Remember Neutrogena Mineral Sheers?
This mineral makeup by Neutrogena has been reincarnated as a compact powder foundation with a new formula.
This new Neutrogena mineral makeup gets an “A” for effort. When it comes to its actual performance, however, Neutrogena is still pretty average.
So What’s Good About Neutrogena Mineral Sheers?
The most notable improvement in the new Mineral Sheers foundation is that this makeup is now in a neat, no-nonsense compact. No silly retractable brush, no gimicky evil-elf-hat packaging, no loose mineral powder flying out of control.
This product also has SPF 20 sun protection and, if you’re sensitive to Bismuth Oxychloride, you’ll be happy to know that it’s not on the ingredient list.
What are the Potential Deal-Killers?
- Limited shade range.
Neutrogena also (sort of) improved by expanding its shade range to offer eight different shades (as opposed to the original five). Too bad women with deep-olive/tan to dark skin won’t find a shade in this collection that will match their skin tone.
Though I found that a sheer application of this product sufficiently matched my tan skin, my efforts to build medium-level coverage resulted in a chalky finish similar to the one that I got with the original Neutrogena Mineral Sheers. While the color got better as it “settled down”, that’s just not something I’m willing to accept from a foundation.
- Shinier than most mineral foundations.
The finish. While it actually does a decent job of absorbing oil, you might not even notice because of the product’s shinier-than-usual finish (thanks to having shimmery Mica as one of its main ingredients).
Aging skin types may also be turned off if they find that the higher-sheen finish results in emphasized lines and wrinkles.
The Bottomline on Mineral Sheers Compact Foundation
Personally, the lack of a shade to match my skin tone was the deal-killer for me and, even if it did come in my shade, I wasn’t wild about the sheen that this foundation created on my skin.
If you have (1) a normal-skin type, (2) a fair-to-medium skin tone, and (3) you don’t mind a shinier finish, I’d say go ahead and give it a try. If you find that you actually like this product, you’ll also have gotten yourself a pretty good deal at $12.99 for a 0.34oz container (available at Walgreens and all the other usual suspects ;)
Have you tried Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Compact Foundation, yet? What do you think of it?
More Drugstore Mineral Makeup Reviews:
11 responses so far ↓
1 Jess // Jan 22, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Hey Makeup Moxie! I just discovered your blog and I love your reviews!
Have you tried Neutrogena’s liquid mineral makeup yet (Glow Sheers)? I always see it at Target, but I haven’t bought it yet.
2 JaimeLovesBeauty // Jan 22, 2008 at 1:30 pm
i tried Neutrogena mineral sheers and was NOT happy with it. i like that this mineral makeup is in a compact. That makes it a LOT less messy! But i usually have problems finding the right shade of Neutrogena foundation.
3 Jazmin // Jan 23, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Hey Jess! Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the reviews.
And I love Neutrogena Glow Sheers. They’re not marketed as “mineral” makeup, but the product is an excellent tinted moisturizer that gives skin a boost of color and light coverage. It’s one of my faves. You can read the full review here: Neutrogena Glow Sheers
Hi JaimeLovesBeauty!! I wasn’t too fond of the original Neutrogena Mineral Sheers, either…This new compact foundation is better and there is more of a shade range, if you’d like to try it. If you do try it, please be sure to let me know how it goes! Thanks for the comment!
6 Samantha // Mar 20, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Hi,
I just started using the Neutrogena Mineral compact foundation and I love the way it feels on my skin. It is very light-weight and shine free all day. I have acne-prone and very sensitive skin, the foundation hasn’t caused any irritations on my face, so far so good!
Samantha
7 Jazmin // Mar 26, 2008 at 11:58 am
Hey Samantha! That’s awesome! Thank you for the comment.
I hope it continues to work well for you…please try to stop by again and give us an update ; )
8 Cecilia // Apr 21, 2008 at 3:55 pm
For the past few months (since September 07) I have been using Bare Minerals foundation. For the past few months I have also experienced an ever-increasing number of blackheads, milia, and general breakouts along my jaw line and forehead (places I’d never had trouble with before). I tried a number of new skin care regimens, figuring my chemistry was still changing (I’m only 20) and my skin required different care. After no luck it finally dawned on me- my make up! I researched online and found that TONS of other women have had the same issues with BM. YUCK! So today I switched to Neutrogena Mineral Sheers in the compact form–WOW! I have yet to see any lessening in breakouts (I know this takes time) but the product has already far surpassed BM. With BM my face was too shiny, cakey, uneven, and CLOGGED. Plus the application is hella messy. Neut is light, natural and feels great–I can actually touch my face without looking like I’ve been fingerpainting.
9 Cindy // Jun 20, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I tried the foundation today and hated it. It’s way too oily, greasy and my face looked much older - a totally disgusting product and such a waste of money.
10 Ava // Jul 7, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Honestly, I hate this product. It offered a VERY minimum amount of coverage, almost none and it felt cakey and came off in a couple hours. It made my skin itch and made my normal skin, dry.
Although I love the packaging - the compact is very nice. I wish they made foundation that was pressed and packaged like this that actually offered coverage for a longer amount of time and felt nice.
I guess it usually comes down to your skin type with this product.
11 Jazmin // Jul 8, 2008 at 11:45 am
Hi ladies! My apologies for the delay in responding!
Cecilia, I’m glad you found a foundation that’s working so well for you! Though I have to say that I’m more in agreement with Cindy and Ava that this product wasn’t a very high performer for me.
Ava, you might want to try Maybelline’s mineral foundation compact. If you’re willing to spend more, Jane Iredale’s compact mineral foundation is superb…great coverage, staying power, and smooth texture ; )
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