I Just Tried BareMinerals for the First Time Since High School—I Don’t Know Why I Ever Stopped

Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanHours before my entire family would gather to celebrate Christmas Eve, I begged my mom to drive me to Ulta to pick up the OG BareMinerals starter kit as my final holiday gift. It had everything I needed to start a makeup collection, according to all the ads on my TV. The iconic loose powder foundation, a setting powder, a bronzer, blush, and a few brushes—according to the commercials, that was everything I needed for flawless skin at age 12. And of course, it was on sale.I went home and immediately tried it all on, ecstatic over the wooden brush handles and how cute it all looked on my vanity. I felt like a million bucks. And ya know what, I looked like it too,. BareMinerals made my skin look fresh, like a soft cloud that covered up my teenage zits without really appearing as if I was wearing heavy foundation.I wore BareMinerals for years, going through the entirety of that tub and a few others. But as I got older, buzzy liquid foundations, skin tints, and tinted moisturizers have replaced my beloved powder. Honestly, I forgot about it. Until recently, in a fit of nostalgia-bait (I was about to go see the Jonas Brothers), I decided to give it a go again. Could BareMinerals really live up to the same hype it had in the aughts?About BareMinerals Original Loose Powder FoundationBefore I get into my review, let me explain the behemoth that is BareMinerals. The talc-free foundation was touted as a “good-for-skin” product that offered coverage without feeling too much like makeup. As a teenager, the sales associates would tell me that this non-comedogenic powder would actually clear my acne (it won’t, btw). The commercials and ads showcased people of all ages wearing the formula, highlighting that it can blur fine lines and wrinkles, breakouts, and hyperpigmentation.The Original Loose Powder has a slight glow, but there aren’t any glitter particles throughout, giving your skin a sheen. Now, the brand offers a matte version as well for oily skin that has more shine control. The brand also promises medium, buildable coverage.Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanHow to apply “Swirl, tap, buff”—you probably remember it from the commercials. And still to this day, that’s the best way to apply the BareMinerals Mineral Foundation. You just dump some product into the cap (don’t worry, there’s a sifter to help you avoid getting too much), then swirl your brush into it until it disappears into the bristles. Then, tap away any excess product against the cap before buffing it into your skin in circular motions.I tried it with a few different brushes, and the density of the brush definitely made a difference in the coverage and finish. A dense, flat foundation brush gave me a lot more coverage and blurred texture; a fluffy, powder brush offered a diffused veil akin to a light-to-medium coverage. You also can go in with multiple thin layers to build up coverage, or even use a small concealer brush to dab the product on any spots you want to cover up more.My reviewTrying this foundation again after all these years was deeply nostalgic. Back in the day, I loved the lightweight feel and the medium coverage I got without breaking my skin out. Then, my biggest concerns were covering up acne, reducing shine, and longevity (I hated touching up in the school bathroom midday). These days, I wouldn’t say my goals are all that different. I’m just far pickier about products now, having tested thousands over the years for my job. But I am a bit more dry than I was then, so I avoid anything that’ll cling to patchy skin or, worst of all, settle into fine lines (yeah, I have those now too).Add Cosmopolitan as a preferred source in your Google search results.Use your Google account to add this to your settings.After I first apply, my skin looks so good. It’s velvety and soft, but not like I’m coated in a matte product. It just looks like my skin is kinda perfect on its own.Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanProsIt has a fantastic sifter that is surprisingly not messy at all. I wish many of my loose setting powders had this same type of sifter because it only dispenses the product you need, then you can easily lock it away to avoid excess. The original formula helps get rid of shine but doesn’t make my face look too matte or dry (if you have super oily skin, try the matte formula). It’s so extremely lightweight that it barely even feels like I have any product on my face.I’m obsessed with how well this smoothes any uneven texture. I have some bumps on my forehead (thanks to a few glasses of wine last weekend), and it softens and blurs my skin without looking cakey. This powder layers well with basically every cream or liquid I’ve tried underneath. Plus, it doesn’t get too powdery when I top it with other powders, like blush and bronzer.Beth Gillette for CosmopolitanConsIf you like full coverage, you probably won’t like this (or at least not on its own). This is just far too light of a formula to get to that place, and even if you tried, it might feel a bit heavy if you caked on that much powder. If you want full, I’d recommend applying this on top of a skin tint or a concealer. It’s not nearly as quick and easy as a skin tint (but I wouldn’t dare say that it’s time-consuming; it’s just not as fast as wiping something on). They still need a better shade range. It’s not as abysmal as I remember, with a lot more fair shades and a few deeper options. But I think we can push it further and offer a lot more variations, including a few darker shades.Final verdictIt’s been more than 10 years since I put the BareMinerals foundation all over my face. I can’t believe it took me so long to come back to, but now I’m annoyed that I haven’t been using this all this time. It's exactly how I want my skin to look.The first time I tried this, four of my coworkers told me that my skin looked “amazing.” It was especially vindicating because they didn’t compliment my makeup, they recognized how good my skin looked. To me, that’s the difference between a great and a good foundation: a formula that makes my skin look better, not like I have layers of makeup on my face. Some days, that’s the look. But for the most part, I want a product that looks and feels like I’m enhancing what I already have. That’s exactly this foundation.More BareMinerals complexion products I loveMatte Loose Powder FoundationBareMinerals Original Matte Loose Powder FoundationWhen my skin was more oily, I preferred this formula.BareMinerals Original Liquid Mineral ConcealerThis creamy concealer is great for brightening my under-eyes and getting a little extra coverage underneath the powder foundation.BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Luminous Skin Tint StickI’ve worn this constantly this summer. It makes my skin look extremely glowy and fresh and applies so quickly.BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted MoisturizerEasily one of the best tinted moisturizers out there: It’s lightweight, offers light-to-medium coverage, and lasts all day.BareMinerals BarePro 24HR Skin-Perfecting Powder FoundationIf you want a full-coverage look, pair the tinted moisturizer with this powder foundation. It blurs your skin like butter.Why trust Cosmopolitan? Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with eight years of experience researching, writing, and editing hair, makeup, nail, and fragrance stories.Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you "have to try." Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair 'do every few months.