Carol Baker Mineral Matte Cream to Powder Makeup Review

A friend recommended this foundation to me, so I picked up a tube to try out.

Here's what Carol Baker Visage has to say about it on their website: Oil-free and hypoallergenic, this new cream-to-powder formula is fortified with a multi-mineral complex. Glides on smoothly and sets to a soft powder finish. Skin enhancing soft focus diffusers reflect light and reduce the appearance of skin imperfections. Contains sunscreen and antioxidants to heal and protect skin. For all skin types. Good for those who want more coverage. It retails for $32.50 CDN for 2.5 g.

It's a creamy foundation that does set, but not to the powder finish described above. It definitely needs powder on top to help set it. The finish is soft and smooth once it's on the skin and wears quite well throughout the day. It offers good coverage and is buildable if you work fairly quickly. I find that it can start to ball if you try to apply it when it's started setting. 
 
I use a foundation brush to apply it but fingers work as will makeup sponges if that's your preferred method of application.

The Mineral Matte foundation comes in 11 shades. My match is Peau de Soie. It's best to go and try the foundation in person even though it's available to purchase online. This is a good idea irregardless of the product you are trying but if this isn't possible, avoid trying to match your skin tone to the colour swatches on the website. They do not appear to be accurate in the least.  

Mineral Matte Foundation swatched

Mineral Matte Foundation drying to a powder finish

The foundation give a soft, even coverage to my skin. While it does not give a matte finish as it claims to, it does provide good, even coverage. The coverage is a creamy texture, not matte and it does dry almost to a powder finish so you must work quickly or it'll start to roll into balls as you work it. 

I used our 5 point scale to rate and review this product.  To read a full description of the scale, please visit this post: http://beautysquared.blogspot.com/2009/11/beauty-squared-review-scale.html 

Value: 3

This foundation is pricier than I like to pay for foundation and you do use a fair amount per application so the 2.5 g doesn't stretch as far as you might like it to.

Application: 3

The texture is a medium cream thickness, so it requires some blending and a foundation brush might be necessary to get the correct effect. The swiftness it dries with is also a drawback for those who might struggle to blend it.

Effectiveness: 5

I'm impressed with how this foundation wears. I've worn it out dancing and I've come home at the end of the night to it looking almost freshly applied. 

Have you tried Carol Baker Visage Mineral Matte Cream to Powder Makeup? What are your thoughts?

C.