I’m not a big fan of powdered face products. I prefer the dewy look of liquid and cream face products. But I’ll admit I’ve been intrigued by the whole mineral-makeup phenomenon. But not liking powdered products to begin with, and not wanting to sink 25 bucks or so into something I wasn’t sure if I’d like, and I didn’t have too hard of a time passing on this trend (well, maybe trend isn’t quite the right word; these products have been around for a while and certainly have their loyal devotees). That is until drugstore brands started getting into the mineral-makeup market. It was only a matter of time before I broke down and gave something a try. That something ended up being L’Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation. I was so convinced I wasn’t going to like this product, I purchased it at CVS, so I could return it if it didn’t work out (which ended up being a good thing, since I had to exchange it once because the shade I picked was wrong for me). But *surprise* surprise* I ended up liking this product!

Product description and shade selection from www.lorealparisusa.com:

It’s makeup that feels like you’re wearing nothing at all- just a natural glow of bare, healthy-looking skin.

• Flawless, skin perfecting coverage blends seamlessly with a brush
• Contains vitamins and minerals that help nurture skin
• So light and gentle it’s safe for sensitive skin and won’t clog pores
• Natural SPF 19

Soft Ivory 456
Light Ivory 458
Nude Beige 460
Creamy Natural 462
Natural Beige 464
Buff Beige 466
Sun Beige 468
Classic Tan 470

Ingredients from packaging:

Active ingredients: titanium dioxide 3.0%, zinc oxide 5.0%

Inactive ingredients: talc, boron nitrate, dimethicone, copernifica cerifera (carnauba) wax, cetyl dimethicone, trimethylsiloxysilicate, triisocetyl citrate, aloe barbadensis leaf juice, tocopherol, panthenol May contain: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, bismuth oxychloride, iron oxides

Because this product is new and trendy, I knew it wouldn’t be cheap, so I waited until CVS had a buy-on-get-one free sale on all L’Oreal face products, so I ended up getting a very nice free blush with my purchase. But yikes, I still wasn’t expecting this to cost $14.99! (although I’ve seen it for less at mass merchandise stores such as Wal*Mart and Target). And when I saw this only contains .35 oz. of product, that was like adding insult to injury. Now that I’ve been using it for about a week, I can see that a little of this goes a long way, and the price is a little easier to handle. Especially since it is still costs less than other mineral-makeup products out there. But be warned, if you’re looking for pure, true, mineral makeup, this is not it.

I won’t pretend to be an expert on mineral makeup. But a quick glance at the ingredients, and I saw a lot of ingredients (talc being at the top of the ingredients list, for example) that I’ve seen in pretty much any powder product I’ve used. The ingredients list is more extensive than that of other powdered mineral foundations available. I don’t have a problem with traditional powders, so it’s not really a big deal to me. But if you’re expecting pure minerals, this has its token mineral ingredients, but it seems to have a lot of other ingredients as well.

The package design of this is unique, but actually quite functional. The powder itself comes in a small plastic pot, with a sifter top. The “lid’ of the pot is a flat hard plastic disk, with the applicator brush attached to the top side of the lid. The brush has rather short, firm (but not scratchy or uncomfortable), domed bristles (think a mini-kabuki brush, if you’re familiar with your makeup tools), and I have no problems applying this with the included brush applicator. The brush is covered with a clear plastic protective cap. To use this product, you have to pull off the protective plastic cover, to reveal the brush, and unscrew the brush/lid, to reveal the powder underneath.

Before unscrewing anything, I shake the whole container from side to side a couple of times. Then when I unscrew the brush/lid, there is a layer of powder lying on top of the sifter. Even though I shake gently, it’s still more powder than I need, so I gently just touch the brush to the powder, and then dab it on my forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin.

Then I just use the brush to blend the powder over my skin, using firm, circular strokes. I use a little bit of pressure, because I really want to work the powder into my skin (I hate the look of powder just sitting there). The powder itself feels almost creamy on my skin (if that’s possible for a powder). It’s just not as dry or as, well, powdery as I was expecting. Application is a bit messy, just because there are always a couple of powder flakes that flutter on down to my sink, and some of the powder collects in the cap and spills out when I go to use the brush. But this is just a minor annoyance that I can deal with. I was surprised that the powder blends easily and evenly, and I was even more surprised at the flawless finish this creates. I don’t have a lot of skin flaws, just some redness and unevenness in skin tone, and the occasional blemish. This diffuses the appearance of flaws, but I wouldn’t say it covers them completely (which is fine by me, that’s the look I’m going for). I would say the amount I use gives me light-medium coverage (more coverage than the tinted moisturizer I had been using, but not quite as much coverage as your typical liquid foundation), with a very slightly matte finish. I suppose I could get even sheerer coverage if I used less powder (although I use a pretty small amount to begin). If I wanted more coverage, I could apply more powder, or apply a second layer over any trouble areas. This stuff is easy to over-apply (I know from experience, the first time I used this I applied pretty much all the powder that was left on top of the sifter-top, and wound up with the dry, cake-y, floured-faced look I try so hard to avoid). So I would recommend starting with a little and working up the coverage level that suits you.

My skin looks smooth and clear all day. The coverage lasts well over 8 hours for me. I have normal skin, that is getting a little drier now that the weather is getting cooler. I always make sure to moisturize my skin before applying this, and letting it sink in for a few minutes the so powder doesn’t “stick” to my moisturizer. If I want to apply any liquid, gel, or crème face products (like blush or concealer) I apply them before L’Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation. If I want to wear powdered blush, I apply it after applying the foundation.

L’Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation also boasts a SPF of 19. I do not think I would rely on this product as my only form of sun protection, just because I apply a light layer and I am not sure how much is needed to completely protect my skin. I always use a daytime moisturizer with SPF 15, so any sun protection I get from this product is an added bonus.

L’Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation removes easily with my Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser. It has not caused blemishes or any skin irritation. It has not dried out my skin, but I noticed it will collect on dry patches if I’ve skimped on my moisturizer. I can’t say how well this controls oil, since I do not have oily skin. I think this would work best for those with fairly normal skin (maybe slightly dry or oily, but not at either one of the extremes). I also don’t know how well this would cover a lot of skin flaws, but because this goes on as heavy or light as you choose, if you found a shade that is a perfect match, I could see this covering as well as any full-coverage liquid or cream foundation (with the added bonus of not needing additional loose or pressed powder).

My only other complaint about L’Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation is that I had a hard time finding a shade to match my skintone. I have fair, neutral-toned skin, but I am not ultra-pale. As a general rule, the second lightest shade in a foundation line works for me. So I first tried #458 Light Ivory. The first time I used it I thought “whoa, this is way too dark.” But as long as I applied it lightly, it was okay. But after a few days, I thought I’d give the lightest shade, #456 Soft Ivory a try (thankfully, CVS takes returns on cosmetics with your receipt, no questions asked!) It is just a tad too light for me, but with the remnants of what little summer tan I had fading away, this shade ends up being the closer of the two. (I’d rather go a little too light than too dark, anyways). Ultimately, if I mixed the two shades together, I think that would be my “perfect” shade, but I don’t want to shell out another 15 bucks to find out. The Soft Ivory is not that far off, so I’m sticking with it. If the Bare Naturale line turns out to be successful for L’Oreal, it would be nice if they’d expand their shade selection, since I think a lot of women would fall “in between” shades, as I did.

The bottom line is I was pleasantly surprised by this product (although fully expecting to hate it, I guess it had nowhere to go but up!) I’m getting the hang of the application, now that I know to use a small amount and buff it into my skin (rather than just lightly dusting it overtop as I would a loose powder), and I am very happy with the flawless yet still natural finish this gives my skin. I am pleased that this flawless illusion lasts all day without requiring touch-ups. Even the price doesn’t seem to be too much of a deterrent, considering I ended up getting a free product with my purchase, it costs considerably less than other mineral makeup offerings, and I only need to use a small amount at a time. Just keep in mind that it is not as pure as some other mineral powder foundations, so that may be a consideration if you have sensitive skin.

I highly recommend this product as it performed well for me (although I was a mineral-makeup-virgin, so I had nothing else to compare it to). I am undecided whether I would buy it again, though. I’m expecting my little pot of L’Oreal Bare Naturale Powdered Mineral Foundation to last a long time, and most likely I’ll get bored with it, or revert back to my usual tinted moisturizers and liquid foundations when the novelty of this wears off, but for now, I’m liking it.

This product is available in drugstores, grocery stores, and mass merchandise stores that carry L’Oreal products. The only place I have seen this available online is walgreens.com. Its regular price is around 15 dollars, but if you comparison shop or hold out for a sale or a coupon, you could easily get this for less.


Recommended: Yes