Bare Minerals Question

[cheetycat]

I wondered if anyone has any experience of Bare Minerals Original Foundation and could offer their advice.

I decided a couple of weeks ago to give this foundation a try. I use various different foundations, I'm Fair in Laura Geller and normally Ivory or the second lightest shade in say Maybelline or Rimmel.

Having studied the shade chart on the Bare Minerals website I decided to go for Fairly Light as that seemed the best match for me. I am pretty fair with probably a neutral to pink undertone.

However I feel the Fairly Light shade is just a touch too pale even although it does have a lovely finish.

I wondered about trying the Fairly Medium shade as that seems the next closest. I think the rest of the shades in the "medium" range would be too dark for me and in the "light" range the Light and the Golden Fair look a bit too yellowy.

Can anyone offer any advice or experience please?

 

[maymorganlondon]

Hi cheetycat

When I wanted to try the BM Original I went to my local John Lewis and asked their advice. They matched me to Fairly Medium... not one of their best selling shades, unfortunately, so not on QVC.

I'm a Fair in Laura Geller B&B.

I'm one of the Fair shades in Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder - but I'll have to check which one... (she does 4).

 

[cheetycat]

Thank you so much for that. I was thinking about going to my nearest stockist which would be a Debenhams - both of my nearest ones are about 18 miles away. I did notice that Q doesn't stock the full range of shades when you compare their selection to the Bare Minerals website selection.

The more I think about it perhaps it would actually be the best option to go to a counter as obviously if I order from anywhere I won't have the option to return it once I've opened it if it isn't quite right.

 

[maymorganlondon]

Thank you so much for that. I was thinking about going to my nearest stockist which would be a Debenhams - both of my nearest ones are about 18 miles away. I did notice that Q doesn't stock the full range of shades when you compare their selection to the Bare Minerals website selection.

The more I think about it perhaps it would actually be the best option to go to a counter as obviously if I order from anywhere I won't have the option to return it once I've opened it if it isn't quite right.

Yes - definitely it's worth actually trying out the foundation properly. You may even get a makeover rather than only trying the foundation.

I prefer the finish of the B&B on my skin, though, to be honest... but it is down to your own personal feeling and preferences when the stuff is on your face. All 3 that I've got have the ability to give lighter or heavier coverage, and as I'm not a fan of a really heavy foundation that works perfectly for me.

BM is incredibly easy, I will say... you really don't need a mirror to see what you're doing.

I've got the warmth (for sculpting your face) and you do a 3 and a reverse 3 from temples into cheek hollows to jawline. One of the best things about it is the absence of shimmer. I also got one of their blushers, but you can use any one you've already got. I've not tried a cream blusher over it - just powder ones (I've got a BM one, several Laura Geller ones, as well as Bourjois ones).

 

[Akimbo]

Of the shades you've mentioned I think you won't be far out with Fairly Light, but they're forgiving and I found I could wear a few different colours without it looking completely wrong. My skin is weird as I suffer with jaundice on and off and BM's "Light" would seem to be the right shade for me but Fairly Light is far more flattering because "Light" just seems to be adding more yellow. I probably equate being yellow-toned with feeling poorly too.

 

[cheetycat]

I have a BM blush that my daughter gave me out of a set that she had and it's really lovely. I find some of the LG blushes either too sparkly or too dark on me although the Pink Buttercream one that I've had for several years is very nice.

I used to love the B&B foundation but after years of use I suddenly felt that it was looking a little "flat". I tried a couple of different compacts thinking it was maybe just a "bad" one I had but I still seemed to get the same result so I kind of went off using it.

And I'm definitely a fan of the non-shimmery bronzers, which are quite hard to find. Everything seems to have a sparkle to them which I'm not a fan of. I work in an operating theatre and don't want to look like I'm glowing like a Christmas tree under those lights :wink: So far the nicest shade of non-shimmery bronzer I've found has come from, believe it or not, Asda!!

 

[grovesy]

I have been matched in both Boots for the liquid foundation in Bare Minerals and DEbenhams for the Complexion Rescue. Both time the assistants have applied to my face .

 

[maymorganlondon]

Just to add - I checked my Charlotte Tilbury - it's Fair 2 (second lightest shade they do).

If you do go for the fairly light - of course it opens up the Bare Minerals sets on QVC to you... that may or may not be a good thing (possibly not from your wallet's point of view)!

 

[Akimbo]

You can also try the findation website if you know your shade in a couple of brands you enter them and it will suggest alternatives that should suit you across a fairly wide range of manufacturers and prices.

 

[cheetycat]

Thanks everyone, that's some really good advice you've given.

Akimbo, that's a fab website. Thanks for that, I didn't know about that. I've just tried it and it matched me to Fairly Light, which is what I am using now.

MayMorgan I think I will perhaps go to one of the counters just to see what they say. Maybe it's just that I've a bit more colour just now as it's summer and that's why I feel the Fairly Light is a little pale. Maybe I need a shade for summer and a shade for winter as I normally don't bother with an actual foundation in summer and tend to just use a BB cream or tinted moisturiser with a little bit of bronzer.

Thanks again for everyone's advice. I will let you know my findings :wink:

 

[cheetycat]

To all of those who offered such good advice I thought I'd let you know that I went in to Debenhams today and chatted to the girl at the Bare Minerals counter.

Straight away she matched me to Medium Beige. Not a colour I would have EVER chosen for myself without trying out in the shop but when she explained that I have a neutral undertone to my skin and although I was using Fairly Light which was the right tone it was just too pale shade wise. She said to try & think of it as instead of going across the shades (fair to medium to tan etc) to go across the tones, and that Medium Beige was actually the next shade in the neutral toned family. Which made sense.

When she tried it on me I was pleasantly surprised at how good a match it was, although still fearful that when I went outside into the daylight it would look horrific. Not so, it actually looked nice. I went to visit my Mum afterwards and she commented on how nice my make up looked.

I did however end up buying the foundation, a new brush that's just come out and a primer (I don't even normally use primer as I'm not convinced it actually does anything).

So £72 later I got there in the end! :grin:

 

[maymorganlondon]

Well done cheetycat! And Medium Beige is a shade QVC actually sell - so there may be temptation lurking in future TSVs...

Thanks for the update, and very glad you're happy in shop light and daylight.

 

[MrMarple]

To all of those who offered such good advice I thought I'd let you know that I went in to Debenhams today and chatted to the girl at the Bare Minerals counter.

Straight away she matched me to Medium Beige. Not a colour I would have EVER chosen for myself without trying out in the shop but when she explained that I have a neutral undertone to my skin and although I was using Fairly Light which was the right tone it was just too pale shade wise. She said to try & think of it as instead of going across the shades (fair to medium to tan etc) to go across the tones, and that Medium Beige was actually the next shade in the neutral toned family. Which made sense.

When she tried it on me I was pleasantly surprised at how good a match it was, although still fearful that when I went outside into the daylight it would look horrific. Not so, it actually looked nice. I went to visit my Mum afterwards and she commented on how nice my make up looked.

I did however end up buying the foundation, a new brush that's just come out and a primer (I don't even normally use primer as I'm not convinced it actually does anything).

So £72 later I got there in the end! :grin:

Ha Ha Ha Ha!