They claim to be anti-sweat and provide long-lasting shine-free make up.
With that alone, I'm sold.
Alas, unlike Singapore, Laneige selection in Australia is exteremely limited; and I could not find one to buy from GMarket either.
After a bit of research, apparently Laneige's new addition is not too new for the brain behind the brand. The mother company (Amore Pacific) carries quite a range of cosmetic and skin-care brands - some of which I am using and absolutely loving (e.g. Sulwhasoo and Etude). And one of the brands under their wing has been carrying the same/similar Air Cushion BB foundation type for a while.
And yay, GMarket has it: IOPE Air Cushion Sun Block Ex-Cover (I bought tone no. 21)
Note that there are 2 kinds of this item: the EX, and the EX-COVER. As you might have guessed from the name, the Ex-Cover provides more coverage (thicker and more even application) on the skin.
I compared the result with my long-lasting BB cream friend - BRTC Blemish Recover Balm.
The above was after 8 hours of windy but extremely sunny Australia autumn day. No blotting, no touch ups.
Verdict:
Shine-Proof: IOPE > BRTC
Sweat-resistance: IOPE > BRTC
Brighter complexion: IOPE > BRTC
Value for Money: IOPE < BRTC
Summary:
I actually have a kind of love and hate relationship with the sponge/cushion-thingy applicator of the IOPE. The cushion is velvety and kinda moist upon application and - granted - the cream glides evenly on the face. In fact, in the end, it creates almost of an air-brush look. It took several layers of the BRTC to reach the coverage that I got from one swipe of IOPE.
However, it seems that a lot of the cream actually were left inside the sponge, which is wasteful. I know this, because when I cleaned the sponge, I could squeeze out a lot of the cream out of it.
So now I ditch the cushion applicator altogether - unless if I have special occasions where I really need to be airbrushed :D - and just use my usual foundation brush.
For users of BRTC Blemish Recover Balm, perhaps you already notice that your complexion tone would change somewhat after a few hours of application - slightly darkens the tone. I was glad that the difference was not too obvious (though you could see it somewhat from the direct comparison above), otherwise, I'd already be walking around with half of my face darker than the other.
