Sheer Cover Mineral Foundation

I got the Sheer Cover kit as a gift from my friend Malou when she came home from the US last December for a visit.  I’ve been a mineral makeup convert for more than 3 years now, you bet I tried quite a handful of brands from the US  as well as those from local manufacturers. From the pricey to the more affordable ones, some were awesome while others were so-so. I still have a couple of unopened jars to this day so when this was given to me, I intended to keep it unopened until I finish the ones in my stash. The Sheer Cover kit has other contents in a bag, including concealer, moisturizer, mascara, lip gloss, and brushes, but I’ll start with a review of its star product, the mineral foundation.

Judging from its name, I reckoned the coverage was thin and not enough for my oily and acne-ravaged skin type.  I was thinking it was similar to Bare Escentuals, its strongest competitor in the market. BE has nice texture and oil control properties, but has sparkly ingredients that settle in acne pits, accentuating the flaws as "twinkling scars," which could rival Edward Cullen’s sparkling appearance under the sun.  One day I decided to give the Sheer Cover foundation a try and boy, I was in for a surprise!

I was never this amazed when I applied any mineral foundation on my skin. Compared to Bare Escentuals, it’s got its smooth texture, with a little more coverage and minus the starry, starry face. I think it still has some iridescent elements but not enough to highlight my scars. The shade I got was nude under the light category, which suits me fine. With its patented True Shade technology.it’s supposed to allow minerals to work with your skin’s natural oils and blend with your color, so that’s probably why it matches me well, though I would have opted for a shade with yellow undertones.  Dissecting its performance, these are my observations:

Pros:

• Superb texture that makes skin look smooth


• Coverage is good: evens out skin tone and covers minor imperfections yet feels light. It is buildable, too


• Oil control is good (while it lasts)


• Does not shine on acne pits


• Minimal caking tendencies


• No break-outs


• Contains soothing, anti-aging botanicals called Green Rooibos tea


• Has sun protection:  SPF-15


• No preservatives,oils, perfumes, dyes, or talc

Cons:

• Relatively expensive: For $29.95, it has to come with a kit which you might not need and it contains only 4g of the powder. Afterwards, you’ll have to be “subscribed” to receive a kit every 90 days at the same price.


• No option to buy the powder alone


• I wish it lasts longer (though its longevity is better than traditional pressed powders)


• SPF can show a white cast on flash photography

This is currently my holy grail foundation. My other mineral powders are  taking a backseat ever since I discovered this. I’m just worried once I’d run out of it because I’d have to be a member to avail of the discounted price of $29.95 per kit. They do have a distributor in the Philippines (sheercover.ph) but the price is Php 4,995 (around $106) per kit for a 90 day supply and Php 2495 (around $53) for a 30 day supply. Sheesh.. with that price, I think  I’ll have to scout for a new holy grail that doesn’t cost as much. I love it but with the numerous mineral makeup brands sprouting everywhere, I'm sure there'll be a good alternative somewhere.

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