March 29, 2024

29 brilliant foundations for your best base yet

If you’re after dewy-lookingskin that doesn’t turn you into an oil-slick, this is the one. It contains hyaluronic acid for a glorious plumping effect, and light-reflecting pearls for a faux-dewy glow, but the formula itself stays matte all day.

Radiant Lift Foundation, £14. 99, Max Factor

Yeah, we know, cray. We find it ideal for skin that’s just starting to show the first signs of ageing, as it doesn’t settle into crows feet or accentuate dry patches.

Serum Foundation, £5. 70, The Ordinary

If you’re looking to embrace your freckles with a sheer foundation that allows your skin to look like skin, this affordable, quality formula is it. Loved by Holly Willoughby, it evens out skin tone and brightens without completely masking your complexion. It also comes in a full coverage version for those who prefer it and has a variety of not only shades, but undertones to choose from.

Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation, £32, Lancome

If you’re always out and about and need a long-wearing foundation that stays put comfortably, this is the one. Available in forty shades, this little bottle of Lancome gold offers medium to high coverage that’s buildable and will get you from day to night.

Barepro™ Performance Wear Liquid Foundation SPF 20, £29, Bareminerals

We are in LOVE with this mineral liquid foundation. It offers medium coverage, which is enough to blur and cover imperfections, but it’s light and comfortable enough for those who like their skin to feel like skin. Side note: the Luxe Performance brush applies it like a dream.

Aqua Luminous Perfecting Foundation £34 Becca Cosmetics

If you’re after that lit-from-within glow, this is Becca’s best. Luminous, dewy and medium-coverage. It’s super-hydrating, making it ideal for dry winter skin.

#FauxFilter Foundation £32 Huda Beauty

After its launch in October 2017, Huda’s foundation quickly became a full coverage favourite with Youtubers all over the globe. NikkieTutorials called it out for being particularly long-wear, saying she could go at least 12 hours without powder after applying.

Aqua Glow™ Serum Foundation £34. 50 Stila

This water-based foundation is ideal for thirsty skin. Containing glycerin and hyaluronic acid, the formula offers an extra hydration hit while light-reflecting pigments give a luminous finish. It’s one that will enhance the good skin you have, rather than masking it.

Matissime Velvet Liquid Foundation £35 Givenchy.

Givenchy’s latest addition to their foundation collection provides a light but luminous matte finish. Inspired by velvet, there are eight different shades of this new formula housed in a stylish bottle embellished with the French label’s signature motif.

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, £26

Rihanna blew everyone away with her new makeup line – and while beauty aficionados were eagerly waiting for the highlighter’s release, they found themselves actually in love with the foundation. The coverage is full and the complexion looks air-brushed after application, with beauty vloggers calling it “Rihanna’s skin in a bottle”. We’re particularly obsessed with the dewy finish and the selection of 40 shades. Amazing.

La Mer The Soft Fluid Longwear Foundation, £90

A weightless, creamy formula that has the most natural of finishes, La Mer’s skincolour is a cult-favourite of red carpet royalty and pro-makeup artists – Kim K, Patrick Ta our very own Alessandra Steinherr are all huge fans. It’s well worth the price tag, leaving the skin ultra glowy and (most importantly) protected with SPF20.

YSL All Hours Foundation, £35

If you love a flawless base, this is the foundation for you. YSL’s new offering is available in 22 shades and gives you the perfect complexion 24/7. The liquid foundation is waterproof and transfer-resistant,and also comes with a soft-focus finish thanks to spherical-shaped silicon resin. It’s incredible, you’ve got to try it.

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation, £29

Drying to a matte finish with a hint of glow, this is ideal for combination skin that needs a little of both. Long-lasting and with a flawless texture, this was always bound to make the foundation hall of fame.

Hourglass Foundation Stick, £42

Taking the beauty market by storm, you must have seen this one in makeup tutorials. With long-lasting results for those looking for full coverage, Hourglass has a great selection of colours for fair, yellow, olive and dark skin.

Estée Lauder Double Wear, £33. 50

This is a must have for anyone that loves a high coverage foundation. With its stay-all-day formula and velvet finish, this foundation will leave you with a flawless complexion whilst still being lightweight and comfortable to wear.

Chanel Les Beiges Foundation, £40

The dreamy, light-weight formula melts into your face on application, giving a coverage that is complete but appears sheer. This, plus its super-smooth finish and glow-enhancing qualities, makes it worth the price-tag.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24H-Matte Mattifying Foundation, £8. 99

There are few purse-friendly foundations that really do the job well, but this one is a bit of a wonder-product. Matte but not drying with medium-high coverage, this formula is best suited to skin slightly on the oiler side. Due to its compact, plastic packaging, it’s also a great base to take away for a holiday or weekend away.

EX1 Cosmetics Invisiwear Liquid Foundation, £12. 50

The perfect medium-coverage party foundation, this is great for a glow but never makes skin oily.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation with brush, £35 at QVC

This full coverage formula is great for oilier skin types due to its matte texture. It is long-wearing and comes with a rather effective large foundation brush. Together, the two ensure a flawless finish within a minute flat! Read our guide to the best foundations for oily skin.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, £42

If you’re a makeup junkie you’ve obviously already heard of this one. A Kardashian favourite, this Armani foundation delivers a seamless complexion with silky finish.

Shiseido Synchro Skin Lasting Liquid Foundation, £34

If glowing skin is your thing, this liquid foundation is for you. A little goes a long way meaning it’s a great investment, and one that is ideal for dry to normal skin types. Find out which foundations for dry skin will work best for you.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, £32

5 years in the making, this high-coverage foundation succeeds in covering anything from dark circles to unwanted blemishes. It also has a great range of shades and comes in a rather pretty bottle. Put simply, Charlotte’s creation really is magic.

Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation, £29

An updated formula from the original HD Foundation, Makeup Forever’s bestselling base offers the best in high coverage. Perfect for oily skins, the foundation has a semi-matte finish, with a slight glow. This is one of our all-time favourites and comes in 40 shades and is a popular choice for darker skin tones. For the best finish, apply to the centre of the face and blend outwards towards your hairline.
Read our guide to the best foundations for oily skin.

Tom Ford Traceless Foundation Stick, £66

If you want to look and feel of a liquid formula with the convenience of a stick application, Tom Ford’s Traceless Foundation Stick is the perfect choice. Used as a concealer it completely banishes imperfections, or it can be used all over for a flawless finish. Build from medium to full coverage.

NARS Sheer Glow, £33

If you want a foundation that will create a dewy finish with incredible luminosity, Sheer Glow is the one. The silky foundation enhances natural beauty rather than covering it which makes it the perfect all-day-every-day skin product.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, £8. 99

If you’ve had less than your allotted eight hours’ beauty sleep, this is our secret weapon: a cover-all formula for a fresh, dewy finish, complete with SPF15 to protect your skin. Added bonus – it smells great too.

Clinique Stay-Matte Oil-Free Make-Up, £25

Clinique’s oil-free offering contains laminaria saccharina extract, which helps regulate sebum production, and willow bark extract, which absorbs oil from the skin’s surface. The coverage is sheer to medium but feels light and keeps skin shine-free.
Read our guide to the best foundations for oily skin.

MAC Face Body Foundation, £24. 50

Relied on by make-up artists the world round, this water-based, water-resistant foundation provides natural coverage for face and/or body (as suggested by it’s does-what-it-says-on-the-tin name). It’s the perfect choice for festivals and events where you need a long-lasting finish.

La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer Foundation, £170

At over £100 La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Foundation is obviously at the very top of the price scale. But it’s no ordinary foundation. Not only does it boast anti-ageing properties and an SPF-15, the concealer on top is great for masking imperfections pre or post foundation application. It gives a full, velvety skin texture that lasts all day – we’d recommend it to any bride-to-be or beauty addict looking for photo-shopped perfection.

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