Sephora has officially hopped on the “baked” bandwagon, releasing three brand new mineral makeup products just in time for summer.  The new releases include a foundation powder, a bronzer duo and blush duo (the duos are split half matte, half shimmer).  They look, feel and work a lot like other baked products on the market (think MAC Mineralized and Laura Gellar Baked lines).

The packaging looks very similar between the products; a black compact with a clear plastic lid and domed powders.  The bronzer and blush resemble each other in that the powders are split into two different shade/textures, however the blush is much smaller.  The bronzer and the foundation powder are the same in size.

Sephora Baked Foundation Powder, Bronzer Duo & Blush Duo

The Foundation

When I first started talking about this Sephora Baked Foundation Face Powder ($22 USD / $26 CAD) powder, everyone wanted to know how it compared to MAC Mineralized Skinfinish (pretty much the standard and one of the most popular choices in the makeup world for baked mineral powders).  The powder really looks the same, feels the same and works the same as the MAC counterpart.

Sephora claims the powder to leave you with a “picture-perfect” look, using micronized pigments that provide a flawless, no-makeup finish and that the coverage is light but buildable to a full coverage finish if desired.  I have some major differences in opinion on this powder… while I agree it leaves you with a beautiful airbrushed finish, it is a sheer powder and there’s no way I could ever build this up to a full coverage finish.  It goes on very light, but barely evens out my skin tone.  It does leave my skin matte and breathable, but I would probably reach for this to set my foundation rather than using it as foundation (in a perfect world if I had a more even skin tone, I could probably get away with just this).  Now before we go thinking that this powder isn’t a reasonable dupe for the MAC one- keep in mind I feel the exact same way as the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural.  I’ve never been able to use it as foundation, nor have I ever found it provides enough coverage to warrant a spot in the “foundation” category.  It always has been and always will be a setting powder for me… however if you feel you can get away with the MAC one as a foundation, then you’ll surely feel the same about the Sephora powder.

They are comparable in coverage. I would say the Sephora one does leave me a bit more matte, as the MAC one has a more satin finish.  It wears well, doesn’t oxidize and looks invisible on the skin.  The powder itself is fragile, so be careful when traveling with it (the same goes for all baked mineral powders).

RATING: A-

Sephora Baked Foundation Face Powder in Beige

Sephora Baked Foundation Face Powder in Beige

Sephora Baked Foundation Face Powder in Beige

Sephora Baked Foundation Face Powder in Beige

Sephora Baked Foundation Face Powder in Beige

The Bronzer

The Sephora Baked Bronzer Duo ($19 USD / $23 CAD) looks a lot like the face powder, however it is clearly divided into two different sections, one lighter and more shimmery side, and one darker matte side.  The bronzer is large enough that you can select one or the other textures to apply with a small enough brush, but I prefer to mix the two together (with the help of the inner lid to swirl my brush in).  The result is a really gorgeous deep bronze shade with a bit of glow… it really doesn’t deposit too much shimmer. I’m not a fan of shimmery bronzers anyways, but I really like this one.

The pigmentation is incredible; so much so that fair to light skin tones should be careful with this as to not apply too much (I use very light layers and build as desired).  I would say it’s pretty comparable to MAC Mineralized Skinfinishes, however this one is much less shimmery (I really only like using MSF’s as highlighters).  I’m comfortable using this Sephora one to bronze my face, and it gives a really nice glow.  The color is a deep bronze, not orange and not muddy…I’m really a huge fan of this one.  It blends smoothly, and lasts for the majority of the day (although I’d touch up a bit if I’m going out in the evening).

This bronzer couldn’t have landing in my hands at a better time, as I just hit pan on my beloved Bobbi Brown bronzer… but I think I’ll use this one for the summer because I like the subtle hint of shimmer it gives- much more appropriate for the season.

RATING: A

Sephora Baked Bronzer Duo in Honey Heat

Sephora Baked Bronzer Duo in Honey Heat

Sephora Baked Bronzer Duo in Honey Heat

Sephora Baked Bronzer Duo in Honey Heat

Sephora Baked Bronzer Duo in Honey Heat: Shimmer side (left), Matte side (middle), Mixed together (right)

The Blush

The Sephora Baked Blush Duo ($17 USD / $20 CAD) is definitely my favorite product out of them all. I remember being fascinated by them when I got to preview them at the Sephora party I attended a few months ago.  Again, they look, feel and work just like the MAC Mineralized Blushes.  These also have a partition down the middle, separating a lighter shimmery side from a deeper matte side (just like the bronzer).  They are much smaller in size, but are probably the most pigmented out of all of the baked products.

I’m absolutely in love with this shade as well… the shimmery side really leaves no visible shimmer/glitter on the skin… just a reflective glow and sheen.  I find that the blush is too small to really select one shade/texture or the other, so I find myself just blending them together for a beautiful, glowy blush.  The shade is a light pink with gold shimmer and a mid-tone dusty rose.  It gives the most natural glow to the complexion (mineral powders tend to look the most natural in my opinion), as if you’re glowing from within.

The blush also lasts quite a long time, although like the bronzer, I’d give it a quick touch-up before heading out for the evening if I had been wearing it all day.  Super impressed, once again.

RATING: A+

Sephora Baked Blush Duo in Guava Glow

Sephora Baked Blush Duo in Guava Glow

Sephora Baked Blush Duo in Guava Glow

Sephora Baked Blush Duo in Guava Glow

Sephora Baked Blush Duo in Guava Glow: Shimmer side (left), Matte side (middle), Mixed together (right)

See More

• Look Book: In The Heat

Summary

• Price: $22 USD / $26 CAD (Face Powder) , $19 USD / $23 CAD (Bronzer), $17 USD / $20 CAD (Blush) – Unfortunately I do not have the volume/weight information
• Availability: Sephora
• Selection: 8 Face Powder shades, 2 Bronzer shades and 5 Blush shades
• Overall: I haven’t given the Sephora brand much credit in the past, but they have gained a spot in my heart with these baked products.  Very comparable to their MAC counterparts, they are great quality with excellent payoff (the blushes and bronzers).  The face powder is a little more matte than MSFN, and the blush and bronzer and split into shimmer and matte sides (which I like to mix together).  Overall- an excellent range of products.
• Rating: A (For the collection as a whole, products rated individually above)