If I was to ask myself which makeup brand I've had the longest relationship with, nothing even comes close to BareMinerals. Their Original Loose Powder Foundation was the first high-end product I ever remember owning, and I treasured that jar like it was filled with powdered gold. The obsession only continued - from warmth and mineral veil, to blushes, eyeshadows, and even brow powder. At one point I'm pretty sure my entire makeup routine (with the exception of mascara and lipstick, perhaps) consisted entirely of BareMinerals loose powders.
Fast forward 15 years (...seriously though, how has it been that long?) and BareMinerals products are still some of my everyday go-tos. Of course, a lot of things have changed since high school. With the addition of skincare and pressed powders, the BareMinerals lineup is way more comprehensive than it was in the early 2000s. And while some brands miss the mark while trying to be trendy or keep up with the times, I feel like BareMinerals has always managed to find that sweet spot of creating classic, effortless, everyday products that can work for women of any age.
All that being said, you can imagine my excitement over having the opportunity to go to New York City for an event promoting the launch of the new BarePro 16 Hour Full Coverage Concealer. I have been obsessed with the BarePro Performance Wear Powder Foundation, which provides beautiful, matte coverage while being incredibly convenient and easy to apply. In addition to the concealer, I also got to take home a few other new goodies from BareMinerals to test and try out for you guys. So let's jump in and take a closer look at the latest additions to the family!
Of everything I tried, the Gen Nude Powder Blushes just might be my favorite. This formula is absolutely gorgeous. I took home the shade Peachy Keen, which is described as a "spiced apricot with a gold pearl". It gives your skin the prettiest flush of coral pink with just a slight golden sheen. While it's not completely matte, this formula doesn't leave any kind of chunky sparkle or metallic shine on your cheeks. Instead the finish is healthy and glowing. It applies with just the right amount of pigmentation, and can be built to your desired level of intensity. I also didn't notice any significant fading throughout the day and felt that there was still color on my cheeks after 8 hours of wear.
The Gen Nude Powder Blushes retail for $24 each and are available in 12 beautiful, everyday wearable colors. Whether you prefer your pinks, peaches, mauves, or beiges, there is a little something for everyone in the lineup. If you've never thought yourself a blush person, this might be the product to convert you. It's just so easy and effortless to work with that I can't imagine not liking this product.
The close second for my new favorite BareMinerals product is probably the Gen Nude Patent Lip Lacquer. As much as I love the longevity and pigmentation of a liquid lipstick, sometimes I need a break from drying matte formulas. Spring is here and my lips are more than ready for a little bit of shine. Fortunately for me, this product is letting me have my cake and eat it too. It delivers the full-on pigmentation one would expect from a liquid lipstick, but with the juicy shine of a gloss. Now, right off the bat I can say this will not be a product for everyone. It's got a very thick, slightly sticky texture that really adheres to the lips. I personally will take a bit of stickiness as a trade-off for not needing to constantly reapply a lip product, but I know some people will not feel the same way.
Texture aside, everything else about this product is spot on. The paddle applicator picks up just the right amount of product and makes it fairly easy to create a sharp line along your lips. The actual product has a sweet, vanilla fragrance that isn't too overpowering and makes application that much more enjoyable. The price point of $19 is on par with what you'd expect from this tier of brand, and the shade range contains 20 classic and everyday friendly colors. The two that I was given were Pout (a rosy mauve) and #lifegoals (a peachy nude). While I think both are beautiful, I think Pout is especially flattering against my skintone and works with pretty much any look.
But then there is the concealer. Considering this was the star of the event I attended and the companion product to one of my all-time favorite foundations, I was a little disappointed that I didn't fall head-over-heels in love with this product. It's not that it's a bad concealer (by far not the worst I've ever tried), but I didn't love the way it performed on my skin. On the undereye I felt it was just a little too dry and emphasized texture and fine lines. To be honest, there isn't a concealer on earth that doesn't crease at least a little in that area on me, but some products handle the situation better than others. For a stick concealer the formula is definitely creamier than others I've tried, it's just that in general my undereye area is better served by traditional liquid formulas.
On the rest of my face this concealer provided decent coverage, but didn't blended as seamlessly into my skin as I would have hoped. This is a problem I've encountered with other stick products. They have a tendency to sit on top of the skin opposed to melting in and looking one with it. When I pair this with the BarePro Foundation I do apply the concealer first (as creams don't always sit well on top of powders) and the two do seem to play well together. My skin just got a tad oilier than normal, especially in the areas where I have larger pores.
In theory I love the idea of a stick concealer for convenience sake, and compared to the super dry, chalky stick concealers you might have seen at the drugstore, this is definitely on another level. It doesn't tug or drag on the skin at all, and can definitely be blended in with your fingers. I'm just so obsessed with my current collection of liquid concealers that my bar is set incredibly high.
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| Wearing the BarePro 16-Hour Full Coverage Concealer in Shade 07 Warm, BarePro Powder Concealer in 13 Golden Light, Gen Nude Blush in Peachy Keen, and Gen Nude Patent Lip Lacquer in Pout. |
What's your first BareMinerals memory?
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