We wear less layers in the summer, so why wouldn’t we do the same with our makeup?
Just as we swap heavy winter coats for light dresses and shorts, so too we crave lighter formulations on our face. But that’s not to say we don’t want to look perfect in summer snaps: when it comes to makeup, we very much want to have our cake and eat it.
Find a great foundation and you’ll find there’s less need for other products. It all starts with a perfect base, perhaps followed by a light dusting of bronzer if your tan has yet to take, a cream or liquid blusher to dial up that youthful radiance, and a tinted lip balm for a wash of colour as well as much-needed hydration.
So what should you look for in a summer foundation? First and foremost, a formula with SPF. A decent level between 30 - 50 is a good ball park, but you should be wearing SPF year round (yes, even in deepest darkest winter). Take this as your cue to shop for a base with built-in protection.
Next, consider your skin type: are you someone with dry, oily or combination skin? Knowing how your skin behaves throughout the day should inform the type of formulation you go for, be it cream, powder or liquid. You may want something with long-lasting hydration to keep your skin quenched through long summer days, so you end your day as radiantly as you began it.
Think also about shade, especially if you’re going on holiday or spending a lot of time outdoors. Your usual colour may appear ashy due to a newly developed tan, so think ahead to anticipate what your colour may be after a spot of sunbathing.
Finally, the final effect you’re after: do you want to minimise pores and fine lines, look dewy, or keep your oil levels in check? Are you hoping to keep sweat at bay with a matte foundation or do you dream of a foundation that lasts all day, commute and all?
Its a lot to think about, but have no fear: we’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up an edit of the best summer foundations to see you through the season.
From big beauty brands to high street heroes, there’s something for every complexion and every budget.
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KVD Beauty Good Apple Full-Coverage Serum Foundation
Full coverage yet a lightweight feel, KVD Beauty nails the art of the perfect foundation with its Good Apple Full-Coverage Serum Foundation. For daily wear, it’s packed with enough pigment to forgo concealer entirely, and one pump glides easily across skin with enough product to cover the entire face.
All this, plus remarkable longevity and sweat and transfer-proof. A stunning foundation to spend all summer in. Available in 40 shades.
Buy now £34.00, Boots
IL MAKIAGE Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation
It was once a challenge to find the perfect shade of foundation, especially when shopping online.
Yet Il Makiage changed the virtual beauty shopping game when it launched on UK shores. Its Powermatch Quiz uses what we can only assume is a secret type of sorcery to determine the exact match for your skin tone after asking a few simple, rather vague, questions.
You’ll go through skin type, the level of coverage that’s comfortable for you, your desired finish - matte, natural or luminous - and your tone, before it pops a bottle out to you in the post. They’re so confident in the quiz that there’s a money-back guarantee if they haven’t totally nailed your skintone.
The Woke Up Like This acts as second skin without feeling greasy or dry but masking redness, irritation and blemishes with a flick of the brush. The formula blends beautifully, makes pores disappear, and is so lightweight it feels like you’ve got nothing on.
Buy now £39.00, IL Makiage
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation
Longwear liquid foundation with full/medium coverage but an almost weightless feel, Laura Mercier’s little bottle has long been a resident in our beauty kit. This particular collection of foundation is available in 30 inclusive shades, from ‘shell’ (the lightest) to ‘espresso’ (suited to dark complexions).
Although skin looks unbelievably radiant, the final effect is a matte finish that stays put through sweat, humidity, water and more, offering 15 hours of go time. Features like freckles are blurred slightly, but not completely masked; this, folks, is airbrushing-lite.
Buy now £38.00, John Lewis
Huda Beauty GloWish MultiDew Skin Tint
Huda Beauty is renowned for its impressive products which club together to promise radiant, moisture-packed skin and MUA-approved flawlessness. The brand’s GloWish MultiDew Skin Tint is no exception. It’s an easy to apply, gentle formula that gives your skin a little extra glowiness.
Perfect for the ultimate “no makeup” makeup look, the sheer coverage illuminates your face while its light-reflective pearl pigments effortlessly enhance your natural skin. It’s ideal for those who want to wear foundation without feeling like they’ve got an extra layer sat on top of their skin.
Buy now £34.00, Boots
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser
It may say ‘tinted moisturiser’ on the front, but Nars is typically a full-coverage kind of makeup brand, and this tube doesn’t stray from the script.
It has enough pigment in the liquid formulation to conceal dark circles, pigmentation and blemishes, but somehow still manages to feel breathable and more lightweight than heavier, creamier alternatives. As well as balancing skin tone, the product moisturises to keep skin hydrated and adding to the healthy glow that’s on everyone’s beauty wish list. Choose from a selection of 19 shades.
Buy now £34.00, Space NK
Dr.Jart+ BB Cream SPF50
When it comes to beauty, we tend to take our cues from the South Koreans. K-Beauty has taken off in a huge way in the UK with Dr Jart+ one of the biggest names leading the way. Typically specialising in skincare, this BB cream with added SPF dropped in early 2023 just ahead of summer - and it’s perfect for warm weather.
A multitasker, this cream hydrates the skin’s barrier, as well as conceals blemishes and protects against harmful rays and city pollution.
This is an excellent BB cream, lightweight, silky and with enough coverage to balance uneven complexions without feeling smothered. It glides easily across the skin - thanks to the niacinamide within, no doubt - and, in most cases, one pump is enough an entire face.
Pivot to this balm in warmer weather when traditional foundations feel too heavy. The fact it has SPF50 built-in makes it even more appealing. Beauty and skincare rolled into one, it’s the full package.
Buy now £35.00, Dr.Jart+
Jones Road What the Foundation 35g
From legendary makeup artist Bobbi Brown comes What the Foundation, part of her new Jones Road brand.
Presented in a glass jar, this isn’t something you can apply hurriedly on the commute, but rather a product to take time over at home. It’s more of a tinted balm than anything else, a blendable formula that you can build with layers to balance skin tone and leave skin with a fresh-looking and feeling finish.
Buy now £42.00, Liberty
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Light Revealer Natural Skin Illuminator
For some, summer skin is inextricably linked to a radiant glow. If you’re hoping to capitalise on this effect, we’re here to point you in the direction of Laura Mercier’s tinted moisturiser which boosts glow into the stratosphere.
It comes with added SPF20 - although we would recommend starting with an SPF face cream or finishing with an SPF spray to boost protection levels - and its a sheer finish that leaves you polished yet still natural-looking.
Perfect for laid-back occasions where you don’t want to cake yourself in product, it comes in 40 shades. Best finished with a dusting of the brand’s setting powder to give skin that expensive-looking finish.
Buy now £40.00, Space NK
bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15
Powder foundations are not always ideal for dry skin as they can settle unnaturally, creating an uneven and patchy appearance - but not the Original Loose Powder Foundation from bareMinerals. This product earned our vote as the Top Pick mineral foundation for a reason. It is a lightweight texture that is free from any nasties or fillers that may cause a reaction to sensitive skin types. It forms a buildable veil over the complexion that disguises pores and imperfections without clogging and leading to further breakouts. This is a flawless filter in powdered form.
Buy now £29.00, Boots
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Shade range: 40
This foundation provides buildable lightweight medium coverage and has excellent shade options for darker skin tones. If you have dry skin, then this is a great option as it provides a lovely dewy look, instantly making your skin look and feel silky.
Buy now £45.00, John Lewis
Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturiser
For dry, oily and combination skin, tinted moisturiser may be the best port of call over traditional foundation. These makeup-skincare best of both world products inject moisture into your routine, while still providing a tint that can be layered up with another foundation if you prefer a full coverage aesthetic.
The Hourglass Illusion Tinted Moisturiser has a lightweight texture yet more coverage than you would expect from this product type. It has a subtle glow - not a greasy shine or a sheer finish - and is enriched with the brand’s signature Hylauronan Complex to plump the complexion.
Buy now £55.00, Space NK
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF50
While is technically a CC cream, it works in much the same way as a foundation and can be swapped as your base product of choice. The multi-tasking product is both a concealer and acts as full coverage for the whole face too.
Combination skin types will appreciate the hydrating ingredients as the formula is packed with the likes of hyaluronic acid, soy extract, collagen and silk that bring moisture to dry areas, while evening out the complexion. There’s also the vitamin-rich combination of grapefruit, orange, bergamot and lemon oils.
Plus you’ve got a SPF50 in there too. It’s all win.
Buy now £15.00, Cult Beauty
Clinique Even Better™ Glow Light Reflecting Makeup SPF 15
Clinique is one of the best brands for the understated natural beauty look so it’s no surprise that the Even Better Glow Light Reflecting Makeup is one of the best foundations for just that. This light-reflecting product makes good use of natural ingredients to offer a soft glow no matter how little sleep you got last night.
Its moisturising sheer-to-moderate formula includes SPF 15 as well as Vitamin C, which works its own magic over time to give you an even better natural glow. The subtle luminising pigments do the work for the meantime, though.
Buy now £28.50, Boots
Olay Total Effects 7in1 CC Day Face Cream SPF15 Fair To Medium 50ml
One product that’s had everyone talking recently is Olay’s Total Effects 7in1 CC Day Face Cream.
Yes, you read that right – a whopping seven effects in one rather stylish tub. It promises to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, moisturise, even skin tone, refine the look of pores, smooth skin texture, bright and help restore skins firmness. Phew.
It’s no easy feat but the combination of niacinamide and antioxidants makes for quite the powerhouse. You might not get the same full coverage offered with other products but it will leave your skin feeling equal parts moisturised and evened out (plus there’s no danger of it breaking the bank).
Buy now £9.99, Boots
