BareMinerals Foundation Review: Will Original Liquid Be Better Than Original Powder?

BareMinerals Original Liquid Foundation is a new take on the iconic loose mineral powder.

Now, we all know and love the BareMinerals Original Powder Foundation. While it isn’t my all time favorite, it is the OG of loose mineral powder foundation. A liquid version of this iconic foundation was a long time coming and BareMinerals finally delivered one. I was excited, because I tend to love liquid formulas on my skin better than powders. And, in true BareMinerals fashion, there’s even some skincare benefits thrown into the formula. I will say, the application of this product is beautiful. But the wear? Let’s review BareMinerals Foundation.

Promises vs. Performance: Medium coverage? Check. Luminous finish? Check. All day wear? Not so much.

BareMinerals is a trailblazer when it comes to clean, mineral makeup. Home to the award winning, cult classic Original Powder Foundation, BareMinerals created a liquid foundation inspired by the iconic powder formula with 35 shades to offer. Original Liquid Foundations says it will provide luminous medium coverage that visibly improves skin’s texture through what they call “Healthy Mineral Complex” and reduces pore size over time. It also helps minimize the look of redness and boosts hydration thanks to ingredients such as peptides, prickly pear extract, and squalane. This liquid foundation does boast an SPF 20 foundation. Free of gluten, talc, parabens, silicone, synthetic fragrance, and more, this foundation is 88% naturally derived and made with half the ingredients of other top selling liquid foundations.

My Review Thoughts on BareMinerals Foundation

Original Liquid Foundation felt lightweight on my skin. It applied and blended super effortlessly using a buffing brush. It really felt as though I was applying nothing to the skin, yet I still achieved a solid medium coverage. I got a natural, soft dewy finish much like the power foundation. All of the products I applied on top went on seamlessly without disturbing the foundation below. I loved how it was sitting on my face while I applied my other products.

But, there was a downfall with this BareMinerals Foundation: the wear. It didn’t wear the longest and really began wearing off after the six hour mark. (FYI, BareMinerals doesn’t make any longevity claims.) By the end of the day, it didn’t look really good on the skin close up. I felt as if it exaggerated texture, which is something it claimed to improve.

Something to keep in mind…

I picked up three shades online: Fair Ivory, Fairly Medium, and Neutral Ivory. Seeing them in person, they all look pretty warm toned in the packaging. Fairly Medium was the closest match in terms of undertones, though it was still a bit darker than I prefer. I’d definitely suggest checking these out in person to find the best shade match.

Let’s Review How It Compares: This liquid isn’t better than BareMinerals Original Foundation, or Double Wear.

Quick RATING Rundown:

This Product

Price

$35

Coverage/buildable

**** (4.0)

Lightweight

***** (3.5)

Longevity (no creasing)

**** (2.5)

Finish (blurring, brightening…)

****(4.0)

Application

***** (3.5)

No. of Shades

***(3.5)

Extra benefits

**** (4.5)

Industry Standard

Price

$34

Coverage/buildable

**** (4.0)

Lightweight

***** (4.5)

Longevity (no creasing)

**** (4.0)

Finish (blurring, brightening…)

**** (4.5)

Application

***** (4.5)

No. of Shades

***** (5.0)

Extra benefits

***** (4.0)

MILABU Recommended

Price

$20 – $35

Coverage/buildable

***** (5.0)

Lightweight

***** (5.0)

Longevity (no creasing)

***** (5.0)

Finish (blurring, brightening…)

***** (5.0)

Application

***** (5.0)

No. of Shades

***** (5.0)

Extra benefits

***** (5.0)

I really wish this BareMinerals foundation wore better. It applied so effortlessly, so seamlessly on the skin. The feel was lightweight and it provided me with a really pretty natural, dewy finish. It made the perfect canvas for applying other products. But, the wear wasn’t as beautiful as the application. BareMinerals doesn’t make any longevity claims about this foundation and I found it only wore well for the first six or seven hours. After that, it didn’t look very good, especially up close.

If you’re looking for a high performing liquid foundation that will never let you down, one of my favorites is Estée Lauder Double Wear. It is, in my opinion, the industry standard. Double Wear provides flawless medium to full coverage that lasts all day. It doesn’t exaggerate imperfections and truly looks good all day.

Milabu Beauty Method: How to apply this BareMinerals Foundation to make it last.

1. First, prep the skin with a primer. I suggest a pore blurring primer like Benefit Porefessional ($32).
2. Using the back of your hand as a palette. Dispense 1-2 pumps here first, then dot the foundation across your face.
3. I enjoyed applying Original Liquid with the Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush ($52). This brush really helped it blend in effortlessly and seamlessly.
4. Before setting your look, finish applying any cream products.
5. Lastly, set your complexion to help prolong the wear past that six hour mark. I recommend first using a loose powder, like Laura Mercier Translucent Powder ($39), and then topping off with a spray like Urban Decay All Nighter ($33).