I have been watching the infomercials lately for Bare Escentuals and am intrigued. I know that smearing liquidy stuff on my face every day isn’t the best for my skin, but I’m having difficulty wrapping my brain around how a powder can be just as good or better than traditional liquid makeup. Since it’s fairly expensive (at least according to my pocketbook) I hesitate taking the plunge. So I turn to you, Doper Ladies, for expert opinions.
Have you used Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals? I see there are sellers on ebay of generic mineral powder makeup, is there much of a difference? How important is a good brush? Does it really last all day? Does it really provide good coverage, like for blemishes and red spots, etc.?
See, for me, the name alone bothers me. Is it some bizarre combo of essential, scent and sensual? It is supposed to convey all three? To me, it only conveys that the maker doesn’t know how to spell.
I have heard that it’s good stuff–I’ll ask the woman I know who uses it next time I see her.
I tried it and didn’t like the way the powder looked on me…too cakey. But I have very oily skin, it may work better on other people. I still have all the trial-sized stuff I bought off of Ebay and I would be happy to give it to you if you want it. My email’s in my profile.
I have some of the Bare Minerals stuff. I am almost certain I use it improperly, and my pores eat it just as quickly as they do any other kind of makeup I use.
I’m forty on Saturday. (OMFG!) I’ve been using it for about nine months and am pleased for the most part with the results. It can get into wrinkles just as easily as anything else…so don’t believe that part. It does cover imperfections well. I have a vein within my translucent skin next to my chin. The concealer perfectly hides it. I must mention that I originally purchased the kit for $70 (!), and have since re-purchased the foundation color and the mineral veil. I bought the concealer as well. I really like the “warmth” as it looks pretty natural on me.
Be aware that there are Bare Escentuals stores around. You can go look and try. The offer of the freebie above is a good opportunity if you’re in the same color bracket.
The absolute best thing about this makeup though – it’s really fast to use. I can do all my makeup in less than 2 minutes. Also fairly easy to travel with.
I use Bare Escentuals mineral makeup and I love it. There is a learning curve to using it properly; it’s very easy to put too much on and look like a flour bag exploded on you. Before you buy, ask a sales associate to walk you through applying the minerals. Basically, it’s ground very fine so you dip a brush in, swirl and tap to get rid of the excess and then apply to your face. As long as I pick the right color I find that I get great coverage without a masky feel and it lasts all day. Liquid foundation always felt like I was wearing a thick piece of plastic wrap. Now I find that I use very little and never get a noticeable line of demarkation. Also, you can mix shades together to get your perfect shade of foundation. And it feels wonderful on, just elegant. Hope this helps.
My mom and I both love it. It’s absolutely the most natural looking and feeling foundation I’ve ever used. Mom bought a sampler pack of foundation colors and she and I tried them all to find the colors we liked best. Mom’s neighbor bought some too and likes it also – she has sensitive skin and hadn’t used foundation of any kind for years. We use the generic stuff from eBay. The brushes can be pricey, too. You really need a natural-hair kabuki brush to work the stuff in – it doesn’t work nearly as well with a regular big blush brush. And the synthetic-hair kabuki I bought cheap (3 bucks at Target) doesn’t work as well as the natural hair one I finally found on eBay for ~$14. I just use my regular fairly-good quality cosmetic brushes for the rest of the stuff, but you really need the special brush for the foundation.
Ooh, I love this stuff. I’m not much of a makeupy sort of woman and I never could get the hang of using foundation, but I can do this as long as I don’t use too much of it. I buy a lot of the eye colors on eBay (a lot - well, four or five families of colors,) but the original set of foundations that I bought on QVC is still serving me. Although I think I do need a lighter color now that I’m not so tan. It does conceal very well.
I got a friend hooked on it too, and I think she has several hundred eyeshadows. That’s a little much for me.
I’m not a fan of their lipsticks or glosses though. Too gooey.
I tried some of my sister’s a couple of months ago and liked it. I’m not due for any major makeup purchases for a couple of months, but I think when I am I will get myself one fo the foundations and maybe something else.
My sister, who is, quite possibly the girliest girl I know, is obsessed with the stuff, and she’s literally got train cases full of every brand of make up out there.
So obsessed that she had me drive 20-something miles away to the nearest Sephora (okay, that doesn’t sound far, but when you’re in New Jersey, there’s always a mall within 10 miles or less) to get her a few fresh containers of stuff.
She raved and raved and raved about it the entire time I was there, and insisted that the brushes/application were crucial. She sold me on the stuff. I also noticed the Sephora salespeople seemed to be going on and on about it, and there were quite a few ladies checking out that section of the store.
Looks like quite a few ladies here love the line as well. Definitely on my Sephora shopping list!
How generous of you Susie Derkins!!! I’ll send you an email with my address.
Thanks for the responses. I was not aware that they had stores, I will have to check in my area, no Sephora’s around her, sadly. I am just so tired of liquid foundations and at 40 (I feel your pain, RSSChen) I feel like it’s time to try something new.
Still more questions…
So can you mix the colors? Or is there an order to how you should apply them? I understand the Mineral Veil is like the finishing touch…is this something that can be worn alone? And what about combining it with other makeups…like blushes or non-mineral eye shadows…?
Isn’t it fun to be girly and talk about makeup??!!
As long as you moisturize before you put the foundation on, you should be fine. I have very dry skin, and a bit of rosacea, and this stuff is my favorite product ever. I never wore foundation before I started using this, and I now wear it every day. I’m like a cult member.
I strongly suggest trying the stuff out before purchasing. I went to Sephora and had the dude there show me how to use it, and what color I needed. I bought the starter kit that had all the brushes included.
I’ve not tried any of their blushes or eyeshadows, but they have this eyeliner thing called “The Retro Lounge Eye Kit” which is absolutely brilliant.
Here’s the lady I like to buy from: Colorful Sprinkles. Horribly sprinkly page but she carries a lot of stuff and is very good about shipping. Her prices on the full-sized eyeshadows are about the same as in the BE stores.
I’ve been using it since last fall and love it. I ordered it of their site and got 2 foundations, mineral veil, warmth, 4 really nice brushes and a little travel case. Yep, $70, but I wanted the brushes and the kit seemed like everything I needed in a convenient package. Be warned if you order the into kit off their site you will be enrolled in a “club” with auto shipments at $20 a month and will need to call and cancel if you don’t want that.
It really looks natural, and I swear I will never put a liquid, masky foundation on again. I don’t like a heavy, made-up look and before Bare Minerals I usually never bothered with make-up unless it was a special occaison; now I wear it almost every day. If you like a natural look it is perfect, but it still provides some coverage.
It is fast and easy to apply. Part of the reason I think it does works so well is the very nature of the powder forces you to blend it well. I haven’t tried mixing colors but I’m sure it would work out.
I’m 45 and, while my skin isn’t especially dry, I do have to moisturize twice a day. I use Mary Kay skincare, BTW. The thing to remember about the mineral foundation is to let your moisturizer ‘dry’ good before you put the minerals on. In this way it’s different than cream foundation (which I always put on immediately after moisturizing. What I do is, wash my face, then put on my serums and potions and moisturizer, then do my hair. "Doing my hair’ is not a protracted process, BTW – it takes 5 or 10 minutes, depending on where I’m going and how I slept on it the night before. Just long enough for the moisturizer to set. Then I put on concealer where it’s needed, follow up with the foundation, and dust a bit of Mineral Veil over the top. I use Warmth (a sheer bronzer sort of product) for blush, as I still have a lot of natural color in my face and I favor a natural look. Then my eyes – I have about 15 colors of mineral eyeshadow. They were cheap on eBay and I bought some, and my mom bought some and her neighbor bought some and we all shared (we also bought some empty plastic pots on eBay). Some of the 15 shades are dark (for serious eyelining) or real light (for highlighting), so I only use those when I’m going all out for a special occasion. For everyday, I chose a medium color and slap it on my eyelid with an eyeshadow brush, then dab a bit under my eyes with a chisel-ended eyeshadow brush. Mascara and done! Takes about 5 minutes for everyday.
There isn’t any reason why you couldn’t use the mineral foundation with another brand of powder blush (don’t think it would work well with creme blush, but maybe). And you could definately use a different brand of eyemakeup with no problem. I don’t use the mineral lipstick. It’s a gloss stuff in a pot that needs to be mixed with the powders and applied with a brush. I’m not messing with all that (although my mom does and likes it). Anyway, I don’t like lip gloss. I’m fussy about lipstick, in general – I don’t like how a lot of them taste. Right now I’m using MaryKay lipstick and mascara with my minerals makeup.
I just timed my ‘beauty regimen,’ such as it is. I am a little dressed up this morning (I have a client meeting at 11, then taking my mother out to lunch at 1) and it took me 17 minutes to do all the MaryKay skincare magic, do my hair, and put on my makeup. And that counts one trip downstairs to get my book (I read while I do my morning abulations).
I have some - bought of eBay - and sort of like it. I say “sort of” because it’s a thing I don’t really use all that often. I’ve seen the infomercial, then bought it off eBay, but I don’t really know if I’m applying it right. I also favor a more natural look, and sometimes can’t be bothered to put makeup on at all.
Anyway, I put it away in my closet and it’s been months since I’ve used it. When I did use it, however, I thought it was good enough. Don’t know that it did all the miraculous stuff it promised, but it was good enough.
Susie, I bought the trial kit (from the infomercial), and I had the same problem. It turns out that their lightest color in the trial kit is still too dark for my skin, so I had to order the lightest shade on eBay. Since doing that, it really looks flawless.
I LOVE it. I need to order some more since I’m out, and I don’t want to wear my heavier cosmetics now that I’m pregnant, so I may be hitting eBay tonight.
When I do wear BE, my skin tends to be clearer. And I don’t use the darker powder - I don’t need it - all I use is the base color and the mineral veil. I also use my own plain powder blush, but I do love their eye shadows - they’re really light and airy, and a little goes a long way.
It also took me a few tries to learn to apply it, but now that I’ve got it down pat, I never have a problem.