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.

Bourjois Healthy Mix

Left to right: Healthy Mix serum in 52 vanilla, Healthy Mix in 53 Light beige, Healthy Mix concealers in 53 Dark Radiance and 52 Medium Radiance

Before the last summer, I rarely use liquid foundation, just BB creams and powder foundations. Then I saw reviews upon reviews about this amazing foundation. I decided to give it a whirl. The Healthy Mix foundation promises to give a perfectly glowing complexion and toned skin for up to 16 hours, I personally have not had the thing sitting on my skin for that long, but I can say it lasts pretty well throughout the day. Bourjois describes it to be of perfect coverage in a semi matte finish, it is oil-free and "maintains essential skin hydration". From my point of view, it has more of  a light to medium coverage (more lenient to the medium). But it is indeed semi-matte, it looks very similar to real skin. Please do note that you will be able to see tiny shimmer in the foundation under strong sunlight (only one here or there, not easily detectable unless you are really looking for it). The shade 53 is perfect in mid-summer when i catch a tan, but now it is slightly too dark for me.

The foundation comes in a light plastic packaging with a vacuum pump that I really like (no wasting the product).

The Healthy Mix serum is lighter than the original in both the formula and coverage. It is described to be a gel foundation providing 16 hours of radiance boosting, even, revived complexion with a semi-matte finish. Interestingly the coverage indicated on this bottle is rated by three squares, with only one opaque square, I assume that it indicates the foundation to be of light coverage. It also claims to be an "instant blending gel, flawless complexion, undetectable coverage".  I think that it does give a very undetectable coverage, it blends in nicely with my skin and mimics skin texture nicely. The shade 52 is a perfect match for my cheeks but when used all over the face, it looks too neutral-pink (my cheeks are more neutral and my t-zone is slightly darker and more yellow) to match my neck, but still works in the winter when i'm more pale and generally more neutral in undertone. This foundation gives a more dewy finish than the original healthy mix, but unlike the original, it does not contain any shimmer. I find the texture of this foundation very similar to an oil free moisturizer, like the Shiseido Mattifying oil free moisturizer. The foundation comes in a plastic bottle with a regular pump.

The concealers are very creamy and longlasting and of medium-full coverage. As with the foundations, 53 is more yellow and 52 is more neutral. 53 is an exact match to my t-zone areas, whereas 52 is just a tad too light even for my cheeks at this time of the year (spring, awkward transition between winter pale and summer tan). They are marketed as a radiant and anti-fatigue correcting concealer with an oil-free and moisturizing formula. It seems they would like it to be a under-eye concealer, but personally I find it more fitting to conceal the rest of the face with this concealer than under the eyes. I have quite dry under eye areas (then later in the day they will be oily as hell, such a troublesome combination) and I do not find this concealer moisturizing at all. On days when my skin is drier, the concealer exacerbated the problem under the eyes. With this concealer, you have to be a bit careful, too thick a layer will make it look cakey, especially around the eyes. The concealer contains shimmer particles that are bigger than those found in the original healthy mix foundation, but contains fewer particles, so again, it's not really detectable unless you are looking for it. The shimmer does not make your face look shimmery. The concealer is packaged in a very sanitary squeeze tube with a slanted end (similar to packaging of the lancome juicy tubes). You only need very little of the product to cover a large area, the amount sampled on my hand in the photo below and slightly more will be sufficient to covering all my acne scarring on my face (which are small clusters on the hollows of both my cheeks, the apple of my right cheek, a small corner of my chin and any active acne and or scars on my forehead).

Please do note that the concealers are not a 100% shade match with their corresponding foundation shades.

They all claim to have various fruit extracts to help with radiance, hydration, anti-oxidant...etc and have strong fruity scents. The scents are not noticeable beyond initial application. But stay away from these if you are sensitive to fragrance or do not like fragrant face products. In my opinion, I think the scent is quite pleasant.

Top row: concentrated  Bottom row: spread out
Left to right: Healthy Mix Serum in 52, Healthy Mix in 53, Healthy Mix concealer in 53, Healthy Mix concealer in 52

November Favourites 2012

Yay! December is coming! Sad thing is that I've already gotten rather sick, so please excuse the lazy polyvore assemble of my monthly favourites.

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer --- Light 02 Alaska

This stuff is amazing, although it provides very sheer coverage, you can tell your skin looks better and more even. But you definitely need a concealer if you have any spots or dark circles. This retails at Hong Kong for HKD$420, which is a lot pricier than what you can get at UK (£27) and US ($42)

Nars Blush --- Douceur

This is a pinky-brown blush (more to the brown side) that gives natural contours to the face. I think it's more like a contour than a blush (gives small amount of color to the face, but contours more). Great for subtle definition, plus it's kind of like a two in one product. Very sheer, but buildable. Retails at HK Nars counter for HKD$280.

Max Factor Lash Extension Effect Mascara ---- Washable Waterproof Black

First, this is not waterproof. I'd say it's water resistant, so don't be fooled. But what I like about this mascara is that it gives length and slight bit of volume ever so naturally, it does not clump my lashes together and people will barely notice you have any mascara on, but makes your lashes significantly longer than with no mascara on. It's also incredibly easy to wash off in the shower, another plus for lazy people like me. It is also quite a good dupe for cover girl's lash blast length, they have the same brush. Retails for about HKD$138.

Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stain ---- Honey

This balm stain is a pretty pinky rose my-lips-but-better color, it looks very natural and also quite pigmented, one swipe gives back the life to your lips. It does stay quite long as a stain, and fades evenly. Almost no touch up is required because this color is so natural, another plus again for lazy people. Retails for HKD$98.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo

I've been really spotty this month, plagued by some less evil cystic acne, regular acne and comedones. Although it does not look incredibly horrible, it's bad enough that my regular tea tree oil treatment can't handle, I remember I have a small sample of this thing lurking around in my samples pile and decided to give it a try, although it did not clear away everything over night, my bumps felt significantly less rough and I went to get the full size. Althoguh I have only been using this for a few days to a week, this is definitely one of the favorites of the month. Retails for HKD$260.