Oooh, I’m finding this one a right little devil to review! The Air Cushion Skin Perfector from Topshop is another cushion foundation (product-soaked sponge inside a compact, for those not in the know with this particular trend) but I’m flailing around a bit when it comes to describing what it does. Because – as you’ll see from the before-and-after pics below – it gives a beautiful uniformity and perfected finish to the skin, yet on close inspection seems to have little in the way of coverage when I swatch it on my hand.

Add to this the fact that it feels so dry in the compact; it seems that hardly any foundation at all comes out when I press my brush into the sponge and it’s a far cry from other cushion bases (Lancome, YSL, Dior) that have a very wet feel and load the bristles with product…

YSL Fusion Ink Cushion Foundation Review….

Topshop describe this as a “lightweight” and “sheer” foundation and I’d agree with that completely – you’re not troweling it on thick when it comes to coverage, but it still does the job over minor imperfections. It’s not as much coverage as YSL’s Fusion Ink, possibly my favourite cushion so far, and it’s not a dewy sort of finish, but it looks healthy and natural and – if you’re usually a bit cack-handed with foundation application – it’s almost impossible to overdo.

It seems to me that because there’s just not much product in the sponge (10ml in comparison to around 14/15ml for most of the luxury brands and for L’Oreal’s high street offering) you get a lighter dispersion and you buff out the foundation much more than you would one of the others. I find it a slightly strange sensation, because it feels a bit like buffing out air and on the first attempt I was positive that nothing would have been gained, in terms of coverage, but surprisingly it does work. Really well. Here’s my before shot:

And the after:

Nothing particularly notable about the coverage – as I said, it’s light/sheer – but I do think that the blurring pigments work very well to give that “natural perfection” that so many of us want when we’re feeling a bit low-maintenance. Close-ups:

See what I mean about it doing a decent job? I mean, it’s not “airbrushed” in the way you’d see on some of these overdone Kardashian-style makeup tutorials, but if you don’t like to wear lots and lots of base, you like a bit of a real skin look, then this is great.

Browse all foundation reviews…

I hope I’ve explained my thoughts on the Air Cushion in an understandable way – it’s been a strange one. Sort of “nothingy” in feel, almost as though you’re applying a lightweight powder rather than a foundation, but definitely not “nothingy” in effect. Yes it’s subtle, but it’s a few notches above your “complexion enhancer” or “blurring veil” or what have you. The finish is velvety but not matte, healthy but not dewy – a good one for all skin types. Only six shades, but they’re so sheer that I can imagine they’re pretty adaptable – please do let me know if you’ve tried it.

You can find the Air Cushion Skin Perfector at Topshop here – it’s £12. I use shade 1.0 and it gives me a touch of warmth, so if you’re very fair then there might possibly not be a shade for you. Worth testing in-store if you can. Saying that: sheer, light, very blendable, so who knows? It could work very well.