If you watched the latest season of Netflix dating programme Single’s Inferno, you probably noticed that all the female contestants on the show had stunning, clear skin. And they all had one product to thank for that: Jungsaemmool’s Essential Skin Nuder Cushion.
The product’s popularity didn’t just start with the ladies of Single’s Inferno. The Korean beauty brand, which was founded by makeup artist Jung Saem-Mool, has been adored by many Korean superstars, including TWICE’s Jihyo, Song Hye-Kyo and Jun Ji-Hyun. It was even the best-selling cushion product in K-beauty heaven Olive Young in 2024.
A while ago, I had the opportunity to try out the cushion foundation for myself. As a beauty writer, I admittedly am quite picky when it comes to base makeup. Most of the time, I find foundation products to be too finicky to work with on a daily base. I don’t always have the time nor the energy to spend a good part of my morning blending out stiff formulations, and I don’t particularly enjoy touching up my makeup in the office either.
But that’s why the Jungsaemmool Essential Skin Nuder Cushion was even more surprising. Even upon first application, I fell in love with the lightweight, fuss-free formula. Below, find out why this foundation has been a game changer in my daily makeup routine.
The Coverage
I’m cursed with thin skin, which means that the blood vessels on my face are glaringly obvious (unfortunately, not the type of flush I’m looking for). All things considered, the formula provides rather high coverage. The pigment blends out seamlessly on the skin—and is able to cover up the redness on my face. Even my dark under-eye area is also easily smoothed out, thanks to the cushion’s buildable coverage.
On the back of my hand, the cushion manages to cover up red and green discolouration, and provides a brightening—not lightening—effect. The best part about the coverage is its skin-like, breathable finish, which lets natural skin textures shine through. With more layers, this product also can hide blemishes quite well—just be careful to dab the product in, not rub it around.
The Blend
As a big fan of blush and highlight, one thing that bugs me about most base products is when they pill when you layer makeup products on. With the Jungsaemmool cushion, its formula doesn’t get pushed around when you stack other products on. Even with contour—liquid or cream—the cushion stays put and serves as a solid foundation for me to work other products in.
The Finish
K-beauty is known for their glass-like, radiant skin, and the Jungsaemmool cushion delivers this with great finesse. With the dewy finish of this cushion, you can fake a healthy, natural glow (even if your skin leans into the drier side) with ease. On my normal-to-oily skin, the product gives me just the right sheen, without leaving my complexion looking too greasy.
The Packaging
Like most other cushion foundations, the Jungsaemmool Essential Skin Nuder Cushion comes in a compact with a mirror inside—your best friend when it comes to on-the-go touchups. Inside, there’s a separate compartment for the delicate puff so your product can remain clean (for as long as is possible with cushions). What’s different about this puff is that it picks up the optimum amount of product, so you won’t end up applying too much at one time.
Jungsaemmool also sells its refills for its cushions, so you can hold on to the case and minimise unnecessary waste. A great plus point, if you ask an environmentalist like me. The brand also recently released a travel-friendly version of the cushion, which is thinner and even more lightweight.
The Wear Test
I’ve worn the cushion to work on many occasions, and to me, its greatest selling point is its long wear-time. With an oily T-zone and a fiddly nose piercing that gets in the way, I can’t get behind foundations that need to be touched up or re-blended every few hours.
Even after a full eight-hour day in the office, the formula doesn’t crease near my eyes or nose, and retains its natural, dewy finish. I’ve even been able to cut down a lot of excessive powder blotting, since the formula lasts through most of my long days.
The Shades
The only con for me with this cushion is its relatively limited shade range. The cushion currently is offered in eight different shades, which cater more to fair and medium skin tones. One might attribute this to Jungsaemmool’s roots as a Korean beauty brand which serves a smaller range of skin tones in its home country.
My skin tone sits on the fairer camp—for context, I wear shade 175 for Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. For the Jungsaemmool cushion, my shade is N Light, which is the fourth darkest shade available.
Since Jungsaemmool recently added a few new shades of their Essential Skin Nuder Longwear Cushion, here’s to hoping that the brand has plans to expand its range for this version of the cushion as well.
More information on the Jungsaemmool Essential Skin Nuder Cushion can be found here.
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