"Bare"ing it All

After recently running out of my Lancome BB cream, I was looking for a new light, airy foundation for days when I'm not on camera. As I've said before, it can be taxing on skin to wear full primer/concealer/liquid foundation/powder every day, so when I can, I like to give my skin a break and wear something a little more natural.

The problem is, I don't have perfectly clear skin. Not by any means. I drink a ton of water, get 8 hours of sleep, and take exceptional care of my skin with a regimented routine. But, like a lot of you I'm sure, my skin goes through ups and downs. I've struggled with breakouts and blotchiness/redness since I was a teenager, so naturally I want some coverage even on days where I'm trying to let my skin breathe.

 I popped into Ulta to peruse and chat with some of the staff there. Anyone who knows me knows I can go on and on about makeup with just about anyone. I just love picking other peoples' brains to see what products they love, trade stories on products we weren't into, new arrivals, etc.

After talking with a really nice staff member about what her thoughts were on a foundation that would be not only good for my skin, but help with coverage as well, she directed me right over to the Bare Minerals counter. Now, I was a little tentative at first...I remember trying Bare Minerals years ago, I think it may have even been in high school. Although I liked the lightness of the powder, I wasn't too thrilled with the coverage, and I remember it not lasting that long.

She assured me that not only had the formula changed from years ago, but they now offer a new line of products called Bare Minerals "READY".

Here's the product description from the website:

"The proprietary solid mineral technology in this foundation will give you a completely new perspective on what a foundation can do for you. Invisible, long-wearing coverage beautifully covers everything yet feels like nothing. It leaves behind no traces of makeup, and the more you use it, the better your skin looks. Exceptional hydrating coverage lasts up to 12 hours with a no-makeup look and feel."

Sounds perfect right? Well it is. I'm in love with this product. I had an Ulta staff member take off all of my face makeup and do a full application to make sure I liked it. I always recommend this when it comes to foundation, because when someone else is matching the correct color to your skin tone you'll get more of a true color. Objectivity, or something.

Especially when it comes to this powder-type of foundation, definitely have a professional help you out with your shade. It's what they are there for, and they enjoy helping you out.

The key to the awesome, even coverage from this foundation is the Prime Time BB Cream. With any powder foundation, a good, hydrated base is very important. In fact, if you have dry skin, I wouldn't really recommend this foundation for you. I would steer you towards a more creamy BB or CC cream. 

After using a light moisturizer on my face and neck, I apply the Prime Time BB cream in "light". It's super velvety-smooth, and full of good stuff for your skin. It's also the perfect way to prep your skin for the powder.

After that dries for a bit, start applying the powder in small, buffing circles all over your face and neck. (Powder or liquid foundation, ALWAYS blend down into your neck. You never want to have that dreaded "line"!) They offer a brush sold separately, but from the consistency of the brush I could tell that my ecoTools retractable Kabuki brush would work just fine.

I love this brush because I can retract it and cap it, which is great for travel and for keeping it clean.

I also purchased the Bare Minerals Correcting Concealer for any problem areas I might want to conceal. As I mentioned before, there's really no guilt when it comes to this brand because of how natural the ingredients are. 

This concealer is definitely the silkiest I've used, and blends seamlessly. Plus, there's no cakey-ness when used with the Ready Foundation.

Here's a video showing how to apply these three products:

There really is no better feeling than having full, even coverage with no guilt of layering on pore-clogging gunk. Love it. Have you had a good experience with Bare Minerals? Let me know! Cheers Xx

Products Used:
-Bare Minerals Prime Time BB Cream ($26) Ulta
-Bare Minerals "Ready" Foundation ($29) Ulta
-Bare Minerals Color Correcting Concealer ($22) Ulta
-Eco Tools Retractable Kabuki Brush ($7.99) Drugstore