As you may already know I prefer minimal bases for day to day. I do however like to take it up a notch if I've got a special event and there's only one foundation in my collection that will do for me and that's the bareMinerals Barepro Foundation. No word of a lie, every time I've worn this at a party or wedding, the first thing someone asks me after all the pleasantries is what base I'm wearing, yes it's that good! I have a lot to say about this number so get yourself a pot of tea ready and get comfy, it’s going to be a long one! I've formatted the review layout like my old foundation reviews because I need to keep the vast volume of information I'm about to share as organised as possible.
- The Barepro is a liquid foundation that provides buildable medium to full coverage, it boasts of 24 hours of wear and a natural skin blurring demi matte finish.
- Comes in a clear cylindrical weighty glass bottle with a lockable pump and a black lid.
- 30ml for £31. No discernible scent.
- 30 shades, they have had a new shade launch and have also discontinued and replaced some shades but will touch on this more later.
- Has an SPF of 20. This is my go-to foundation for special occasions and weddings etc so I have taken flash photography with this, even though it has a fairly high SPF I haven't actually noticed any major flashback with it surprisingly.
Shade
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Unfortunately the shade Camel 17 as well as some others have been discontinued from their permanent line. Camel 17 has been replaced by Fawn 17 and I don't think they're the same because the shade descriptions have changed. However it's really strange because the discontinued shades do still appear on the bareMinerals website but not in the dropdown shade list on the foundations actual page, you will only find them if you search for them using the websites search bar.
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| bareMinerals BAREPRO Camel 17, Toffee 19, Dior Face & Body 3WO |
Texture and Formula
I purchased the Barepro late 2018/early 2019 (before the shade range change) so I’ve gotten to know the formula exceptionally well. The texture is quite liquidy and runny and has an evident elasticity usually attributed to long wearing foundations, it'll run down the back of your hand quite easily at first but will start slowing down as it sets. This foundation sets really quickly so it's imperative you work fast. I don't think this foundation is the easiest to blend because of this reason and I need to apply it quite meticulously to get an optimum finish.
From all my trials and experiences with this formula, I’ve found a beauty blender sponge to be the best way to apply especially if I’m after decent coverage. Shocking I know- I apply foundations with a brush 90% of the time but for the Barepro a sponge gives me a smoother more even finish. However if I only want minimal coverage I can get away with using a brush, it's not the smoothest to apply nor does it glide as effortlessly, it can also sit around my pores a little funny when blended with a brush.
The Barepro isn’t one to faff about with, don't play around with it too much or spend too much time blending and buffing it out and try not to go over the same place too often, it sets far too quickly and it doesn’t budge once it sets. The Barepro literally sticks to the skin like glue, so you need to blend it swiftly and confidently or else it'll set midst blending and will result in a lot of patchiness and cakey-ness.
Coverage
Even though bareMinerals say this is a full coverage foundation, I personally find it's more of a medium, especially with one layer. You can for sure build this up to a full but I wouldn't suggest layering with this foundation because of its' patchiness. Rather I would suggest painting the foundation on evenly with a paddle brush and then blending it out with a beauty sponge to get maximum coverage.
I use no more than 1 to 1 1/2 pumps for my face and sometimes less. I'm okay with medium-full coverage and mainly apply foundation to the centre of my face where I need the coverage, I don't see the need to apply foundation to the areas that don't need coverage, especially since I wear a hijab, part of my face is covered anyway.
If you need to use a concealer I recommend using it under the foundation first or apply quickly over the foundation while it's still wet. Liquid products do not seem to apply well over this formula, it wipes the foundation clean off your skin and will leave an empty gap of skin where you initially applied the product and you won't be able to blend it in.
I remember the first time I used the Barepro I swiped concealer on top of the foundation like I usually would, the concealer lifted the foundation clean off my skin and you could see a clean gap of skin where I had placed the concealer, I was unable to fix it either as the foundation wouldn’t move or blend over.
Another example of a mishap I had with this foundation was I‘d accidentally gotten mascara on my nose once, as I wiped the mascara off with a cotton bud the foundation came off with it. I tried reapplying some foundation over the top but it wouldn't blend or smoothen in to the rest of the foundation and ended up looking very patchy and you could evidently see the outline of where the mascara was. I had to wash my makeup off and start all over again. My advice is apply quickly, let it set and leave it the damn heck alone!
In terms of finish, this has a natural semi matte finish. Though it sets and stays really well I’ve also noticed this does let off some radiance though my skin prep may be the contributing factor here. The reason behind the magic of this foundation and why I personally adore it is how smoothing it is and how it becomes one with your skin, literally. It provides a soft focus finish whilst blurring imperfections and pores. For the finish and amount of coverage it provides it's quite skin like and skin perfecting for a heavy duty foundation. People have always commented on how skin like and flawless my foundation looks and I definitely agree with this.
Feel
Another game changing factor about this foundation is that not only is it a fairly thin liquidy formula but it feels fairly lightweight as well. However because of how well this adheres to the skin, this can feel a bit tight and taut which I can overlook because once I've set this with a light layer of powder, I can comfortably touch my face and it will feel uber smooth and soft. I may look like I have a full glam on but it never feels like a full glam and that is simply amazing!
Longevity
The most outstanding quality of the Barepro and why I love using this especially for special occasions and events is it's superb longevity. Like I mentioned earlier this sticks to the skin like glue, once it sets it does not budge! It's a definite worthy contender to the famous Estee Lauder Double Wear which (if you read my review would know) I didn't get along with. I was super impressed by the EDLW's longevity but despised the finish on my skin, it exaggerated all my texture and never really sat right.
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| In this demo you can see the foundation has stuck to my hand and even after rubbing it vigorously it's just not budging. It's also waterproof so you will need to use a good cleanser, an oil based one will remove the foundation more effortlessly. I use my usual cleanser and a wash cloth and it does the job fine. |
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| Waterproof formula |
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| Using Micellar Water to remove the foundation but it's proving difficult |
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| Using Baby Oil to remove whatever foundation the micellar couldn't take off |
I would like to mention however that I took this with me on holiday and from my experiences I don't think it fares well in extreme heat conditions. The foundation had melted in the areas where my sunglasses came into contact with my skin, even though I made sure to set it with powder as well as use the UD All Nighter spray it didn't stay put. I don’t know if it’s my skin or the foundation but this did lead me to keep my makeup incredibly minimal on holidays and to be honest I prefer it this way now anyway.
Another incident I wanted to share is that we went to a wedding once and had seats right next to a radiator which was turned on, unfortunately we never managed to have it turned off despite asking venue staff. By the end of the event I was extremely hot and flustered, my upper lip and chin had gotten so ridiculously sweaty the foundation had broken apart there, I was dying to rush home and wash it all off (as well as jump into the shower myself).
These mishaps tell me that even though this is a superb long lasting formula, it won't handle extreme heat conditions very well. Perhaps another type of primer may have helped but I don't think there's any foundation out there that will stay intact in such extreme conditions.
My Application Method:
Like I always say, makeup sits beautifully on good healthy skin, for me personally the more problematic my skin the less makeup I wear. Regardless I always prep my skin thoroughly before an event and with the Barepro it's an absolute must. I have a whole separate routine for the Barepro foundation and I need to stick to this routine in that order to get the best finish.
- To begin with I will give my skin an acid exfoliation for 10 minutes. I use a mix of my Rodial Brightening Multi Acid Mask with a squeeze of either my St.Ives Microdermabrasion Scrub (discontinued) or the Rodial Super Acids After Party Scrub and massage it into my skin, paying attention to my problem areas. This combination of chemical and physical exfoliation gets rids of all the dead skin on the top surface and makes my skin feel super smooth and soft.
- I then shave my face -yes shave- to get rid of any hair and peach fuzz. (I get laser hair removal so have to shave). Shaving my face ensures my foundation doesn't sit on any peach fuzz and gives an uber smooth finish.
*Important Tip*: Make sure to shave after acid exfoliation or else the acid will irritate your skin and sting like crazy. I accidentally done this before an event once years ago and was left with an irritated bumpy rash. Lesson was learnt...
- After rinsing I pat dry and continue with my skincare routine; Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Vitamin C Serum and either my sunscreen (AM) or a moisturiser (PM).
- I then use a pea sized amount of the This Works In Transit Camera Close-Up Primer, it's a mask, moisturiser and primer in one. This is a hydrating primer with a creamy texture, it's not overly emollient or greasy but makes my makeup blend and sit so much nicer. I recommend using a hydrating primer with the Barepro foundation if you're combo skin like me.
- Once I've applied the primer I colour correct using my MAC Prep+Prime in Peach Lustre. I only apply on my pigmented areas, so directly on my dark circles and around my mouth and then blend into my skin.
- I dampen my sponge (Real Techniques) using hot water, to keep it as warm as possible. I give the foundation bottle a shake and then pump onto the back of my hand. I've tried this on a flat hard surface instead of my hand but it dries too quickly. The warmth of my hand keeps it fluid for longer.
- I apply swipes of foundation onto my skin evenly and then quickly and swiftly bounce the beauty blender over my face to distribute and blend it in, making sure to blend out seam lines and edges quickly as possible.
- I tip out some powder (Beauty Bakerie) into the lid and then using another sponge, I load the sponge with powder, pat off the excess into my palm so that there's only a fine layer left on the sponge and then push and press the powder into my skin. This locks the foundation in place and fills in pores too.
- I continue with the rest of my makeup and everything applies smoothly over the top. Lastly I'll spritz some setting spray and I'm set for the day.
This is my Barepro routine and it rarely fails me. You know a foundation is awesome when it's the first thing people comment on when they see you. I won't lie this foundation is difficult, it's demanding and it can be complete and utter drama but boy does it put on an outstanding performance! It leaves me feeling flawless and confident yet comfortable regardless of the amount of makeup I have on. If you're in the market for a long wearing base, definitely don't sleep on this one. I have a special place in my heart for bareMinerals as their Original Foundation (review) was my very first foundation years and years ago. They have honestly left me shook with this foundation, it's not the kind of formula you'd expect a clean, mineral makeup based company to come up with but I'm so glad they did. If you made it this far well done, I hope you enjoyed the review. Thank you for reading.
Have you tried this foundation? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below!
Have you read my previous review? Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter Tan 5
This is my Barepro routine and it rarely fails me. You know a foundation is awesome when it's the first thing people comment on when they see you. I won't lie this foundation is difficult, it's demanding and it can be complete and utter drama but boy does it put on an outstanding performance! It leaves me feeling flawless and confident yet comfortable regardless of the amount of makeup I have on. If you're in the market for a long wearing base, definitely don't sleep on this one. I have a special place in my heart for bareMinerals as their Original Foundation (review) was my very first foundation years and years ago. They have honestly left me shook with this foundation, it's not the kind of formula you'd expect a clean, mineral makeup based company to come up with but I'm so glad they did. If you made it this far well done, I hope you enjoyed the review. Thank you for reading.
Have you tried this foundation? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below!
Have you read my previous review? Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter Tan 5
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