BareMinerals Divine Decadence

BareMinerals is one of my beloved brands – and one that just seems to keep on upping the game.

They’ve always been innovators, from their original foundation that inspired a host of copy-cats to the skincare line based on plant actives that’s just been expanded. Beautiful stuff.

The BareMinerals Original Foundation is one I always come back to. It’s super-easy to apply and blend, offers a lovely level of coverage that’s easy to adjust and is kind to your skin. I’ve used it on and off for years, and I usually have a pot on the go at any given time.

So when this beautiful 8-piece Divine Decadence set caught my eye, I entered serious make-up addict mode.

Mindful of my #Project2017 goal to avoid impulse spending, I stuck it on my wish list and it stayed there for over a month. But I kept going back to look at it, and the more I looked, the more I liked what I saw.

At £57.00, the set is fairly expensive but it also represents great value for the amount of products included. There’s nothing odd that you never end up using – its all the basics to do a polished natural look.

You get a gorgeous make-up bag, a Flawless Finish face brush, the Original Foundation, the Diamond Light Mineral Veil Finishing Powder, a Blush in ‘Absolute Indulgence’, a Lasting Line Eyeliner in ‘Absolute Black’, a Shadow Quickie Cream Eyeshadow Stick in ‘Pewter’ and one of the new Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolors in the shade ‘Juju’.

Bearing in mind that the foundation is usually £26.50 on its own, you can see that you get a lot for your money here. Everything comes packaged up in a beautifully decorated little box – this would make an amazing gift for someone special (hint to all men frantically searching for a Valentine’s gift!).

Let’s take a closer look at what the Divine Decadence set contains…

BareMinerals Makeup Bag

In most make-up collections, the bag is usually an after-thought and fairly rubbish quality. But the bag in the Divine Decadence set is absolutely beautiful.

A soft rose-gold metallic, it has the look of a grained leather. The inside has a gorgeous blush pink lining, and the rose-gold metal zip tag embossed with BareMinerals. It’s truly pretty.

It’s of a medium size – I can just about fit my ‘daily face’ makeup products inside. It’s a bit larger than I would carry around with me in my bag, but if you’re a kitchen sink type of person when it comes to yours, it may suit you just fine.

Original Foundation SPF15

One of my all-time favourite foundations, if you’ve somehow never tried this, I doubt you’d regret it. BareMinerals may be a powder format, but its far from dull, providing a smooth, glowing finish that nails that ‘your skin but better’ vibe. When buffed in, the powder takes on a cream consistency and blends smoothly.

It’s really easy to vary the coverage, from a light dusting that looks very natural, to a heavier coverage that doesn’t look cakey. The formula doesn’t contain talc or anything that dulls and blocks the skin. I really love the finish you get.

The system is also very easy to use, as the lockable sifter cuts down on waste and mess. In this set, all the pots have been given rose-gold tops embossed with a plant design that are so super-pretty! I’m hoping that when I finish this pot, I can switch the lid onto another as it’s a stunner.

Diamond Light Mineral Veil Finishing Powder

This product was the one I was really curious about as I’ve never tried it. It’s designed to catch and reflect the light on your skin, using blue-toned minerals to give your complexion a fresh glow.

It also absorbs any excess oil and minimises the look of fine lines and wrinkles – like your very own real-life Instagram filter! My skin could use a lot of help in that department, so I love this.

It has a very subtle, finely milled shimmer that’s almost imperceptible but really freshens up the look of your face. I also love it for setting my concealer under the eyes.

Shadow Quickie Cream Eyeshadow Stick

This is perfect for working mums like me, or anyone who has very limited time to spend on their make-up and just wants a quick, brightening wash of colour. You can swipe this on in two seconds flat due to the handy crayon format, and then blend with a fingertip, or a brush.

Pewter is an odd choice of shade name, as this is really more of a pale rose gold colour – not what I’d call pewter at all! But it is a universally flattering colour that’s easy to wear. Infused with optical pears and night jasmine extract, this also feels cooling when you apply it, which is a nice treat for puffy morning eyes.

My only complaint about this is that its not very long lasting, as its generally worn off by mid-morning. It also doesn’t seem to dry completely, meaning that if I add liner and things on top, they smudge a lot. The best way I’ve found to apply it is to add a dot to the inner corners of my lids and smudge in a bit towards the centre, then leave the rest of my eyelid bare.

Flawless Face Brush

To make sure you get the right finish, the set also includes a brush to apply your base with, which is such a nice touch. It has super soft natural tapered bristles, and it provides a really nice natural looking finish, although if you want higher coverage, I'd go with a more densely packed brush, like a kabuki. The short handle makes it ideal to keep in your bag for touch ups.

Blush in Absolute Indulgence

Generally, I’m not much of a lover of blush. It tends to look somewhat clownish on me, and I don’t know if that’s down to the shade, or incorrect blending or something.

So I don’t always use it, but this is a nice one to have on hand. Its quite a reddish pink shade and a little goes a very long way so you only need a tiny dab for very blushed cheeks. Just like the foundation, the texture of this blush is wonderfully creamy on the skin and looks very natural when applied with a light hand.

Again, the beautiful rose gold packaging is an absolute stunner.

Lasting Line Eyeliner Absolute Black

I’ve purchased this eyeliner before and its a pretty nice one. The texture is very smooth, so it really glides on, and its easy to use it for both a precise, graphic line or to smoke it out using the smudger built into the other end.

I especially love that you can unscrew the smudged to reveal an inbuilt sharpener, so you can always keep your liner super sharp and crisp. Its got better lasting power than most pencil liners, and it actually behaves more like a gel, but without the hassle of using a brush – so again its really useful for quick makeup on a weekday morning,

Its also infused with Vitamin C, although Imp not sure how much use that is in an eyeliner! But its a great product and a nice thing to have in the set.

Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolour Juju

To complete the look, you also get a lip colour which makes this set a complete look (minus mascara). Its a matte liquid lipstick which is a formula I’m warming to. I haven’t found that many that feel completely non-drying to wear, but this does the job. It doesnt seem to dry completely, so it feels soft and creamy, but it does mean its not as long-wearing.

However, I’ll gladly trade a bit of wear time for not having lips that feel dryer than the Sahara!

The colour is quite a deep, dusky rose pink. I would have preferred more of a nude shade, but it is pretty and ideal if you’re going for a polished look.

So its a beautiful little set ideal for doing a quick face in the morning while losing nothing in terms of performance. Its really quite stunning and great introduction to BareMinerals if you’ve never tried it or a treat if you have.