There was a time when a compact was just a compact. Click, lift the lid, and you’d see the firmly-packed powder foundation, which you’d swipe and apply with a flat sponge.

But in 2008, the first cushion compact, the IOPE Air Cushion, created by South Korean conglomerate Amorepacific Group (which owns beauty brands Laneige, Etude House, Innisfree, Sulwhasoo and Mamonde), was launched. This beauty innovation has made a huge impression — in 2016, 100 million cushion compacts, across the Amorepacific brands, were sold in Asean countries alone. Even Western beauty brands took notice of the trend, and have now come up with their own iterations.

A staple in most women’s beauty regimes, cushion compacts have cushions that are pre-soaked with liquid foundation. Allowing for easy and mess-free touch ups on the go, it’s easy to see why they’ve become so well-loved.

Besides providing lightweight coverage, cushion compacts are now formulated with anti-ageing, whitening and UV protection properties to help women achieve that healthy, natural radiant glow. Brands like Innisfree also offer case customisation, so you can pick a compact to suit your skin’s needs, and also choose a cover to match your style or personality.

You probably already own at least one cushion compact. But did you know there are ways to create different looks and finishes with it?

The Weekly asked Vivi Ahn, Amorepacific’s makeup expert and trend leader, to show us how.

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