by Jude Chao

Review: HERA UV Mist Cushion, My Favorite Base Makeup Ever

Quickie Snail Disclosure: This product was originally given to me by Peach and Lily for unbiased review.

You know how sometimes you put something off for no real reason, and then the longer you put it off, the heavier the burden of guilt grows, until your mind has blown up the task so much that you feel like it would take a Herculean effort to get it done? Yeah, that’s what I did with my HERA UV Mist Cushion review. Which is completely stupid, because I love this cushion so much that I should be shouting its name from the rooftops.

HERA UV Mist Cushion review
Do you like how the box is so reflective that you can see my hands holding my tablet to take a picture of it? Flashy.

Purpose: HERA UV Mist Cushion is a cushion foundation product that promises long wear, a dewy finish, and sun protective and whitening effects.

Warning: Despite this product’s claims of SPF 50+, PA+++ UV protection, you should not rely on it as a standalone sunscreen. Sunscreen must be applied in the appropriate quantities in order to receive the advertised amount of protection, and as the point of cushion foundation is an extrenely sheer layer of coverage, I doubt that you’ll be getting even SPF 2 with a normal amount of this product.

Do not use if: You are sensitive to silicones, sunflower seed oil, vitamin E (tocopherol), or anything else in the ingredients list.

When and how to use: After allowing 15-20 minutes for your sunscreen to absorb, lightly press the included puff into the cushion pad to pick up product. Lightly dab and pat puff over your face, picking up more product from the cushion pad as needed.

Pro tip: For an ultra-sheer finish, spray puff with a facial mist before pressing into the pad.

HERA UV Mist Cushion after two months use
Sorry, I’ve been using this for quite a while, so it’s a little bit less than mint condition.

HERA UV Mist Cushion (C21) ingredients: Sea silt extract, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, cyclopentasiloxane, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, PEG-10 dimethicone, butylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, phenyl trimethicone, cyclohexasiloxane, butylene glycol, arbutin, lauryl PEG-9 polydimethylsiloxyethyl dimethicone, dimethicone, myrciaria dubia fruit extract, chenopodium quinoa seed extract, euterpe oleracea fruit extract, ilex paraguariensis leaf extract, prunus mume fruit extract, acrylates/ethylhexyl acrylate/dimethicone methacrylate copolymer, acrylates/stearyl acrylate/dimethicone methacrylate copolymer, dimethicone/vinyl dimethicone crosspolymer, polyhydroxystearic acid, aluminum hydroxide, trisiloxane, stearic acid, triethoxycaprylylsilane, silica HDI/trimethylol hexyllactone crosspolymer, ethylhexyl palmitate, lecithin, isostearic acid, isopropyl palmitate, polysorbate 80, polymethyl methacrylate, disteardimonium hectorite, polyglyceryl-3 polyricinoleate, hydrogenated lecithin, ethylhexylglycerin, trimethylsiloxysilicate, silica, sodium chloride, sorbic acid, phenoxyethanol, disodium EDTA, CI77492, CI77491, CI77499, fragrance (ingredients list courtesy of Peach and Lily)

CosDNA analysis flags a few ingredients, most notably ethylhexyl palmitate and isopropyl palmitate, both of which are derived from coconut oil and which score 4s as potential acne triggers and 1s as potential irritants.

Notable ingredients: This looks like a pretty standard ingredients list for Korean base makeup. You’ve got your UV blockers, silicones for a smooth finish, lots of other long science words, a handful of antioxidant-rich plant extracts for some extra photodamage protection, and some claims ingredients.

Here, the main claims ingredients are sea silt extract and arbutin. According to the package insert, “Instead of Purified water, the UV Mist Cushion uses 100% clay-mineral water containing clay from frozen sea ice which is finer than fog particles. It reinvigorates moistness by controlling the osmotic pressure in the skin while maintaining moist and clean skin by reducing skin waste, dead skin and sebum. The clay-mineral water composes 30% of the contents and instantly cools the skin so as to relieve the skin from heat and to maintain a refreshing tone.”

I dunno about this. The clay in the ingredient may indeed help with oil control (we’ll see down below), but all that about fog particles and osmotic pressure strikes me as pure marketing hype. Likewise, arbutin is a proven skin-lightening ingredient, but is it present here in a high enough concentration to work? And will it even penetrate through sunscreen and skincare products to get to the skin, given that this is a base product? I have my doubts.

But but but! This is a makeup product, not a skincare product, so even if the ingredients in the product don’t do much to improve skin condition, that’s not the point. The point is how it makes skin look. Let’s find out if it does the job!

Performance

Yeah. Yeah, it does the job. It does the job so well that even though I have several other cushions at my disposal, I reach for this one four times out of five.

HERA UV Mist Cushion C21
Because one layer of it makes my skin look like this.

The HERA UV Mist Cushion is everything I ever dreamed about in a BB cushion. A quick dab of the puff onto the spongy cushion pad in the case, a few pats of the puff onto my skin, and it leaves me with a sheer, natural, perfectly dewy light-to-medium finish. As a bonus, the neutral-to-cool C21 shade is a great damn fit for my face.

Laneige, Hera, Skinfood, and A.True cushion makeup swatches for NC15 skin
From left to right: Laneige BB Cushion in Light, Hera UV Mist Cushion in C21, Skinfood Royal Honey Bounce Cushion in #1 Light Beige, and A.True Real Black Tea True Active CC Cushion in #1 Light Beige

Let’s look at it again, because hell, I love the way this cushion makes my skin look. It doesn’t settle into fine lines. It doesn’t emphasize pores–it blurs them out gently, like a magazine Photoshop artist with the lightest touch.

HERA UV Mist Cushion C21 review
The dewiness is my perfect level of dewiness.

Now, on to a few downsides:

The marketing for this product claims 12-hour wear. While I would agree that the product does indeed stay on your face for 12 hours, whether it stays on your face in that perfect configuration is another story. On my skin, which is normal/balanced and rarely needs powder over this cushion, the finish lasts for about 8 hours tops before beginning to break up and look a bit cakey. Around the 7-hour mark, it will begin to separate around my nose, which is the one area on my face that can get oily. A quick dab with a blotting paper or some powder takes care of that issue. If you have oily skin, however, you may need to carry blotting papers or a setting powder with the HERA UV Mist Cushion.

Depending on your skin condition, HERA UV Mist Cushion may also not provide enough coverage on its own. The one I’m wearing, C21, is touted as the heavier-coverage side of the line (the N shades are sheerer, with “N” standing for “Natural”) but gives only light/medium coverage even with multiple layers.

HERA UV Mist Cushion before and after
Here’s my cheek with no makeup.
HERA UV Mist Cushion before and after
Here it is with one layer of HERA UV Mist Cushion.
HERA UV Mist Cushion C21 B&A
And here it is with two.

The coverage is enough to even out areas of mild redness, reduce the appearance of pores and spots, and provide an overall smooth and glowy look, but you’ll need extra concealer to cover blemishes more thoroughly.

Wow, I should really start putting sunscreen on my ears.

Let’s look at the finished face again, just to remember how magical the finish of this product is. Also because I have one more selfie cropped and ready to post.

HERA and Peripera FOTD
By the way, that lip color? That’s one of my favorite lip colors. It’s Peripera Peri’s Tint Jelly Stick in Sky Stick, which I also received from Peach and Lily.

As far as durability goes, HERA UV Mist Cushion holds up surprisingly well in hot weather. We had a bit of a heat wave the last few days, and with my Effexor, I get quite sweaty. It was still looking decent at the end of the day, after about 7 hours of sweating.

HERA UV Mist Cushion in hot weather
We were tired and hot and my tablet doesn’t like late-afternoon natural light.

Conclusion: I was really surprised by how much I love the HERA UV Mist Cushion in C21. The coverage and finish perfectly fit my needs, and although I wouldn’t call it a long-wearing foundation, it certainly lasts long enough to take me through my days without needing to fuss or touch up. Absolute thumbs up! I’m satisfied with how long one cushion lasts, too. I’ve had mine since May (SORRY, JESSE, SORRY I’M SO SLOW) and am only now getting to the point where I’ll need to pop in a refill.

Rating: 4.8/5

Rating scale:

1 – This should be taken off the market.
2 – Caused me some problems; would not buy again.
3 – Meh. Neither great nor bad.
4 – Pretty good. Would buy again unless I find something better.
5 – I’ll never be in the market for a replacement unless this one is discontinued.

Where can I buy HERA UV Mist Cushion?

In the US, the HERA UV Mist Cushion is available from Peach and Lily for $45, which includes an extra refill and puff.

You can also find a refill of the C21 for $23.99 on Amazon Prime and a refill of the C23 for the same price (affiliate link).

I don’t review makeup very often on this site. Do you have any questions about the HERA UV Mist Cushion that I haven’t answered? If so, please feel free to ask in the comments!

24 thoughts on “Review: HERA UV Mist Cushion, My Favorite Base Makeup Ever”

  1. ooh have you tried the amore pacific cushion? i have that one, since i heard theyre relatively similar and the AP one is available at sephora. i love that they give you an extra refill!

    i love how cooling the AP cushion is but initially felt like it really didn’t give much coverage, maybe even less than a tinted moisturizer. as if’ve worn it more, i realized it does give the barest “perfect” finish to your face that almost looks like you’re not wearing anything and just naturally have a super even glowy skin tone. love it!

    Sher
    http://www.shershegoes.com

    Liked by 2 people

      1. I’ve tried the IOPE one but the Hera UV mist blows it out of the water. Colorwise, the Hera blends in more seamlessly but still manages to give off an otherworldly glow without looking like I’m wearing a kabuki mask. Also, the dewiness of the Hera beats IOPE as well. So far, Hera is my HG cushion. (I’ve also tried Innisfree which has comparable glow but less coverage and the Laneige which doesn’t set well on my face for some reason). I’m also C21 if that helps as a reference. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Huh. See, this makes me rethink trying out the IOPE.

        I’ve tried the Laneige one that’s sold at Target, and sadly it runs too dark and may have clogged my pores a bit 😐

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  2. You look amazing! That is some glorious no makeup makeup! Also, Junior Crazy Snail Lady is looking especially adorable.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I just started using this fabulous cushion, & I vividly remember my surprise the first time I put it on – “holy crap, my skin looks great!!” were my extremely humble first words 😉 That is, for me, the best benefit of the Hera cushion – it really, really looks like your own skin, just more flawless than usual!

    I use a bit of colour corrector on blemishes & dark circles for “full make up” days, or just a layer or two of the Hera alone for a quick fix. I also find that using a primer (I have Innisfree’s Cushion Primer on the way, can’t wait!) helps a lot to extend coverage-time too.

    Thank you for confirming my huge love for this base!

    Liked by 1 person

  4. I’d definitely be into checking this or that Age Reverse cushion out. Is this one cooling? It looks great on you! Also, are you still using that tattoo brow pen? Because your brows also looking pretty fetch.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Oh yeah–the packaging says this is supposed to be cooling, but I didn’t really notice that effect. Then again, I am applying my cushions over layer after layer of skincare product, so it’s possible that I just can’t feel it after all that stuff 😀

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  5. As always, thanks for an awesome review! You’re so pretty, with or without your Hera cushion, and Snail Boy is adorable! Hera UV Mist Cushion is the best cushion I’ve found for my face thus far (having tried only the IOPE, which broke me out, and Dr. Jart CC, which was way too thick). The C21 is a little dark for me (I’m pretty pale, except when my skin is red from being so sensitive), but it still looks nice and holds up a long time on my oily skin, especially if I touch up during the day with both the BB cushion and powder. But so far, I think I prefer to use cushions just for touch-ups and to apply non-cushion BB creams in the morning with a beauty blender (often mixing with the LJH propolis ampoule). My favorite BB so far is the Dr. Jart Gold Label based on how it looks and its staying power, but I may have a new love–just received a big haul that includes Klairs BB cream, which I just tested on my hand, topped off with the Tosowoong silk powder that also arrived in my haul, and my hand is so lovely, I can’t stop staring at it. Of course, I won’t know till I try the cream on my face, but I am super excited to put on makeup tomorrow! But I digress… so far, for cushions, yup, Hera is the best I’ve found, and I love the convenience! And I’ve received compliments on my skin while wearing it, which always is a plus. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Just remember, YMMV. My face loves the Dr. Jart; my friend’s face hates it. It’s too soon to tell about the Klairs–it looked much better on my hand, as alas, the back of my hand doesn’t have issues with pores, redness, whiteheads, and fine lines, plus that hand looks better than the other hand anyway, as it’s the hand I use as a palette for my lotions and potions before I put them onto my face (hey, at least now I know my products work to brighten). I think I like the Hera cushion better than the Klairs BB cream, but I need more time to observe. I’d like to find a BB cream other than Dr. Jart, which is so pricy, but my face hates most BB creams, even other ones in the Jart line, and it really hates Missha’s BB creams. At least you can test out the various Dr. Jart creams at Sephora, and they may even give you some samples to try at home.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Reading this post and the comments is bad for my wallet. I want the Hera so badly now. I have the Long Stay and Ultra Moisture, but they’re not DEWY AND GLOWY like this one. ::heart eyes:: -Angela

    Liked by 1 person

  8. *Sighs* I’d love to use this cushion, but being someone who’s an oily, sensitive mess… sadly I’ll have to pass (many thanks for putting up the silicone warning). 😦

    I’ve heard good things about Laneige/IOPE, but have yet to put them through the COSDNA test. Do you have any recs re cushions/tube BB/CC creams for oily and sensitive types?

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Hi! I’m looking to buy a Mac foundation in the Studio Fluid Fix line. Do you happen to have any shades from Mac? I have the same Hera Cushion in C21 and was not sure if I should go for a NC15 or NC20 in the Mac Foundation.

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Hi, first of all i see you make a good review of this product 🙂
    I just made an English subtitles for the CF of Hera UV Mist Cushion

    I hope this helps making your reviews even better, if you don’t mind ^^

    Liked by 1 person

  12. any advice on finding the right shade for your face without being able to test swatches? I wear the light-medium in laneige but it is a bit too dark and too yellow for me but still looks ok. I have pinkish skin and redness I try to hide with a green base.

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  13. Is there any first copy for this product.Becoz they sell it in cheap price.i want the riginal one and not sure whether i should buy that one or not.

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  14. Please mention to readers that sunscreen products are not to be layered unless they are pure physical products. Mixing chemical and physical sunscreens can degrade SPF.

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    1. Thanks for commenting! While there are certainly cases where some UV filters can be destabilized by other filters, like the chemical UV filter avobenzone’s degradation in the presence of octinoxate, another chemical filter, I’m unaware of a particular rule regarding mixing chem and phys filters–there are so many sunscreens that are hybrid chemical and physical out there that pass regulatory testing and don’t seem problematic for users in terms of protection (provided they’re used in the right amounts).

      Personally, I don’t worry too much about the “sunscreen” in makeup interacting with my actual sunscreen. Maybe it’s because I’ve been lucky enough to avoid combining two that have a negative interaction, but it could also be because the makeup goes on in such tiny amounts that the sunscreen ingredients themselves are barely present enough to have an effect? I’ve never noticed a failure of protection despite using many makeup products that have claimed SPF.

      But I appreciate you bringing this up! Where did you read about the chem/phys sunscreen incompatibility? I’m curious to read that as well.

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