Best Korean cushion foundation: glow vs matte, SPF and refills across seven compacts
Updated October 22, 2026
For oily skin, start with the Laneige Neo Cushion The Matte ($28.99) or the Clio Kill Cover Founwear Cushion ($26.99 with a refill in the box); for dry skin, the Laneige Neo Cushion The Glow ($28.99) or the budget Tocobo Apple Dewy Fit Cushion ($15.99) is the better match. Hera Black Cushion and Sulwhasoo The New Perfecting Cushion are the luxury satin and semi-matte picks, and the Milk Touch Milky Glow Cushion has by far the widest shade range we stock, 20 shades from 15N to 52N.
This is a researched comparison of current US brand and retailer information, checked October 2026. We haven't worn or tested any of these cushions; finish and texture descriptions are the brands', and the buying advice comes from comparing formulas, SPF labels, directions, sizes, shade lists and prices.
Prices are for a 21 shade, with price per gram worked out from each listing's net weight.
Glow or matte: which Korean cushion is better for oily skin?
Matte or satin-matte is the better choice for oily skin, because a dewy cushion adds reflective shine on top of the oil your skin already makes by midday. Glow finishes suit skin that looks flat or feels tight later in the day. Combination skin can go either way, and the satin finishes from Clio and Hera sit in between.
"Matte" means little surface shine, "satin" or "semi-matte" a soft sheen, and "glow" or "dewy" a base meant to catch the light.
Laneige Neo Cushion The Matte: the oily-skin starting point
The Laneige Neo Cushion The Matte in 21C Cool Beige, 15 g is the clearest oily-skin pick because Laneige built the whole product around it. The brand describes an air-light, seamless matte finish and a "Triple Pore Coverage System" designed to fill, smooth and set so pores look softer. Laneige also says the cushion was tested for resistance to water, sweat, humidity, ultrafine dust, mask contact and touch.
Laneige pairs the matte finish with its HydraHold HA hydration complex and a CalmDefense blend of madecassoside, panthenol and phytosterols. Our listing doesn't print the full ingredient list. It is labeled SPF 42 PA+++, the same rating Laneige gives The Matte on its international site.
It costs $28.99 for a single 15 g compact ($1.93 per gram), or $42.99 for the two-pack, 15 g × 2 ($1.43 per gram). We list seven shades, from 13C to 25C.
Clio Kill Cover Founwear Cushion The Original: the most coverage for the money
The Clio Kill Cover Founwear Cushion The Original in 21N Linen is the pick when you want blemishes and redness covered rather than softened. Clio calls it lightweight, buildable full coverage with a satin-matte finish, and claims the finish and color last up to 24 hours without oxidizing or fading.
The ingredient list on our page opens with water, cyclopentasiloxane (a silicone that evaporates and leaves a thin, smooth film), iron oxides (the pigments), dipropylene glycol, methyl trimethicone, cetyl ethylhexanoate and mica, with niacinamide and adenosine further down. That printed list shows no UV filters, which doesn't square with the SPF 50+ PA+++ label, so read the full list on the carton before you rely on it.
The set is one compact plus one refill, 15 g each, for $26.99 ($0.90 per gram), the lowest price per gram here. We list five shades: 19C, 19N, 21C, 21N and 23N.
Hera Black Cushion: soft-satin finish, lowest SPF
The Hera Black Cushion in 21N1 Vanilla is for oily or combination skin that wants a polished base without a flat, powdery look. Hera describes blurred, soft-focus coverage and a "soft-satin, velvety-matte" finish that lasts up to 24 hours, plus 24-hour moisturization from a flower-extract texture.
The first ingredients are water, cyclopentasiloxane, methyl trimethicone, butylene glycol, titanium dioxide, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (a UV filter) and mica, with zinc oxide further down. The ingredient list includes fragrance and osmanthus flower extract, which matters if fragrance bothers your skin.
At SPF 34 PA++ it has the lowest rating of the seven. It costs $59.99 for a compact plus refill, 15 g each ($2.00 per gram), and we list four shades from 17N1 to 25N1. Hera says 21N1 Vanilla is intended for a medium neutral skin tone.
Sulwhasoo The New Perfecting Cushion: medium coverage, luxury compact
The Sulwhasoo The New Perfecting Cushion in 21N1 Beige suits normal to combination skin that wants medium coverage and a lighter semi-matte finish. Sulwhasoo credits "SlimFitCover" technology with finer pigment particles for a thinner, more even layer, and a coating powder meant to help retain moisture as the makeup settles.
Sweep the puff for lighter coverage, or pat from the center outward for fuller coverage. Our listing doesn't print the full ingredient list.
It is labeled SPF 50+ PA+++ and costs $63.99 for 15 g × 2 ($2.13 per gram), the highest here. We list eight shades from 11C1 to 25N1. Our Sulwhasoo skincare review covers the brand's skincare.
Which Korean cushion foundation is best for dry skin?
The Laneige Neo Cushion The Glow is the best-documented pick for dry skin, because Laneige says it is especially suited to very dry, dry and combination skin. Tocobo is the lower-cost glow option, and Milk Touch is the glow option with the widest shade range. Both of those list denatured alcohol, which is worth knowing if your skin is dry and easily irritated.
Laneige Neo Cushion The Glow: the dry-skin starting point
The Laneige Neo Cushion The Glow in 21C Cool Beige, 15 g gives what Laneige calls seamless, buildable coverage with a translucent, dewy finish. The brand lists HydraHold HA for an immediate hydration boost, collagen and Rose Peptide for hydration, and Hydra Glow Oil with Diamond Powder to diffuse light without a greasy look.
Laneige's international site and our product description give the current Glow as SPF 50+ PA+++, although some listing titles, including our two-pack's, still say SPF 42. The label on the compact you receive is the one to go by.
The directions: press the puff into the sponge, tap from the center outward, use the heart puff's narrow tip around the eyes and nose, add a thin second layer only where you want more coverage, and close the inner lid tightly. It costs $28.99 for 15 g ($1.93 per gram), or $42.99 for the two-pack, 15 g × 2 ($1.43 per gram), in seven shades from 13C to 25C. Laneige says the refill fits every Neo Cushion case.
Tocobo Apple Dewy Fit Cushion: the budget glow
The Tocobo Apple Dewy Fit Cushion is the cheapest compact here and the only one labeled PA++++, the highest UVA grade. Tocobo describes light-to-medium buildable coverage with a fresh, dewy semi-glow finish, and says it suits all skin types, particularly skin that feels short on moisture.
The list opens with water, titanium dioxide, diphenylsiloxy phenyl trimethicone (a silicone), homosalate (a UV filter), butylene glycol and glycerin, followed by two more UV filters, phenylbenzimidazole sulfonic acid and diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate, then niacinamide. Further down are ten forms of hyaluronic acid, pineapple, apple, peach and blueberry extracts, and panthenol. The ingredient list includes denatured alcohol and fragrance (parfum).
It is labeled SPF 50+ PA++++ and costs $15.99 for a 15 g compact ($1.07 per gram), or $20.99 for a refill set; the listing doesn't print the set's total weight. We list six shades: 19, 21C, 21W, 23, 25 and 27.
Milk Touch All-day Skin Fit Milky Glow Cushion: the widest shade range
The Milk Touch All-day Skin Fit Milky Glow Cushion in 21N Natural Beige is the pick if most Korean ranges stop short of your shade. Milk Touch describes buildable coverage with a natural semi-glow sheen, and says the formula contains 60% moisture essence, meaning water-based ingredients rather than 60% of one ingredient.
The list opens with water, titanium dioxide, cyclopentasiloxane, homosalate, butylene glycol, dimethicone, diphenylsiloxy phenyl trimethicone and denatured alcohol (eighth), with niacinamide, panthenol, glutathione, centella asiatica leaf extract and several forms of hyaluronic acid further down. No fragrance appears on the list. Our listing doesn't print an SPF rating, even though the ingredient list includes UV filters, so check the carton if the rating matters to you.
It costs $17.99 for 15 g ($1.20 per gram), with no refill mentioned on our listing. We list 20 shades, from 15N Fair Ivory to 52N Espresso.
Does a cushion foundation's SPF replace sunscreen?
No. SPF numbers are measured with a thick, even layer of 2 milligrams per square centimeter, roughly a quarter teaspoon for the face, and a cushion goes on as a thin, tapped veil, so you get far less protection than the label states.
Apply sunscreen as the last skincare step, let it set, then pat the cushion on top; Laneige's directions for the Glow two-pack say the same. The cushion's SPF is a small extra, and a midday touch-up is makeup, not sunscreen reapplication.
The PA grade rates UVA protection, and more plus signs mean more. Tocobo's PA++++ is the highest here and Hera's PA++ the lowest, but the sunscreen underneath matters more. For one product that does both jobs, see our Korean tinted sunscreen guide.
How do you choose a Korean cushion shade like 21N or 21C?
The number is depth and the letter is undertone. Lower numbers are lighter: 13 is very fair, 17 is light, 21 is light to medium and the most common starting shade, 23 is medium and 25 is a little deeper. C means cool (pink), N means neutral and W means warm (yellow or golden).
If your current foundation looks pink on you, move toward N or W; if it looks yellow or orange, move toward C. When you're unsure, N is the safest starting point because it sits between the two. Hera and Sulwhasoo add a "1" (21N1), which marks one tone within that depth rather than a different scale.
Numbers don't line up exactly across brands, and depth range varies. The shades we list stop at 23N for Clio, 25C for Laneige, 25N1 for Hera and Sulwhasoo, and 27 for Tocobo; Milk Touch runs on through 30N, 40N and 50C to 52N.
Do Korean cushions come with a refill?
Often, yes. Clio, Hera and Sulwhasoo come as a compact plus refill, Laneige and Tocobo offer a single compact or a two-pack or refill set, and our Milk Touch listing is a single 15 g compact. Two-packs work out cheaper per gram. The shortlist, cheapest per gram first, checked October 2026:
What is a good alternative to the TIRTIR Mask Fit cushion?
The Clio Kill Cover Founwear Cushion is the closest alternative we stock: both are coverage-first, matte-leaning cushions with long-wear claims. We don't sell TIRTIR, so this comparison uses its public information only.
TIRTIR's official product page describes the Mask Fit Red Cushion as full coverage with a natural, semi-matte finish in 40 shades, at a regular price of $25. That page doesn't print an SPF rating or net weight; retailer listings for the Korean version show SPF 40 PA++ and 18 g.
Clio adds SPF 50+ PA+++ and a refill in the box for $26.99, but we list only five shades. If TIRTIR's shade range is the draw, Milk Touch's 20 shades are nearer, with a semi-glow rather than semi-matte finish. For a softer, velvety matte, Hera Black Cushion is the polished option.
Quick answers
Is the Laneige Neo Cushion The Glow SPF 42 or SPF 50+?
Laneige's international site lists the current Glow at SPF 50+ PA+++ and The Matte at SPF 42 PA+++. Some listing titles still carry SPF 42 for the Glow, so go by the label on your compact.
Which Korean cushion is cheapest per gram?
The Clio Kill Cover Founwear Cushion, at $0.90 per gram for a compact plus refill. Tocobo is the cheapest single compact at $15.99.
Do any of these cushions contain fragrance?
The Hera and Tocobo ingredient lists include fragrance. The Milk Touch list doesn't. Our Laneige and Sulwhasoo listings don't print full ingredient lists, so check the carton.
Are Korean cushion foundations full coverage?
Most aren't. Clio is the only one here its brand calls full coverage; Sulwhasoo is medium, Hera calls its coverage blurred, and Laneige, Tocobo and Milk Touch describe buildable coverage you layer where needed.
Etude Double Lasting for oily skin, Hera Silky Stay for long days, Espoir Be Glow for glow: Korean foundations compared by finish, SPF and shade range.
