Hey there,So I am not much of a fan of mineral makeup in general. I really do not get its point. But I still try some.
Spotlight: L'Oreal Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Powder
Dime sized hole since I hit pan, finally!
If you are used to (and tired of!) reading reviews of my favorite products, here goes an exception!!!
My thoughts, a bit harsh...
First of all, the price of this foundation powder is skyrocketting in comparison with its quality. I think I paid $12.99 for it, a long time ago. it comes in a 9.5 g/0.33 fl oz jar that has the typically huge lid and small product-filled bottom. I have it a try for a week and hated it, left it aside for over six months, and now went back to it because I am desperate to run out of it.
The company claims that this product will provide a "flawless finish." Well, it did absolutely nothing for me as a foundation. The color range is lacking and oftentimes mismatched. There are eight shades, only eight!! My mediterranean olive skin tone came up as third before last. That's absurd in my opinion as there are tons of shades darker than me - two other colors won't cover that darker range. In almost all of L'Oreal's foundations, I am in the Buff colors. Well, I got this in 418 Buff Beige and it's way too light for my skintone. Given that you don't have samplers/testers in drugstores, it would be much simpler if the company kept true to naming its shades. It won't even my skintone nor hide any imperfections like the majority of drugstore brand foundations. That is a bummer! :[
The crescent moon shaped brush it came with is completely useless; it is as rough as you can get with a pressed powder brush - the handle is awkward, it sheds without being used, and I would never consider putting it near my face. Because it is so harsh and fake, once you try to swipe it in the product, the pressed powder is scapped off into a pigment powder. I was not expecting that. If I wanted loose powder, I would not have gotten pressed powder. After a few applications, it seemed a bit chunky, which I despise in pressed powders.
Now that I hit pan on this powder, I noticed that it is not fine in texture; actually, it has layers of pressed powder instead of the common practice of loose powder in a jar and THEN it gets pressed. It is too rough to apply on the skin, even at a light hand. It's too heavy for a regular mineral powder. How did I hit pan, you ask? I have practically forced myself to use it to set my foundation (liquid). I swirl my nicest and softest brush in it for a better application throughout my face. I sweep it extremelt lightly or else this will end up looking cakey on me, which tends to happen with all mineral foundations. This also prevents it from making me look pale, since it's only a little bit of product on brush to my face. It also failed on me as a highlighter, which was my original thought to use it as when I realized it was too light of a foundation. Speaking of that, I am disappointed at it mineral foundation properties. I have another L'Oreal Mineral Powder that I am somewhat satisfied with, but this is purely useless.
I like that this powder has SPF 24, which helps certain people who are the laziest at wearing sunscreen (like me!). I also like the fact that this is unscented/fragrance free. If it smelled horribly, it would be the least of my problems with it. But I still appreciate that it's frangrance free which makes it bearable until I finish it. It also works for all skin types, a result I can attest to since I have used it as different times of my skin type cycle - from dry to normal to semi-oily. I tried this on my mother, who has sensitive skin, and her skin was not irritated afterwards. So I'd give it a plus for being friendly to sensitive skin women. As for its lasting powder, it leans more towards long-lasting, but still not enough for a whole day of work or school. It is also readily available. I don't remember not having seen this product at any drugstore around me.
If this was a high-end product, I would have returned it within a few days. I am someone who thinks it is worth it to try anything, but I would suggest you try some other L'Oreal mineral powder instead of this. Save your money, please.
~ TheBeautyBebe
