The Best Cushion Compacts for All of Your Makeup Needs

Unless you’ve been Rip Van Winkling for the past year or so, you’ve probably noticed that cushion compacts have blown up in a big way. And with good reason!

Many of them come in foundation or BB cream form, but products like blush and color correctors are taking center stage, too! Plus, they include a handy applicator sponge, an extra light formula and sometimes even significant SPF protection. If you’re still sleeping on these little beauties, a new day has dawned, and there are tons of good options. Consider us your welcome committee.

The Dos & Don’ts of Cushion Compacts

●Don’t Press Too Hard

Remember, the cushion of the compact is pretty saturated, so just one firm pump will get your sponge substantially covered. Use a light hand when pressing the cushion to make sure you’re not overdoing it. It’s better to build your coverage as needed, than having to go back and correct an overly-made-up face.

●Don’t Be Afraid to Get Your Hands Dirty

If you’re not a fan of the sponge applicator, use your fingers to apply and blend the foundation in. Just pat your fingers against the cushion, dab and work it all over the skin. Use a foundation brush or cosmetic blender to blend the formula into the skin evenly.

●Do use the Swipe-&-Dab Method

If you do decide to use the puff applicator, make sure to use it strategically. After dabbing it on the cushion, swipe it across the area you’re covering and, using gentle dabbing motions, blend it into the skin until it’s fully absorbed.

●Don’t Neglect the Narrow Corners & Hard-To-Reach Areas

There are some regions of the face, the corners of the nose, inner parts of the eye area, etc. that aren’t easily covered with a round, flat applicator puff. In this case, fold the puff in half and work your foundation into these hard-to-hit areas, still using the dabbing method discussed above.

●Do flip It

 Sometimes your foundation or formula will get shoved to the bottom of the cushion part of the compact. When it gets to the point that your foundation is running low, make sure you use every last drop. Flip your cushion using clean tweezers so the most saturated part of the cushion is facing up.

**Which cushion compact will you be test-driving first? Spill in the comments below!