Mineral makeup is something I dabbled with when I was a bit younger, but over recent years I’ve neglected it preferring liquid makeup with what I assumed would be heavier coverage. I don’t have bad skin by any means but I do feel somewhat more confident with a face painted on, but when I was offered the chance to collaborate with bareMinerals at House of Fraser to create an every day makeup look using their “get started kit” in Light I figured I’d give mineral powders another go, afterall, things have to have changed in the six or seven years since I last tried them, right?

I was, as predicted, right. Things have changed a lot. Gone are chalky finishes and the poor staying power of cheaper products I used in my youth. bareMinerals products are silky soft and give a lovely natural looking finish (that doesn’t turn orange over the course of the day) perfect for every day office makeup. The kit is comprehensive, containing everything you need for a flawless face- I was a bit concerned that the warmth all over face colour might be too dark, but applied with one of the brushes in the kit and buffed in it made me look healthier than I have in years!

To complete the look I added a pinky nude lip, neutral eyes from the Makeup Revolution essential shimmer palette and a coat of my favourite Bourjois mascara.

The first photo is my no makeup face, which I’m not usually a fan of plastering around the internet, but sometimes needs must!

As you can see, it’s a really sweet little set and it also comes with a DVD to teach you how to buff your way to perfect skin. I admit I skipped the DVD due to time constraints, but having since watched it I wasn’t far off!

I usually use a Bourjois cream primer so I wasn’t sure what to expect from the bareMinerals prime time which is more of a gel. It’s good stuff though and worth the rave reviews it gets. The makeup look didn’t budge until I removed it at the end of the day, and I found the powder foundations didn’t sink in to my pores like my liquid foundation sometimes does.

You get two shades of foundation in the kit (also available in medium, dark and tan) and I mixed a little of each together to get my perfect shade using the largest brush to buff all over my face and then the smallest brush to touch up blemishes. With medium brush and a light touch I used the warmth face colour to highlight where the sun would naturally hit, focusing on my cheeks, forehead and a dab on my chin. This colour blends beautifully with no harsh lines. Perfect! With such a natural, soft look on my skin I didn’t feel the need to add a dramatic eye, or even liner which is unheard of for me but makes a nice change. The entire face of makeup took me all of ten minutes which makes it perfect for a natural work look, or for lazy weekends to be spent chilling out.

What does your every day makeup look like? I feel super grateful to have had a chance to collaborate with the brands in this post as it’s changed my morning routine for the better and my skin feels like it can breathe more as it’s having a break from heavy liquid products- those I’ll be saving for more special occasions.