AMOREPACIFIC SPECIAL

amorepacific-cushions

Just how successful has Amorepacific – the parent group behind brands like Sulwhasoo, Laneige, Mamonde, Etude House and innisfree – been in leading the cushion market? For starters, the company surpassed the 100-million unit sales mark for cushions in the third quarter of 2016. It also achieved a 50 per cent sales growth across the ASEAN region this year in year-on-year comparison. We break down five things to know about the cushion compact and why it’s so covetable:

#1: It all started with the IOPE cushion launched in 2008.

After intense research effort, Amorepacific’s R&D team launched brand IOPE Air Cushion in 2008 effectively opening the world’s first cushion product category. This cushion was developed as a means for women to reapply sunscreen easily. It was designed to be a portable compact encasing a sponge soaked in a liquid formula of sunscreen, foundation and skincare ingredients that would be applied onto the face with a puff. Eight years on, the company has created a wide range of cushions that cater to various needs, and even expanded it beyond foundations to products like a sweat-resistant brow cushion.

#2: There’s a dedicated R&D team for cushion compacts.

Ranked 21st on Forbes’ list of World’s Most Innovative Companies this year, Amorepacific has a research unit that’s dedicated to continuously enhancing its cushion technology i.e. known as the “Cushion Lab”. Doing so has enabled the company to create a diverse offering across various brands. Take innisfree’s My Cushion for example: It comes in 12 different types of cushion bases, such as Longwear Cover (it has Jeju volcanic cluster powders for lasting coverage) and Waterfit (a hydrating formula which ensures weightless coverage). In addition to base formula, you can customise cases and puff of innisfree My Cushion. Sulwhasoo’s Perfecting Cushion, meanwhile, contains apricot kernel oil to boost collagen, improve skin elasticity and resilience.

innisfree-my-cushion-2innisfree My Cushion
sulwhasoo-perfecting-cushion-2Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion

#3: A brand-new technology offers a more natural-looking coverage.

The fourth-generation update for Korean beauty brand Laneige’s BB Cushion, launched in Singapore in July, boasts a new Ultra-Fine Dispersion technology, which refines the particle size of product by 30 per cent. What that means: Your complexion will appear more flawless (and ever-ready for a round of selfies).

That’s not the only thing that’s been upgraded. There’s also a new 3D sponge, which has greater durability and absorption, and will consistently release the same amount of cushion formula up to the very last drop ensuring ease of use even for Cushion beginners.

amorepacific-ms-vivi-ahn-amorepacific-beauty-trainer-1

The new Cushion technologies were unveiled at Amorepacific’s “Cushion: Unpacked” event in Penang, Malaysia on November 17.

#4: There are shades developed just for ASEAN customers.

Revealed by Mr Kyungho Choi, who developed Amorepacific’s first cushion and now heads its Cushion Lab, the company’s R&D efforts for the ASEAN region has led to the launch of a new shade system for Laneige and innisfree to provide customers with deeper tones to choose from. The Cushion Lab is also profiling the ideal sensory and texture properties for ASEAN customers to better cater to customers in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

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The Laneige BB Cushion now comes with more colour options.

 

#5: It’s so popular, one cushion has been sold every second around the world.

The company adopts the philosophy of Asian beauty, which marries Asian ingredients with advanced science to create skincare resulting in powerful, long-lasting benefits. With accolades like Korea’s No. 1 beauty company under its belt, Amorepacific’s R&D-focused approach to its cushions has undoubtedly made it a bestselling product.