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

bareMinerals BAREPRO Camel 17, Toffee 19, Dior Face & Body 3WO

I have the shades Camel 17 which I use for the centre of my face and Toffee 19 for the perimeter.  Both 17 and 19 are a great match for me, they have a proper golden yellow undertone which flatters and brightens my complexion really nicely. This foundation sets deeper, it doesn't oxidise "orange" but just deepens a shade or so, so it's best to get yourself matched and definitely play around with some samples first if you can. Once it has set to it's final colour I love how it stays true to colour and doesn't dull through the day.

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 Camel 17 has been replaced by Fawn 17 and I don't think they're the same because the shade descriptions have changed.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.

bareMinerals BAREPRO Camel 17, Toffee 19, Dior Face & Body 3WO

For those interested in Camel 17 or any of the discontinued shades I've listed some sites below that are still stocking them. Some are at discounted prices so it’s worth shopping around for the best deal.

- bareMinerals

- Escentual

- Perfume Click

- House of Fraser

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.

When it comes to the ideal skin type, I think the Barepro formula is best for combination oily skin not only because of its' semi-matte finish but because of how quickly it sets and adheres to the skin. If you have dry skin, I think you might find it way too tight and because of its patchiness tendencies this can catch on dry skin and flakes. Regardless of your skin type thorough skin prep is extremely important with this foundation, make sure to exfoliate and moisturise well before applying. I have a whole different routine with the Barepro and it's not a foundation I can just throw on. 

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! 

Finish

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.

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.

Waterproof formula

The Barepro however sits beautifully on my skin and enhances the texture, it gives my skin a smooth, soft focus finish and continues to look like this throughout the day. There have been many a times when I've returned home after an event and felt reluctant to remove my makeup because of how immaculate it still looked, no exaggeration. I haven't worn this foundation for 24 hours...but I have a feeling this will look rather good even after that many hours. I love how this wears on my skin, it loses some matteness as slight oils come out but still stays intact and it manages to control my oils really well.

Using Micellar Water to remove the foundation but it's proving difficult

Another reason why I love the way this foundation wears on my skin is that once I've set this in place with powder, the foundation moves with my skin and never sinks into lines. I have prominent laugh lines and when I opt for slightly more coverage than normal, foundations are notorious for sinking into my laugh lines as well as the lines across my forehead but the Barepro defies this and allows me  to laugh, smile and move my face as much as I want the entire day without having to worry about my base.

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

I'm actually so excited to finally review this foundation. You know that feeling when you're so in love with a particular product and you're dying to share it with the world? Well this is the Becca Skin Love foundation for me right now.

I can't remember where I came across this foundation first but it was during the summer of 2019. After watching several videos and doing some research I knew I had to have this glowy base. Luckily I found the Becca Skin Love for dead cheap on eBay and managed to buy 3 shades for just under the price of one. Yes it's a bit excessive but it was a bargain! Nikki Makeup on Instagram uses several shades of foundation on her clients/models faces if they have an uneven skin tone. This technique works really well for me too but obviously it's a very pricey technique since you'll have to buy more than one bottle.

Website Description

What it is and what I love

- Comes in an easy to use plastic airless pump tube. Pretty holographic printing and a window to see the shade and contents within. Lightweight and very convenient to travel with. (Since it's an airless pump you may have to press quite a few times to bring the product up the first time.)

- 35ml for £32

- Has a slight fragrance.

- 24 shades with a good variety of tones.

Dior Face & Body 3WO, Becca Skin Love Driftwood, Olive and Bamboo. Driftwood and Olive are quite similar but as you can see Olive has more olive tones in it similar to the 3WO

- I have the shades Driftwood (Cool medium beige with neutral undertones), Olive (Warm medium beige with golden/olive undertones) and Bamboo (Golden beige with yellow undertones).

I first bought the shade Driftwood during the 'good skin phase' I had last year and it matched me perfectly (the centre of my face is quite pale especially if I've been consistent with my sunscreen and skincare) but it was slightly too pale for my forehead so I bought the shade Olive which has lovely olive tones in it. I took Olive with me on holiday since I knew I'd be catching a tan and it's been my most used shade. When I came back from my holiday I bought the shade Bamboo to match my super tanned forehead. I mix and match all of them to suit my needs. Like I said earlier it's obviously a very expensive technique and I probably wouldn't have done this if it were full price. A bit of bronzer across the forehead does the job for me.

- Texture is thick and creamy but super lightweight on the skin, you can't feel it. Has a setting factor and there's no tackiness.

- I like using a brush but a sponge would work well too, I've noticed fingers work really well as well but I prefer not to get them dirty. Blends easily but since it's quite thick, a denser brush would work better than a fluffy one.

- I use 4 little dots for everyday use. A little goes a long way as you can see in the gif below! Provides instant medium yet build-able coverage. Skin tone is evened out, if you have any prominent blemishes you may have to layer or spot conceal, but I personally find this provides a LOT of coverage.

- A proper satin finish on my skin type, has a glowy, radiant finish and makes my skin look very healthy and hydrated. It's almost erring on semi-matte but as my oils start to come out it looks more and more satin-ey.

- Forms a second skin-like layer over the skin, fills in and blurs pores, smoothens and plumps up the skin, it's delicious! Formula is similar to Urban Decay One & Done (review), IT Cosmetics CC Cream, Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation (review), Clinique Beyond Perfecting (review) etc. But this one's my favourite for sure as it's more lightweight.

- Doesn't oxidise but sets to a slightly muted tone. I personally find this lasts a long time on me, I can touch my face even without setting and it won't transfer onto my palms. Without setting I get slightly dewy in 6 hours. Definitely set if you want it to last longer. 

The Negatives

- I find this particular formula works better on a smoother skin type, if you have any dry flakes make sure you exfoliate and prep your skin well before using or it might pick up on texture.

- Even though this can be glowy and hydrating, I do find this works better on combination normal skin, people with dry skin may find this quite thick and matte. Oily people might find this gets quite radiant on them. 

-It's a natural finish but not completely invisible or undetectable.

I've used this foundation so much and really love what it does for me. It makes my skin look healthy, radiant, smooth, poreless and plump which is why I'm happy to own several shades for the different areas of my face. I've tried many other similar formulas to this but the shades have always been a let down so I'm happy I finally get to enjoy this formula with an equally great shade match...or several should I say in my case! Definitely give this a go if you're after plump poreless skin.

Hope you enjoyed this review. Stay safe. xxx

Have you read my last post? Glossier Skin Tint, Stretch Concealer, Cloud Paint Review

As you may already know I don’t buy full sized foundations on a whim, I play around with samples first and in this particular instance it was pure love. I purchased the foundation from the Dior website in the shade 3WO, described as “light medium skin with warm olive undertones”. It comes with 50ml of product for £29.50. I received 2 deluxe samples of my choice, free shipping and I opted for the gorgeous complimentary gift packaging since I was treating myself to my first ever Dior purchase. (I generally don’t like waste and unnecessary packaging, but I’ve kept the lovely box for storage purposes).

Top-Bottom: Becca Skin Love Olive, Nars All Day Luminous Stromboli, Dior Face & Body 3WO Taken in natural lighting.

- A light to medium build-able foundation. 

- Demi matte finish
- Lightweight 

- Skin like finish

- Long lasting

- Waterproof
- Liquidy formula and thin consistency but not super runny
- Has a slight fragrance

                                             
My application method:
I prefer minimal makeup for day to day. I don’t need all my marks to be concealed but I do want my overall skin tone to look even. I apply one drop on my forehead, one drop on my nose and one drop on each cheek. Then using my flat angled kabuki I blend outwards. I avoid my under eyes and around my mouth because they will most likely go ashy and I don’t want to use colour corrector or concealer as that means more layers making my makeup look obvious which I don’t want. With the minimal, barely anything amount left on the brush I go lightly over my mouth and chin. My skin is left looking more even and awake and still looks like skin. I then set with an incredibly light dusting of powder.


What I love about the foundation:

- Comes in a huge variety of shades with various undertones so everyone will most likely find a match. They have 'N' for neutral, 'W' for warm, 'CR' for cool rosy, 'WP' for warm peach and 'WO' for warm olive.

- Comes in an easy to use and convenient squeezy tube bottle. It’s very simple yet chic.


- A generous 50ml of product so well worth your buck.

- The shade 3WO (warm olive) is the perfect match for my skin tone. Lovely balance of yellow and olive with just the right amount of depth.

Top-Bottom: Becca Skin Love Olive, Nars All Day Luminous Stromboli, Dior Face & Body 3WO

- Blends into the skin seamlessly and effortlessly, my skin just drinks it up and becomes one with it.

- Undetectable skin like finish. People have told me my “skin” looks great when I’ve had it on, not my “makeup” looks great.

- Demi matte finish, matte but not flat, there are still areas of the skin with a slight glow. Obviously all adjustable with the type of skin prep and powdering.

- Very skin smoothing but in a natural way, it doesn’t form a second layer on top of the skin but sinks in to the skin and fills in and blurs pores.

- Super lightweight, I can’t feel it on at all.

- Buildable coverage though I always go for light coverage anyway. I don’t think this goes further than medium coverage. It evens skin out but will need more than 3 layers if you want to cover blemishes or red spots so I personally think you’re better off using a medium to full coverage foundation if you’re after coverage.

- Doesn’t oxidise orange or change colour, though I find my oils do react with it a little after a long while, but nothing drastic enough to put me off.

- No flashback so great for photography.

- Great for my combination skin type and has ample amount of oil control for me. After a few hours my skin looks more glowy in a natural way but not oily.

- Since it's for the body too, it's quite long-lasting on my skin and doesn’t melt or disappear. When set with a light dusting of powder I get approx 8+ hours of wear. But I apply such little product I can’t always tell what’s foundation or what’s skin (lol sorry). But when I cleanse there is always product on the flannel so I know there’s still foundation on my skin.

- Can be used on a variety of skin types, forgiving on most as it can be altered for either dry or oily skin but I would say best for combo oily skin.

Top-Bottom: Becca Skin Love Olive, Nars All Day Luminous Stromboli, Dior Face & Body 3WO

What I’m not so keen on:

I don’t have many dislikes with this foundation but if I really were to think about it I would say:

- Can be quite matte and drying if I haven’t prepped my skin properly.

- If I want a dewy glowy look this isn’t the foundation I will use. I actually reluctant to use this in the summer because it was too matte for my liking.

- I don’t think people with dry skin will like this, I think they will find it too matte.

- I rarely get breakouts these days (current skincare routine is working brill for me) but on the rare occasion that I did get some spots the Dior Face & Body didn’t conceal the redness with one layer and I didn’t really want to apply more layers. So not great if you’re after coverage.

To summarise I absolutely ADORE this foundation, it’s my current go-to everyday base. I find it so easy to use, very reliable and never lets me down. It’s the MAC Face & Body but in the perfect shade with a formula better suited to my skin type plus giving me the finish and coverage that I’m after. If you’re looking for a light coverage matte foundation which evens out your skin as wells as controls your oils then definitely give this one a go, you can use it on your body too if you like!

Have you tried this foundation? If so leave us your thoughts down below!

Previous review : NYX HD Wand Concealer