Review of Bare Minerals Foundations

I know I never really talk about my makeup routine here on the blog, but I take a lot of interest in my makeup as well as my clothing. In my adult life, I've only ever used Bare Minerals foundations. A few months after returning from Haifa (see my explanation of my time in Haifa here), my mom took me to the Bare Minerals store in our local mall and we got a bit of a make over. We bought a lot of makeup that day. It was my second run-in with non-drugstore make up (I danced with Clinque before when I was fighting the age-old battle with acne) and I felt like such an adult. At 18, this makeup cost more than most of my clothing and I was enamored. I stayed loyal to Bare Minerals Ready Foundation for almost 2 years, then I was seduced by their new liquid foundation, Pure Brightening Serum Foundation. Most recently I picked up their Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream. 

Ready Foundation (Powder)

I wore this powder foundation for almost 2 years and I was happy. I wore it at first with the Bare Mineral primer, then switched to E.L.F. primer this past year, tried Smashbox's holy grail of primers, then went back to E.L.F. after I kept getting the same results. I've used it with several different brushes, from the one the kit comes with from Bare Minerals to cheap Walmart brushes that broke after 3 uses. They all offered about the same result.

Pros: 
Good coverage
Long lasting
Easy to apply
Stays put all day (no sliding)
Stays matte all day
One compact lasts upward of 6 months with moderate use

Cons:
Unnatural finish (very matte, no natural dewiness or glow)
Feels a little heavy

I would definitely wear this makeup for an event (hello, upcoming wedding!) or any other situation in which I needed to look perfectly matte all day and didn't want to worry about any shine. I could go from 8 hours at work to 3 hours of class to a 2 hour dinner after and come home looking more or less the same. I love this foundation, I just wanted to try their new product, which was...

Pure Brightening Serum Foundation

I was so excited to try this! My mom and I (we're makeup buddies) went and picked this up in November and we both gave it a try. I didn't like it. It was too... Slidey? It definitely didn't feel good on my face. Maybe I was just used to the firmness of the powder, but this felt like it wasn't dry on my face all day. Even with blush and the mineral veil to set it, it still felt all over the place. I bought a brush (not the one Bare Mineral recommends) but I only used it once, it had a better finish with fingertips. I don't like the bottle, the opening on top is leaky (maybe mine is defective?) and it gets all over the place. Overall, not the best. I went back to the powder after about a month. If you want to give it a try, click here. 

Pros:
Good coverage
Long lasting
Dewy finish

Cons:
Feels wet all day
Feels heavy
Hard to apply

I stopped in at Ulta to refill my powder a few weeks ago and spotted...

Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream

I had done no research and read no reviews of this makeup before I bought it, but I was not disappointed. This foundation is so cool! If it is, indeed foundation. It doesn't seem like a tinted moisturizer- it has better coverage than I could imagine from a moisturizer. Its light and easy, has a lovely dewy finish and doesn't completely suffocate my face. I hid my skin for a long time as a result of my problems with acne, and I'm just now gaining more confidence in my skin how it is. This gives me a bit of a color boost, and lets my actually pretty decent skin still show. I also love the SPF on this- this one has 30 SPF and the other two have 20. I spend a fair amount of time outside at work, so I appreciate the extra protection on those long recesses in the Texas sun. 

Pros:
Lightweight
Dewy finish
Breathable
High SPF

Cons:
Minimal coverage
8-hour wear

I think I'm going to stick with this foundation for a while. I love its easiness, but its a little bit of a pain to put on because I mix it with primer first (I tried this based on a reviewer tip). I might not do this moving forward, over the summer when I don't need my makeup to last 12 hours. Without mixing it with primer it can go about 8 hours, but it also layers well, and doesn't look weird if you put another layer on midday. I'm looking forward to reducing my makeup routine... Oh summer days with a hint of concealer and a coat of mascara. I'm getting off topic. This makeup is great. I would advocate trying this for anyone who likes a minimal routine, or who just wants to switch up their makeup for summer. Shop it here.

What are your favorite foundations? Any tips for primer? I'm still looking for the perfect one!