Bare Escentuals • Matte Foundation spf 15 • Powder

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bluesuze on 8/7/2009 1:37:00 PM more reviews by bluesuze

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

I was excited to get my sample of this from Sephora. I have worn Fairly Light in the original BE foundation, but suspected it was giving me cystic acne. I also hated the shiny look. When I received the Matte sample of Fairly Light, it looked slightly darker and more orange than my original one. I have noticed also that the coverage is a little less than the original. The finish was nice, however. I won't be purchasing the full size. I'll be sticking to Meow Cosmetics.

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smasters467 on 8/4/2009 9:47:00 PM more reviews by smasters467

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

The new Matte is awesome. I've always been a fan of BE products, and fortunately I don't have any reaction to the bismuth. The new Matte doesn't contain bismuth, and makes me look poreless. I agree with everyone else, you do need to use more, but it's worth it.

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hemmerlyv on 8/4/2009 8:11:00 PM more reviews by hemmerlyv

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I love this! The original was way to shimmery and made me look sweaty. This one is just right. It lasts all day and absorbs my oil. I have combination skin, so after the makeup "settles" and works with my skin, it is gorgeous. It looks better as the day goes on. I do need to us more than I thought for good coverage. It's buildable, so I keep on applying it until I get the coverage I want. I like that I can go light coverage or full coverage with the same product. The artists at Sephora were great at helping me with this product.

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beckhamlvr on 8/4/2009 4:14:00 PM more reviews by beckhamlvr

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I used to use the original foundation but once fall hit, it started making me break out horribly. Because of that, I was a hesitant to try the new one. I've been using it for two days now and love it. I have oily skin and the matte foundations keeps me pretty matte but not completely shine free. This new foundation doesn't cover as well as the original. I haven't totally figured out what I'm going to do about that, since I like the coverage of the old one. I love the new lock top. The original was always making a mess everywhere. This one is so much cleaner. So far I'm loving it. If anything changes, I'll update

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tralex2009 on 8/3/2009 7:34:00 PM more reviews by tralex2009

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

Ever since watching a bare minerals infomercial, I bought this product in fairly light. I really like the coverage it gives. I have oily skin and it does wonders for it! I am also a nursing student which gives me little time to do much with my makeup routine. I find that applying it in the morning is quick and easy. I will buy this foundation again!

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*TOP REVIEWER* barbie_c0ri on 8/3/2009 5:19:00 AM more reviews by barbie_c0ri

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

did i get a bad sample or what?! it looks dull on me..and dry? it shows my pores more than the original...i'll give it a second try...maybe i had a bad skin day? =/ I will update


Update: bleh..no thank you! i like the original formula way better than the matte and i have very oily t-zones!

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Alicee on 8/3/2009 12:48:00 AM more reviews by Alicee

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

For my oily skin, this does the job. Note that unlike what a review says below lauroyl lysine is not coconut oil but a derivative of the amino acid, lysine. Amino acids are proteins and oils are fats so the chemical structure should be different. It is however, often used as a hair conditioning agent - so from the sound of it it could possibly be pore-clogging. I haven't seen problems yet, however.

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fabulousjewel on 8/2/2009 11:52:00 PM more reviews by fabulousjewel

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

Pros: It's non-drying, has buildable coverage giving you a natural finish. I love this foundation for the summer, doesn't feel heavy and gives you a really matte finish.

Cons: Sometimes, it gives me a ashy finish.

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PinkGLoss873 on 8/1/2009 9:36:00 PM more reviews by PinkGLoss873

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Tan   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

IN LOVE. what an amazing product for oily skin! I did swear by the original one for about a year, but then after so many times using it I believe my skin got used to it and my oil showed right through even right after applying it! It looked shiny which I hate. I am so glad they came out with this foundation! I rarely have to blot my face for oil now when I used to fill out two Clean & Clear oil absorbing sheets. This works great and I even think the color is better than the previous! =)

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runway on 7/31/2009 10:12:00 PM more reviews by runway

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

I was looking at the ingredients and found that Lauroyl Lysine is actually coconut oil, would this cause breakouts?!? Ever since I started using this stuff I got really bad ones but am not sure if this is what caused it other than that it covers really well and makes my pores look smaller!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Missy on 7/29/2009 4:06:00 PM more reviews by Missy

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I purchased the full size as soon as it was released at Sephora.com. My shade, "Fair", is darker than the original formula which is unfortunate for me since the original was almost too dark. Oddly, I do not find this to be matte AT ALL. It goes on semi-matte, but within minutes, my face looks like an oil slick. I have to dust a mattifying powder on top, but it only helps for a while. On the plus side, the coverage is actually not bad. It's true that it doesn't cover nearly as well as the original formula, but you can add thin layers of product to areas with a concealer brush and it looks very natural without looking cakey. Overall, this may be good for some, but my skin doesn't seem to like ANY type of mineral makeup.

UPDATE: I tried for a while longer, even using different finishing powders to tone down the shine, but it ultimately gave me a horrible rash! Minus 1 more lippy and it's going back to Sephora.

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Buerre on 7/29/2009 8:35:00 AM more reviews by Buerre

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

As always, Bare Escentuals produced a quality product with their matte foundation. It goes on light and blends well leaving a fully matte, not a hint of shimmer, finish.


Usually with bareMinerals I am a little 'glowy' ( super shine on forehead & cheeks) within two hours - the matte foundation lasted about 4-5 hours before I had to go over it with MAC MSF Natural powder (a HG product that I have not found a natural/organic replacement for). Great improvement!


About the color: Normally I am a Warm Tan, but had tried Medium Dark in the original formula before and it was just a shade or two too deep. With the matte foundation, I found Medium Dark to be a much deeper and redder shade than the orig., (think cinnamon color) so you may want to sample a shade lighter for a better color match.


My JCP/Sephora did not have Warm Tan or Tan available, just Fair, Beige & Dark, but once my colors are in, I will purchase a full-size to use in conjunction with the original as my only foundation products - this makeup is that good!

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mbwest on 7/28/2009 2:08:00 PM more reviews by mbwest

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

First - I have very difficult skin. It is slightly oily, but goes dry easily due to retinoids. It is also semi sensitive and I have mild hyperpigmentation due to previous pregnancy acne. I am a MMU addict and have tried nearly every brand out there - original BE, Alima, Everyday Minerals, Lumiere, GloMinerals, Jane Iredale, UgloGirl, Lauress, etc, etc. I have had problems with most of them due to various reasons so I was thrilled to sample the new BE matte. I must say it is fantastic! I bought a full size the moment it released online at Sephora and still love it. If you can find a color match this will be your new favorite foundation. Previously Fair Light was too dark and Fair too light for me, but with the new formula Fair is perfect - I suppose matte runs slightly darker. Try it - you will love it!

Edited 10/09 - I am no longer using this foundation. I found that it accentuated dry spots a bit too much for me. I now use and love Merle Norman's MMU. :)

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lilhottiencali on 7/28/2009 3:07:00 AM more reviews by lilhottiencali

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I had a love hate relationship with Bare Escentuals. It sometimes made me itchy and it sometimes had this shiny look. I love the matte foundation way more! The pluses to the matte foundation is that is does not have the bismuth or Mica in it. It also has the mineral complex that the skin care has. I tried it over my Smashbox tinted moisturizer and I really really was happy with the results. I hear that it is more sheer but I can not vouch for that... I have pretty clear skin now. I noticed my face smoother, pore less, and it wore well through out the day. I like that the container now has a "closable sifter" YEA!!!! (that should cut down on the mess.) In the regular formula i mix the light and golden medium because i thought the light was a hair light on me....The matte version i only have to wear light. I am happy they finally came out with a Matte version!

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suttonrl on 7/27/2009 9:15:00 PM more reviews by suttonrl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

I love BE matte. It is more sheer than the original but I use the multi-tasking to even out redness and a little concealer on any break-outs, so I really don't need too much coverage after that. I have extremely oily skin and this holds up better than any other mineral product that I have tried (MAC, Mary Kay, Estee Lauder, Sephora, Elizabeth Arden, GloMinerals). I still have to blot occasionally but not nearly as much as other mineral powders. It also covers pores well and doesn't have any shimmer in it, which is a plus. I am a cool tone and fair is too light and medium is too dark. The sales people at Sephora always tried to match me somewhere in between those two shades but I am not neutral or warm, so light and fairly light do not work for me at all. I ended up buying a container of fair and a container of medium, mixing 50/50 of each shade and I found my perfect shade. Another plus is that if I get more tan or more pale I can just mix more or less of each shade to find my match. This is not make-up that I would plan to wear at my wedding next year, but it is the perfect everyday make-up. Another plus is the ability to close the container so the powder doesn't fall out into the lid. I'm not sure I would consider this a miracle foundation but it is the best thing I have found so far.

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ren_kr on 7/27/2009 2:11:00 PM more reviews by ren_kr

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

Ok, well this has promising ingredients that says it'll improve your skin so that is a plus. I used the original BE for about 4 years and stopped last year when I realized how horribly yellow the fairly light was on my skin especially where I applied it as a concealer and with closer inspection, there's glitter in it?!

I got a sample of this, and yes, much more matte and maybe too much of a matte look for me. You need much more for application and the color seems...a bit darker than the original like not as bright. It's an ok powder foundation but I've kinda lost faith in BE and am planning on splurging on some nicer real foundation in the future.

update:: ok, so back in the day, i used to use the original just to be used as concealer and it seemed to work fine until my skin got paler or so. This, i tried one day just to use on some of my spots and it was so much more obvious in the light. It literally looked yellow against my skin in the sunlight (fairly light).

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bwola002 on 7/25/2009 3:30:00 PM more reviews by bwola002

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

So i got my sample from sephora yesterday and im trying it today. i HATED the old bare minerals it looked so nice when the SA tried it on me at ulta for the first time so of course i caved and bought it but i wore it to a wedding soon after and my face looked gross and shiny after an hour so i swore it off. i didnt expect much from this but after buffing it on it looks pretty good. my face feels a little dry but not too bad and my pores are almost invisible! idk yet if i will buy the full size maybe, maybe not ! if this stuff doesnt break me out or make me look oily ill def head to sephora for the big one! right now im iffy about it!
Update: Eh im taking off a lippie. this stuff is so-so. ive been wearing it during the day and it starts out looking pretty good but my face gets SO oily and after about 6 hours it looks as if i never put make up on! i was considering buying the full size but eh not anymore!
Once again im going to update! i keep changing my mind about this! so i went to sephora and picked up their bronzer brush (the one with the black handle) and used it to apply this. i have a friend at the Nars counter at nordies and she told me to keep blending mineral foundations until they look natural, not necessarily put more on the brush but keep moving the brush in circular motions lightly around your face. so anyways i took her advice and blended this product realllllly well and when i looked in the mirror i was so surprised, my face looked great!! ive been wearing this as my foundation ever since and even in the 90 degree heat and humidity today at the park it stayed looking pretty! plus i have no breakouts while using it! yay !

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*TOP REVIEWER* breeknee on 7/23/2009 9:22:00 PM more reviews by breeknee

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

The salesperson at Sephora must have not remembered me because she keeps giving me samples of this! lol. Anyway...

I am a Fairly Light in the regular Bare Minerals, and that is the shade I received. It is actually dark enough on me to be a bronzer. I am a MAC NC15 with neutral undertones and shades that are slightly lighter and slightly darker than that can work on me if I blend them out well... this did not. I didn't even like this on top of liquid foundation.

In terms of coverage, almost every drugstore mineral foundation I have tried is better. BE is acting like this is some big new thing but Everyday Minerals has done matte as well as a variety of finishes for a while now and each are way better. I think that with infomercials and notoriety aside, BE would be on the mid to low end of people's favorite mineral company. If Sephora sold EM or one of the other online favs, they would beat out BE for sure.

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*TOP REVIEWER* 3buzyboyz on 7/23/2009 3:29:00 PM more reviews by 3buzyboyz

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

Definitely a winner!! I tried the sample from Sephora and knew the first time I wore it that this would be replacing my old BE foundation. This foundation goes on nicely, thas buildable coverage, and I am in love with the matte finish. I just placed my order for the full size and can't wait to get it with the new closable top (the mess has been my biggest complaint about mineral mu).
**(edit) After using it for some time, I am back to BE original. I will occasionally use it in the summer months in the t-zone and then apply original over the entire face. I missed the luminosity that original offers, the matte just didn't look natural.

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Ladylynn34 on 7/22/2009 1:24:00 PM more reviews by Ladylynn34

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Received this as a sample from Sephora and even with the mini-kabuki brush application, it went on evenly and the color matched perfectly. It stayed very matte (even in 90 degree weather). It was perfect over sunscreen at the beach too. Very natural. As with all mineral powders, I recommend applying a serum or other filler around the eyes since the powder has a tendency to settle into the fine lines.

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