Review: Bare Minerals Original foundation ~ Beauty follower

Review: Bare Minerals Original foundation

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Disclosure - this product was sent to us free for review

Bare Minerals/Bare Escentuals are, for many, the last word in mineral foundation. They're the high-street face of minerals, the department-store-shopper's powder foundation. They have brought the swirl-tap-buff application method to the masses. Their Original foundation has SPF15 and claims to be able to help heal rosacea and acne. It offers buildable coverage and is apparently suitable for all skin types thanks to its gentle, all-natural formula. It's, to quote a marketing tagline the brand uses, "makeup so pure you can sleep in it".

My experience with minerals had so far been of the indie variety (and mostly limited to lovely eyeshadow sample jars from the likes of Fyrinnae) when I was sent this foundation to review. The brand currently have a promotional campaign in play called "Rethink your foundation", and have been offering miniature foundations and brushes to customers on counter as part of the programme. As a result, there are likely to be a lot of other people discovering or re-discovering this brand at the moment too.

One thing I really like about this stuff is the packaging. The "click lock and go" sifter is a pretty neat bit of engineering. Basically you can open or close the sifter holes by twisting the edge of the open jar (there is a serrated grippy bit to make this easy) to avoid spillage if you're carrying it around with you. There are plastic "bumps" to keep the sifter held in position. The jar itself is a solid but lightweight construction with pleasantly neutral branding.

The "flawless face" brush that was sent along with the powder is also of good quality, soft and pleasant to use. I am not sure what sort of hair it's made of (definitely natural hair and not synthetic). It sheds a bit, but not too much.

I wore the foundation, applied in swirl-tap-buff fashion with the "flawless face" brush, for several days running. And I don't know why, but I just didn't take to it. There's something about the feeling of it on my face that I don't like. It's kind of... there. I can tell I have it on whenever I move my face. It's not heavy, it's certainly not greasy, but it's not drying either. It just creates a sensation that I personally don't like, and for that reason I doubt I will repurchase.

That said, I'm confident that it will probably work a treat for other people, and it seems like a well thought out, good quality product. So if you are at all curious, I would suggest that you do go to the counter and have a try of it, especially if the promotion is still running when you read this.

Bare Minerals Original foundation costs £22 (8g) and is available from Bare Escentuals online, or via counters in department stores nationwide. There is also a stand-alone Bare Escentuals store in Covent Garden.

Review: Bare Minerals Original foundation