Spotlight | Laneige Milkyway Fantasy BB Cushion.

As I did my usual rounds of Myeongdong's shopping street last winter, I tried my very best to resist the temptation of Laneige's Milkyway Fantasy Holiday Collection. I may have resisted the urge to buy another tub of the Water Sleeping Mask (because I still have one waiting for me back home), but alas, I could not do the same for the BB Cushion.

Laneige Milkyway Fantasy BB Cushion.

I mean, just look at the picture above. How can you resist such a thing of beauty? You can not.

Especially if your favorite color is pink and purple and you love pretty, shimmery things.

Laneige Milkyway Fantasy Holiday Collection.

I must admit, I bought this product mainly for the packaging - aside from the fact that it's from Laneige, one of my favorite Korean cosmetics brands.

It's about this big, and easily fits in my makeup kit.

One of the brand's best-selling products, the Laneige BB Cushion comes in four different varieties - the standard BB Cushion, the Pore Control Cushion, the Anti-Aging Cushion, and the Whitening Cushion. Mine is the latter, since the Milkyway Fantasy BB Cushion is limited to just one variant (Whitening).

Comes with an instructional pamphlet.

The Whitening BB Cushion doesn't 'bleach' your skin or make your skintone lighter, if you're thinking along that line. Rather, it brightens the skin and evens out your complexion to make your skin clearer, and give it a lovely, healthy glow.

Product information and usage instructions.

One of the key points of this BB Cushion is the Sparkling Coat™, a color technology applied to this product which uses micro-sized pearl particles to improve dull, uneven skintone. It also contains hydro ion mineral water to keep the skin moisturized and quinoa extract which improves skin elasticity and provides exceptional skin hydration.

Back of the box and cushion case.

The Milkyway Fantasy BB Cushion is limited to three shades only: #13 Ivory, #21 Beige, #23 Sand. If your skintone does not match any of the shades above, I suggest you get the regular Whitening BB Cushion instead since it comes in 11 different shades.

Shade number and expiration date indicated on the back of the cushion case.

The cushion is housed in a sturdy plastic compact. Inside is a large mirror, an air puff sponge, and a flip-out tray to hold the sponge and keep the cushion from drying out.

Here's how the compact looks like when opened.

The sponge and the tray.

Underneath the tray is the cushion; here it is still sealed.

As for the cushion itself, it now comes in a diamond honeycomb texture which Laneige calls as '3D Skin Fit Cushion'. This design allows you to pick up the product more evenly with the puff, and gives you better control of the amount being dispensed into the puff. Compared with other cushions that I have tried, this one feels a tad firmer, and has more resistance when you push it down.

3D Skin Fit Cushion.

Here's how the BB Cushion looks like on my skin. I read somewhere that this particular cushion runs slightly darker, so I was worried that shade #23 would be way too off for my skintone. But I was left with no choice since the only shade available during that time was #23. And I just had to buy this darn cushion by all means, haha!

#23 Beige - swatched, indoor lighting.

#23 Beige - swatched, under natural light.

I use shade #23 with my Missha Magic Cushion so I figured this could still be within my skin's range. And thankfully, it was! The cushion adjusted nicely to my skintone after blending, and leaves the skin with a semi-dewy finish.

Left - without BB Cushion; Right - with BB Cushion. Indoor lighting.

Left - without BB Cushion; Right - with BB Cushion. Natural light.

Its formula is light and sheer, but it gives the skin just enough coverage without looking too made up. If you have skin imperfections that would require heavier coverage, this BB Cushion might fall short of your expectations. I'm all for dewy, glowing skin so this product works fine with me.

Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion on the left; Laneige Milkyway Fantasy Whitening BB Cushion on the right.

Missha x Line Friends Magic Cushion on the left; Laneige Milkyway Fantasy BB Cushion on the right.

As you pat the product on your face, you will feel a nice, cooling sensation. It's a welcoming feature, considering how hot is it in the Philippines these days and how wearing makeup can be a pain in this humid weather. The product's soft, soapy scent is also impossible not to notice - not that I'm complaining.

My skin is not in a very pretty state right now - a sign that my period is due.

As for the staying power, the product stays put for about 5 hours or so, with a bit of touch-ups mostly on my T-zone. Do note that I have sensitive skin and my face hardly greases up, except during this time of the year (aka summer in the tropics). If you have oily skin, this might not work well for you, but if you have sensitive skin, you'll be glad to know that I did not have breakouts or allergies while using this product.

Laneige Milkyway Fantasy BB Cushion on my face.

I love how this BB cushion lives up to its promise of making your skin bright and glowing. It gives enough coverage to hide my skin blemishes (not that my face has a lot, lol) without the heavy feel, and without looking too made up. It's easy to apply, does not cake or patch, and has sun protection (SPF 50+ PA+++), too!

My only gripe is that this BB Cushion does not come with a refill. Laneige's BB Cushions usually come with one refill, but this holiday release - which I got for 27000 won (around Php 1200 or $23) - does not.

Products Used:
FACE: Beyond Alice in Blooming Skin Tone Sun Base,
Ever Bilena Liquid Concealer in Light,
Laneige Milkyway Fantasy BB Cushion #23.
EYES: Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
Clio Kill Black Waterproof Brush Liner,
Clio Salon de Cara Backcomb Cara.
CHEEKS: NYC Cheek Glow Powder Blush in West Side Wine.
LIPS: Innisfree Glossy Lip Lacquer in Burgundy Pink.

I think I'll just buy a refill of the Anti-Aging Cushion next time and use it with the Milkyway Fantasy case. I've been wanting to try that cushion since it was released! :)

Sneak Peek | Laneige Milkyway Fantasy Holiday Collection.

With Christmas barely a month away, more and more cosmetics brands have begun to unveil their holiday collections, most of which have been released in stores just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Not to be outdone, Korean beauty brand Laneige has also launched its holiday collection, and this has got to be the brand's prettiest limited edition line thus far.

Laneige Milkyway Fantasy Collection.

Released earlier this month, the Milkyway Fantasy Collection reflects the beauty of the enchanting universe in its sparkling packaging. With dots of twinkling stars set against the background of the night sky, this capsule range mirrors the 'sparkling beauty' for Laneige has been known for.

For that sparkling beauty.

Revel in the fantasy after the jump!

Spotlight | Laneige Winterland Magic Makeup Collection.

Better late than never!
I finally got my hands on the Winterland Magic Makeup Collection, which is part of the Laneige 2013 Holiday Collection. It's a limited edition set that's no longer available in stores, so I consider myself lucky to stumble upon this baby on the worldwide web.

Laneige Winterland Magic Makeup Collection.

The set contains three of Song Hye Kyo’s most popular Silk Intense Lipsticks and four crystallized shades of Pure Radiant Eye Shadow plus an eyeshadow brush/applicator in a specially designed case.

Hello, My Little Winterland! :)

The packaging alone is a winner. The illustration on the box has a cheery, festive vibe while the silver and red hologram sparkles around it give a glamorous feel. The edges of the box and the lid have a magnet inside, so it's easy to open and close.

Pure Fantasy Look. 

And on the inside of the cover, there's a booklet with step-by-step instructions on how to create looks using the contents of the Winterland Magic Makeup Collection.

Glow Fantasy Look.

Here's a closer look at the eyeshadows.

Clockwise from L-R: Pearl Light Pink, Pearl Pink, Pearl Coral, and Pearl Khaki.

Save for Pearl Khaki, these eyeshadows aren't heavily pigmented, which is quite understandable since Laneige is all about 'natural beauty'. All four shades are shimmery, but don't get intimidated as they have just the right amount of glitter to make your eyes sparkle.

From L-R: Pearl Light Pink, Pearl Pink, Pearl Coral, and Pearl Khaki.

As for the lipsticks, they come in 1-gram tubes with cute little prints on the cap. These are miniature sizes, so yeah, they're smaller than the regular 3.5 gram lipstick.

L-R: Beige Chiffon, Blonde Coral, Pink Garden.

All three shades are nicely pigmented and have buildable color. Texture is creamy, glides smoothly on the lips, and they moisturize quite well. They smell wonderful, too!

L-R: Beige Chiffon, Blonde Coral, Pink Garden.

And in case you didn't know, these lippies were made popular by the 2013 drama 'That Winter the Wind Blows'. Song Hye Kyo wore all three shades in the drama, and that's actually one of the reasons why I wanted to own this set so badly, haha.

SYR36 is Beige Chiffon, LR104 is Pink Garden, and SR105 is Blonde Coral.
SR102 is Glam Pink, not included in the set.

Beige Chiffon is a lovely shade of nude, which looks very natural on the lips. Perfect for days like today when I'm too lazy to wear makeup and just want a bit of color on my face. Pink Garden and Blonde Coral are two gorgeous shades that closely resemble each other, though the latter is less shimmery and has a more peachy hue.

Products Used:
FACE: Etude House Beauty Shot Face Blur,
Etude House Precious Mineral Any Cushion,
Benefit Erase Paste in Medium.
EYES: Shiseido Eyebrow Pencil in Brown,
K-Palette Real Lasting Micro Eyeliner in Black.
CHEEKS: Ever Bilena Cheek Blush in Raisin.
LIPS; Laneige Silk Intense Lipstick in Pink Garden.

I love all three shades so much that I'm considering buying full-size tubes once I've used them all up. (More like I'll ask the husband to get them for me, haha!)

The Laneige Winterland Magic Makeup Collection retailed for Php 1950 (around $44) when it hit the market in 2013. As I've mentioned earlier, this set is no longer available in stores, but you can still purchase the Silk Intense Lipsticks (Php 1150 each) and the Pure Radiant Shadow (Php 1450 per quad) separately.

Have you tried Laneige eyeshadows and lip colors before? What are your favorite shades? :)