Updated with a review of the Korean-beauty-inspired compact now at drugstores
Peter Mooney at the NKPR IT Lounge

Canadian actor Peter Mooney at the NKPR TIFF 2015 It Lounge yesterday

What does the new L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion compact have in common with handsome actor Peter Mooney? One is the first mass drugstore-brand* Korean-beauty-inspired cushion-format foundation that I know of; the other plays Nick in Rookie Blue. So nothing in common there. One I received at a fancy TIFF 2015 soirée with a supermodel in attendance; the other I met as he was leaving a TIFF 2015 gifting lounge. Okay, see the connection? *grin*

Whatever, let's get to the brand new L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion.

One of my very favourite foundations ever is the Lancôme Miracle Cushion ($48 CAN/$38 refill at thebay.com and $46.50 US/$39 refill), and now the Laneige BB Cushion SPF 50 ($44 CAN including refill at sephora.ca and $34 US including refill at target.com) is rocking my makeup world. 

I keep saying this: these two BB cushions have very forgiving formulas. When I've slacked off on my exfoliation and my complexion is dehydrated and a bit flaky, most foundations make it look worse. Dewy, ultra-smooth and lightweight Lancôme Miracle Cushion and Laneige BB Cushion makes it look better. You want that if you're spending on something that's supposed to make your skin look great, right?

L'Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion compact foundation

L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion Buildable Luminous Foundation

That doesn't mean L'Oreal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion is going to do the same thing for my skin. But Lancôme and L'Oréal Paris are both owned by L'Oréal, which tends to share technology between brands, so I'm hopeful. The press info promises a "natural, luminous and air-light coverage," which is what I get from Lancôme Miracle Cushion, so that's promising. And the formula has a high water content, something dehydrated skin really appreciates. Dry skin should like it too. UPDATE: True Match Lumi does deliver exactly what I hoped.

L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion ($29.95 CAN suggested retail) will be available in eight shades and is set to launch in January 2015 in Canada. Word is the formula and packaging tech is the reason for the price tag.

l'oreal paris true match lumi cushion review

UPDATE DEC 2015: True Match Lumi Cushion has just launched in the US with 12 shades. Also, I can now give you the Beautygeeks verdict: I love it. Excellent forgiving texture similar to my Laneige love and Lancôme's too; good medium, buildable coverage; and really good wear even on oily-ish skin like mine. (I like to set it with Charlotte Tilbury pressed powder, patted on skin with the side of a fluffy powder brush.) 

True Match Lumi contains zero SPF, which for some might be a drawback. But if you have sensitivities to synthesized sunscreen ingredients, the True Match Lumi is the cushion you want to try (Laneige and Lancôme both contain SPF, whether it says so on the label or not). 

There is a difference in the sponge technology and the applicator pad when you compare the True Match to Korean best-sellers. Cushion compacts from Amoré Pacific, the company that invented the technology (and owns Laneige), feature cushions with what seems like a billion teeny tiny channels, and they're designed to release a controlled amount of product. The pads are made from the same material wetsuits are made of, so they release almost all the liquid when pressed against the skin. The L'Oréal cushion looks like a cushion you'd wet a stamp on, and the applicator pad is... well, not wet-suit material. It absorbs the foundation, which is also thicker than the two Korean compacts I've tried. But the L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi formula has such a nice texture, and so accessible...

I still don't understand why it's not a refillable case, nor why the suggested retail is so high here – $29.95 CAN is expensive when you can get two Laneige BB Cushions for $44 CAN. Plus, south of our border, the compact is $16.99 US at Ulta.com! UPDATE: Reader @broantza reports that it's $19.99 CAN at Walmart Canada.

I recommend it for anyone who needs a forgiving, moisturizing SPF-free liquid foundation that comes in a travel compact with its own application pad. When I run out of mine, I'll be keeping an eye out for a good sale (or heading for Walmart), because I'll wear it when I don't need SPF.

Do you know from the TV show Rookie Blue? Think the character Nick is coming back? Oh, and how about this L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion? Who's tried it now that it's launched Stateside?

shoppity shop-shop

The L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Cushion is available via Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. The links below lead to ulta.com.

*Note: Lancôme is available at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada, but I don't think of it as a drugstore brand.