Bare Minerals Foundation trial kit -- TRY. BELIEVE. LOVE

The BareMinerals foundation line has long been popular and very very hyped up. They also put out some very big claims out there. "Makeup so pure you can sleep in it", I definitely cannot.

Although it claims to be a makeup product that is supposed to be gentle to the skin, the original formula and the concealer contains bismuth oxychloride, an irritant to the skin (maybe not for some of you, if you are lucky) which my skin is not able to tolerate.

I have been wanting to try the foundations for a long time now and have heard a lot of good things about their foundations and how a lot of people with acne prone skin swear by this foundation. So I was looking at the Sephora website and stumbled upon this kit, it costs USD 20. I figured this will be a nice way to get introduced to the brand and see if it is really that gentle to the skin. (it's not for me =[ )

You can purchase the set in different shades, I have this in the shade light. I am really surprised that I am already in the "light" shade range, considering that the foundation color turned out to be just in time for summer (I do not think I can pull it off in the colder months). The set comes with mini sizes of the original and matte formula of the foundations in Light (described by BM as "for light skin with golden undertones"), the concealer in summer bisque, the mineral veil (setting powder) and two miniature brushes (full flawless face brush and the concealer brush)

Clockwise from top left: SPF20 concealer in summer bisque, Original SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Matte SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Original Mineral Veil Finishing Powder

Left: Mini Full Flawless Face Brush
Right: Mini Concealer Brush

Swatches Clockwise from top left: SPF 20 Concealer in Summer Bisque, Original SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Matte SPF 15 Foundation in Light, Original Mineral Veil Finishing Powder

The miniature brush is REALLY small, very compact, great for travelling

It is very unfortunate that this once again proves that my skin does not bode well with mineral foundations, especially those infused with bismuth oxychloride. These are my opinions on each of the products contained in the kit.

Original SPF 15 Foundation
This really gives a very 'lumnious' finish, I find it too dewy for my liking for a powder foundation. It did not really feel better than my other powder foundations, to be honest, I think these mineral foundations make my skin feel dry and slightly taut. Plus because it contains bismuth oxychloride, my face is kind of itchy just twenty minutes into wearing this foundation.

Matte SPF 15 Foundation
I had really great hopes for this foundation as it does not contain bismuth oxychloride, but it had still broke me out after wearing it three days in a row. I will probably just reach for this when I'm in a hurry. I have to say that the finish isn't really completely matte, but rather just less dewy than the original formula. But I have to say that it really looks very much like real skin. Although it is a 'matte' formula, it has little to no oil control and you do need to powder with these foundations.

SPF 20 Concealer
I think it is very odd that they have about five times more foundation shades than they have concealer shades. The color matched with the foundations could not be more different, the concealer is really pinked toned and looks a lot lighter than the foundation. It is claimed to be 'creamy' and works for both blemishes and under the eyes, but if odd lighter patches on your skin and ghostly grey and DRY undereye area is your kind of thing then go ahead. Plus bismuth oxychloride equals unflattering and breakout.

Original Mineral Veil Finishing Powder
Oddly enough, I think this is the only thing in the set that does not wreck havoc to my skin and actually feels kind of nice. It is a very silky smooth translucent powder (although it does look awfully pink in the jar). It feels very light on the skin and you cannot over powder with this as it does not mattify your skin completely (but that also means not very much of oil control).

Mini Full Flawless Face Brush
This brush is awfully small and cute (sorry, I have a thing for small things like babies shoes and miniature sized products). The hairs are pretty dense on the brush, but not very smooth, bristles can be quite hard and stabby if you push it too hard at your face (I tend to do that). But it is perfect for travelling and on the go

Mini Concealer brush
This is just a very typical fibre concealer brush, I don't really love these brushes since I don't think they really do anything other than placing product to where desired (unlike fluffy synthetic brushes that place AND blends flawlessly) but it is quite decent sized considering it is a miniature sized brush. I think this will be more useful for lining the eyes and blending out liner.


So, I tried and did not believe and love.
I hope you guys out there have better luck with these mineral products.