Bare Minerals Makeup: A Foundation for Women with Truly Bad Skin!

Infomercials usually get the better of me, and I finally broke down and bought the "starter kit" for Bare Minerals online for about $60, fully intending to return it after it failed me like all other foundations have failed me. Only I never did, because it turns out that this product actually works!

Bare Minerals is a subsidiary of Bare Essentials, and their claim to fame is that they developed a foundation that brushes on like a powder and is made out of all natural ingredients. They state that while liquid foundation is cakey and slimy, and powder foundations dry your skin out, their mineral powder foundation blends with the skin, sort of infuses the skin. And it does.

I purchased the starter kit for medium skin which, they say, "most women have". I've never been able to find a foundation that matches my skin, because I suffered from bad acne for many years, which left red scars on my face, and I also suffered from bad acne products, which basically stripped the pigment from my face. My skin is dry and flaky, but over top of that there's oil. So I've got this red and white, dry and oily face on top of a body covered with olive/tan skin. Not even the expensive foundations like Lancome or Prescriptives worked for me.

When the Bare Minerals arrived in the mail, I opened it and found a jar of mineral eye shadow, two jars of mineral foundation in similar shades (one is pinker, one is browner), a jar of "Warmth" which is dark brown and is sort of used in place of blush or bronzer, a jar of "Radiance" which is sparkly pink in the jar and is used as a highlighter, and a jar of "Mineral Veil" which you brush on after you've brushed on everything else, and it kind of sets the makeup like pressed powder does for liquid foundation. Also included were four brushes: one for light application, one for heavier application, one for applying eye shadow and one for applying concealer (the foundations double as concealer when applied with the concealer brush).

I followed the directions on the "how-to" DVD that was included, and since I wanted more coverage, I used the "Handy Buki" brush. You do just like they say in the ad: tap some powder into the lid of the jar, swirl it around with the brush, tap off the excess, and brush it on in a circular motion. They call it "buffing". I did two buffs on each check, two on the forehead and chin, one on the nose, and then used the concealer brush to cover some capillaries on the sides of my nose, and to cover some zits near my mouth.

Then I brushed on a tiny bit of Warmth on my cheeks, forehead and nose with the light application brush, and finished with the Mineral Veil with the same brush all over my face. (I didn't bother with the jar of Radiance - I haven't seen a need for it and it was a little to sparkly for my taste.)

I couldn't believe my eyes in the mirror. It looked like I wasn't wearing any makeup - it just looked like I had great skin!

This product actually works, and this is coming from the biggest makeup cynic in the world. I've tried L'Oreal's mineral foundation and it made my skin flaky and ended up sliding off my face by noon, and when I'd go back to reapply in the afternoon it would cake up on the oil and make me all blotchy with brown spots. I've also tried Everyday Minerals, but it settled into my forehead creases and also left me feeling slimy. Thinking it was maybe just bad brushes, I tried my Bare Minerals brushes with both these brands and they still didn't work.

I've never in my life had a foundation I could wear with confidence in the harsh sunlight without looking like I was caked in it, but this stuff blends so well it looks totally natural. If you get sweaty, it doesn't run or slide off and you can blot your face with a tissue and reapply Mineral Veil as much as you want and it doesn't get thick on your face.

Trust me, the investment was worth it. You get two new jars every 2 months (but you can change it to three months if you want, which I did because I'm not rich) and you have to pay for them but honestly, I really think it's worth it.

Bare Minerals works, it really does, even on someone with actual bad skin, not the "TV bad" skin they show on the infomercials. Don't even bother trying the other brands. I know I sound like their spokesperson and I feel cheesy like one, but they've turned America's Biggest Makeup Cynic into a believer, and I'm so happy that after 20 years with bad skin, I finally found a product that gives me confidence in my appearance. I recommend this to everyone, but mainly to people with bad skin who have struggled with makeup for years.