AmorePacific researchers tell 'truth of cushion'

Researchers examine cushion compacts at AmorePacific’s C-Lab. / Courtesy of AmorePacific

Sales of cosmetic firm’s cushion compacts top 100 mil.

After it developed the world’s first cushion compact with a product named IOPE Air Cushion in 2008, AmorePacific has sold more than 100 million cushion compacts worldwide as of the third quarter of last year.

Due to the high popularity, other Korean and global firms have imitated AmorePacific’s signature makeup product that combines a compact with a special sponge soaked with base makeup, such as sunblock or foundation.

Consumers then had difficulty in choosing the most suitable one among various products.

Moreover, a growing number of consumers have complained about poor-quality imitations. Some of their sponges are easily worn out and could not soak up base makeup. Consumers complained the poorer quality caused makeup to fade after a few hours.

For irritated consumers, Korea’s top cosmetics firm began a digital campaign titled “The Truth of Cushion” for about six months last November to introduce the important features of cushion compacts.

Thirty million viewers watched the four video clips unveiled during the campaign. More than 2 million people visited its website as well.

AmorePacific researchers said in the video a good cushion helps cosmetics adhere to skin evenly and not thickly. The researchers are working for Cushion Laboratory or C-Lab, where researchers for cushion, foundation, primer and powder gather with customer analysis and merchandise study experts.

In the video, the researchers, who are dubbed “cushionists,” display their experiments on cushions conducted under extreme temperatures and conditions. They convert any ingredients good for skin into a formula as well, so they can verify the effectiveness.

AmorePacific expects customers to have a chance to learn about the company’s cushion compacts more easily through the campaign.

The Seoul-based company said its cushion compact is an innovative product, not just a sponge soaked with foundation, emphasizing its own technology developed over the last 10 years. It applied for patents for 206 cushion technologies developed by C-Lab and registered 35.

The company upgraded its cushions from the first generation in 2008 to the fourth generation now, evolving the core technology of the product for 15 times. The fourth-generation cushion features a 3D hive-shaped sponge and ultrafine dispersion technology. It minimizes the particle size and looks natural.

According to a TNS Korea survey of 800 Korean women, 75 percent have used a cushion compact at least once and 55 percent are only using it for their base makeup. Three out of four respondents said they spend less time on touchups and base makeup because of the product.

The global market researcher’s data also showed the average makeup application time decreased from 13 to seven minutes and the average number of necessary base makeup cosmetics from 2.2 to 1.7.

“C-Lab will continue to develop next-generation cushion compacts for our customers so they can use our products more easily,” a C-Lab researcher said. “We will also try to expand the cushion category in the global market, after developing various formulations and colors based on regional and international customer analysis.”

(Advertorial)