From boosting moisture levels in the skin to covering blemishes and dark spots, here are the most versatile foundations to land on my desks in years. Editor Trudi Brewer shares the latest and the best.
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Foundation innovation has gone from covering imperfections to nourishing and correcting your skin while you wear it. Today, these hydrating tints double as serums and concealers to add instant brightness to the skin, conceal redness, and cover dullness while giving a barely-there finish.
Nude by Nature Hydra Stick Foundation, $43.
A handy 3-in-1 makeup multitasker that covers, conceals, and can be used to contour. Dubbed the new handbag essential for spring, its lightweight finish re-freshers the skin thanks to hyaluronic acid, cocoa butter, vitamin E and Kakadu plum, and the four flattering colours give your skin a healthy glow. It’s also a 100 per cent clean beauty buy that is only around for a limited time.
There are four: Ivory, Soft Sand, Silky Beige and Olive.
MEcca MaX OFF DUTY SKIN TINT, $36
For anyone who wants that no-makeup-makeup look, this is everything you have been hunting for. It’s water-light on the skin; in fact, it feels like you are wearing almost nothing. It blends seamlessly with your fingers while offering skin-loving benefits, like niacinamide (vitamin B3) to promote an even-looking skin tone and squalane to strengthen the skin's barrier and lock in moisture. It lives up to its reputation. “A sheer serum foundation with skincare benefits.”
It’s our new weekend staple.
There are 20 diverse shades.
Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint, $89.
Here’s another lightweight spring makeup that promises to give skin all-day hydration and a hint of colour. The 94 per cent natural formula melts into the skin when applied with fingers. It’s stacked with that moisture magnet hyaluronic acid, plant-based squalane, meadowfoam seed oil, and the tropical fruit extract, rambutan. If dry skin is why you avoid wearing foundation - here’s your perfect match.
There are 18 diverse shade options.
Revlon ILLUMINANCE Skin Caring Foundation, $48.
The pulling power of this foundation is real. It is ultra-hydrating and gorgeous to wear. It’s makeup with brilliant skin-caring benefits, including squalane and hyaluronic acid. It’s versatile and true to shade, apply with fingers a large fluffy brush (this gives a very sheer coverage) or a sponge. Your skin will look dewy for hours - it’s genius.
There are 16 diverse shades pictured here, 605 Rich Mahogany.
Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops, $123.
Another clever makeup artist is creating a liquid foundation everyone wants. This makeup leaves the skin sporting a youthful, dewy (but not wet-looking) glow. Loaded with skin-caring Tsubaki oil, ginger, Ginseng, pomegranate extracts and squalane, this suits anyone wanting the benefits of lightweight makeup and skincare in the same bottle. This sheer skin-goodness improves firmness, texture, and radiance while adding a hint of colour to the skin.
There are 14 diverse shades.
MAC COSMETICS Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation, $82.
Makeup in a skincare base, up to 80 per cent of the ingredients are skin-caring. Including ten per cent hyaluronic acid that helps lock moisture in the skin, as well as superfoods like olive jojoba oils and vitamin E. It’s lightweight, blurs the appearance of pores, skin redness, dark spots and dry fine lines, and the blend of silver and gold iridescent particles in the formula gives the skin a light-from-within glow.
There are 56 luminous shades.
To covet, gift, or just to treat yourself.