Bare Escentuals • bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation • Foundations
(81 reviews)
| Average Rating. | 3.7 |
| Would buy this product again. | 59% |
| Package Quality | 3.6 |
| Price | 3.5 |
| Ingredients | |
knbruice on 5/9/2013 2:00:00 PM more reviews by knbruice
Age: 19-24 Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium Hair: Blond Eyes: Green
I used to use this foundation for years and I absolutely loved it. But a couple months ago they changed the formula and it became TERRIBLE. The container didn't last nearly as long, didn't cover as much. And I kept having to reapply all day. It was as if they put alot more "filler" ingredients in there instead of actual makeup. The color still matched perfectly but the quality of this product has definitely gone downhill. I wouldn't buy this again and I switched back over to Urban Decays mineral makeup. Sad because this used to be a great foundation!
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strathyx on 3/23/2013 10:57:00 AM more reviews by strathyx
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium Hair: Brunette Eyes: Blue
I LOVE this product! It's my absolute must have! I have combination skin, my forehead is often very dry but the rest of my face oily and prone to breakouts, and this product manages to give me good overall coverage, which is so hard to find.
I've read a lot of reviews saying that it causes breakouts, but I can say I have never had a problem, in fact my skin looks a lot better since using this product (I can only think that those people who get breakouts don't take care of their brushes as they should).
My one little niggle is the price- it is expensive (especially when you're a student) but a little goes a long way, so I don't find myself having to buy the product often.
The packaging cannot be faulted in any way- the click system stops any leaks from it, and stops product wastage.
Overall, I will never go back to liquid foundation again! But, for those thinking of buying it- really try to get into a store where a consultant will advise you on colours and which of their products is best for your skin.
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che11262 on 3/23/2013 12:16:00 AM more reviews by che11262
Age: 19-24 Skin: Oily, Fair Hair: Brunette Eyes: Blue
I used this product for about 3 years and loved it. It covered my blemishes very well and blended in with my skin. However, during the time I was using it, I almost always had some form of acne on my face. Yet, I continued to use this product because it was the only thing that covered the blemishes without looking too obvious. After going off of it for about a week, my skin immediately starting clearing up. As a test to see if the makeup was the culprit behind my breakouts, I decided wear it again for a day. About 2 hours after doing this, I noticed small acne bumps popping up all over my face, especially on my forehead. My old acne lesions also started to flare up soon after I put the makeup on my skin. I'm really bummed that my skin reacts to the makeup this way because I would get so many compliments from people saying that I looked like a "porcelain doll" and that I had perfect skin. I guess i'll just have to keep searching for the perfect mineral makeup that doesn't cause acne.
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ericasue000 on 2/7/2013 1:01:00 PM more reviews by ericasue000
Age: 25-29 Skin: Acne-prone Hair: Blond Eyes: Hazel
I purchased the BareMinerals Matte foundation powder in the shade "light" and it was very yellowy and too dark for my usually beige skin. After applying this product I could feel it on my face, it was very tight feeling. Like I could feel it sucking moisture out of my skin. I didn't use a primer though so use a primer with this for sure. I didn't see anything special with this foundation but I think I would have liked it had I had the right color and a good primer. It did give good coverage. (buildable coverage)
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courtneyjunexo on 1/19/2013 9:04:00 PM more reviews by courtneyjunexo
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Normal, Tan Hair: Brunette Eyes: Blue
I should probably start off this review with saying that my skin is not oily or dry, and I've never had acne so my take on this foundation will be different from others that do. I've been using this foundation for about 4 years now and it's AMAZING. I use the shade golden tan, which is perfect for my skin tone. It makes my skin glow, especially with the mineral veil on top, and in summer with the warmth. One thing I don't like is without primer it easily creases into my smile lines. But overall it is an amazing product and I will keep using it until I find something better(probably won't). It is a bit pricey, but one foundation lasts me at least a year because you only need a little bit of product. Another thing is when you're first purchasing, make sure you get the right color because there's a big variety, and if you have golden or yellow skin make sure you get one that says golden in the title, because others will make your face look pink.
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Mom2Free on 1/18/2013 4:16:00 PM more reviews by Mom2Free
Age: 30-35 Skin: Acne-prone, Tan Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine Eyes: Brown
I really wanted to like this - I asked two girls in my office what kind of makeup they use and they both said this. Well, it may look great on them, but this just isn't for me.
The dealbreaker for me was that no matter how I applied it - it just settled into my laugh lines. I'd blot those lines away and then a few hours later, they would just reappear.
This also made me oilier than other mineral foundations I have tried. Maybe I would've liked the matte formula better...
Coverage was good, although I felt it always sat on the top of my skin and it was overall harder to blend than others.
This is probably a better fit for those with dry or even normal skin. I just couldn't get it to work on my oily complexion. My skin is acne prone though, and this did not break me out.
For reference, the other mineral foundations I have tried - Neutrogena Sheer Minerals, Signature Minerals, Meow Cosmetics, Everyday Minerals, Lucy Minerals, and Lumiere Cosmetics.
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JuliaGhostX3 on 1/14/2013 4:51:00 PM more reviews by JuliaGhostX3
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Combination, Tan Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium Eyes: Brown
It's a good product, and I certainly understand how others would love it so much, but it just isn't for me. I have combination skin, and it could be the way I apply, but sometimes I just feel gross and cakey with it on. It is nice though, and the colour medium tan matches me perfectly. (In the winter!)
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nlavallo on 12/11/2012 5:21:00 PM more reviews by nlavallo
Age: 56 & Over Skin: Sensitive, Fair Hair: Red, Curly, Coarse Eyes: Green
I really wanted to love this product. I have tried it several times but have the following issues:
Color....even the lightest shade makes my face look dirty. I have only found one foundation that works for me without having this issue and this is NOT it!
I don't get a glow....No matter how much I buff, the sheen is flat and dull.
Flaky and makes fine lines look like deep wrinkles....Again, no matter how much I buff and how much I moisturize, my fine lines look like deep crevices.
This is a no go for me..... :(
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notme092 on 12/10/2012 5:54:00 PM more reviews by notme092
Age: 25-29 Skin: Acne-prone, Fair Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
This is my HG foundation! I have used so many foundations before but I feel like this is my #1. I have dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin with some scarring so I can't use anything too drying. Also, foundations tend to break me out a lot but this doesn't. I love the shades as well too (mine is fair) and its not too expensive and lasts me a long time
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*TOP REVIEWER* Menolikepolos on 12/10/2012 2:03:00 PM more reviews by Menolikepolos
Age: 25-29 Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral Hair: Brunette, Coarse Eyes: Blue
About me: NW10-15 (neutral-cool toned, very fair), blue eyes, Color season is True Summer, Baumann Skin Type is OSPW.
Having tried a number of high end foundations (MAC Beauty Balm, MAC Studio Sculpt, MAC Studio Fix Fluid, MAC Mineralize Cream, MAC Studio Tech Cream, MUFE Mat Velvet, BE Original, MUFE HD, DiorSkin Extreme Wear, Bobbi Brown Skin liquid and cream compact), and drug store foundations (Meow Mineral, Revlon Colorstay, Revlon PhotoReady liquid and compact, Cover Girl Simply Ageless, L’Oreal True Match liquid and cream compact, EDM, Alima Mineral), this foundation stands out in a positive way. I have worn it off and on for years. But it is not my HG.
I have combination skin, and don't like to have too many layers (moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, foundation) on my face, so I love it when my primer/foundation combinations accomplish these goals:
1) Sophisticated Formula: a light-weight formula that feels nice on my face and isn’t cakey, oily, or highlighting dry patches;
2) Adjustable Coverage: a light-to-medium coverage foundation that can be built up enough to cover under eye circles and acne scarring (eliminates the need for concealer);
3) Low Maintenance: has enough oil-control for my T-zone, lasts throughout the day without the need for serious touch ups, and doesn’t transfer;
4) Ideal Color: product line has a shade that is as close to a perfect color match on my skin as possible;
5) Skin Care: cannot break me out or change my skin condition (make more dry/oily) over weeks of continual wear.
6) Thoughtful Packaging: packaging cannot be difficult to travel with, create a mess on my counter, or be wasteful of the product.
*Bonus points for high levels of sunscreen.
How did this foundation measure up?
1) Sophisticated Formula: (YES) I love BE Original for its light-weight formula and the satin finish it gives, especially when applied with a silicone-based primer and/or MAC Fix+ spray on your brush. This is probably one of the lightest feeling foundations I’ve tried.
2) Adjustable Coverage: (YES) I also love how I can build the coverage up, especially when applied wet with MAC Fix+ spray, and don’t need concealer for my under eye circles and acne scars.
3) Low Maintenance: (OK) Without a primer, this foundation did get oily around my T-Zone after about 6-8 hours. Did get cakey when I touched it up. With a primer, it got oily after 10+ hours. Therefore, I would not call this a long-wear foundation for those with combination or oily skin. But looked good for most of the day. Would need to wash face and reapply for an evening event.
4) Ideal Color: (NO) I wore Golden Light for a year, and tried Fairly Light. Similar matching issues as with MAC foundations, too pigmented in color and shades too dramatic to look natural. Golden Light looks very pale and slightly yellow on my skin, but Fairly Light is too NW15 peach/orange/pink/cheese colored for my neck. I would say Golden Light is the best match, but does not look natural. Fairly Light looked nice after I have had a spray tan.
5) Skin Care: (NO) Had out-of-the-ordinary cystic acne break outs from time to time while wearing this.
6) Thoughtful Packaging: (OK) Loose powder is just messy and undesirable, but at least they include a sifter with a lock.
*Sunscreen: spf15, which is not very much IMO, considering you are trying to go as light as possible with how much you apply.
Bottom Line: I really like the BE formula. Will keep a little bit of Fairly Light around for summer vacations for when I am tanner and want a natural look. But it is not my HG because it does not wear all day on my combination skin, does not have a good color match, and does break me out from time to time.
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rawbbyn on 12/8/2012 11:28:00 PM more reviews by rawbbyn
Age: 30-35 Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Cool Hair: Blond, Curly, Medium Eyes: Grey
Not for those with acne issues. I wanted to love this product; t gave me such a nice and glowing finish. The concept is great...I was able to get full coverage, just by adding the same product with the concealer brush...it acually worked, and was seamless! I noticed that when I used it, it caused my skin to itch a bit, and by the end of the day, it had settled into my smile lines; maybe I just put too much on? I used it every day for two months, it was fun to apply (love the brush) and loved the light and glowy complexion it gave me, but I eventually broke out into some serious cyscts and some smaller pimples. Because of reviews I have found online, I attributed the cysts to the bareminerals...I guess the glow is from an ingredient that can be aggrivating to acne-prone skin. Bummer!
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emmaallan on 11/26/2012 2:08:00 AM more reviews by emmaallan
Age: 19-24 Skin: Combination, Tan Hair: Black Eyes: Brown
Love this product! I have ditched using liquid foundation and use the Bareminerals Matte Foundation SPF15 (in Medium Beige) product daily. I am onto my third jar of this stuff. The beauty of this product is that the coverage is so buildable you can get sheer coverage and build up to full. I dont use the primer but this stuff lasts all day on my combination skin. It provides such a great airbrush finish without heavy cakeing! During the day my tzone might need a touch up but this mineral powder holds it coverage impressively well. I much rather using mineral powder then liquid as it is a lot less harsh on my skin and is so much easier to remove at the end of the day. After a full day of wearing this product on my face if i need to touch up for wear throughout the night applying more product doesnt cake and it builds up coverage back up very well! Keep in mind that if you prefer full coverage on a daily basis you might go through this quickly but for medium to full coverage daily a jar lasts me about two months. Would highly recommend this product.
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*TOP REVIEWER* kyl77 on 10/15/2012 7:09:00 PM more reviews by kyl77
Age: 30-35 Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool Hair: Other, Medium Eyes: Green
I think this foundation is really overrated. Basically it's a very sheer powder foundation. When I tried to build up coverage I looked dry and chalky. The application is pretty messy too. Overall, I think this is an okay choice for someone who wants a very sheer natural look. It also makes a decent finishing powder over a more traditional foundation.
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Rachelen on 10/4/2012 3:02:00 PM more reviews by Rachelen
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium Hair: Brown, Wavy Eyes: Hazel
It's great, but...
I purchased this foundation last February, and I loved it! It doesn't feel heavy at all, and looks very natural. After wearing it my skin looked great! I've seen so many positive reviews of BareMinerals foundations, and I would like to say that it's the best foundation ever, but there are quite a few cons. First of all, it makes my face look shiny and weird in pictures. It looks great on me when I put it on, but outside it looks bad. I recently started getting more acne then usual, and the foundation just doesn't look that great on my skin any more. I found out that the powder has a rating of 7 on the EWG skindeep website, and it also contains bismuth-oxychloride which can lead to break-outs. The powder either does not have enough coverage, or looks too chalky when layered. It looks the best after wearing it for several hours and getting blended into the face. I have not been able to find a good foundation yet besides this one, and unless it starts looking good on my skin again I don't think I would buy it again.
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katprincess929 on 9/17/2012 5:37:00 PM more reviews by katprincess929
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Acne-prone, Fair Hair: Brown Eyes: Hazel
I bought this several years ago after seeing one of their infomercials late at night. I bought whatever was their starter kit. The first time i applied it, it was messy and the powder got all over my clothes and in the air.
I used the amount they recommended, but it did nothing. because i had acne then (and still now) i had to apply several layers for it to cover anything, but it refused to hide and scars or pimples. I ended up using it as setting powder over my Neutrogena healthy skin liquid foundation. After several uses the inside of the lid would fall apart (but i hear now the packaging is different).
It looked really good, until i started to sweat/produce oil. My skin would start to itch and BURN like crazy (which never happened with the foundation alone)! That would usually fade after 30 min, but it was still uncomfortable.
Once we entered summer, it was unbearable. With our 115 degree weather, this makeup burned and itched about 10 min after applying it, until i took it off. I thought i was allergic to "titanium dioxide" (which is also one of their "natural" ingredients...), but it turns out that both "bismuth" and "titanium dioxide" are listed in the ingredients (both can be very irritating, mostly when the face sweats or gets wet).
Ladies, please pay attention to the ingredients (especially if you have sensitive skin)! Just because it's a mineral makeup, doesn't mean it's natural.
And when i tried to cancel my membership they kept sending me supplies for another 5 months (and i was charged for it too). It's all BS!
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axanglin on 9/1/2012 11:46:00 AM more reviews by axanglin
Age: 25-29 Skin: Normal, Fair Hair: Brown Eyes: Brown
After my HG foundation was reformulated into an atrocious mess, I commenced on a search for a new foundation.
**THE SECRET TO THIS STUFF IS IN THE APPLICATION!**
When I first tried the bareMinerals line, I went to the Bare Escentuals boutique and had it applied and I HATED it. The coverage was too sheer and it looked too powdery. I went on to try numerous other liquid foundations, all falling short of what I was looking for.
Sephora then introduced their newest bareMinerals Get Started kit that received glowing reviews. I thought to myself, "There must be a reason so many women love this stuff, perhaps I will try again...", and I did. And I haven't looked back.
It turns out the reason I had such a negative result the first time is because the associate at the boutique did a half-assed job (at best) of applying it. When I did it myself, it turned out beautifully!
The primer and the brushes make all the difference; the concealer brush is magical. My skin, which was trashed by my previous foundation, has improved markedly since I started using this stuff, and I have received numerous compliments on my makeup.
I am not even remotely interested in trying anything else. New HG!
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lylaura on 8/28/2012 1:47:00 PM more reviews by lylaura
Age: 25-29 Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium Hair: Brunette Eyes: Brown
The 5 if for the asthetic result not quality of ingredients. I have been using for 8 years. First foundation that actually matches my skin tone, all others look too orange or light on me. I use Med-Beige. and Summer Bisque concealer. This is the best at covering up my old cystic acne scars, I go my dermatologist every now and then and she is surprised at how well this covers my scars. It really does give the best most natural coverage and feels light. I recently tried switching to liquid but had to go back to this.Best most natural looking foundation. .(This is best applied with Buki brush although the BE brush sheds I prefer the bodyshop buki)
Cons: Has Bismuth-Oxychloride which if you go on FDA website shows is manufactured in China and contains Lead :( this is why I tried to switch off the Bare Minerals. the Bismuth is also an ingredient that some people may have a negative reaction to, I don't have sensitive skin. I also read this ingredient may lead to Cystic Acne which I have mildly.
I have tried other Mineral foundations they don't cover as well or look natural. It's hard to find foundations without the BOS. The Matte formula is free of it but the color is off and the coverage is not so good. For now I use Just the summer bisque and Almay Mineral Wakeup Mineral foundation on the rest of my face to avoid the Bad Chemical in the BE.
Pros: Last all day even through snorkleing in Hawaii, Looks Natural, (when i switched off the other foundations lead to whiteheads.
I gave packaging a 2 because there is always quite abit left inthe end that doesn't come out, the new packaging is good for traveling since it prevents powder from spilling but old packaging used to let me open it up and get the last bit out.
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allisonclaire on 8/22/2012 6:48:00 PM more reviews by allisonclaire
Age: 18 & Under Skin: Sensitive, Fair Hair: Blond Eyes: Green
I love this product. I prefer medium coverage because my skin is very red most of the time and has acne marks, and this foundation offers great coverage! Typically I do one layer all over my face with the big buki brush (two if I feel I need it) and then I use the smaller concealer brush over dark marks and pimples and I'm done! I think the coverage is great for a product so lightweight, and I love knowing that it won't break me out :) It also comes with videos that teach you the proper way for application, which are surprisingly helpful!
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sophiematilda2011 on 8/21/2012 6:30:00 AM more reviews by sophiematilda2011
Age: 19-24 Skin: Normal, Medium Hair: Brunette Eyes: Brown
I got this product because i thought i wanted a change from heavy liquid foundations, that seemed to slide off. However, when i went to get this from the counter i felt rushed into buying, even though i had lots of questions to ask. I got it home and tried it out and tried my best to like it, but no matter what it just wasn't happening for me. i have generally ok skin, but i do have small scars on my face. this foundation covered NOTHING (even after 15 mins of building it up!). it looked grey (i am fairly tanned and used the medium shade) looked ashy and it made my pores look HUGE. not only that but it made me look really pale and after an hour or so the coverage got even worse. Also the brushes you get with the starter kit are so scratchy and itchy, also for supposedly high end brushes they leave a hell of a lot of hairs on your face, which you then have to pick off you now dry cakey face. Please try before you buy!!!
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treasonous on 8/16/2012 6:00:00 PM more reviews by treasonous
Age: 19-24 Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium Eyes: Blue
In general, I thought this was a great foundation. It made my skin very glowy and even, and I was super impressed... However, after just a few days of using it, I started to have really bad eye problems. My eyes were sore, red and itchy. Having changed nothing else in my beauty routine, I temporarily stopped using Bare Escentuals... and my eyes got better. I tried it again, and the same thing happened. I don't know if its to do with the oxides getting in my eyes, but as for being non irritating, it wasn't. For me at least.
I wouldn't let this put someone off trying it, however, I'm sure most people get on with it fine. All in all, it was a radiant looking, light feeling mineral foundation. Well worth the money you pay for it.