[Review] PONY EFFECT Coverstay Cushion Foundation EX (plus a crash course on "ulzzang")

I am back with another review! This time, I will be reviewing the Pony Effect Coverstay Cushion Foundation EX! This product is the upgraded version of the original Pony Effect Coverstay Cushion Foundation, hence the additional "EX". It is supposed to have a more mattifying effect and higher coverage than the original version. This cushion foundation is a sponsored product from YesStyle. Well... it's not exactly "sponsored". It's more like a claimed gift in exchange for a review but they just like to call it a sponsored product. Again, I would just like to disclose that I am not being paid to review this product. I personally like this brand so I was willing to try this product out in exchange for an honest review.

Before we start, let's talk about the owner of the brand. Pony Effect is owned by Pony, a Korean makeup artist/expert. Before this brand came out and prior to the creation of her YouTube channel PONY Syndrome, I actually found out about Pony in the early 2010s due to the "ulzzang" (얼 - face, 짱 - best = 얼짱 best face) sensation in Korea back then. This sensation also spread internationally, notably on Tumblr. Ulzzangs were known for having beautiful and handsome faces. They were like the Instagram models of the early 2010s (in Korea) and had a status comparable to an idol. They even had their own TV programs! Pony was well known in the ulzzang community due to her beauty and excellent makeup skills. When I was in my teens, I used to run an ulzzang Tumblr blog (which I abandoned after a while lol), and I remember seeing snippets of Pony's makeup book and reposts of her photos all over Tumblr. Even then, her makeup techniques were popular and she had a good reputation. Not gonna lie, many of the popular ulzzangs back then had pretty bad makeup techniques but Pony's techniques have always been great since then.

Speaking of the "ulzzang" sensation (warning: quick rant lol), I am really surprised to see people still using this term to describe themselves (esp on Instagram) or a general "Asian/Korean" makeup look in the year 2020. It is an outdated term in Korea and I'm pretty sure the ulzzang community from the 2010s on Tumblr has mostly died down, so it is surprising to see it still being used internationally in 2020. Plus, not all Asian makeup looks or styles are "ulzzang". Please, let's move on from this old term lol.

Anyway, let's talk about the product!

Product Overview

Product Claim: High coverage, matte finish.

Packaging & Contents: I love the design of the box it comes in, as well as the cushion case itself. The case is stunning! It looks simple yet elegant! The box comes with an extra refill. I believe most, if not all, Pony Effect cushion foundations are packed with an extra refill. The puff is also very soft and comfortable to use.

Price: This cushion foundation + refill currently retails for around $30 on YesStyle and $38.99 on Amazon. (scroll down to the end of this post to see my discount code for YesStyle!)

Trial period: I tried this foundation for 5 days in the span of two weeks. I mostly wore it at home for a few hours. I wore it out once during the day with a mask on.

Scent & Texture: This foundation has a very pleasant scent, at least for me. It smells a little bit floral with a hint of lychee? It does not come off too strong but it is definitely not faint either. The scent does disappear, though, as you apply the product onto your skin. As for the texture -- the consistency is a little thick (because it IS a high coverage foundation) but it does not feel heavy at all when applied. It sits comfortably on the skin!

Shade: The shade of the cushion foundation that was sent to me was #003 Nude Beige. It has a yellow undertone and it is the perfect shade for me! My shade is always beige when it comes to Korean foundations. Unfortunately, this particular cushion foundation doesn't have a wide range of shades. I believe it only has 4 different shades. The other types of Pony Effect cushions offer a wider range of shades except for this one.

SPF or No SPF?

I actually don't know if this contains SPF or not. I'm really confused. It doesn't mention it on the box nor on YesStyle and Amazon listings. Some online resellers label this product with SPF50+ probably because all the other Pony Effect cushions have SPF50+. I cannot confirm if this foundation contains SPF. It might but I don't wanna count on my assumption. Either way, make sure to always wear sunscreen!

Product Review

So this review will mostly be based on the day when I was out from noon til late afternoon and had this foundation and a mask on. It's also probably worth mentioning that it is currently summer here in California. My skin looked flawless during the first few hours. I absolutely love the effect and finish of this foundation! It has a blurring effect and it absorbs sebum well. The finish is not TOO matte to the point that you look 2 dimensional. Even though it has a matte finish, it makes your skin look... well, like skin! It has a very natural finish. Also, re-application is not needed unless it is worn the whole entire day.

However, a few dry patches started appearing on my cheeks by the end of the day (probably after 5+ hours of wearing it). This is because I have combo skin and matte foundations aren't usually the best choice for my skin type. Wearing a face mask made out of cotton throughout the day was also a factor but I'd also like to applaud it for holding up very well under a mask. My mom, who has oily skin, tried this cushion as well and it worked perfectly for her. No dry patches. This cushion foundation will suit people with oily skin the most. I personally think it can also work well for some people with combo skin depending on how dry/oily their skin is and how well they moisturize their skin before using this foundation.

I was actually nervous to try this foundation because I stopped using highly matte foundations with very high coverage a long time ago. As I got older, my skin got drier and dry patches would show up after wearing a matte foundation all day. I realized that highly matte foundations are not the best option for me anymore. So I started using cushion foundations that are less matte (but not extremely dewy because that doesn't work for combo skin either lol) and have light to medium coverage because I want my skin to be able to breathe. It was probably one of the best decisions I've ever made. Even though I looked a bit oilier at the end of the day (if I didn't touch up), at least I didn't have that much dry patches anymore and my skin looked more natural. It was a compromise I had to make.

Nevertheless, I actually really liked this cushion. It is perfect for the summer when my skin is most oily. This performed extremely well under a mask. The formulation of this foundation is actually really good but it's just not the best for my skin type. Despite having some dry patches at the end of the day, I was still impressed with this product and I am most likely still going to use it while the weather is still very warm. I also want to try other Pony Effect cushions because I think their cushions are generally great. The brand has a wide range of cushion foundations to choose from and they all have different finishes to fit certain skin types. I think the Pony Effect Defense Longwear Cushion Foundation would be a better fit for my skin type. With that said, the Pony Effect Coverstay Cushion Foundation EX gets a...

★★★★☆

4 out of 5 stars

I had to deduct 1 star because it did not fit my skin type but it's not that big of a problem because it is still an excellent cushion foundation and my experience with it was mostly pleasant. I recommend this product to people who have oily skin and want a high coverage foundation. I highly recommend it during this period of time where most of us are required to wear a mask/face covering because this foundation does not come off easily and won't transfer onto a mask.

That's pretty much it for this lengthy review. Thanks for reading!

Interested in purchasing this product? The PONY EFFECT Coverstay Cushion Foundation EX is currently 10% off on YesStyle for a limited time only! Click on the link below to start shopping and don't forget to use my code JELLYMOCHI at checkout for an extra 5% off!

PONY EFFECT Coverstay Cushion Foundation EX: https://ystyle.co/a2tD