I’m a big fan of liquid foundation, but there’s no denying that a powdered version is simply easier to use, as well as throw in a makeup/travel bag for any on-the-go touchups. That said, powder foundations in the past have tended to feel a little heavier upon the skin, along with leaving behind a visibly powdery finish — something that I was pleasantly surprised to see was definitely NOT the case here. Bare Minerals, a brand who’s cornered the market on mineral-based cosmetics, has created BAREPRO™ Powder Foundation, a product that not only gives coverage but does so in a way that helps your skin feel good about it while doing so.

Core Coverage Brush (CAN $38.00) | An angled retractible face/powder brush with an inner dense core of softer synthetic bristles. Created to be used in conjunction with the BAREPRO foundation, this brush is effective in that regard especially for applying product to larger expanses of the face; on smaller and/or more detailed areas such as around the nose, it becomes a touch trickier to use because of its wider size. Personally, I prefer applying these foundations with a sponge such as a beauty blender or even the one included in each compact, then going in with the Core Coverage Brush to buff out any excess product and to give my skin a seamless-looking finish. My issue with this brush is that the outer ring of bristles is much stiffer than I’m used to using and when swirled over the foundation, it does kick up quite a bit of product. That said, it’s also a very useful brush to have with you for on-the-go touchups due to the fact that it’s retractible and thus hygienic — just make sure to not apply too much pressure to the pan during application.

BAREPRO™ Performance Wear Powder Foundation (CAN $36.00/each) | Created with over 90 percent vitamins and minerals as well as having been dermatologist tested, noncomedogenic, nonacnegenic and hypoallergenic, these foundations claim to provide 12 hours of crease-free wear, although to be honest, I personally rarely wear my foundation for that length of time. Still, it’s nice to know that if I did, the product would last.

Made with skin-matching mineral pigments, there are 30 shades to choose from although I noticed that they do seem to apply a touch lighter than what’s seen in the pan, so it’s definitely best to try and swatch in person before selecting a match. The fairest to the darkest complexions along with variations in between (those with pink, beige, or even yellow undertones) all seem to be covered as well, making the range truly inclusive.

Of the five shades I was kindly sent to test, two of them (Golden Nude and Pecan) are the most wearable for my skin tone, although I was able to make use of both Hazelnut and Truffle as contour/bronzer. Fair is significantly much too pale and pink-tinged for me to try and pull off — even when I tried to use it as a matte highlighter. After having played with these for several weeks now, I have come to the conclusion that they work much better on me when used as a setting-type powder over a liquid foundation; this method gives my face a truly poreless & air-brushed finish. But then again, this is purely personal and I recommend you test them out on your skin to see how you like the effect. I will say that they are very lightweight and I experience no breakouts whatsoever – a major bonus.

01 Fair | pale flesh shade with pink undertones

13 Golden Nude | light neutral nude shade

18 Pecan | warm mid-tone nude shade

25 Hazelnut | warm tan shade

29 Truffle | deep tan shade

For those with sensitive or break-out prone skin, you should definitely give these foundations a test-drive; they deliver professional looking results and you’re sure to find a colour match with such a large range. As to the brush, I’m not sold on it and find the sponge include with each foundation to be a way better method of application – but that’s also a matter of personal preference. At the end of the day, foundation is a very tricky beast to master and something that needs to be explored slowly, never rushed — but it doesn’t hurt to try something new either, since you may be pleasantly surprised to land on a new fave or interesting way of using a specific product, such as I did here. Yay! to new discoveries!

Available at Sephora

PR samples/As always, all opinions are my own