Product line revisited: bareMinerals

By:  Melissa Anderson Garcia, special contributor to Style Wylde

I jumped on the bareMinerals bandwagon with everyone else a few years ago: So easy! So natural! So simple! After a while, though, I fell off that bandwagon, deciding that the powder foundation tended to settle into fine lines, the shimmery finishes weren’t always flattering to my complexion, and the containers tended to make a mess of my makeup drawer. Browsing in a Sephora store recently, however, I saw the new “Bright Now” limited edition collection  and was really drawn to the pretty, wearable colors that seemed like just what I needed to cure the winter blahs brought on by weeks and weeks of rain.  I also decided to try the relatively new “matte” foundation powder, since it seemed likely to get rid of the shimmery-ness I found objectionable in the original formula. 

Many “matte” or “mattifying” powders and foundations have a chalky look that I find unnatural and even ageing, but happily that is not the case with the bareMinerals matte powder foundation. To my eye, it actually seems lighter and less cakey than the original formula, and happily the new filter-top in the container controls mess better than the old lid did. In addition, it is indeed less shimmery than the original foundation, and so does seem to give a better, more natural appearance on the skin.

The limited edition “Bright Now” collection was also full of nice surprises.  To me, “brightening” is an extremely overused word in skincare and makeup marketing that can mean anything from “exfoliating” to “shimmery” (eek!), but in this particular case it seems to refer to the subtle glow the colors in this set give to the skin, and the eyeshadow and blush included in the collection do this especially well.  The primer helps keep the powders from settling into fine lines and may also increase staying power, and the blush and eyeshadow are soft coral-pink colors that seem like they would flatter many skintones and did seem to impart a fresh, springlike glow that was just what I needed. The lipgloss is a nice non-sticky shimmer gloss that was a bit light for my taste since I loathe a pale lip no matter what fashion magazines say, but even for me it would probably work well over a matte lipstick. The mascara was fine, but with so many new mascaras on the market almost daily, it didn’t seem nearly as unique as the other products in the set. Finally, the blending brush is another versatile bareMinerals brush that could be used for anything from blush to eyeshadow, and it’s a nice extra in the kit.  The set is a great value at $39 since all but the primer appear to be full-sized, and, according to Sephora, the items would sell for $109 if sold individually.  Hopefully, Bare Escentuals will soon offer these products widely; for the moment, they are a Sephora exclusive.

All in all, I’m very happy that I gave bareMinerals another try. It seems that the company really listened to what customers liked and didn’t like about their products, and these new formulas and products are excellent additions to the beauty market.