Bare Minerals Makeup: Does It Give You The Coverage You Need?

The other day I went over to my local Ulta store on a quest for some new makeup.  The reason?  I am breaking out like a 12 year old going through puberty.  Umm helloooo….I’m almost 37 freakin years old!  What the frig?  I’m waaay too old for this crap!

Anyway, until my appointment with the dermatologist next month (earliest one I could get), I need to find a makeup that covers my acne without breaking it out more.  So I’m wondering what makeup gives the best coverage? I did a bunch of research and everything I read said that the best full coverage makeup for acne prone skin is mineral.  So I figured why not?  I can always return it if I don’t like it.

I will say that I was extremely skeptical about how well mineral makeup would cover my skin.  It is really bad right now.  Really bad.  I need major coverage to mask these gompers (my word for massive mountain-like zits).  But I took a chance.

So I’m at the Ulta store looking at the Bare Minerals makeup that I had heard and read so much about.  People really rave about it.  I wasn’t sure yet.  Picture it.  A group of teenage girls came in (probably between 14 and 16 years old) and they were looking at the make up too while discussing which color to buy.  I overheard them saying how much they “love” Bare Minerals.  I have no idea why I even bothered but I did.  I asked them what they thought of the Bare Minerals makeup.  Here is how the conversation went:

Me:  So you all use Bare Minerals?  How do you like it?

Teenage Girl:  Oh yeah.  I love it!

Me:  Does it give you good coverage?  Because obviously I need that right now (pointing to my zits)…(still not sure why I was asking a young girl with porcelin-like skin who probably never had more than one pimple a month in her life if she gets “good coverage”!)

Teenage Girl:  Yes it does.  Hold on let me get my friend.  Her mom uses it.  Sara, come here.  Doesn’t your mom use Bare Minerals?

Sara:  Oh yeah.  She loves it!  She’s always saying how much she thinks it makes her look younger.

Well THAT sold me on it.  A TEENAGER telling me that her MOM uses it because it makes her look “younger”.  Okay, I know I’m old enough to have a teenager but did she have to remind me of it by comparing me to her mom?  Hearing that did NOT make me feel better!  On the bright side, at least she didn’t call me “ma’am”!

That being said, I went ahead and bought it anyway.  My goal was to buy a full coverage makeup that was oil-free, not pore-clogging and would give me good coverage.  And if an added bonus is that it would make me look younger, I’ll take that too.  Why not right?  But just to be clear, the coverage I am seeking is for zits…NOT age.  I’m not quite there yet since I  still look pretty decent for my age  although, I’m sure the days are numbered <coughs>!

So here is my take on Bare Minerals.

I bought the TAN starter kit for $60 from Ulta.  A good value since the three brushes that come with it are worth that if you purchased them alone.  The kit includes:

• TWO shades of bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation: Medium Tan & Tan (.06 oz/2g)
• Bare Minerals Tinted Mineral Veil (.1 oz/3)
• Bare Minerals Warmth All-Over Face Color (.06oz/2g)
• Flawless Application Face Brush
• Handy Buki Brush
• Maximum Coverage Concealer Brush
• How-to DVD
• Bonus Gift - 1oz. mini bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper(1oz/30mL)

I also bought a primer by Smashbox as suggested by the makeup “expert” at Ulta since the Bare Minerals one called Prime Time apparently frequently gets returned because people complain that they don’t like the feel of  it.

I watched the DVD that came with the kit and I’ll be honest, it’s kind of a snore.  Don’t get me wrong, it helps you see how to apply the makeup but the “swirl, tap, shake off the excess” directions from Leslie Blodgett, the CEO of Bare Minerals and star of the DVD got rather old real quick.

After suffering through watching the DVD, I was now ready to try Bare Minerals for myself.  I did everything the DVD instructed me to do but I gotta be honest, I didn’t get that “natural” look that it promised and it certainly did NOT cover my acne.  So was mineral makeup the best for full coverage? No.  Not even close.  I tried building the coverage as suggested but still…no.  Acne was as evident as it was before I put the makeup on.  However, I decided I’d give it the benefit of the doubt and try it again thinking maybe I just needed to “practice” applying it.

The next day I came out out of the bathroom all Bare Mineraled up and showed my husband my “natural” face.  His response?  “Don’t take this the wrong way but…you don’t look any better but you don’t look worse either.  Just um…different.”

Huh?

Is that supposed to make me feel better?  Yeah…not so much.  Sooo, after examining my face in every mirror and under every light, I decided that either I bought the wrong color for my skin tone, or Bare Minerals is just the wrong makeup for me.

I went back to Ulta that night and spoke to someone different at the makeup counter.  She happened to have the same skin color as me so that worked out good.  She tried mixing the tan and mediums together to get a perfect match for me but even she agreed that nothing looked natural about it.  I have tan, olive skin with yellow undertones.  I initially bought the tan starter kit but I thought maybe it was too dark.  That’s why she mixed the medium and tan together.  However, no matter what colors were mixed, there was absolutely no perfect color match for me therefore, I ended up returning the entire kit for a full refund.

Is Bare Minerals a good makeup?  Believe it or not, I think it really is….for certain people.  I think it’s a great choice for young girls just starting to wear makeup since it really does look “natural”…on people who have clear complexions (or just a couple of pimples here and there) and smooth, even skin tones.   If I had a young daughter, I would not hesitate to try Bare Minerals on her first.  I like the fact that it has a light feeling and has non pore-clogging ingredients which are both important on “virgin” skin.  It also looks great on people (young and old) who have no major skin issues and who have nice clear, smooth skin.  It may be a good choice for acne-prone skin in that it will not contribute to your breakouts, however, I most certainly WOULD NOT recommend Bare Minerals for coverage.  If you are trying to cover acne,  melasma, or sun damage, in my opinion, the coverage is not sufficient enough for problems such as those.  That being said, I would definitely consider trying Bare Minerals again after my skin clears up AND if I could figure out the correct color for my skin of course.

In the meantime, per a friend’s recommendation who has had similar skin problems as the ones I am currently dealing with, I am now using Lancome’s Teint Idole Ultra foundation to cover up my acne from hell.  DING DING DING!  We have a winner!  So far I am loving it.  It is oil-free, has great coverage yet feels very light which I love, and the color is perfect!  Hallelujah!