I can’t help being suspicious of something that gets unanimous rave reviews. Surely something’s got to be wrong right? And with that attitude I signed myself up for a Make Under with BareMinerals.
Bare Minerals is one of those brands that is hailed as the second coming for those with sensitive skin. Of course I am a little cynical. There is nary a mainstream beauty brand out there I haven’t tried, and quite frankly I wasn’t really expecting much.
More fool me.
I’ve tried Bare Minerals foundation before, and look, power just was not for me, so I was more than a little bit intrigued about their new bareskin liquid foundation. Not only is liquid foundation my jam, but I was all about finding something that gave a more natural finish than my go to base. Putting it on though did take me in to brand new territory. With bareskin you have to give the bottle a good shake (like a Polaroid picture) then let out drop in to your Perfecting Face Brush. Usually I would go full on eye roll with any product that NEEDS a special brush to work (Dior and your £22 egg I’m looking at you) but seriously, this brush is pretty amazing. The little scooped out pool knocked me for one at first but I’ve used this with both the bareskin and other foundations and the results are gorgeous. It’s super thick and leaves no streaks, which, if you’re in the market for new kit do keep this guy in mind. The foundation itself is great, coming in a wide range of colours and proving that a little goes a long way. I found building up coverage super easy and it let my skin looking fresher without looking cakey. What more could a girl want?
The pressed powder is a bit hit or miss for me however. The finish – gorgeous, and it’s great for touch ups but there is just one little niggling problem. The smell is, shall we say, distracting. I’ve been reassured by a good few friends that this is typical of mineral based products, and I suspect this is my unfamiliarity with product more than anything else having me picking away. It’s a a nifty wee handbag number and would be a near perfect product if I can get used to the smell, which I’ve not noticed in any of their powders (the blush is lovely.) Well worth a swatch are their range of lipsticks. I’m usually a matte girl through and through but these leave a lovely pigmented glossy finish without being sticky.
Other than the foundation the real stand outs have been the skincare. The cleanser is super light and leaves my skin feeling so fresh and so clean, and like the foundation, a little really goes a long way. For me an SPF is essential in beauty products so the fact the foundation AND the moisturiser both tick this box is a straight up delight. The day foundation is light and fruity, and while may not be quite as heavy as I like in the Winter, still a lovely product. The Active Cell Renewal Night Serum however? I can see this replacing my Midnight Recovery which has been part of my night routine for at least 3 years. It’s a totally gorgeous wee product and makes my skin feel, well, renewed..
So am I convert? In some ways. I love the softer finish, even if the shake and blend method is a little bit fiddly, and it makes for a great everyday foundation. I may not be entirely sold on a few of the other products including the pressed powder and blush, they are nice, but didn’t blow me away. The Perfecting Face Brush and Active Cell Renewal Night Serum’s however are must haves and completely worth the investment. If you are looking for a lighter finish do give bareskin foundation a try – and don’t forget to buy you brush!