Review: bareMinerals - Ready SPF 20 Foundation in Medium Beige

I've been using bareMinerals for years now and I've always loved the weightless but flawless feel of it and, of course, minerals are meant to be good for your skin. I've used both of the loose powders: Original and Matte. However, loose powder isn't the easiest thing to carry around and use on the go, so I was very pleased when I heard they were releasing a compact version of it called Ready SPF 20 Foundation.

I've actually had this for a while now but I've only just got round to using it. I love how cute and compact it looks, it even has a mirror inside the case. This is definitely a lot more practical to be carrying around than the loose powder. The outside of the case is pretty simple but it looks sleek.

In terms of colour, the shade seems to differ from that of the loose powder form. The Ready Foundation in Medium Beige is darker and has more of a golden tone to it, whereas the loose powder foundation for both Original and Matte is much lighter. Surprisingly, both forms actually work fine for me but I guess that is the beauty of minerals - they blend really well so you can get away with a shade that isn't an exact match. This one is definitely more suited to me though.

The texture isn't as fine as the loose mineral powder so if you are prone to dry skin, make sure you moisturise your face first and/or apply a primer to get a smooth base. Otherwise you may find that the powder settles in all the wrong places. 

After watching a few Youtube tutorials of this, I was under the impression that you needed to take one swipe of the foundation using a brush. Do not do this. You end up getting so much excess powder coming up and there's not exactly anywhere for it to go since it's in a compact case and not a pot. It will just cause a mess. The correct way to use this foundation, as I read on the instruction leaflet (which I should have done in the first place rather than going off Youtube tutorials) is to just tap your brush on the foundation and then buff it into your skin. 

I absolutely love this product. It's so much easier to use and you don't end up wasting loads of it since you don't have to swirl it around in a lid. I was worried about how it would apply on because it's not as fine as the loose powder but it goes on so smoothly for me. It gives a really pretty finish.

I've been blessed with good skin (or maybe I just have a good skincare regime!) so I can't comment too much about the coverage since I don't have any major blemishes to cover up but it definitely gives a "natural skin" finish. Similar to many mineral products though, the coverage is unlikely to be as good as what you would get with a liquid foundation.

I use the Real Techniques powder brush with this product (review coming up soon) and it works brilliantly. No need for a kabuki brush anymore.

I definitely recommend this product to you all. I don't wear foundation every day but when I do, this is my go-to product. My loose mineral powders have well and truly taken a back seat. This is actually cheaper than both the Original and Matte loose powders as you get more for the price you pay.

Have you used any of the bareMinerals foundations?