There’s no doubt about it, foundation is a go-to for any makeup look and the ultimate step for disguising less than flawless skin.
While we certainly believe in embracing our imperfections sometimes oily chins, dry cheeks and all around redness simply won't do. With so many options out there promising the moon and stars, finding the right formula for your skin type can often seem like a never ending story.
From full to light coverage foundation, mattifying to hydrating, there’s a base to suit every need and price points for all budgets. Plus, choosing your perfect shade of foundation is becoming much easier, thanks to brands like Huda Beauty that offer a wide spectrum of colours.
Before you begin the hunt, though, it’s essential to know your skin type and the overall look you are going for.
If you have acne-prone skin, it’s best to stick with foundations that avoid certain ingredients that can irritate the skin like fragrance and alcohol. There are also matte finishes for oily skin and oil or water-based formulas for dry skin.
Those shopping for everyday wear should go for a lightweight, breathable formula that’s designed to feel comfortable on the skin. But if you are glamming up for a special occasion or night out, go for a long-wearing full coverage foundation.
To help you in your quest to achieve flawless-looking skin, we’ve tried-and-tested of the best foundations to buy now.
Best Full Coverage Foundations
Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Foundation
29 shades
Need a base that will stay put though everything? Enter YSL’s oil-free matte foundation, which is specially designed to keep in place for up to 24 hours. Whilst we wouldn’t recommend leaving your makeup on for this long, this foundation really does give you a long-lasting airbrushed finish that you won’t need to touch up. Richly pigmented for exceptional coverage, the formula is also waterproof – so you can expect all-day flawlessness no matter what life throws at you.
From £28 | Feel Unique | Buy it now
Estee Lauder Double Wear
54 shades
Unless you have been living under a rock, you probably have heard about this longwearing full coverage foundation by Estee Lauder. The oil-free product gives you up to 24 hours of wear no matter what – and boy does it deliver. With a buildable texture, it blends beautifully with your skin and is formulated with SPF10.
A medium-sized beauty blender was perfect for applying the slightly thick formula. Thanks to its semi-matte finish, our oily-skinned wearer was left shine free for a good few hours before a blot was needed. As for its staying power, this full coverage foundation proved itself time and time again in both rainy and humid weather.
£33.50 | Debenhams | Buy it now
Huda Beauty #FauxFilter
30 shades
Foundations have come a long way when it comes to diversity, and Huda Beauty is one of the game-changing makeup brands offering hues that match a broad range of skin tones. Packed with ultra-refined pigments that blur blemishes and pigmentation, you only need to check the #FauxFilter hashtag on Instagram to see how high coverage this foundation is. It comes in a total of 30 shades and contains argan oil to nourish the skin while perfecting it.
With a rose scent, the smooth formula goes on matte and has the perfect texture for concealing acne and scars. It held up pretty well throughout a whole day in the office with minimal touch ups and even stayed put in a rain shower. A word of warning: the pump dispenses a lot of product, but you only need a pea-sized amount for entire coverage – so press gently!
£32 | Cult Beauty | Buy it now
Best Lightweight Foundations
Filorga Flash-Nude Fluid
3 shades
This multi-action foundation offers just the right amount of coverage for daily wear whilst providing powerful skincare benefits. Enriched with hyaluronic acid, it leaves the skin with a barely-there but poreless finish that’s never cakey and also protects against pollution, making it ideal for city dwellers who are regularly exposed to skin-scavenging smog and fumes.
£30 | Look Fantastic | Buy it now
Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder
12 shades
This light-as-air formula melts into the skin beautifully, providing natural-looking coverage with a luminous finish. Its youth-boosting ingredients, including a botanical alternative to retinol and seudo-ceramide, means you can look forward to an instantly enhanced glow and super-smooth skin for up to 18 hours.
£32 | Charlotte Tilbury | Buy it now
Benefit Hello Happy Soft Blur Foundation
12 shades
If you are a fan of Benefit’s huge array of makeup goodies you need to try this new foundation. Promising light-to-medium coverage, it relies on soft-focus optical blurring spheres to cover imperfections and even out the skin tone. As the formula contains shea extract, you can count on a smooth and nourished feel from just one single drop. It applies like a dream and also dries matte for a flawless finish. The shade range is pretty impressive, too.
£26 | Escentual | Buy it now
Best Foundation For Dry Skin
Shiseido Synchro Skin Glow Luminizing Fluid Foundation
10 shades
Dealing with thirsty skin? This sheer fluid foundation contains argan oil, cranberry seed oil and yuzu seed extract, which help retain moisture for up to 8 hours and plump up areas of dry skin for an even finish. It boasts a serum-like texture that glides on beautifully and is easy to layer if you want more coverage – just be sure to shake well before applying.
£35 | Escentual | Buy it now
MAC Mineralize Moisture SPF 15 Foundation
15 shades
This MAC offering offers sheer but buildable coverage and is formulated with hyaluronic acid, so is ideal for anyone suffering from dehydrated skin. It also contains vitamin e and shea butter to provide long-lasting softness without irritating the skin. As it has a cream-gel consistency, we think this foundation is best applied with a beauty blender to achieve that coveted dewy finish.
£30 | Look Fantastic | Buy it now
Stila Aqua Glow Serum Foundation
5 shades
For a lit-within-glow, this foundation is packed with light-reflecting pigments that provide a luminous finish. It has a feather-light texture and is water based rather than oil-based, so it won’t clog your pores. We especially like how the pipette applicator allows for precise product distribution. You only need a few drops for a fresh-faced look, but the coverage is pretty buildable.
From £17.25 | Beauty Bay | Buy it now
Best Foundation For Acne-prone Skin
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup
16 shades
Thanks to its skin-clearing elements, this perfecting foundation is a Holy Grail product for many acne sufferers. It has a buildable, breathable coverage that leaves skin feeling fresh and dewy all day. While a small amount is enough for an even finish, several layers can be used to conceal spots and blemishes. The Fresh Beige shade we tested out adapted perfectly to the medium skinned wearer. Team with a good concealer for high coverage.
£28.50 | Clinique | Buy it now
e.l.f Acne Fighting Foundation
5 shades
Containing salicylic acid and tea tree, this pocket-friendly foundation offers full coverage whilst helping to improve and prevent breakouts. Its lightweight texture means it’s easy to blend into the skin (we used a damp makeup sponge) and creates a dewy finish. There are five shades available for fair and warm skin tones.
£7.50 | e.l.f. Cosmetics | Buy it now
Clarins Pore Perfecting Matifying Foundation
5 shades
This oil-free formula is great for acne-prone skin types due to its matte texture. Formulated with acacia gum micropearls and purifying red clay, it’s designed to smooth the complexion whilst keeping shine at bay. Offering light-to-medium coverage, the finish is long-lasting without feeling heavy in the least bit.
£24.60 | Escentual | Buy it now
Best Foundation For Oily Skin
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
40 shades
Rihanna’s makeup line is celebrated for having a whopping 40 shades of foundation – which include options for the palest and darkest skin tones and every undertone. Whilst Fenty Beauty wasn’t the first cosmetics brand to boast such a wide shade range, the Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is certainly impressive.
The comfortable formula is oil-free, making it suitable for shine-prone skin types, and designed with climate-adaptive technology that makes it incredibly long-wearing. With a light-as-air texture, it glides beautifully and seamlessly onto the skin, creating a smooth matte finish that holds well throughout the day. It also offers the perfect buildable coverage.
£26 | Harvey Nichols | Buy it now
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+
6 shades
Battling that dreaded 3pm shine attack? Try Make Up For Ever’s new ‘Mat Velvet+’ foundation, which is specially designed for skin that’s a bit on the oily side. The smooth fluid formula has a believable matte finish that feels comfortable enough for daily wear. It stays on for hours on end without sliding down your face, but we’d recommend using a setting powder if you want to prolong its wear.
£30 | Escentual | Buy it now
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
21 shades
Designed to mattify and keep the skin shine-free all day, it’s not hard to see why this foundation is loved by celebs including Kim Kardashian and Meghan Markle. The finish is dewy yet feels seriously weightless and doesn’t budge, slip or slide for hours upon hours. It also effectively covers imperfections like rosacea, acne and scars.
£42 | Debenhams | Buy it now
Revlon ColorStay Makeup
21 shades
If you want matte coverage for a night out, then opt for Revlon’s affordable foundation. Its fragrance free and promises to last up to 24 hours, a little goes a long way, and provides a skin-like finish that lasts for hours on end without needing any touch-ups.
£12.99 | Boots | Buy it now
Best Vegan and Organic Foundations
INIKA Certified Organic Liquid Mineral Foundation
6 shades
If you’re looking for a lightweight cruelty-free foundation, this long-lasting base is a great option. Hyaluronic acid and minerals work to provide intense hydration while helping to smooth out wrinkles, making this foundation perfect for dull and lacklustre skin. It provides that sought-after youthful glow but it's easy to forget that you are wearing it.
£23.10 | Feel Unique | Buy it now
W7 Very Vegan HD Foundation
4 shades
Need a purse-friendly vegan option? The creamy texture of this affordable long-lasting foundation makes it perfect for those who are after medium to full coverage. Certified by The Vegan Society, the weightless formula blends really well and does a great job of covering redness and hyperpigmentation.
£9.95 | W7 Cosmetics | Buy it now
Laura Geller Filter First Luminous
12 shades
As the name implies, this vegan-friendly foundation offers flawless coverage for a photo-ready complexion. Created with finely crushed pearls, the formula ensures an even and a luminous finish that looks natural. It has a smooth texture that blends easily with a makeup sponge or foundation brush. To create a barely-there makeup look, try applying this foundation only where you need it so that your skin still looks like skin.
£15 | Beauty Bay | Buy it now
Best Budget/Drug Store Foundation
Maybelline Superstay Foundation
12 shades
If you’re watching the purse strings, this popular Maybelline option is worth a try. The formula is loaded with saturated colour pigments for high-impact coverage, making it a great special occasion foundation. As it is oil-free, you don’t have to worry about this one clogging your pores. It’s long-lasting enough for a full-day’s wear too.
£9.99 | Superdrug | Buy it now
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation
19 shades
This Rimmel offering comes in a wide variety of shades that cater to both pale and dark skin tones. It’s designed to provide a poreless finish with a radiant glow – and it really does deliver. From the clean and easy pump bottle to the creamy texture, this foundation ticks all the boxes for those who are foundation shopping on a budget.
£6.22 | Look Fantastic | Buy it now
L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation
28 shades
Another affordable foundation with an impressive shade range, L'Oreal’s True Match comes in a whopping 28 colours and claims to match 98 per cent of British skin tones. A little goes a long way meaning it’s great for high coverage. Plus, the formula contains shade enhancers that make for precise colour matching. It melts right into the skin and also blends like a dream.
£9.99 | Boots | Buy it now
