For the past couple of years I've been trying out more and more products from
bareMinerals thanks to
the press samples I have received from the PR Team. One of my favourite things about blogging over these past 11 years has been trying out new products and brands that I ordinarily wouldn't have had the chance to try. I have bought countless products myself over the years, tested them out and reviewed them but I've also been fortunate enough to receive press drops of products which has allowed me to try out more than I would have been able to buy.
There's no way I'd ever have tried half the products I have if it wasn't for press samples and it's made me branch out completely. I also really want to test the products properly which is why I often take a while to give my opinion on products that I've been sent to try. As a consumer first and foremost myself I can see the difference between spending your own money on products and receiving them free of charge. There is a difference to me. If I'm sharing a product that has been sent to me for consideration I really want to put it to the test before I mention my full thoughts because I'm aware I haven't spent my own money on it and I want to make sure if I'm recommending it that it's going to be worth it. If I have spent my own money chances are it's a product I know I will like and have researched quite a bit myself and read reviews on before buying whereas with press samples you never know what you're going to get and it might be a product you may not have necessarily bought yourself, but, that doesn't mean you won't love it.
In the end though, I could recommend a product and some people will love it too and others may not. It's all about personal taste, skin type, how you use something and expectations. I think now more than ever it's so important for beauty bloggers and "influencers" to give full, thorough and accurate reviews of products since makeup and skincare testers are still not widely available. Online reviews, photos and videos are more essential than ever when you're shopping for new products. That's why when I do write a blog post (which I know is rare nowadays) I want to make sure it's as thorough as possible so that you can really see what the products can do and make a well informed decision as to whether you want to spend your own hard earned money on them.
So let's get into the products at hand. Although the title is relating to the new Mineralist Gloss-Balms, I wanted to bring a few more bareMinerals products into this post because I've been trying lots of their complexion products recently and have been loving them. I've always seen bareMinerals as a brand that focuses on skin first. It seems to me to be a brand that provides you with products to enhance your skin rather than cover it up. Their makeup products often offer ingredients that help the skin as you wear it such as hyaluronic acid, squalane, olive, bamboo, algae and mineral sun protection (although I would always wear a separate SPF anyway to make sure my face is protected).
One product I had been using for a couple of months is the Skinlongevity Serum (it was almost done but I dropped the bottle and it smashed before I had completely finished it). I hadn't used any bareMinerals skincare before but a makeup artist I follow had recommended this, especially as a product that is great for makeup prep, so I was excited to give it a try. It's a typical serum that can be applied morning and evening and has ingredients like glycerin, squalane, ginger, niacinamide and a Japanese herb called chomeiso (also known as the long life herb) which is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. I'm not a skincare expert by any means but I know in general what works for my skin and this serum definitely does. I'm currently 36.5 weeks pregnant and my skin has been more dry than usual throughout this pregnancy. I found this serum definitely made my skin feel more hydrated. It's one to try if you find that hyaluronic acid doesn't work for you as this contains glycerin and squalane instead.
I was chatting with one of the PR team for bareMinerals who recommended an amazing way of using this serum which is to mix it in with the
BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation. This is a full coverage foundation that I've been using for about a year and a half or so and I love it for when I feel like my skin needs some extra coverage. However as it is a long lasting and full coverage, the serum sheers it down and adds some hydration so that it blends out quickly and easily and gives a more medium coverage and a bit more of a glow to the finish. I loved this tip and never would have thought to try it myself but I'm sure you could do the same with any hydrating serum and full coverage foundation. A great one to try particularly if you have more dry skin.
Next up is a product I've been wanting to try for while now as I've always heard great things about it and it seemed like the kind of product I would love, the
Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream. It's a tinted moisturiser with broad spectrum SPF 30 and hydrating ingredients in an oil-free formula so that it helps to hydrate your skin while offering a sheer to medium coverage. You can see below the before and after of me wearing it and the coverage is gives with one layer. It evens out my skin tone but isn't too heavy. In the look below I had some redness from blemishes on my chin and so I used the
Original Loose Powder Foundation to add some coverage just where I needed it and that took away the redness as you can see from the fourth image.
In general I prefer a sheer to medium, hydrating complexion product so I've been loving wearing the Complexion Rescue, especially during the Summer as it's so lightweight and easy to use in the hot weather. If you were more oily I think you could still wear this but perhaps just prep your skin with a mattifying primer or use a powder to set it all over. It just makes my skin look even, fresh and hydrated which I love.
One of the first bareMinerals products I tried was the BARESKIN Serum Concealer which has since been discontinued but instead, the
Original Liquid Mineral Concealer takes it's place and I think if you liked the serum one you will like this too as it has the same consistency, coverage and is easy to blend and doesn't look dry or crease. With any concealer, always make sure you have prepped the skin around your eyes whether that's with a moisturiser or eye cream and let it absorb before applying. If you find you get creasing or under your eyes looks dry, try using more hydrating skincare underneath and less concealer and powder, or no powder at all. I find if I use too much powder it makes the skin under my eyes look so dry and dull.
