REVIEW: bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation

It's been a couple of months since my last product review, and recently I tried a new foundation that I am fully obsessed with, so I figured it would be perfect to do a full review for anyone who may be curious! This is my first time doing a foundation review, so if I miss anything that you may have questions about, feel free to ask in the comments!

This foundation has been all over the internet, and I think the general consensus is that this foundation is amazing. What foundation am I talking about? The bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation, which I also mentioned in my May Favorites post.

The shade I got was "Bare Porcelain," which is the lightest shade. According to the bareMinerals website, the coverage of this foundation is adjustable, with a natural finish, a liquid texture, and is suitable for all skin types. This foundation is also formulated without water, oil, silicones, parabens, or fragrance, which means that this foundation is pure liquid pigment, with 11% titanium dioxide to act as a physical sunscreen, which is something I talked about in my Sunscreen Smackdown.

Clearly, bareMinerals is really pushing the "Shake well" thing, but with good reason. Because this foundation is so pure, the chemicals used to bind ordinary foundations are not included in this formula, so the ingredients will settle and separate. If you don't shake well, you'll get a streaky finish and a bizarre texture to your skin.

You get 1 fl. oz. of product in a sturdy plastic bottle, with a squeeze top bottle that reminds me a little bit of eye drops packaging. The packaging for this isn't luxurious despite the $29 price tag, but it's pretty obvious that the foundation is the focus here, and the bottle does get the job done.

This is probably the thinnest foundation I have ever used. It is set in a coconut-derived base, with lilac plant stem cells and vitamin C to "reveal brighter, more even-toned skin." According to the website, this foundation was clinically proven to improve the appearance of dark spots, skin brightness, and texture. While I'm not sure if that is entirely true, I have definitely found that this foundation makes my skin look really, really good. 

Every time I have worn this foundation, I have gotten tons of compliments, and it's very suitable for my dry-combination skin. You are supposed to be able to only use 1-2 drops for a more natural look, and you can add drops to increase coverage. This product claims to be buildable from sheer to full coverage. 

I have found that this foundation is definitely buildable. On days that I don't want to use a heavy concealer, I can dab and blend this over any spots and it really helps to make them disappear! It is quite a dewy finish, so unless you skin is absolutely parched, I would definitely recommend using a setting powder on top. Also, in combination with a primer and powder, this foundation does last all day! I wore it for the first time for about 12 hours and it still looked great (although not as fresh) at the end of my day, and it was hot that day! 

Some of you may be asking, "What about the brush?" Well, I honestly felt like this brush was a gimmick, so I didn't purchase it. I have found this foundation applies perfectly fine without the brush. Maybe eventually I might go out and purchase, but for now, I'm very happy without it.

Finals Thoughts? For $28, this all-in-one product is definitely worth it, especially if you have dry or aging skin. If you have oily skin, I'm not sure if I could really recommend it (but of course, I don't have oily skin, so it's hard for me to say). For the summer, this foundation is beautiful and light, and with 20 different shades, there is a color for just about anybody! To see this foundation in action, check out my Karlie Kloss MET Gala post! 

Like I said before, this is my first foundation review, so if I missed anything, feel free to leave questions down below!

- D. 

May Favorites!

May was such a good month for hair and skin. I have discovered a few new products that I am loving, and another product (that I didn't include in this month's favorites) that is a new part of a line I already know I love! I'm only going to be talking about a couple of products this month, but they have made such a huge difference in my routine this month that I almost felt like it was all I needed!

bareMinerals bareSkin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation. This foundation was released in early May and as soon as I saw it, I had to have it. I love products that are pure and natural, and this foundation is made with no parabens, fragrance, silicone, or water! A foundation without water? Crazy, right!? But it is seriously such a beautiful foundation and it makes my skin look absolutely amazing. I won't go too into detail because I'm planning to do a full review on it, but this foundation has been on my skin almost every day since purchasing it. 

Dove Hair Therapy REFRESH+Care Volume Dry Shampoo. I have been on a hunt for the perfect affordable dry shampoo. I have been looking for one for a long time, but I was always so paranoid of dry shampoos that would leave a white cast in my hair or just straight up not work. In my next post, you'll see a perfect example of that. However, this Dove dry shampoo works wonders! Usually I can go 2 days without washing my hair, but this dry shampoo helps my hair push into 3 or 4 days without washing! It leaves no white residue or powder in your hair, and it smells so clean and fresh.

NYX Rouge Cream Blush -- Natural. This blush gives such a light, natural flush to the skin, and my dry skin absolutely loves the cream formula. I love how lightweight it feels, and the color is perfect for my skintone! It is definitely a wetter consistency than a lot of other cream foundations, but it sets to a dewy finish that can easily be mattified with some translucent powder. 

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. Earlier this year in April, I was thinking back on my beauty school days and trying to remember what I used to use with my short hair. Of course, I couldn't remember but I did remember a friend of mine used a sea salt spray very similar to this one, and it gave her the most beautiful beachy waves. Now, for my pin-straight hair, it doesn't create a beachy wave, but it does give me tons of volume! I like to use it after washing my hair and before blow drying on low heat, and it just gives me so much more texture than my fine hair normally doesn't have.

- d.