I was super excited when bareMinerals came out with their new bareSkin liquid/serum foundation back in May.
I used to LOVE bareMinerals loose powder foundation, but as I aged (and gained lines *sigh*), that powder tended to settle into those lines and actually age my look. I still drag it out every once in a while, hoping for great results, but find that it just doesn't work for me anymore.
Anyways, I went right down to both Sephora and Ulta and scored samples of 2 different shades to bring home to try.
They were both super greasy.
They settled into my lines and looked pretty gross within a few hours. I looked like an oil slick with bad lines. Not pretty!
Look how it settled into my laugh lines
This shot shows you how oily it got within a couple of hours, plus how it accentuates my laugh lines...and below, how it settled into my forehead crease between my brows.
I was disheartened. I thought I was gonna get the great bareMinerals coverage and "good for your skin" attributes, without the line-settling, aging problems. Nope.
However, when Ulta.com had a 40% off Physician's Formula sale, I was scrolling through and saw this new foundation:
The description and reviews on the site made it sound like something similar to bareSkin, though some people were complaining that it was too dry for their skin. With my oily skin, it sounded like exactly what I needed!
And it was on SALE!
Not to mention I had an Ulta coupon for $3.50 off my order.
So, for less than $8, I bought it in the shade Medium Beige. I was a little worried about the color selection, seeing that there were only 3 choices: Light, Medium & Medium Beige. A far cry from the 20 choices offered by bareMinerals!
Anyways, I've got a pretty good summer tan going, so I went with the darkest shade offered and luckily, it works perfectly for my skin tone.
You can watch the video below and see how I used it, how it performed, 3 different ways to apply it (yes the included brush is pretty sucky), and how it stands up after hours of wear.
Pros:
Cheap
Lightweight Feel
Light to Medium (yet somewhat buildable) Coverage
Doesn't Look Cakey or Heavy
Color *Seems* to be Forgiving and Blends Out Easily
Applies GREAT with just your hands/No Brushes Needed
Stays Put Pretty Well
Doesn't Make Oily Skin Oilier
Doesn't Settle In Lines
Supposedly Improves Skins Overall Health/Tone/Discoloration/Spots (though I don't know if it really does?)
Didn't Break Me Out At All
Cons:
Very Limited Color Selection
Brush Isn't Very Practical or Usable
Must Shake Well Every Time
Doesn't Control Shine (though it doesn't seem to make it worse, either)
Wouldn't Qualify as Long-Wear Foundation (I don't think this is gonna be the one for women searching for 10+ hours of wear, though I could be wrong, especially if they DON'T have oily skin)
My Take: I like it. A lot. Especially for $14.99 or less. But I realize, as with all foundations, that this is very subjective.
After all, we all like different coverage levels, have different skin types, tones, and issues. But for me, this is a great foundation and I think I'm gonna stick with it for a while. Unless they come out with a foundation that works MIRACLES for oily skin!!
What's your favorite foundation? Are you happy with it or are you always on the hunt for the next, best thing?
Be sure to tell us your skin type, too.
