Foundation Made For Your Face. Literally.
Do you remember how exciting Prescriptives Custom Blend Foundation was in the ‘90s? The idea of getting makeup made just for your skin tone was so…novel. I recall going with girlfriends to a Parisian Department Store in Atlanta and being color matched for the first time. We sat in stools with flesh-colored tiger stripes along our jaws, debating which one “disappeared” into our skin. I’ve always been a sucker for customization, lured by the promise of something made just for me. Thus, when Bare Minerals partnered up with MatchCo. to create a color-matching foundation you can order from your iPhone (that’s right), I was all in.
First, I downloaded the app from the iTunes Apple Store; it’s called Bare Minerals Made-2-Fit. (Note: This app is only available at iTunes and only works on iPhones right now, so if you have a Samsung or LG…sorry.) The foundation’s official name is Made-2-Fit Fresh Faced Foundation.
Then I skimmed the app’s instructions on how to use your camera phone to scan your skin… and became decidedly less enthused. It seemed complicated. I had to scan a stack of white paper, then the inside of my wrist, then all over my face. Plus, I had to do it when my skin was clean and makeup free, which is only first thing in the morning, when I’m under-caffeinated and usually running late.
Finally, however, two Saturdays ago, I was up before anyone else in the house—and I had a makeup-free moment to myself. So, I opened the app and followed the instructions. I need not have been daunted. The process was ridiculously easy and took under two minutes. As a voice guided me (because you can’t read and scan at the same time), I lightly tapped my iPhone screen against white paper, on the inside of my wrist and then in four spots on my face. Trust me, if you can deposit a check from your iPhone, you can do this. Once the scans were done, I input my shipping and billing info—and submitted. Simple.
Tuesday afternoon, a box from Bare Minerals arrived on my porch. I thought that was freakishly fast turnaround (maybe that’s because the service is brand-new, so Bare Minerals is not yet inundated by orders). Regardless, wow. The bottle was nicely packaged and even labeled with my name, pictured above (nice touch). I was already wearing makeup at the time, so I squirted a drop on the back of my hand. It was light, fairly sheer, and disappeared into my skin (better than those Prescriptives stripes ever did).
The next morning, I tried my new custom formula on my face and was impressed by how well it blended. Regular readers will know I’ve been using Clarins Golden Glow Booster this summer, and I was a little concerned that the foundation would be too dark—that the scanner would have picked up on my tanner tones and I’d look muddy. But I didn’t. At all. In fact, I felt like the foundation made me look glowy and more even-toned.
The formula itself is very light, one tiny step above sheer. It dries really quickly and the finish is what I’d call semi-matte. For me, it’s pretty ideal for hotter, stickier summer months when my face is a little slicker. It says here that the formulas is also laced with antioxidants, vitamin E and ceramides, which are good-for-your-skin ingredients, though not a selling point for me. I don’t slather on makeup like I do skincare, so I'll never get comparable benefits from an ingredient-spiked foundation. But it’s nice in theory.
The cost? $49, which I thought was quite reasonable. Especially since a corn-kernel-sized drop covered my whole face. If the idea of scanning your skin from home still seems insurmountable (though I promise, it’s easy), you can also visit a Bare Minerals boutique and they'll help you place a Made-2-Fit order.
Tried the app and ordered a blend? Please let me know how it goes—or share your thoughts in the Comments below.
