From landing on the correct shade to the never-ending internal debate that is ‘matte vs dewy finish’; finding a foundation can feel overwhelming.
If like me – someone who only recently upgraded from coloured powder dusted over swipes of concealer – you find that the feeling of full coverage foundation doesn’t spark makeup joy, then a lightweight foundation might be the right fit for you.
Thanks to innovation across the foundation space – be it injections of skincare into makeup formulations or more inclusive undertone offerings – there are now scores of lightweight foundations on the market to choose from. When on the hunt to find the best base to achieve a barely-there look and feel that doesn’t scrimp on pigment, it’s best to opt for foundations that are buildable.
Although on occasion these foundations appear almost imperceptible on the skin upon application, a great lightweight foundation packed with enough pigment is just the thing for a bendable, seamless and most importantly buildable product that can also offer up a little more coverage wherever you may need it.
Next, it’s all about the finish. Sheer, matte, dewy and radiant, lightweight foundations have come a long way in terms of what you can expect – in turn, lightweight formulas have begun to expand beyond just skin-like finishes and into grid-worthy soft mattes.
Is lightweight foundation better for skin?
If skincare inspires a lot of your beauty choices, lightweight foundations with ingredients such as vitamin c or hyaluronic acid to enhance radiance are a game-changer. With releases from drugstore favourites like Max Factor (its Miracle Pure foundation has a 89% skincare ingredients formula) or the TikTok-approved Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin, we have officially entered a new era of foundations with skincare at the helm.
6 of the best lightweight foundations to shop now
With a variety of finishes and textures, here is a curated edit of 6 of the best lightweight foundations you should add to your basket right now.
1. Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation
After the launch of the Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin foundation, you would have been hard pressed to scroll for more than a few seconds without seeing countless women raving about the product’s seamless coverage and radiant finish. With its 30 shades to choose from in total and cool, neutral and warm undertones available, I found that I was best suited to 14 neutral, which has meant ashen skin is a thing of the past now.
It joins the swathes of hybrid makeup launches with skincare embedded into their formulations with hyaluronic acid and Tilbury’s own “hyalurosmooth” elixir: an addition that’s meant to improve texture and reduce dryness and dullness, rounding off the foundation’s ‘your skin but better’ credentials. If you find that full coverage is currently a makeup mainstay in your beauty bag, this lightweight foundation may just convert you.
2. Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Foundation
Over the past few years, beauty (especially beauty online) has been evolving in a big way. With so many nuances in shades – not to mention undertones – selecting a base product blind without the option to test it in stores can seem frightening. Enter: tech-led beauty brand Il Makiage. Using a comprehensive PowerMatch algorithm to lead you to your perfect bottle of its signature Woke Up Like This Foundation, the brand offers 50 shades in its medium coverage formula. While only three or so pumps is enough to hide a hormonal breakout, the foundation remains light and skin-like, meaning I’ve repeatedly added it straight into my virtual cart.
3. The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation
When thinking about where to buy a new foundation, The Body Shop – beloved for its sumptuous body butters and nostalgic scents – might not be your first port of call, but the brand’s Fresh Nude foundations are surprisingly effective. Enriched with vitamin E and aloe vera and complete with an additional SPF15, the brand’s lightweight foundation focuses on hydration. If like me you are only now dipping your toes into the lightweight foundation pool, the finish of this one is semi-matte, with light to medium coverage, and is the perfect starting point. And if the natural finish and buildable texture is not enough to sell you, then maybe its 100% recyclable glass bottle will.
4. No7 Restore and Renew Serum Foundation
With skincare ingredients like the brand’s own collagen peptide technology for lifted, firmer skin and SPF30, this high street hero gets full marks for its light formulation and finish. If you’re someone who has more ‘no makeup makeup’ days than full-on glam ones, this is one of those special products where a little goes a long way meaning it will really last you well. Designed with both immediate and long-term skin benefits in mind and with 18 shades, this is an ‘I’ve forgotten my makeup bag’ drugstore dash essential.
5. Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
Like most women of the internet age, Nars – and more importantly its Natural Radiant Concealer – holds an almost Zeus-like status in my beauty hall of fame. However, until recently, its sister product Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation had yet to grace my dressing table. Nevertheless, with 33 shades in total and including good olive and yellow-based tones, along with its dewy yet pore-less payoff, I wish I had picked up a bottle sooner. It is significantly more lightweight than most longwear foundations and it’s another one that requires a deft hand as a little goes a long way; so start small with the amount you apply.
6. Fenty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Have we ever really gotten over the industry shift that Fenty inspired with regards to shade ranges? I think not. Although the brand has since launched a skincare line, numerous lip products and its dewy Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint that has garnered an almost cult following on TikTok, I can’t help but return to the OG Pro Filtr Soft Matte Foundation. Although matte coverage is rarely my go-to look, the climate-adaptive technology (i.e. sweat and humidity resistant) and lightweight feel of this foundation and its impeccable shade match is enough to make my head turn.
For more great foundation alternatives, read our guide to BB Cream, CC Cream and tinted moisturisers – and how to choose for your skin type.
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