Bare Escentuals • Mineral Powder Foundation • Powder

rated 2.9(77 reviews)

Average Rating.2.9
Would buy this product again.40%
Package Quality3.0
Price3.6
Ingredients

rated 4 of 5 gagaglam03 on 12/23/2012 11:09:00 PM more reviews by gagaglam03

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

Good stuff for girls with acne/oily/combo skin.
Pros-it gives me a glow
-medium/build able coverage
-doesnt have SPF that makes you look pale

Cons-yes it breaks out my forehead slightly
-it easily comes off!!!! Omg it was so embarrassing when I put on a hoodie the makeup smudged onto my jacket and everyone knew I wore foundation :( even the slightest touch to the face and it runs off

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rated 2 of 5 Kymean on 8/14/2012 12:00:00 PM more reviews by Kymean

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

I purchased the Bare Minerals kit in March of 2012 after searching forever for a new foundation. The girl at Sephora raved about how great it was and how it was their #1 seller. I felt like I had to apply so many layers to get any kind of coverage and the itchy feeling that comes when you go outside with it on is horrible! My skin gets oily throughout the day and this made it worse x10! I think if you have more dry skin it would probably work better but it's def not for me.

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rated 1 of 5 realness2b on 8/13/2012 1:49:00 PM more reviews by realness2b

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I am 55, very dry and alot of wrinkles/crepey issues. Used this product when young and LOVED it. Tried it again, and HORREUR!!! Accentuated every line, poor and crevice!

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rated 5 of 5 Hanouna on 8/12/2012 5:36:00 PM more reviews by Hanouna

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I love this product. It has great coverage. I have fairly dry skin, so I only use it in the summer time when it's hot and humid, since it doesn't budge. I've been using this for about 7 years.

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rated 4 of 5 abilaura on 8/2/2012 9:30:00 AM more reviews by abilaura

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

I've been using this makeup since I was in the 5th grade. I'm now a sophomore, and have used it ever since. Now that I am getting older and have acne prone, oily, sensitive skin with redness around my cheeks. It's sadly not as full coverage as I would like, but it is the only thing that I have tried that hasn't broken my face out. I love the mineral powder, but would love to try a drugstore brand with more coverage, lower price, and the same or better quality. Am I dreaming? Any suggestions?

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rated 2 of 5 Sunshine1025 on 6/6/2012 9:11:00 PM more reviews by Sunshine1025

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Kinky, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I purchased this because my tries with MAC were unsuccessful (could not find a foundation to match me for nothing!!). I have the bare minerals in medium tan, it matches my skin tone perfectly! However, the coverage isn't the best for me as I have acne scars. I have the MATTE formula in the bare minerals, but within 5 minutes I'm looking like I sprayed crisco all over my face LOL it wasn't worth the money for me honestly. As someone else said, I'm just trying to use this up but it's taking forever! If you're someone who doesn't have oily skin and are looking for lighter coverage it may work out for you, but it's back to the drawing board for me..

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rated 2 of 5 seroled on 5/7/2012 8:01:00 PM more reviews by seroled

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Cool   Hair: Black, Curly   Eyes: Brown    

I've had this for a very long time and have been wearing it every day to try to get through it, but the container seems bottomless. It prefer full coverage foundation because of acne scars. Its ok to wear in the summer becAuse it's light and has SPF, but that's it. Nothing to write home about.

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rated 1 of 5 sopranowriter on 5/7/2012 8:56:00 AM more reviews by sopranowriter

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I was walking past a Bare Minerals kiosk in my local mall, and didn't dodge fast enough to avoid the SA handing out flyers. Before I knew it, I was plopped into a chair getting my face washed, and she was applying the lightest shade of their powder foundation to me. I looked in the mirror, and almost burst out laughing. My face looked absolutely flawless, the color was a good match, but-I knew what I would find when I looked at myself under different lighting, and I was right.
I was an opera singer many years ago, and in my makeup kit was a little circular container of powder base stage makeup. It was applied the same way, with a big kabuki brush, and had the exact same effect as this stuff-perfect complexion from a distance, visible lines, cracks, craters, and crannies up close, making the wearer look about 100 years old. And that's exactly what this product is-glorified theatrical pancake base-at about four times the price. Very heavy, very glittery, emphasized pores and tiny lines far too much, and I didn't like having to remember not to touch my face for fear of rubbing it off.
And then, there was the itching-five minutes after I got this stuff put on, I felt like I'd stumbled into a beehive face first. I had to go speeding home to get it off, and there was so much of it on, it took four or five of those Pond's makeup wipes to get it off. Yikes!! Far too pricey to put up with that much discomfort-about $69, if I'm not mistaken, though that is supposed to be a 1-year supply. The liquid foundation I wear every day is about twenty dollars cheaper and last me the same amount of time.
I don't have bad skin to begin with, and I don't feel that I need that much coverage every day, anyway, so even if this hadn't itched me to death, I probably still wouldn't buy it. Without the itch factor, I might wear it for a stage performance or for some of my headshots, or possibly for an evening event, but for every day? Forget it!

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rated 3 of 5 glamglamglam on 4/17/2012 1:04:00 PM more reviews by glamglamglam

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Green    

I bough this in Golden Medium, and loved the color (paired with the Mineral Veil on top, because I get oily), but it definitely caused breakouts. I was really upset because the foundation was very natural, but it's led me to discover Hourglass's Oxygen Mineral makeup which has a much much better finish and looks very natural (even more than BE). I'd try that one next if this hasn't worked for you.

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rated 4 of 5 hezeru80 on 12/23/2011 7:25:00 AM more reviews by hezeru80

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive   Hair: Black   Eyes: Black    

Ahhhh, I have started using mineral foundation on this brand, done the full circuit of experimenting with others (Glominerals, Elizabeth Arden, Clinique) and come back to BM again. The reason is the shade Light matches me perfectly, fair skin with strong yellow undertones. Other brands that I tried always contain too much pink tones (although EA was pretty neutral so ok for me). Since they changed the jar into the click lock and go design, it has made it much easier to carry around as well. I used to apply it with the BE kabuki brush, but that brush just felt soooo itchy and I use EA's brush now (see my other review). This is by no means the perfect mineral foundation, however, as I went through a period of having dry flaky skin and large pores (ewww), and this powder foundation tends to emphasis every single flake and pore and fine line that you have, but now that my skin seems to have recovered from those problems it works very well in evening out my skintone and gives a beautiful, natural satiny finish that isn't powdery looking. I have never had problems with looking shiny, in fact I can get away without blotting with this foundation but will get very oily with Glominerals, but that's another story. Reasonable staying power, too, enough for say, a 9-5 day. Like other mineral foundation users, I use this because my skin doesnt tolerate liquid foundation and this doesnt clog up my pores or cause break outs for me, So I am pretty happy....I do wish they make a mineral veil that is not pinkish-toned though, so I can use that to set the foundation and make it last longer if needed.

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rated 2 of 5 hryan09 on 10/19/2011 12:03:00 AM more reviews by hryan09

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I really wanted to like this foundation but it just didn't work for me. I tried it with their primer and it made my face SO oily so I got their oil control primer which i do really like but still it didn't make up for the foundation. It just didn't settle into my skin right and I felt like with all the loose powder and swirling and tapping during the application I felt like I wasted it all. I tried using it for at least a month and then gave up. its just not for me :/

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rated 3 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* HunterGray on 9/30/2011 7:12:00 PM more reviews by HunterGray

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

I want to love this product, it makes my skin look beautiful, I love the natural finish. But if I even start to sweat, it makes my face itch like crazy. I hear the bismuth does that to some people. I still have a bunch of it, so maybe I'll wear in the winter, when my pores aren't constantly wide open.

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rated 4 of 5 kbyesdnil on 9/11/2011 7:57:00 PM more reviews by kbyesdnil

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

I really like this product, but WHY do they not make a neutral shade in between fairly light and medium beige?? I've tried other shades, but they're all either too pink or too orange. The site says fairly light is for porcelain-light skin, and medium beige is for medium skin. Ok, so I'm light-medium and neutral toned, do I not get a shade? Also, I like the natural look of the original formula, but wish it were just a liiiiitle more matte. When they came out with the matte version, I was excited, but it turns out it is just darker, more orangey, and not as natural looking. So, the only solution for me seems to be to mix medium beige and fairly light, one being original and one being matte formula. However, that means I would be spending almost $60 on face powder, albeit it would be twice as much. Still, even buying one at $30 a pop hurts a little too much. So sadly, I don't think I can continue using this foundation for financial and convenience reasons. However, if they came out with the right shade for me, I would surely give it another try.

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rated 3 of 5 brightcolorsforever on 8/18/2011 11:18:00 PM more reviews by brightcolorsforever

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

BE review for mineral foundation in golden deep. Overall it's decent for what I'm looking for.
Pros:
Natural- does not make my combo skin break out
Gives a sheer coverage which I prefer

Cons:
This shade has an ashy undertone- I have to mix it with deep bisque concealer to fix it.
Messy- can't travel with it.

I stay with BE because I'm afraid the other stuff will break me out. I think MAC has an excellent shade range for women of color and I wore MAC on and off in the past. But MAC is heavy and I'm trying to control a mild acne situation I have on my forehead.

Update: I stopped wearing this product because I couldn't get past the ashy look. I will purchase some covergirl queen collection foundation and give it a try because I heard so many great reviews about the color matches.

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rated 3 of 5 wellhellmichelle on 6/10/2011 10:54:00 PM more reviews by wellhellmichelle

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I have used this product in Light for about 5 years, and I got several compliments on my skin, even though I do get some acne from time to time. It is also very lightweight, and makes my skin look beautiful in photographs. I would get shiny after a few hours though, and would have to reapply, add mineral veil, or just live with the shine.

However, the latest container of Bare Minerals I received made me face itch like crazy, and caused bumps all over my cheeks (I normally have no acne on my cheeks.) I don't know if the latest formulation has more Bismuth in it than previously, or if my face just can't handle the bismuth anymore, but either way, I reluctantly gave up on using this product. I realize now that it probably also caused the milia around my eyes, which I never had before using this product.

I have since changed to Physicians Formula mineral wear, which contains no bismuth, and all the bumps and milia have disappeared. I do miss the shimmer that the bismuth gives, but I would rather have clear skin that doesn't itch than a little shimmer any day.

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rated 5 of 5 ASHLEYFLOOD on 6/5/2011 5:57:00 PM more reviews by ASHLEYFLOOD

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Using 'Impruv' creme as a base for the 'Bare Escentuals foundation'= AMAZING!!!

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rated 5 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* BarbItalia on 6/5/2011 11:42:00 AM more reviews by BarbItalia

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

(There are many listings for this same product, so I'm posting in each)
I've been using mmu for approximately 7 years; prior to that, powder foundations. I live in the deep south and am one of those women who is always hot, whose my face perspires a great deal. At 53 I have large pores, some redness, oily T-zone, some broken capillaries now (wth - what're these about?), not too many wrinkles but lots of . . .texture. I've tried LOTS of makeup brands and always found Alima to be the best (I love and respect everything about the company). Over these 7 years I've met and fallen in love with BE eye shadows, blushes, brow color and even their specialty brushes. But because of all the negative reviews and posts about BE foundation's sheen, irritation, lack of coverage, etc. I never even considered trying it. Ever. About a year ago there was a website special offer from BE that offered a free trial-size jar of their original foundation. So I got one - Fairly Light for my really light olive complexion. I was flabbergasted. I fell totally, completely in love with the stuff. I've never used a mineral foundation that applied so smoothly, covered so easily, made my skin look so nice - and I applied it the same way, with the same brushes, as every other mineral foundation I've used. Regarding the sheen or "shiny" finish people refer to, I have experienced this ONLY when I've applied BE foundation over moisturizer. I've never had good results applying any mmu over moisturizer - the moisturizer seems to eat the product up or, with BE, leaves a sheen. So I use a silicone primer or pure aloe vera gel prior to my foundation. I won't even say that BE makes my skin look "luminous" - it simply makes my skin look really NICE. Natural. I keep a yellow-green mmu concealer to pre-conceal blemishes and redness (from Cory Cosmetics) with an ELF mini concealer brush but find that I can often skip this and pre-conceal with the BE foundation instead. Using my Alima foundation brush I layer the foundation as needed, spritzing my face with either water or a product specifically for this purpose (by BE or Mark) in between layers and after mineral blush. I'm an experienced mineral makeup user; if you are not you must remember - apply as little as possible, applying more as needed as you learn how much you need to achieve the look you want. This is KEY to successful mmu application. Because of skin sensitivity this may not be right for everyone, but do keep in mind that BE's natural-bristle face brushes may be causing your irritation rather than the bismuth oxychloride. Give a synthetic brush a try, and also consider that a silicone primer creates a waterproof barrier between your skin and the foundation, which will help protect your skin from ingredient irritation. The new sifter jars make usage and traveling worry-free. I never ever thought I'd be a Bare Escentuals devotee but here I am.

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rated 3 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* orisha_girl on 4/24/2011 3:09:00 PM more reviews by orisha_girl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Red, Curly   Eyes: Green    

I used this foundation in Fair. At first I was delighted with it - it covered my rosy cheeks while looking really natural, it has a lovely glowy finish, it looks better as the day goes on... all reasons to love it. So why DON'T I love it? Well, I first started wearing it in winter, but as the weather has warmed up (I'm also on a medication that causes me to get warm and sweat more than average) I'm finding that the foundation makes my skin itch and feel prickly, and I get rash-like blotches all over my face - it looks like measles! I only get these problems when I'm wearing this foundation. After a bit of research, it seems likely that it's the Bismuth Oxychloride in the powder that causes the sensitivities I've been experiencing. I'm going to keep the pot I've got, and use it again in the winter, but I'll be avoiding it in the warm months. I'll also be trying bismuth-free minerals from other companies.

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rated 2 of 5 *TOP REVIEWER* glossyxlipz on 4/23/2011 11:02:00 PM more reviews by glossyxlipz

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Dark, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Medium   Eyes: Black    

I'm actually getting very irritated with this product(emotionally not skin wise). I have been forcing myself to like this and lying to myself how much I like it and how nice it is to have natural makeup. I'm sorry but I cant deny how much I dislike this anymore! It doesn't cover anything and it is an atrocity for my dry skin. Not to mention that it is messy! Even with its new spill proof cap, it just somehow gets everywhere.

I am going to keep it around as a setting powder or something. This has just been a disappointment for me.

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rated 5 of 5 Denniska on 4/18/2011 11:44:00 AM more reviews by Denniska

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Black, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

I was looking for some good foundation for my combination skin (oily T zone and dry flaky cheeks) for quite a while now, and after no luck with liquid foundations, I decided to give minerals a try.
First I didn't like it that much because although it was perfect on the oily parts of my skin, I still had flaky dry cheeks. But then I came across Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant and it totally changed the way makeup looks on my skin, after using the microfoliant, I use my moisturiser and then this foundation and my skin is flawless and the makeup looks sooo natural... love the Dermalogica Microfoliant, buy it! :)
So now I have this foundation in MEDIUM and I bought the matte version in light as well and what I do every morning is I mix 2 parts of medium with one part light matte and this works wonders on my face, not too glowy, not too matte, just perfect. I'm amazed how much coverage it gives me, hides red cheeks instantly and using a small firm brush locally on blemishes, it makes them totally disappear. Btw I have the Well rested concealer as well and LOVE IT, would recommend to anybody.

Some people say this foundation doesn't provide enough cover, but it's because they use the wrong brush!! BEST BRUSH TO USE WITH THIS FOUNDATION is definetly the BIONIC FLAT TOP BUFFER BRUSH from Coastal Scents, it's sooo soft, literally like feathers on your skin, no hair fall out al all - and I washed it many many times already, and because it's flat, it helps to provide perfect coverage, you'll love it! You can buy it here, they deliver worldwide http://www.coastalscents.com/cfwebstore/index.cfm/product/2161_37/bionic-flat-top-buffer-brush.cfm
So I hope my review helped you, thank you Bare Escentuals, thak you Dermalogica Microfoliant and thank you Coastal Scents Bionic Flat Top Buffer brush for making my face look sooooo good :))))

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