bareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation
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bareMinerals is one of my favourite brands. I’ve been a fan of their mineral powder foundations for a very long time, having been bowled over by their surprisingly full coverage, natural-looking results and formulations so skin-friendly you could sleep in them! So needless to say that when I heard they were introducing a liquid foundation that’s been 20 years in the making, I was pretty excited.
The much-awaited bareMinerals BareSkin Pure Brightening Serum SPF 20 Foundation presents an astonishing breakthrough in the world of liquid foundations, with an intensely nourishing formula that doesn’t harm skin (no oil, no silicone, no parabens and no fragrance), won’t clog pores and transforms the complexion with its natural looking coverage and fine-line hiding abilities. The hydrating fluid contains a skin-quenching blend of jojoba-coated mineral pigments, supercharged lilac plant stem cells and vitamin C in a coconut-derived base to deliver all the benefits of a traditional serum, topped with a brighter, even-looking skin tone.
Not only does it have the look, feel and coverage of your liquid foundation dreams it also comes in a wonderful palette of 20 shades so you don’t have to compromise on a colour match – you can find your shade in this useful guide here. I tried it in shade Bare Shell which was a good match for my skin tone. To give you an idea of my colouring, I usually wear ‘Fairly Light’ in the bareMinerals powder foundation, NW20 in MAC and 103 Ivory in Clarins.
When I first got my mitts on this beauty, I was surprised at how thin and silky the texture of it is. It’s a closer relation to a serum than a typical liquid foundation, with a slightly runny feel. When you shake it – which you’ll need to do before application – you can hear it sloshing about inside which speaks volumes about its lightweight consistency. It absorbs really easily, perfect for building up layers of coverage. You won’t need to wait until the first layer has dried with this innovation – you’ll be able to crack on with a second layer straight away which is a huge win if you’re like me and forever in a rush.
One of the best things with BareSkin is the ability to build a bespoke finish. If you’re having a good skin day, or generally have good skin (you lucky thing) then 2 drops will be all you’ll need for a sheer, radiant finish that’s great for days when you can’t be bothered crafting a full base… I’m looking at you Sunday mornings. For a medium coverage 4 drops should suffice for a seamless look, and for the Full Monty of bases 6 drops will conceal, cover and correct any blemishes, fine lines and uneven tone in one fell swoop.
I found it pretty easy to build up the layers, with four drops being sufficient to cover my chin spots (urgh) and redness for a day at the office. To apply I used the bareMinerals Perfecting Face Brush which has been created especially for use with BareSkin. I’ve never seen a brush like this before – it has a dip in the top of the bristles that creates a reservoir for you to drop in the foundation. Kind of like a crop circle. It allows for a mess-free application as the thin liquid is trapped in the well of bristles that you apply straight to your face; literally shake, drop and buff.
The bristles are really densely packed and worked well to buff the foundation into my skin with no trouble, although the brush has a relatively small surface area so it does take a minute or two to blend it all in properly. It’s well worth it though, as you’ll be left with a seamless, streak-free finish that looks beautifully natural. The kind of finish that you’re pleasantly pleased with every time you happen to catch a glimpse of your reflection in something shiny.
As I’m an oily-skinned gal I did apply BareSkin on top of a primer, specifically the bareMinerals Prime Time Foundation Primer and set it with my holy grail of finishing powders, the bareMinerals Mineral Veil. That combination lasted throughout my working day just fine with only minimal touching-up needed at the end of the day to control a bit of T-zone shine. If you’ve got a normal or a dry skin tone I feel this would wear wonderfully. I imagine it would be great for a dry skin tone particularly, as its super hydrating and bestows a lovely dewy glow. It’s hypoallergenic too, so a great option for sensitive skin types.
On the whole this is a great all-rounder and should wear well on the majority of complexions. On me it felt weightless and smooth with a picture perfect finish that I really enjoyed. It didn’t oxidise or melt off by lunchtime which usually happens to my foundation (curse you pale, oily skin!) The fact it has adjustable coverage is a big plus for me, as its great having something in your beauty arsenal that ticks all the boxes, plus I like knowing that I’m not harming my skin with unfriendly chemical ingredients. I’ve found myself reaching for this more and more in the mornings as its super quick to apply. In my humble opinion it definitely deserves all the hype it’s been getting.
Let us know in the comments if you’ve tried bareMinerals BareSkin! What did you think?