mainly for its powerfulness to leak from the case, is, mercifully, non available inward Japan.
• Bobbi Brown's skanky attempt was also skanky, fifty-fifty for my ain incredibly depression standards. (Yes, I know it's non a L'Oreal brand, but it was awful plenty to bring together this elite cushion failure club).

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

And therefore at that topographic point was Yves Saint Laurent in addition to its magical Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation.
Like a proficient lemming that I am, I obediently marched to the nearest YSL counter (which exactly happened to live at Tobu subdivision store) on March 18th (the release appointment inward Japan) in addition to got me one.

The L'Oreal Inc beancounters inward Paris must live laughing all the way to the bank. They know they receive got me past times the balls. Or cushion puffs. Or both.

I had a gamble to play alongside this cushion a pair of weeks earlier the launch 24-hour interval in addition to I was real cautiously optimistic. The color seemed all right. The staying powerfulness was fine, too. The complete was acceptable. Only the cost wasn't.
Holymotherofbatman, that thing was bloody expensive! Breathtakingly expensive. Stroke-inducingly expensive. 7500 yen plus tax.

Yet inward the destination the pros outweighed the cons, in addition to fifty-fifty though initially I was maxim I'd rather chew my leg off in addition to bleed to decease than purchase some other L'Oreal branded cushion, it turns out that I am glad I did. (Yes, inward illustration you've been living nether a stone inward mesh - Yves Saint Laurent is a L'Oreal brand).

And hither I should exactly collapse in addition to self-combust, or something, because it seems that I exactly said that I truly similar a western, L'Oreal branded cushion foundation.

Shocked?

Don't worry! No i is shocked to a greater extent than than me.

Basically, you lot could exactly halt reading correct here, correct instantly in addition to become in addition to purchase yourself your ain Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Cushion (you yet here? what are you lot waiting for? become on in addition to purchase i already! in addition to no, this is non a sponsored review), but if you lot desire to stick approximately for the details, hither they come!

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

The goods come upward packaged inward a shiny, gilt box. I suppose it meant to evoke the feelings of luxury, but instead made me cry upward of former ladies who attempt also hard. Real luxury doesn't demand to demo off.

As you lot tin see, I bought color let on 10, or rather B10, every bit they telephone phone it inward Asia.
Yves Saint Laurent Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation comes inward half-dozen shades inward most Asian countries, though alone five are available for purchase inward Japan.

The compact is dark in addition to gold. Again, I guess Yves Saint Laurent was going for rich in addition to fancy, but instead ended upward alongside high-end hooker esthetics.

On the dorsum 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 complete lovers!!!)
• flawless coverage
• ultra-smooth texture
• weightless feel
• protection, hydration, blah blah blah...

In other words, pretty measure claims of exactly well-nigh whatever base of operations makeup production out there.

The cushion is made inward Korea:

There are xiv grams of production packed inside.
The YSL cushion compact is interchangeable alongside other L'Oreal branded cushions in addition to alongside some Korean cushions (most those manufactured past times Cosmax).

Oh yes, the compact.
It's black. Nearly all black. Which makes me desire to instruct a silvery fern decal on the illustration in addition to forcefulness my guy to do the haka every fourth dimension I apply makeup.

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

In Nippon the bottom of the illustration has a Japanese-language sticker. I was also lazy to attempt to peel it off.

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

So let's opened upward this baby, ok?

White sticker? How anti-climactic.
But yeah, if your cushion is build new, the surface of the sponge should live protected past times a sticker alongside the YSL logo. Any other generic sticker agency that your cushion is no longer a virgin.


And nether the sticker?

The cushion inward all its glory.

Yes, this is why a cushion foundation is called that. It's basically a chunk of sponge saturated inward foundation in addition to placed inward a compact. It combines the benefits of liquid foundation alongside the ease of pulverization application. And that's it, inward a nutshell.

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

I'll live the starting fourth dimension to complain that it's truly pitiful that a cushion alongside such a high cost tag has something resembling a kitchen sponge inside. I b*tched in addition to moaned well-nigh it in conclusion twelvemonth when writing well-nigh the Lancome cushions, therefore I am non going to repeat myself this fourth dimension around.

However, it was interesting to read the sponsored apologists explanations every bit to why L'Oreal brands role such crappy sponges inward their products.

One of my favorite bloggers, unremarkably a real level-headed in addition to to-the-point reviewer - Musical Houses, while talking well-nigh Biotherm Evermoist CC Cushion (Biotherm is also a L'Oreal brand) totally drank the PR kool-aid in addition to said that the porous sponge was i of the "features" of the Biotherm cushion.

As nosotros tin see, that is land non true, regardless of what Biotherm PR spin machine claims. All L'Oreal cushions are stuffed alongside the same sort of porous pseudo-features.

In her review, she goes on to quote Biotherm that the bigger pores "are able to trap to a greater extent than air, wet in addition to formula for a light, breathable texture". Her guess was that "because the sponge is to a greater extent than porous, you lot pick upward less (foundation) during application".

Unfortunately, the laws of physics don't quite move similar that, no affair what them crafty PR folks tell us.

This is what bigger pores hateful for your cushion foundation:

• Bigger pores hateful to a greater extent than foundation is picked upward during the application process. 
• That agency you lot waste matter also much foundation alongside each application.
• That agency you lot destination upward overapplying the product.
• Bigger pores hateful to a greater extent than air gets trapped within the cushion causing the production to dry out out much faster.
• Bigger pores are to a greater extent than suitable for thicker, heavier textures (but therefore so are metallic plate cushions).
• Sponges alongside bigger pores are also cheaper. 

This truly explains the infamous chip when the Lancome makeup guru, Lisa Eldridge, was seen applying the Lancome Miracle cushion spell bending the applicator puff inward half.
It took me nearly a twelvemonth in addition to a YSL cushion to finally sympathise why.

The puff picks upward waaaay also much foundation in addition to stamping it onto your human face upward is an practice inward futility. To non waste matter all this already-picked upward product, you lot gotta smear it the traditional way, which is damn difficult to do alongside a cushion puff. So you lot gently curvature it inward one-half in addition to start smearing. I truly caught myself doing that.

Anyway, where was I?


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

I pressed it alongside my finger e'er therefore gently. This is what happened:

See what I mean?
This is also much production for a gentle press. This is what large pores volition do.

The color looks low-cal enough, right?
It's B10, let's run into how it stacks upward adjacent to MAC NC15 in addition to MAC NW10.

Taken inward natural light, no filters.

The foundation within YSL Le Cushion Encre De Peau sets awfully fast, you lot gotta spread it out ASAP, otherwise you're gonna destination upward alongside a mask.
Here is a to a greater extent than blended shot:

I run into pinkish undertones inward there, but therefore again, that's me.

And because I am awesome similar that, I also swatched for you lot shades B10, B20, B30, B40 in addition to B50. B60 is non available inward Japan.

(click on the picture for larger view)


I also did an oxidation test.
Here are the results afterwards i hour:

Right - freshly applied (artificial light, no filters)

Center - afterwards setting (natural light, no filters)

Left - afterwards i hr (natural light, no filters)

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

Now let's beak well-nigh the real misleading bring upward - Yves Saint Laurent Le Cushion Encre De Peau, or YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation.

You powerfulness live excused for believing that the cushion contains the iconic Fusion Ink product. In fact YSL makes us believe it truly does.
But does it?

Well... Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick await at the ingredients tells us otherwise.
Despite the Fusion Ink name, the production within is something else.

Don't believe me?

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

From YSL's official page.


And hither is what's within the cushion:

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

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

So yeah, whatever it is, it certain every bit heck ain't the master Fusion Ink. Nice attempt YSL! Next fourth dimension attempt harder.

What else?

Just similar Lancome Miracle Cushion in addition to Biotherm Evermoist CC Cushion, YSL Fusion Ink Cushion also has SPF 23/PA++.

Of course, every bit alongside most SPF equipped base of operations makeup, this is exactly a vanity selling point.
Do NOT, in addition to allow me repeat it i time again, DO NOT rely on makeup every bit your sole source of Sun protection. Unless, of course, you lot desire to historic menses inward a hurry in addition to entertain the possibility of peel cancer inward the future. Then, past times all means, experience gratis to psyche to idiots, who tell you lot 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, in addition to which provides superior spreadability in addition to color delivery, every bit good every bit a soft focus trial 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 also lazy to interpret the official blurbs from the webpage.
Here.
This is what the real multi-lingual leaflet inward 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 pause me out? - Too presently to judge, but therefore far therefore good.
• Accentuates fine lines? - At my historic menses anything accentuates fine lines in addition to wrinkles. But this foundation did non build me await 10 years older, therefore I'm quite pleased.
• Emphasizes pores? - Well, non inward my case.
• Scent? - Minimal in addition to non-offensive.

And now, excuse me spell I collapse to the flooring in addition to self-combust.
I've gone in addition to done it.
I'm liking this cushion. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot.

Final verdict?

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

The adjacent audio you lot remove heed is me fainting in addition to hitting the floor...

Bang!