Review | Inika Mineral Foundation with SPF 15

My first introduction to mineral make up was through the brand Bare Minerals. I had always been a liquid foundation girl, and even though I have oily/combination skin I have always loved a glowy finish that I thought was impossible with a powder foundation. The Bare Minerals Foundation is a light powder foundation, finely milled so that it sits very gently on your skin whilst reflecting lots of light to give you that healthy, dewy finish. Unfortunately the Bare Minerals foundation contains bismuth oxychloride, a filler ingredient that has a pearlescent finish and helps give your skin that lovely glow. However in it's raw state it's not a safe ingredient and must go through a long list of processes and extractions in order to be safe to use in cosmetics. The actual original mineral can be classed as 'natural' as this is extracted from the earth, yet the finished ingredient in the pot of foundation is highly refined and not at all natural. This is where Inika Mineral Powder Foundation comes in and where fans of the Bare Minerals Original Foundation with SPF 15 can find a cleaner and greener alternative.


Ingredients

Mica (CI 77019) May contain (+/-) Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891); Zinc Oxide (CI 77947); Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499); Ultramarines (CI 77007)

Packaging

The Inika packaging is simple and practical, with a matte black screw lid and a plastic pot for your foundation. Inside there are multiple holes to prevent all the powder falling out, and it's easy just to tap a bit out into the lid and swirl with your powder brush. It's not particularly luxurious but it's not cheap looking either.

Performance

Wearing only Inika Foundation (no concealer/finishing powder) 

I really like this foundation. It gives a light coverage and easily builds to a light/medium coverage and has an SPF of 15. I find it doesn't cover up spots and blemishes on its own very well, but it does a truly amazing job of evening out skin tone and reducing redness and any blotchy patches. I wear this during the day and when paired with concealer it makes me look like I have flawless skin (which is definitely not the case!) with no cakiness or pore clogging. There's no heavy feeling and it sits beautifully, almost like a second skin. If I use my phone I don't get that horrible transfer and often I don't re-apply in the evening at all, I just re-touch my concealer. Unfortunately though I don't find it gives much of a glowing or dewy finish, and I guess this is expected from a mineral powder - it's the only thing stopping me from saying this is a dupe for the Bare Minerals foundation. It doesn't give a matte finish either, as it's so light it allows natural oils from the skin to come through. Depending on your skin type, I would say this is a semi-matte finish with a tendency towards matte.

This is definitely a foundation for good skin days, when little coverage is needed and you want to look polished but still let your skin breathe (I know, not literally). This is going to be perfect for the summer and on holiday, especially as it is really durable and has a good SPF. I still prefer liquid foundation for the evening or when I want something a bit 'more', but for everyday wear you can't really go wrong with this foundation.

I find the shade selection a little limited, especially if you have darker skin, although their descriptions are incredibly accurate and the one I chose - "Strength" - matches my skin perfectly.

Price

This retails at £27.50 which is £2.50 more than the Bare Minerals. I purchase mine from Naturisimo which is always cheaper than from Inika, and they currently have it on sale for an amazing £19. I think £27.50 is on the steep side for such a lightweight foundation and previously I think I paid around £22-23 for it, which is slightly more affordable. I would purchase this again and love Inika as a brand - their philosophy and commitment to ethical and sustainable make up is something I wish more cosmetics companies would aspire to. They are certified vegan, cruelty free as well as certified organic by two certification bodies. You can see more about their commitment to green beauty here.

Have you tried this foundation and did it work the same for you? I have their liquid foundation on my wish list, and I really want to try their mascara and brow pencils, so do let me know if you've tried them and if you'd recommend them :)

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*This post is not sponsored. The foundation was purchased with my own money & my review is not being compensated in any way*