Bare Escentuals • Matte Foundation spf 15 • Powder

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marseeuh on 5/15/2013 11:38:00 PM more reviews by marseeuh

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Dark   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I used the regular bare minerals and switched to the matte...terrible mistake. It clogged my pores, and broke me out and i never break out. I will discontinue using it....what a waste of money :(

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chihuaualover on 5/12/2013 2:25:00 PM more reviews by chihuaualover

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I have tried this foundation plus the one in the compact, both horrible. I have oily acne prone skin and the sales person assured me this would "transform my face." I bought both of them from Macy's and (thank god) they let me return them for a full refund.

This foundation is anything but "Matte." I have never looked so oily in my entire life; disgusting. Not only did I look oily but this foundation settled into my "fine lines" making me look old, I AM ONLY 22 YEARS OLD! I have a few lines under my eyes from stress and simply because it runs in the family and it magnified them and made me look 30! This product also went deep into my pores, supposedly to "even out my pores", but it just made them 10x more noticeable. Completely clogged my skin! Also, when I first applied it the color match was great but after two hours of wear I look super orange (I have very pale skin).

Terrible, horrible, do not believe the hype!

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RMulieri on 5/11/2013 3:38:00 PM more reviews by RMulieri

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I got on another Bare minerals kick this past month after abandoning the brand 2 yrs ago .I am not sure I like it by itself ( I am NC20 and was color matched for Medium beige).It looks cakey even buffed like crazy ( even with the primer).But I do like it as a finishing powder over my MUFE Face and body foundation so I will use it like that .Maybe in the summer when I am an oil slick it might look better

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aggrolounge on 5/7/2013 8:46:00 PM more reviews by aggrolounge

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

The color selection in this line is bizarre. I found myself settling on Fairly Light as the closest color. I have fair-light yellow-olive skin. What stinks is that this formula oxidizes like crazy! What was already a so-so match got very dark and peachy as the day progressed. I also noticed very little shine control, although this doesn't come as a surprise since any formula without talc doesn't seem to do anything for me in the oil control department.

I did enjoy the coverage I got from the powder, and the accompanying primer is quite good. I just won't repurchase because the cons are too much for me to overlook!

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*TOP REVIEWER* pecantan on 5/4/2013 10:43:00 PM more reviews by pecantan

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Dark, Cool   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

i went to the bare minerals boutique and was excited to buy their new ready compact foundation. i had always steered away from bare minerals because i hate loose powder..i find it to be too messy and inconvenient. however after trying all 4 of the darker shades of the ready foundation..none of them were my shade. they were all too red or too ashy looking. so the S.A. talked me into trying the matte foundation. she said that the shades in that line were different and might suit me better. so i let her try some on me. we found a shade that matched so at that point i asked her to do my whole face. when she was done,i was shocked at how horrible my complexion looked. the coverage was very poor and this makeup accentuated my flaws and made the texture look worse. i then noticed that there was makeup all over my new shirt! overall, i think this makeup is for people that have nearly perfect skin with very minimal imperfections. i was not at all impressed with their foundations..plus the store was a zoo and i had to wait quite a while for someone to help me. when i asked if i could put some makeup on myself..i was told that it was against store policy and that one of them would have to apply it. so that left me standing around waiting..

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

trueaddict on 4/28/2013 10:29:00 PM more reviews by trueaddict

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

So I used this for years until one day I looked in the mirror later in the day. I looked pretty ridiculous. If you don't put enough of it on, you'd think why did I bother to put this on? If you put it on heavier to cover the flaws it starts looking cakey (but not horrible). It really emphasizes pores on your nose as the day wears on and dries out your cheeks. If you want to look cakey, buy this. I've switched back to liquid formulas since they look more smooth.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Tindra78 on 4/28/2013 12:17:00 PM more reviews by Tindra78

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I don't know how to describe this product. I was looking for a "pure" mineral foundation for my acne prone skin. I'm a NV/NC 15 with a lot of redness, discolorations and acne scars.

The SA matched me to Golden Fair the first time. But when I got home I realized that it was much warmer than my old E.M. Linen and Fairly Light neutral. My skin is very pinkish cool so that only looked dirty in daylight! So I went back and the other SA now matched me to the Medium Cool!!?? I don't understand at all.... I told her that it felt to dark, but she insisted.... And as I thought, when I got home the Medium Cool really was too dark!! :(

So right now I'm quite confused about B.E.:s colors, they are just not many enough and they are not logical and easy to understand!

The coverage is light-medium and NOT enough for my acne skin!

The complexion is matte for the first hour, but the minerals can enlarge pores a little, which can look awful....

Still I like that the product is so "clean" and that the ingredient list is so short!

But I need more coverage, and a much better shade - or afford to buy a few different shades to mix - before I buy this again.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Michamich on 4/20/2013 1:00:00 PM more reviews by Michamich

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Golden medium matches my nc 42 skin tone. This product oxidizes orange like crazy unless I use a primer (defeating the purpose of the "good for your skin" ingredient claims). The makeup wears off very quickly on its own and even faster with a primer. The matte finish doesn't last more than an hour and the coverage is completely gone in 3 hours. If I wear this for very long in the sun, it makes my face start to itch. Just awful. (For future reference: I didn't like the original formula for these same reasons+the excess shine it gave my skin.)

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susieglass on 4/6/2013 7:09:00 AM more reviews by susieglass

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

I wanted to love this, but it's just one of those products I can't get on board with. I was excited about flawless, light-as-a-feather claims, but on my skin (slightly oily, jawline acne), I found the application patchy, and it tended to cling to dry skin I didn't know I had around my eyebrows, cake over blemishes, and generally look a bit mask-like over my skin. After a few hours, I needed to re-apply as I was looking pretty bare, but the powder had visibly sunk into pores. Overall, this made me look like crap. My skin isn't great anyway, but there are better foundations out there to give me a leg up!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Horny on 4/3/2013 3:59:00 AM more reviews by Horny

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Hazel    

Good coverage, and I liked that it has mineral sun filters in. But it made my skin sooooo red and irritated! Only after one use! I do have sensitive skin however. I have no problems at all with Mac Studio Fix Powder so I will stay with that.

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oakley21 on 4/2/2013 1:21:00 PM more reviews by oakley21

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Response from BM regarding the unspecified minerals included in the ingredient listed as "soil minerals" in their foundation:
"The list of ingredients in our Active Soil Complex is proprietary information and we are not able to provide you with that information but if you are concerned about any specific mineral we would be happy to let you know if that ingredient is contained in any of our products."
So basically they're not going to tell us what we're putting on our faces. That's great. It could be anything.
2nd Update:
After a week, I started breaking out in small, skin-colored bumps all over my face. Weird. After week 2, I was broken out in the bumps AND red pimples. After week 3, I was covered in the bumps, pimples, and evil whiteheads. My skin had not looked so bad in many years since I was on steroids. WTH?? I finally just stopped using this product a few days ago and my skin is almost completely clear again. *whew* I thought this makeup was supposed to be "natural" and so healthy for skin that we can sleep in it? Well, I did some digging and apparently minerals can still be comedogenic and cause allergic reactions. Even though I used the Bismuth-free version of BM, my skin still went haywire from 1 or more of the other ingredients. I compared the BM's ingredient list to my old Physician's Formula Bismuth-free/talc-free powder and BM had 3 ingredients that PF does not have: Silica, Calcium Silicate, and Soil Minerals. Silica is basically sand, according to Paula Begoun, and Soil Minerals are "unidentified minerals", which could be anything. I've contacted BM to find out what these unidentified minerals are, but I haven't gotten a response yet. I'm looking into Cleure and Everyday Minerals next to see if I react to those. They both have low ratings on EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. Cleure is rated a 2 for potential harm, Everyday Minerals also gets a 2, but BM is rated a 7(!), which is not good. Wish I had checked the database before buying BM. Hopefully they'll refund my money. *fingers crossed*
Update:
**Ordered the lightest shade of BM on ebay last week and I've been testing it out the last 2 days. So far, no oompa loompa! The color does not oxidize at all, and with the summer bisque concealer(LOVE)on my areas of redness first, the coverage is good and seems to last all day. I ordered the light sample kit of YB last week too, and so far those 2 color choices(Ivory&Neutral)are pretty orangey-looking, so I've stayed away.**
Wanted to love this sooo badly, but the color choices simply refuse to blend well on my face. I bought 2 matte foundations - Light & Fairly Light - for my red, rosacea skin. I was so excited to see that BM tends toward a yellow-based product, as rosacea & flushing need some yellow shades to camouflage the redness. But I ended up looking yellower than a Kardashian after a light application. Within a couple hours, I was an orange oompa loompa. Not so attractive. The coverage was pretty good though, especially with the Summer Bisque concealer(awesome for dark eye circles). There's one shade left that I can try - Fair - then I'll know for sure whether to break it off with BM and move on to YB.

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jhc19 on 4/1/2013 11:15:00 PM more reviews by jhc19

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight   Eyes: Brown    

Bare Escentuals Matte got me off of liquid foundation. I can't even think about putting liquid foundation on my face anymore. Anyway, I loved this at first - it was the first foundation that actually matched my neck (I use this in Light) and it didn't break out my sensitive skin, yay! It doesn't have any shimmery ingredients either, which would be catastrophic for my oily face. The coverage is light/medium, but I never try for medium because I always end up looking cakey. Light coverage is fine for me though, so this wasn't too much of a problem.

Unfortunately, this foundation was absolutely terrible at keeping my face matte; I got oily abnormally quick and I would end up looking like a terrible hot mess within two hours. Also, it would always turn orange by mid-day... not a nice look :( I like the packaging and I don't mind the small quantity because I don't use much anyway, but with the price and the oil & orange problem, I won't be re-purchasing. Also, if you've got any dry patches, exfoliate and moisturize like mad before putting this on unless you want the whole world to know about it.

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NairbRey on 4/1/2013 4:42:00 AM more reviews by NairbRey

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Im so sad for the bad reviews some people give, but I get all skins are different . I've been using this for 3 years in a row, I used to use Dermablend foundation and it was good but after a while I would look Oily, With bare minerals Matte I do get Oily after like 6 hours but thats normal, The finish Is great, I don't break out wich is a plus cause I don't get any acne anymore but if I use bad products, acne will appear . Little goes a long way. Im really not thinking of changing this , It was a big search for the perfect powder and foundation and this works wonder for both. My skin is looking great ever since

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mgw717 on 3/27/2013 2:05:00 PM more reviews by mgw717

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I always used regular liquid foundation (various brands) up until I started breaking out in high school and started looking for something more gentle that wouldn't irritate my skin. Some of my friends used bareMinerals, so I decided to give it a try. At first, it seemed like a miracle product- it made my skin look flawless (almost airbrushed), was easy to apply, and wouldn't cause me to break out if I accidentally fell asleep in it. Fast forward to nearly 4 years later, and I decided it's time to try something different. I have tried various shades of bareMinerals, both the original and matte formulas, and have tried the product over regular foundation/concealer- it simply does not look natural on me anymore. I get a cakey, orange look when I use this foundation (even when I apply the correct shade sparingly). I have oily skin, and so I use shine control products and a primer before my makeup application- with this foundation, I am a greasy mess about 20 minutes after putting it on. I think my skin maybe got used to the forumla because I used it for so long- at any rate, it looks obvious, orange, cakey, fake, overdone, and in general like I am wearing too much makeup. It's a shame because I really like the fact that there are so few ingredients and that it used to work so well for me- but I have to try something different. I began getting concerned about the way bareMinerals looked on me last spring too, and so I switched to tarte Amazonian clay foundation w/Mac concealer, but that didn't work well for me either, so I went back to bareMinerals because it seemed like there was no better option. Now that the weather is warming up again, I realize I can't walk around with the heavy, caked on makeup look bareMinerals gives me anymore, and as a college student, I can't afford to keep myself stocked up on high end Sephora or department store foundation. So I went to target the other day and bought a bunch of foundation, with the plan to try it all out and return what I didn't like. I bought CoverGirl 3 in 1, Garnier Fructis BB cream for oily skin, Almay TLC, and Maybelline matte mousse foundation. I took turns applying them all with my mac studio finish concealer, bareMinerals warmth bronzer, maybelline bouncy blush, and makeup forever HD finishing powder. i found that the covergirl 3 in 1 worked as well as or better than any high end liquid foundation I'd ever tried (i've used tarte amazonian clay, makeup forever HD foundation, and nars). i plan to keep that one for using when i go out/party/more formal events. for everyday use, however, i found i really liked the BB cream. 2 squirts give me a pretty even tone, and i like that the ingredients are all non-comedogenic, oil free, etc. (what i liked about bareMinerals as well). after applying the BB cream, my skin doesn't look as perfect as i want it to, so i go back in with my mac concealer and apply that under my eyes/over my eyelid, around my nose, and on any problem areas i notice that day. i then apply my bronzer/blush/powder like normal. i find that i look much better this way, much more like my natural self, and not some plastic fake barbie the way bareMinerals made me look. i'm so ready to leave that look in the past, and bareMinerals along with it. bareMinerals really worked for me when I was dealing with breakouts, but now that I changed my diet and skin care regimen, and am seeing a dermatologist, as well as being on birth control, i'm ready to move on to something different. sorry for the long post, just wanted to give you all the whole story and context. bottom line- bareMinerals might work great for you, or be the saving grace of a person battling serious skin issues, but there is a chance that it will end up looking fake/orange/cakey/reaaaalllyyy greasy and oily on you like it did on me after 4 yrs of use. try it out for yourself. sephora has a great return possibility, you can always take it back if you hate it. good luck!

3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

OCobb on 3/27/2013 12:21:00 AM more reviews by OCobb

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

This powder is AMAZING. I have always had such a hard time matching my skin color with a powder that is worth buying and that I like. With this powder, I did all of that on the first try! I use this in the winter. I am the lightest shade possible in the winter and I have oily skin. I wouldn't recommend using this in the summer though. It's very thick. It's a pro in the winter but would be a con in the summer. I only have to apply about to brush strokes to my face when using this and I am ready to go with an even, beautiful complexion! Love love love this!! Definitely worth that 27 bucks!

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Jenarlene on 3/22/2013 11:46:00 AM more reviews by Jenarlene

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

First off, this product has done wonders to my acne prone skin!! Im so insecure about my skin that i even workout with make up. Sure i know its bad but i do anyways. Well point is,before with drug store make up my face would look cakey and break out so much, but now with bare minerals it gives me a flawless finish. I absolutely love this product. Ofcourse it is pricey since i come from $11 drug store foundation to $28.00 bare mineral matte foundation but it is worth it. The packaging is not all that good, the first day i bought it, i spilled most of it but regardless it has lasted me about 2-3 months. Look, its a wonderful product if you don't have much to cover up, so if you have crazy stick out bumps you will need something with more coverage.

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RiaRich on 2/9/2013 8:43:00 AM more reviews by RiaRich

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Medium Brown, Warm   Hair: Blond, Kinky, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Bought this is Golden Dark?

My skin is extremely sensitive, so when I saw this powder only contained 4 ingredients I was ecstatic!

With concealer the coverage was awesome. I could get it to be med/full or just wear a light coating. It didnt oxidize to an oompa loopa color and transfer was minimal. Unfortunately after a few days use my skin would itch and breakout in these small bumps. It's a shame because I really did like the finish.

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intheclouds on 1/21/2013 6:01:00 PM more reviews by intheclouds

Age: 30-35   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I bought into the hype of this product after seeing very lovely girls who said they used this foundation. However, my experience with this product was not good. For reference, I have combination skin in cooler weather and oily skin in warmer weather.


It is impossible for me to wear this over a sunscreen or moisturizer because it turns into a greasy mess after an hour or so. When applied bare-faced, it takes about two hours before the oilies kick in. And I don't mean a nice glow, but the embarrasing kind.


There is an ingredient in this called Lauroyl Lysine which is sourced from coconut and I believe it is too rich and moisturizing to be put in a "matte" product. Also, the color "Light" oxidized and turned into an orangey shade after application.


The positives are that this foundation looks nice upon initial application and the ingredients are more natural than many other brands. It is also easy to find in stores in my area as opposed to ordering online and having to wait a week for delivery.


Unfortunately, the only way I can make this work is if I mix it with a liberal amount of truly matte powder from another brand. That just adds another step to my routine and is inconvenient. I regret spending my money on this product but hopefully this review will help someone who is on the fence about purchasing this.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* joy2uandme on 1/18/2013 10:59:00 AM more reviews by joy2uandme

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I've used Jane Iredale Amazing Base for years but I also own this and use it mixed with the original. That way I get the perfect finish. It can look cakey if you overdo it but the best thing about this makeup for me is how it heals my skin. If I'm having a rosacea flare or breakouts, this seems to accelerate healing for me.


My only quibble is when it's hot it can be a tad itchy but that's true of all mineral makeups for me.


I'm a Bobbi Brown sand or warm sand, Nc 25-30 depending on the season and I wear fairly light during the winter and mixed with medium beige during the summer.


I thinks it's reasonably priced for how long it lasts.And I love the quick-lock container. JI does not have that so I transfer that makeup to an empty BE container.


I know there are a lot of haters of this brand out there but if you have problem skin and are at the end of your rope with breakouts you owe it to yourself to give this a try just to make sure it won't work for you.

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anujaaggarwal on 1/17/2013 7:33:00 AM more reviews by anujaaggarwal

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

I was wandering through Sephora testing foundations and was pretty close to buying a NARS one. I never thought that i would like powder foundation, but just thought of giving it a try. The BE sales assistant had a hard time finding the perfect shade for me - took three trials of full-face application, but she did find the most accurate shade. Very close to my skin tone. I just bought the foundation as i already had a brush. I was so scared that the foundation would cause me to breakout, but luckily it did not.

I do not find the application difficult. I just shake out a little bit of powder in the lid. Dip my brush in it. I do not shake out the excess as suggested (as it creates a lot of dust everywhere). I suggest you keep a small towel on your dress while applying as it might fall. Anyways, it is super simple to apply and it covers all my acne scars perfectly. For extra coverage on difficult spots, i simply use the same powder and apply with the concealer brush. The skin looks soo smooth. I apply makeup only when i go out, so it is good that it has some SPF in it. Later on i bought mineral viel too, but i don't know how it helps. The foundation gives me a flawless look and is suitable for my oily skin. Many people have complemented me for how my skin looks when i apply the foundation. It doesn't seem to aggravate any active ance too. The BEST part about the foundation is that in flash light photographs, it does not shine like other liquid foundations. It gives a soft smooth look.

The staying power is OK. It rubs off on everything that touches your face, even your mobile phone if you keep it a bit closer to your face. You cannot try on outfits after doing makeup if there's a chance of getting your dress on your face as it will rub-off. But it does stay for quite a while even in sweaty conditions if you do not touch. It comes off easily with Bioderma miscellaire solution or just any other makeup remover.

Overall, i love it and have already orderd a new one in the same color. Selecting the color might be difficult so do take the time to apply it on your face, because sampling on the hand does not tell you how it will look on your face. Try it, it might be the best thing you ever tried.

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