March Minerals

Expect to hear a lot more from Bare Escentuals this year. They've opened a flagship shop in 'make-up mile' Neal Street, Covent Garden and they're launching a ton of new products in the next couple of months. But central to all of their activity is the core product, the BareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation, £22. This month they're urging us to Rethink our Foundation. It does take a bit of a leap of faith to begin with to think that this sheer loose powder could take the place of a trusty liquid foundation, but having used it myself for a couple of years, I'm a convert. Created in the 70s by the fabulously-named Leslie Blodgett (but remember, it's Swirl, Tap, Buff - don't blodge-it) the foundation is a loose mineral powder that comes in 15 shades. I use a combination of Medium, Medium Beige and Fairly Light. I only need the tiniest amount and a selection of brushes to blur blemishes, tone down redness and get a more polished, finished look that still seems natural. It's slightly sheeny so it's really flattering. I've heard good reports from sensitive-skinned friends who suffer breakouts who find the zinc oxide content healing; and I've recommended it to foundation-phobic friends. I could go on at length, but Leslie explains clearly how it's done in this video. So, are you ready to rethink your foundation?