bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15, Shade by Shade

bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15, Shade by Shade

The bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15 is the loose mineral powder that turned a San Francisco brand into a name everyone knew. Here are the shades I would start with, the rest of the bareMinerals powders around it, and other powder foundations and brushes to try beside it.

Bare Escentuals was founded in 1976 by Diane Ranger, a cosmetic chemist, in San Francisco, and it began life as a small boutique, not a makeup empire. The mineral foundation came later and got its big push in the 1990s. Leslie Blodgett launched bareMinerals in the United States in 1995 and, in 1997, made her first appearance on live TV shopping to introduce it. I love that story because the powder was taught, not just sold. It was a loose powder you swirl, tap and buff on, and people learned it by watching it done.

That is the thinking behind the bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15: a loose, talc-free mineral powder with buildable sheer-to-full coverage and a natural, luminous finish, according to the product page. Below is the same powder in eight shades, and the shade notes do real work. Fair 01 is for very fair cool skin with pink undertones, Fairly Medium 05 and Light Beige 09 stay in the cool pink family, and Golden Beige 13 is for light warm skin with yellow undertones. Tan Nude 17 and Neutral Tan 21 are warm and golden, Golden Dark 25 is dark and neutral with peach undertones, and Deepest Deep 30 is very deep and cool with red undertones.

My tip: swirl a small amount of powder in the cap until it disappears into your brush, then build only where you need it.

Big numbers collage titled BAREMINERALS ORIGINAL, six products numbered one to six with each product set beside its number: bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Fair 01, bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Golden Beige 13, bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Neutral Tan 21, bareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation in Deepest Deep 30, bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil Setting Powder and Anastasia Beverly Hills A30 Domed Kabuki Brush
bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15

The rest of the bareMinerals powder drawer

The rest of the bareMinerals drawer is where the brand gets practical. Original Mineral Veil in Illuminating is completely sheer with a luminous finish, and it follows the same swirl, tap, buff routine as the foundation. The pressed Mineral Veil in Translucent is talc-free with a soft-matte finish, and bareMinerals says it is made with 86 percent naturally derived ingredients. If you like a little more polish, this is the one to keep in a bag.

For concealing, the Loose Talc-Free Powder Concealer in Bisque is a light neutral beige that works as a concealer or an eyeshadow base. The Well-Rested Under Eye Brightener in Well Rested is a yellow ivory loose powder that the brand made to brighten the look of dark circles. Both come in tiny 0.07 oz sizes, so they are easy to tuck in a pouch.

Then there is the newer side of the brand. BAREPRO 24HR Skin Perfecting Powder Foundation in Fair 10 Cool and Deep 55 Neutral is a matte, full coverage pressed powder that bareMinerals says lasts up to 24 hours. Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer in Opal 01 and Cedar 11 is a light coverage cream with hyaluronic acid.

What I would skip: Complexion Rescue if you want full coverage. It is a light tint, and BAREPRO is the better match for that job.

Other powders, and the brushes that apply them

If the loose powder is not your thing, there are plenty of other powder foundations to try. Make Up For Ever HD Skin Matte Velvet Blurring Powder Foundation in 1N00 Alabaster is a pressed, full coverage matte that the brand says lasts up to 24 hours. MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation in C30 is a talc-free two-in-one that works as a foundation or a setting powder, and it comes with a sponge. Lancôme Dual Finish in Matte 100 can be used wet or dry, so you can go sheer in the morning and build later.

The Best Skin Ever Matte Powder Foundation in 68P Deep has a double-sided sponge for medium or fuller coverage. Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder in shade 5 is a balm-to-powder primer and foundation with light coverage. Supergoop 100% Mineral (Re)setting Powder in Translucent is a mineral setting powder with SPF 35 and a built-in brush, handy for touch-ups.

Brushes matter as much as the powder. The Anastasia Beverly Hills A30 Domed Kabuki is a round, dense synthetic brush. The brand made it for blending creams and liquids, and that same density buffs a loose powder into skin. The PRO Powder Brush 50 is large, tapered and fluffy for a soft dusting, and its sheared side presses powder on.

What I would skip: using the fluffy powder brush to apply the pressed full coverage foundations. You will get a sheer veil, not the coverage they are built for.

Choosing your shade and your brush

Start with the undertone line in the shade notes. If your skin runs pink and fair, try 01, 05 or 09. If it runs yellow or golden, try 13, 17 or 21, and go to 25 or 30 for deeper skin. Buy the shade you think you are and then test it on your jaw in daylight before you commit to a whole jar.

Use a loose powder with a dense brush and a light hand. Swirl, tap, buff, and stop before it looks like makeup. If you want more control over oil, reach for one of the matte powder foundations and keep the bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15 for days you want skin to look like skin.