Paula's Choice • Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 20 • Tinted Moisturizer

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temperlyne on 7/9/2007 5:37:00 AM more reviews by temperlyne

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I thnk this is paula's best foundation. It goes on pretty sheer, but covers just enough to even out my skin-tone. If I use cover up my imperfections first, this foundation gives a nice natural semi-matte finish. The finish keeps away shine pretty well and lasts longer than most TM type foundations.
I love that it comes with SPF 20, I only use additional suncreen under my eyes.
I use it in the lightest shade which is a good summer shade for my pale,neutral to warm tone.
Downside is the small amount. The sqeeze tube is very convenient but it is so small that this ends up being quite expensive.

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candypantz on 6/17/2007 9:42:00 AM more reviews by candypantz

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I really like this sunscreen. It is great for workdays and under makeup. It is much kinder to my pores than regular sunscreen. If my skin is looking good I will wear this alone, but its so light that I can wear it under foundation. Because it is so sheer, I really don't understand the trouble people have matching it to their skin tone. It really is 'Barely There'. I could easily go up or down a shade and it wouldn't make much of a difference. I have recommended this to many friends who are using it and love it. I highly recommend it.

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ninaruth on 5/15/2007 6:31:00 PM more reviews by ninaruth

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

I love the texture & sheer coverage...I hate the color selection, though, which is why I took off two lippies! I am fair-skinned, very pink/blue undertoned & I wish Paula would stop being so hyper-fanatical about shying away from "pink" or "peach" tones...she claims that the colors are "truly neutral" but I tried a sample of ivory & though the finish is lovely & it didn't make my hyper-sensitive skin break out, it definitely is too dark/warm for my skin! Paula, PLEASE have mercy on us cool-skinned gals & stop making shades that make us look jaundiced or like orange Oompa-Loompas!

Though it may have caused me to break out (still not sure yet), I will have to stick to my Good Skin sheer (also a Tinted Moisturizer, in my opinion) from Kohl's in Cool 2, becaues the finish is similar but the shade actually matches my skin & is more cool/neutral-toned (without being too pink, peach or ashy, which I know are Paula's fears & why she doesn't make cool-toned shades).

If you are neutral/warm-toned, you might like this foundation a lot!
EDIT 5/22/2007: I got the Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 20 from Paula's Choice in "Fair" & it was a great match for me...truly the only neutral (even a bit cool-toned) of her color choices...yey! I upped it to 5 lippies (had taken off 2 lippies for color selection); I love the formula! Way better than the Good Skin formula in terms of lasting & coverage but still wish she had better colors! My suggestion for those who want to try Paula's...go to her website & order the sample sizes (only 80 cents) of the foundation first to see if you like it. The colors tend to be a bit darker/warmer than they appear on the website, so I'd suggest ordering a sample of the color you think would match your skin & then a sample of one color lighter...for example, I thought that the Ivory would match my skin but turned out that it's darker than it looks & thus Fair was my true match. EDIT: 5/31/07: Looks like I may have jumped the gun...this product (the zinc & titanium) may be breaking me out...still trying to figure it out, but 90% sure this is it. :-(

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*TOP REVIEWER* ruqayya33 on 5/4/2007 5:14:00 PM more reviews by ruqayya33

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Fine   Eyes: Green    

This is a nice option for that no-makeup look. It evens out my complexion, whithout making me look made up. It's a noce option for the gym and just hanging out on a lazy afternoon.

Goes on quickly and evenly, without the need of sponges or brushes. I also love the SPF!!! I have oily skin and typically tinted moisturizers give me that overly dewy sheen, all too soon. Not this one. I stay matte for many hours! (Eventually, even this one will mix with my natural oils, giving me a shiny face, but blotting pappers or a tissue take care of that.)

I wear Sheer Beige mixed with a little Sheer Honey, in the winter and just Sheer Honey the rest of the year. - I'm a medium darkish beige to light brown complexion. If you're darker skinned, this TM might not offer the right color for you.


The only con: It's not available offline and so I have to pay shipping fees and wait for it to arrive (7-10 days.)


UPDATE: (6-20-07) I just discontinued use of this, after I found DuWop Revolution and Vincent Longo Light Canvas TM.

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ShuzieQ on 5/1/2007 3:32:00 PM more reviews by ShuzieQ

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I ordered a sample of this product and I am sooo glad I did! I am now ordering it in the full-size.
I tested this product side-by-side with Laura Mercier TM in Porcelain...literally, one side of my face wore this and the other wore the L.Mercier -- for a couple of days, actually, as I tried to decide which I liked better. I had a VERY difficult time choosing between the two products. Both have SPF. Both have sheer coverage. Both blended well and evened-out my skin. Neither was streaky. Both left my face feeling fresh even hours after application. Neither settled into my fine lines nor pooled in my pores.
The L.Mercier has a teensy bit of shimmer for a subtle illuminating effect (*not* frosty!), which I really liked. The PC Barely There gave *slightly* more coverage and dried to a matte finish, which I really liked also. Decisions, decisions. The deciding factor turned out to be eye irritation: the Laura Mercier irritated my eyes, the Paula's Choice did not. So, I'm buying the PC in Sheer Fair and will use it with a bit of illuminating liquid (eg Benefit Moonbeam) on my cheekbones and eye contour for the perfect coverage/illumination/non-irritation combination. The L. Mercier TM is being returned to Sephora.
I'm 43 with fair, normal-to-dry skin, some redness around my nose and tiny, fine lines just starting to form.

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*TOP REVIEWER* librarian_girl on 4/10/2007 12:12:00 PM more reviews by librarian_girl

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

I love this TM. I use it every single day and have for about a year now. With combo skin that is prone to breakouts, I find layering sunscreen, concealer and foundation (even powder or mineral) is just too much for my skin to take. This combines two of those steps and I've not experienced any negative effects, like breakouts. I use the lightest shade (Sheer Fair) and find that it blends very naturally with my fair (with pink undertones) skin. As with all TMs the coverage is sheer. I use this, then a concealer to spot cover what I need to cover. This goes on matte but I do find that I have t-zone breakthrough a bit later in the day. But I get that with any product that contains sunscreen.

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gracie97 on 3/31/2007 6:15:00 PM more reviews by gracie97

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

I bought the lightest shade of this and found it too dark and far too yellow for my skin. Paula seems to be over-reacting to the overly-pink makeups of yesterday in making such a distinctly yellow base intended for all pale skinned women. It looks really unnatural on my pinkish, light skin, like I'd rubbed some yellow ochre on it. If I could apply it very evenly, the clash with my skin tone might not matter so much. But the texture is stiff and a bit waxy, so I've found it impossible to apply evenly (but probably has good staying power). Am using it up by mixing little bits of it with Wet and Wild sheer tinted moisturizer (SPF 15), which looks a lot better on my skin and costs only a few bucks.

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missysmom on 3/23/2007 8:20:00 PM more reviews by missysmom

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I was looking for a substitute for the Clinique City Block I like so much but is a little pricey. This fits the bill perfectly. If I'm a little dryish, I just mix in a little regular moisturizer. For the price at getthatglow it's pretty good. I would recommend those who aren't sure to GET A SAMPLE first before buying; you can pay a teeny more at paulaschoice.com to have a better return policy. Overall, I really like it. Great price for a great tinted moisturizer.

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PourHomme on 3/11/2007 2:17:00 PM more reviews by PourHomme

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

First, I have to say that I'm not sure if I'd order from Get That Glow again, as the discount they give isn't worth me not being able to return a couple products from Paula's Choice I'm not extremely fond of. I got a sample of this in Ivory, thinking the fair would be way too light. I think I expected more from Paula in the way of shades. She normally raves about lines that have great options for light and dark to very dark skin. Why does she only make shades for white people? Anyway, I got a sample of the sheer ivory. It really is very sheer. It's so sheer that I, as a make up artist, could not tell that a shade called "ivory" was too dark on my face before ordering it. I thought it warmed up my complexion somewhat. No, it is way too dark. For reference I am Stia a/b, 20 watt, KA SSE03, and Becca Praline. I might try the 'fair' shade, but to me I always think of the fair shades as being like milk in color. I am quite fair, yet have a nearly equal balance of pink/yellow to my skin. The sun protection in this is great, with 5% zinc oxide and 5% titanium dioxide. I prefer physical sunscreens anyway, so this is a major plus. I might just stick to my Stila Sheer in 'bare' which is nearly perfect for my complexion, in a line where the shade name 'fair' is reserved for a shade that is too light for my complexion and nearly all the shades are truly "breathtaking" as quoted from Paula's book of reviews. I'll just stick to Paula's skincare, as it's some of the best I've come across. Her make up could use some work.

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littlebear514 on 3/4/2007 1:18:00 AM more reviews by littlebear514

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

This is my hg tinted moisturizer and I've been using this product nearly everyday. I usually wear it over a light moisturizer, but it works okay without one, too. I have been on a search for quite awhile to find a tm that worked for me. This one has the perfect texture, blends beautifully, is sheer enough to let my own skin show through, while still providing enough coverage to even out my ruddiness as well as a few small pimples. I also have a very difficult time finding a tone light enough for my skin, but the lightest one is perfect for my super-light skin.

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*TOP REVIEWER* zernelle on 3/1/2007 12:55:00 PM more reviews by zernelle

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

A year and a half ago I tried PC Natural Finish Oil-Absorbing Makeup SPF 15, and it was horrible! (Read my review of it, if you're curious about all the reasons I disliked it.) But I'm trying to figure out a good way to work sunscreen into my routine despite my oily skin. The reviews for this product were positive, so I ordered a sample to try it out. Pros: Sheer Fair is a good shade for my very fair skin. It starts out a bit yellow on my pink-toned skin, but once it is absorbed, it looks very natural. The physical sunscreens didn't make me break out as I feared they would. Cons: It emphasizes the tiniest dry spots, but doesn't hold up well at all on oily spots. It feels sticky for at least 30 minutes after application, which makes applying other makeup over top difficult. And coverage was very minimal, so I have to use a separate concealer. Overall, the cons outweigh the pros for me. I'll stick with my HG foundation, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra (which has enough coverage to use without concealer or as a concealer just to spot cover with the rest of my face bare), with a sunscreen underneath. UPDATE: The physical suncreen caught up with me and eventually broke me out, but at least now I know to avoid it.

Active Ingredients: Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 5%, Zinc Oxide 5%. Other Ingredients: Water, Cyclomethicone, Propylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-/18-Dimethicone, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Talc, Dimethicone, Phytantriol, Tocopherol, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Boron Nitride, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Dextrin Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

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

*TOP REVIEWER* amyhuskiewicz on 2/8/2007 9:50:00 PM more reviews by amyhuskiewicz

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

I have repurchased this several times and will continue to do so. Physical sunscreen and sheer coverage that evens out my skin when I have those blasted blemish marks. Originally, her lightest color was too dark and I really appreciated that Paula made another color in response to customer requests. My holy grail tinted moisturiser. Not too yellow, not too pink, blends right in with a natural finish. What more can I ask for? That it be made available in stores!!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* ningurl on 2/1/2007 7:28:00 PM more reviews by ningurl

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

This is one of the best TM I've tried. I does not sit in my pores on my cheeks like others do, it melts into my skin and gives a natural finish. No sparkles, no orange, no fakeness. I follow up with a pressed powder with a medium coverage and I get the exact look I strive for. I really enjoy Paulas products.

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KitsonKate on 1/23/2007 11:17:00 PM more reviews by KitsonKate

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

After going through several tubes of Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer, I decided to venture out and try something similar in quality, but a bit easier on the wallet. This is comparable to LM's TM at about a fraction of the price. As a sheer TM, I'm mostly looking for adequate SPF (which this has) and a fair amount of color to even out my skintone, but still allowing my skin to show through and look fresh. This TM does all of that. I have sensitive, combo, acne-prone skin thats slightly on the oily side and this product hasn't caused any breakouts and I'm almost done with the tube.
However, compared to LM, the coverage on PC's TM is just a tad more sheer (which doesn't bother me, but may not provide enough coverage for some). Also, I don't think this TM leaves a matte finish at all-- the product doesn't do a thing for my oily t-zone (but I have yet to come across a TM that will).
Overall, another good product from Paula's Choice. For the quality, price, and the fact that it hasn't caused my sensitive skin to go nuts, I'd definitely repurchase again.

For your reference, I'm a MAC NC25/30, LM TM in Nude, PC TM in Sheer Ivory

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

botticellia93 on 12/18/2006 10:49:00 AM more reviews by botticellia93

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

A foundation that doesn't look like foundation?! Here it is! This makes my skin look pretty, but no matter how hard you look, you'll never tell I've got it on. Sheer: Very, yet does even out my skin. Matte: More like demi-matte; a little powder on the nose helps. Tint: Sheer Fair looks dark coming out of the tube, but blends nicely. This is the only foundation I've found that's so sheer and natural that I can use enough of it to get SPF 20. Other brands have to be thinned so much to look natural that I'm sure I don't get the listed SPF. (This does mean it gets expensive as I go through the little tube rather quickly, but my skin will thank me for it as I age.) It doesn't make me break out or exacerbate my rosacea. On special occasions when I want a little more coverage, I mix it half-and-half with Paula's Choice All Bases Covered.

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JChahboune on 10/24/2006 11:33:00 AM more reviews by JChahboune

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This provides so little coverage that it's barely worth putting on as a foundation. HOWEVER, it makes an excellent suncreen as it has an SPF 20. I wear it as a sunscreen under my bare minerals makeup and it does the job. Most of Paula's products are pretty good and reasonably priced, in my opinion.

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sarathan on 10/10/2006 11:40:00 AM more reviews by sarathan

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

OMG, I LOVE this stuff, I think I like it even better than Clinique Superfit and I NEVER thought I'd say that! The Sheer Fair is a perfect match for my light skin with neutral undertones. It gives a bit more coverage than what I was expecting, which is nice. It has a nice smooth matte finish and it looks very natural. The sun protections is an added bonus. And with PC's great prices, this stuff just can' be beat. I'll definitley be buying it again and again.

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

LindzeeB on 9/17/2006 5:43:00 PM more reviews by LindzeeB

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I tried several shades of this product for my fair skin and none of them matched well enough nor blended in properly. I was told by several people that my foundation "looked awful" when I wore this product.

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widup on 9/9/2006 3:07:00 AM more reviews by widup

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I adore this product! I use it every day!

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Jaqueta on 9/3/2006 4:26:00 PM more reviews by Jaqueta

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I got this in Sheer Ivory in a swap along with a variety of other foundations and decided to give this a try. I love it! Although the Ivory is a tad too yellow for me (I use topical retinoids, and as such am usually a bit pinkish) I have gotten many, many compliments at work on how good my skin looks. Most of them were in the vein of, "you look so great- you're not red at all!" which I suppose is a good thing. It is a very light coverage foundation that evens out your skintone but still looks like, well, like skin. I love that it doesn't look heavy or fake- it also didn't settle into my pores or crease up on me. It feels light and natural on my face and gives pretty good sun protection. I will definitely be (re)purchasing, but in the lightest shade (and I'll see if that matches a little better). I only wish, like so many other reviewers, that it came in a bigger tube!

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