Bare Minerals Ready Foundation SPF 20 Medium Beige N20 Review

BareMinerals READY Foundation Review: Coverage, Dryness and Shade Matching

Editor’s note: This is a historical review of the original BareMinerals READY Foundation. The product may have been discontinued or replaced, and current formulas, and shade names may differ.

As a longtime user of BareMinerals loose mineral foundation, I was excited when the company introduced a pressed version.

I had used the loose foundation for approximately five years and generally enjoyed its natural finish and buildable coverage. However, loose powder could be messy and sometimes difficult to apply when my skin was dry. I hoped the READY Foundation would be a more convenient alternative.

BareMinerals marketed READY as a hydrating pressed-mineral foundation with buildable coverage and up to 12 hours of wear. Unfortunately, my initial experience did not match those claims.

My first wear test

During my first full-day test, the foundation began looking cakey and chalky within several hours.

By the time I returned home, my skin looked extremely dry. The powder had collected around areas of texture and made fine lines and imperfections appear more noticeable.

The finish made my skin look older while I was wearing it. It emphasized dryness and texture more than my usual foundation. I removed it as soon as I returned home because I was unhappy with the appearance.

Coverage and buildability

Compared with the BareMinerals loose Original Foundation, I found READY more difficult to apply and build. The coverage was approximately sheer to medium on my skin. When I attempted to spot-conceal or add more powder over blemishes, the extra product often emphasized the areas I wanted to cover.

Applying multiple layers eventually made the finish look cakey. For that reason, I received better results when I used a very small amount. I end up using it as a setting powder over my tinted moisturizer. 

The loose Original Foundation blended more easily with my skin’s natural oils throughout the day. READY seemed to remain more visibly powdery and did not develop the same natural-looking finish on me.

Application technique

Of the brushes I tested, a dense synthetic brush worked better than a natural-bristle brush.

I lightly tapped the brush onto the pressed powder and applied it with long, gentle sweeping motions. Pressing too firmly into the compact picked up more product than I needed.

Thin layers produced a better result than attempting to reach full coverage immediately. Even with careful application, however, building the product to fuller coverage required more time than I felt the result justified.

BareMinerals offered a Precision Face Brush specifically for READY Foundation. Although I did not initially own that brush, I could understand why the brand recommended a dense brush designed to distribute a small amount of powder evenly.

Texture comparison

The READY Foundation felt slightly thicker and more grainy to me than the BareMinerals loose powder.

The loose foundation appeared more finely milled and blended more seamlessly into my skin. The pressed formula seemed heavier and remained more noticeable on the surface.

Initial conclusion

After my first tests, I did not consider READY an effective replacement for my loose BareMinerals foundation. The coverage was difficult to build, and the finish emphasized dryness on my skin. I thought it might still be useful for light touch-ups or on the oilier areas of my T-zone, but I did not enjoy it as an all-over, fuller-coverage foundation.

The formula contained bismuth oxychloride, an ingredient I had suspected of irritating my skin in other mineral products. I could not determine whether it contributed to the dryness or other problems I experienced with READY.

Because the shade also appeared too warm, I decided to visit a BareMinerals boutique for another color match before reaching a final conclusion.

January 5 update: in-store shade match

I visited a BareMinerals store and explained that I had ordered READY in Medium Beige.

The beauty associate suggested that Medium Tan might be a better option. Although the name sounded darker, the shade had cooler, rosier undertones and blended more naturally with my complexion than READY Medium Beige.

The associate applied the foundation with the Precision Face Brush. The brush felt soft, fluffy and dense enough to distribute the powder evenly. I asked whether I could achieve a similar result with the Handy Buki brush I already owned. She strongly recommended the Precision Face Brush and felt that the Handy Buki would not apply the pressed formula in the same way.

The better shade and specialized brush improved the initial application. However, I could still see some unevenness, and the foundation looked somewhat heavy on my forehead.

This suggested that my original shade was part of the problem, but it was not the only issue. Even with a better color match and the recommended brush, I was still not completely satisfied with the texture and finish.

Customer-service experience

Because I had ordered the original shade online, I contacted customer service to ask about exchanging it.

The representative was helpful and advised me to complete the in-store color match before calling back. The company then offered to send the newly recommended shade without an additional charge and allowed me to keep the first compact.

Although I had previously experienced frustration with the foundation and delayed online shipments, I was pleased with the assistance I received during the exchange process.

Skin reaction after the store visit

I noticed a small breakout later that evening.

I could not determine whether it was related to the foundation, the brush used at the store, another product applied during the visit, or an unrelated factor. One blemish was not enough to establish that the foundation caused a breakout.

Medium Beige shade comparison

Before ordering, I contacted BareMinerals customer service. The representative told me that people often wore the same shade in the READY and Original formulas, so I ordered Medium Beige online.

When I compared the two products, READY Medium Beige looked warmer and more yellow. The Original Medium Beige appeared more neutral and was a better match for my complexion.

Because my skin can be difficult to match, I generally have better results with shades that are neither strongly warm nor strongly cool.

Based on this experience, I would not assume that identical shade names look the same across different formulas. In-store swatching and several hours of wear can reveal differences that are not obvious immediately after application.

Ready Medium Beige vs Original Medium Beige

Final thoughts

The READY Foundation did not perform as well for me as the BareMinerals Original loose foundation.

A better shade match and the Precision Face Brush improved the application, but they did not completely solve the heaviness, dryness and uneven finish I experienced.

What I liked

• The pressed compact was more convenient and less messy than loose powder.

• A small amount of product went a long way.

• The compact was practical for light touch-ups.

• BareMinerals customer service handled my shade concern well.

• The Precision Face Brush distributed the powder more evenly than the other brushes I tried.

What did not work for me

• The finish emphasized dry patches and fine lines.

• Additional layers became cakey.

• Coverage was difficult to build beyond medium.

• READY Medium Beige was warmer than Original Medium Beige.

• The texture felt heavier and less finely milled than the loose powder.

• The foundation did not blend as naturally with my skin throughout the day.

I would have used the compact only for light touch-ups or small areas of my T-zone. For all-over foundation, I preferred the finish, coverage and blendability of the BareMinerals Original loose formula.