Choose well and the right foundation will enhance your natural skin tone, even out texture and give you a consistent base to build on. Choose poorly and you’re left with cakey, flakey skin in a shade that looks like it came out of a tin.
With so many options available, it’s easy to waste hundreds of pounds in the search for the best product for you before finding “the one”. But trial and error is definitely not the way to approach this search. But with this Top 10 list, you can refine your choices to the best of the best, with gorgeous products for a range of skin types, textures and tones.
So, all you need to do is select the bottle, powder or compact that best meets your needs and prepare for the ultimate glow-up.
1. Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation SPF20 - Best for Sheer Coverage
Who doesn’t absolutely love the Perricone MD No Makeup range? With flawless, sheer coverage, the lightweight formula gives skin a radiant glow without the saturation of a heavier cosmetic. Neuropeptides and Daisy Flower Extract fight wrinkles and uneven skin tone, reducing pigmentation and the visible signs of ageing. For a natural, everyday look that improves the quality of your skin and has the added benefit of SPF20, Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation is one to consider.
2. Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation - Best for Medium-Full Coverage
Oily and blemish-prone skin types rejoice, Jane Iredale Beyond Matte Liquid Foundation is here to save the day. The buildable consistency and matte finish make this ideal for those of you who like a little more coverage, and the 100% vegan formula even reduces the appearance of pores for a smoother complexion.
3. By Terry Cover Expert Perfecting Foundation SPF15 - Best for Blemishes
The By Terry range of cosmetics comes from the Creative Director behind the world-famous YSL Touche Éclat concealer pen, so it’s no surprise that the Cover Expert Perfecting Foundation SPF15 makes the allbeauty Top 10. Reducing blemishes and the signs of fatigue, it also offers UV protection for healthier, more youthful-looking skin.
4. Shiseido Pureness Matifying Compact Oil-Free Foundation SPF15 - Best Powder
Powder is a must for oily skin, mattifying your complexion and blotting away oil in problem areas. Founded in 1872, Shiseido knows a thing or two about skincare, and the Shiseido Pureness Matifying Compact Oil-Free Foundation SPF15 is a great example of their expertise. The slim, convenient compact contains absorbent, pigmented powder to balance skin tone, reduce the appearance of pores and leave an even, matte finish.
5. Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation Concealer - Best All-In-One
If you want to simplify your beauty routine, Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation Concealer is the ideal choice. Light and easy to use, this liquid formula provides solid, buildable cover. Use it as a foundation, then use the applicator to target areas that need more coverage, such as under the eyes or on blemishes. Voila! A perfect makeup look from just one product.
6. Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Hydrating Foundation SPF15 - Best Dry Skin Foundation
Finding a finish that complements dry skin without clinging to dry patches can be a difficult task. Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Hydrating Foundation SPF15 is dry skin’s best friend, with its deeply hydrating formula that actually improves the skin’s texture. With Red Jania Extract and Light Optimising Complex, skin is given a boost of radiance and light, dewy coverage with just a few drops.
7. bareMinerals Matte Foundation SPF15 - Best Mineral Product
This mineral formulation offers total flexibility, with buildable natural coverage that sits lightly on the skin. With a loose powder texture, bareMinerals Matte Foundation SPF15 creates a matte finish that reduces the appearance of pores and imperfections, while removing shine and giving the benefit of SPF15 protection.
8. BECCA Skin Love Weightless Blur Foundation - Best For Blurring
Wish you could wear that selfie filter in real life? With BECCA Skin Love Weightless Blur Foundation, you can. This weightless, moisturising formulation includes natural extracts such as avocado, melon and bitter ginger, which give your skin a dose of hydration while blurring pigments add a soft focus to the face, smoothing over pores and imperfections for up to 24 hours of wear.
9. Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation - Best For Colour Matching
Never again will you have to settle for a colour that’s “close enough”. With more than two dozen shades, Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation covers a wide spectrum of skin tones, from neutral to warm and cool, light to dark. Whatever your colour, the luminous formula provides natural radiance to the skin for a dewy, healthy finish.
10. Too Faced Born This Way Foundation - Best for Moisture Boost
With medium-full coverage for a flawless yet natural complexion, Too Faced Born This Way Foundation offers so much more than just an even complexion. Formulated with the moisture-boosting properties of hyaluronic acid, coconut water and alpine rose, skin is intensely nourished and hydrated for a refreshed, dewy finish.