Bare Minerals 'BareSkin' Foundation & Perfecting Face Brush

 

Bare Minerals is a brand I've always wanted to try.  Renowned for its natural looking coverage and kind-to-skin ingredients, I've often heard amazing things about their products and their original mineral foundation has been on my 'to try' list for yonks.  Just recently, I've had the chance to try out their newest release - the BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation (£22.88*) alongside their Perfecting Face Brush (£21.12*).  Said to help brighten the skin, the BareSkin foundation helps to even out skin tone whilst offering an ultra-thin, silky texture - a 'weightless' fluid which helps to blur imperfections and soften the appearance of the skin.  Sounds dreamy right? It seemed like my perfect lightweight foundation but I have to admit - I haven't fallen head over heels for it just yet...

The packaging definitely ticks all the boxes for me - simple, lightweight, not too fussy, and the 'dropper' styled tip on the bottle helps to prevent mess and product waste.  It recommends just a few drops (5 for a fuller coverage) - so that's exactly what I used - but I have to say, I was left feeling a little bit disheartened.  I'm by no means a full coverage lover. Don't get me wrong, I do like a good medium-full, flawless appearance but I often sway towards a lighter, more dewy base which is why I thought I'd love this.  It's by far one of the lightest foundations I've used and I'd liken the coverage to that of a tinted moisturiser. It's very watery and not entirely buildable. There's something about the formula I just don't seem to 'click' with - the serum does feel lightweight but I'm not sure I enjoy the feeling of it on my skin. It's just a little too slippery and oily for my liking.  Although it perks up the appearance of my skin - it doesn't seem to smooth it out as much as I'd like. It's because of this that I've only been using this on good skin days (and VERY good skin days for that matter), or days where I'm not really going anywhere but want to apply a little bit of a base 'just incase'.   It definitely has some brightening, smoothing qualities to it but I just don't love it as much as I imagined I would. For reference, I have the shade 'Bare Ivory' which seems to match my winter skin well (very yellow based - which is what i always seem to lean towards).

The Skin Perfecting Face Brush is a handy addition to my collection.  It's rather unique - with a 'fluid reservoir' in the middle which allows you to really control the amount of coverage.  It's quite dense and doesn't really have a lot of 'movement' in it so it feels very different to a standard buffing brush. It does give a nice effect to the skin and works well with my lighter, fluid bases and serums - it also offers a bit more control than other similar brushes I've used.  I find it takes a little more work than usual but I really like the effect it gives.  Although it does work with the BareSkin foundation, I found I had to apply quite a few drops because the watery formula seems to instantly absorb into the bristles.  I took to applying a few drops to the back of my hand, dabbing some on to my skin and then buffing in with the brush - this seemed to work much better and provided me with a better coverage.  Although it's a nice brush, I think it's more of a novelty in my opinion - I don't notice a massive difference between when I use this and when I've used my standard buffing brush - but it's a good'un to have in my brush pot nonetheless as it does provide that perfected, polished finish.

Overall - I'd say do your research with this product.  If you're after something very lightweight and dewy - this could be for you.  It does seem to knock out dull tones in the skin so it's a good one to keep in mind for the winter months.  The watery consistency is nice to work with but it's just not as buildable as I'd like and I'm not keen on the way it feels on my skin personally. It's extremely light - and I've used BB Creams with a thicker coverage so that's worth baring in mind. I can see why Bare Minerals have bought this into their range - it offers a nice alternative for those who maybe don't like the powder foundations so much but it's yet to win me over. The Perfecting Face Brush, on the other hand, is a good purchase if you're a fan of lighter bases and serum foundations - it makes a nice change from a standard buffing brush or flat foundation brush but I still wouldn't say that it's a necessity. Despite my mixed opinion on the serum foundation, I'm still really wanting to try the Original powder foundation - its such a raved about product! I'd love to know your opinions if you've tried both... You can find the BareSkin Serum Foundation on the FeelUnique website here for £22.88*, and the Perfecting Face Brush is available here for £21.12*.

Have you tried this foundation? What were your thoughts?