The key is in the name: finding the perfect foundation is the foundation of any make-up look. Long gone are the days when you cling to the first foundation you could find to match your skin tone – you can be just as creative with your base as you are with the rest of your look!
It doesn’t have to be a simple one-size-fits-all-make-up-looks approach: you can swap out a high-coverage matte look for a more natural dewy tint, or even brave a more bare-faced look with just concealer lifting the under eyes.
We have compiled a list of our ten favourite ‘face base’ products, to help you find the perfect match for your make-up look.
SHEER GLOW FOUNDATION – NARS
£33.50
To start off our top ten products, we have the classic NARS Sheer Glow Foundation – the ideal foundation for a little bit of everything. Very easy to layer, this can give you a sheer dewy coverage, or be built up for a more high-coverage effect. This can be worn day to night, as its weightless formula makes it super comfortable to wear. Ideal for dry skin types, as this will keep the skin hydrated all day.
VANISH SEAMLESS FINISH FOUNDATION STICK – HOURGLASS
£45.00
Next up is the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick. This full-coverage formula will perfect any skin tone with minimal product, meaning it will never look ‘cakey’. It’s even waterproof – so will stay put all day. This is also great for any oilier skin types, as the stick formulation won’t add to much excess moisture to the skin.
SERUM FOUNDATION – THE ORDINARY
£5.70
For a more lightweight – and low budget – option, there is The Ordinary Serum Foundation. This will have a more sheer coverage effect, but with a semi-matte finish. With SPF 15 formulated within it, this is perfect for a fresh-faced everyday look.
ORIGINAL FOUNDATION – BARE MINERALS
£29.00
For a powder foundation option (which is a great go-to for oily skin), we have plumped for the Bare Minerals Original Foundation. Also with SPF 15, this can be dusted on for a light brush of coverage, or built up for a more full-face effect. This promises to achieve a natural glow, and is formulated with mineral ingredients to actually improve your skin’s quality over time.
SENSUAL SKIN ENHANCER – KEVYN AUCOIN
£39.00
Though Kevyn Aucoin’s Sensual Skin Enhancer is technically a concealer, it can be blended out to be a very high coverage foundation, and its buttery consistency will never cake. Its waterproof formula makes it very long-wearing and its ingredient list – boasting both jojoba oil and honey – will nourish the skin while it stays put on your skin throughout the day.
HYDRATING CAMO CONCEALER– e.l.f
£5.00
Another concealer pick, Elf’s Hydrating Camo Concealer is perfect for a bare-faced day where you just need a bit of concealer under the eyes and dotted on any blemishes. Very light-weight while still having maximum coverage, this satin finish will blend into natural skin with a natural glow.
PRO FILTER SOFT MATTE LONGWEAR FOUNDATION – FENTY BEAUTY
£24.30
For a more traditional foundation formula, we have picked the Fenty Beauty Pro Filter Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. This oil-free foundation has a climate-adaptive technology that’s resistant to sweat and humidity – so is perfect for staying put under a mask all day. This foundation will give you’re a pore-perfected matte finish, perfect for a face of full-on glam.
OVERACHIEVER CONCEALER– HUDA BEAUTY
£24.00
The last to leave the dance floor or always up for a night out? High Impact coverage is all you need to keep your concealer put for the night. The pigmented formula is packed with light reflecting spheres to create a flawless and luminous glow with long wearing polymers that clings to the skin. Under eye, blemishes, or puffiness, its really an all rounder that is a staple for your going out beauty bag.
CONCEAL AND DEFINE FOUNDATION – REVOLUTION
£7.00
Famously known as the drugstore dupe to the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer, it would be criminal not to include this foundation staple. The conceal and define foundation offers a buildable yet high coverage with a matte finish. Fit with a doe-foot applicator, the application couldn’t be easier. No need to mix on your hand first, you can apply straight to your face. And with a small price tag, you can’t go wrong.
YOUR SKIN BUT BETTER CC CREAM– IT COSMETICS
£32.00
Last, but not least, is the It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC cream. With the highest SPF – 50 – this will keep your skin safe throughout the day while offering other hydrating and anti-aging effects. Great for dryer skin types that feel the need for some added moisture, this color-correcting cream will cancel out any pigmentation, while still offering the same coverage as a foundation. With hyaluronic acid and peptides, this will keep the skin plumped while helping to reduce redness and dark circles over time.
Words by Allegra Campbell Boreham
Graphics by Lucy Gifford
