Product: TheBalm TimeBalm Concealer
Price: ~USD 18.00 @ Sephora
Review:

I purchased this product in ‘Light/Medium’ and I would have to say at the time, it was a good match for my skin. You might think that it is a lot of money for such a small pot but the product really lasts a long time. I bought this product well over a year ago though and I don’t think I’ve even used half of it yet. You only need a few dabs to conceal spots, so you can imagine how many dabs you’ll need to use up a whole pot. But since I have tanned, the shade doesn’t exactly match anymore so I don’t use it as a concealer per se. Instead I’ve resorted to using it on my lips, over Chaptstick and with gloss to create the ‘nude lip’ look. The product comes with a small sponge for application although I find that using my fingers works better.

The concealer did help to conceal dark spots on my face, but I would suggest against using it around your eye area if you have a lot of fine lines. I have extremely uneven skin around my eye area – I’m not really sure how to explain it, but the concealer will settle into your skin and make them even more noticeable. I would also suggest building up on the coverage slowly, if you over-do it your skin will end up looking extremely cakey.

Rating: 4/5
credit: image from Sephora

Product: bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation & Multi-tasking Bisque Concealer
Price: ~USD 25.00 for the foundation, USD 18.00 for the concealer
Review:

I bought these two products two years ago, back when the hype of “bareMinerals” was still fairly new and just starting up. Or at least, that’s when I first started hearing wind of it and decided to try it out. Biggest mistake of my life, let’s just say that much. I would say that after the first two weeks of usage, I was pretty pleased with the results since coverage was light to medium and I thought that it felt really light on my skin. This foundation was actually my first venture into any form of foundation – I used this before discovering BB cream, etc.

I remember feeling my skin itch slightly while using this foundation but I thought that it was just something that would go away with time. Unfortunately for me, I was one of those people who broke out in moderate to severe acne. While it did not develop into cystic acne, I’m sure it would have if I didn’t decide to stop using it and go see a dermatologist. I was prescribed Retin-A after this and it took nearly 6-8 months for my skin to semi-recover.

A main problem with this mineral make-up is in its ingredients. The ingredients for the foundation: Titanium Dioxide 12.6%, Zinc Oxide 21%, Bismuth Oxychloride, Mica, Iron Oxides. The ingredients in the concealer are similar: Mica, Bismuth Oxychloride, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Ultramarines.

The culprit for most people is the bismuth oxychloride, which is an ingredient that is responsible for the dewy, satin finish that the mineral makeup provides for your skin. It is a common ingredient that makes the minerals feel silky and stay on your skin better. Some people can go by without any irritation, I have two friends that continue to use bareMinerals and their skin is absolutely gorgeous, not a pimple in sight.

If you have sensitive, acne-prone skin – I would avoid this product all together. If you are itching to give it a try and don’t usually have skin problems, I would say go ahead and purchase a sample of it first to see if you react to the bismuth oxychloride.

Good news though, I know that they have released a new formula – the “Matte SPF 15 Foundation”, which does not contain bismuth oxychloride. I haven’t tried it yet but honestly, bareMinerals has lost a load of points in my book. I don’t know if I’ll ever try their products again.

Rating: 1/5
credit: images from bareMinerals website