It seems like everyone had jumped on the mineral foundation bandwagon lately. Cover Girl has recently hitched a ride and introduced a line of mineral based products along with L’Oreal. For the woman who wants to avoid the drugstore wall of mass produced cosmestics, there are arguably the two largest mineral foundation brands – bareMinerals and Sheer Cover. These two brands are all over magazines, home shopping networks, and infomercials. One thing they definitely have in common is a fairly expensive price. I recently had the opportunity to try the ‘starter kits’ of both bareMinerals and Sheer Cover, and based on personal experience I have compared the two products using a number of criteria that I believe the average woman encounters regularly.
1. Coverage – I am very fair so the whole world can see every blemish and every blush. I look for a foundation that not only covers up my red tones and blemishes, but also doesn’t make me look like I’m wearing a gallon of caked on foundation. One of the most beneficial part of mineral foundations in general is its ability to cover and feel light at the same time. Both kits include two shades of foundation so you can mix and experiment, which is very nice. Sheer Cover includes two shades of a cream concealer meant to be used before the foundation to cover up especially bad spots. The concealer is like many other conealers I’ve used, so it wasn’t Earth-shattering. The concealer lays under the mineral foundation well, and it feels pretty light. bareMinerals does not include a separate concealer, and it doesn’t need one. The included concealer brush is used in the foundation itself and covers red spots well. Then you use the foundation brush and sweep the foundation all over. The idea of sweeping the same product all over your face is comforting as there is no risk of blending a shade of concealer that does not mix with a different shade of foundation. Both products covered up the redness on my face, but the concealer included with Sheer Cover is too much like cheaper products and could possibly not blend. bareMinerals wins this round.
2. Staying Power – It doesn’t matter how makeup looks if it only lasts an hour. Under normal circumstances (running errands, work, etc.) bareMinerals definitely lasts longer. Sheer Cover simply does not keep my face from getting shiny after a couple hours. Under extreme circumstances, like a recent outdoor party I went to my last week of college, Sheer Cover fails at the first drop of sweat. Sadly I am red with visible blemishes in every picture. Under normal circumstances, bareMinerals has a lot of staying power. One of the best bareMinerals product is its Mineral Veil, a transparent finishing powder that absorbs oil throughout the day. If there is ever any shine, you just sweep on some of the Mineral Veil and keep going. It is very nice when plans are spontaneous and there is no time to redo makeup. I’m beginning to think that there is no such thing as a makeup that lasts through hot parties or high stress situations. bareMinerals doesn’t really last in those situations, either. bareMinerals takes this round.
3. Brushes – Both kits include a set of makeup brushes advertised to be like professional artist brushes. Sheer Cover has a foundation brush, the small concealer brush (reminds me of a lipgloss brush), a travel foundation brush, and an eyeshadow brush. The foundation and concealer brushes are nice, but the foundation brush can be a little prickly on sensitive skin. The eyeshadow brush really stands out – it is so soft and smooth on my eyelids. I used the travel brush on a recent trip to D.C. It has a chamber to put foundation in and you are supposed to tap the foundation into the bristles. It’s a great travel idea to keep everything contained, but frankly it didn’t work. In the end I was left without the foundation since I left it at home. bareMinerals includes a foundation brush, the concealer brush, and the kabuki brush (basically a stiff blush brush). These brushes are so soft and smooth. While the eyeshadow brush from Sheer Cover is nice, the bareMinerals brushes obviously have a higher quality and reflect the higher price.
4. Extra Products – Every infomercial claims to include ‘free gifts’ to entice the consumer. bareMinerals includes a dvd with tips and a night treatment. Not too exciting. Sheer Cover includes a small compact of 3 highlighter samples for eyes, 3 for lips, and an eyeliner. There is the expected dvd of course, and a very cute sheer bag to keep the theme and hold the cosmetics you ordered. There is also a small bottle of the brand face wash and spf15 moisturizer. Sheer Cover wins this round.
5. Overall Results – For overall foundation results, bareMinerals wins the competition over Sheer Cover. bareMinerals includes a product called Warmth that adds that much needed sense of warmth to the complextion after foundation. It’s not quite like blush, not quite a bronzer. The best way to describe it is the warmth gives the skin an alive look, instead of a one shade look that loses all sense of life in the face. Sheer Cover doesn’t have a finishing powder either, so that’s another strike against it. bareMinerals is twice as much as Sheer Cover in the tv offer, but I can honestly say that it is well worth the price. If you want a mineral foundation that can stay throughout your day and make your skin look alive, go for bareMinerals.
