Have you found ‘the one’ yet? Of course, we’re talking about finding the best foundation for your skin type. Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to acing your base. With so many types of coverage and finishes it can be tricky finding your perfect match. No matter what your skin type - oily, dry, or combination - make use of our trusty Foundation Shade Finder to find a powerhouse foundation for you. Once you find it, you'll never look back.
Best foundation for dry skin: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation, £39
Best foundation for mature skin: Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, £45
Best full coverage foundation: Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Liquid Foundaton, £36
Best foundation for oily skin: Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Foundation, £8.99
Best foundation for combination skin: Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation, £39
A: Foundation makeup can be applied to the face to help create an even skin tone or cover blemishes. Liquids, powders, creams, or sticks - all forms of foundation help to smooth out the skin and help your natural beauty shine.
Foundations provide the best of both worlds; whether you fancy a subtle look or want to amp up the drama, there are buildable formulas from sheer to full coverage. Choose the best finish for your skin type: dewy for a radiant glow, matte for a shine-free appearance, or natural to strike a balance. Liquid foundations are the most versatile, and are suitable for most skin types. For those with oily skin, powder or matte foundations are your best bet. After more hydration? Opt for cream foundations, similar to the likes of a CC cream. And if you're always on the go, stick foundations are the most convenient and super easy to apply.
Many foundations include hydrating ingredients like moisturisers, pigments to add colour, and SPF protection. With a range of foundation shades and undertones, it's possible to find a shade that's true to you. Or, mix two shades together to get a match made in heaven. And if you're asking, how do you apply foundation? Use makeup brushes, sponges, or your fingers - the choice is yours.
Consider your skin type. If your skin is typically dry, look for a foundation that uses hydrating ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid. This will help give your complexion a healthy, dewy finish. For oily and spot-prone skin, opt for oil-free and non-comedogenic bases to curb excess shine. Combination skin can be hard to please. Your best bet would be an oil-free formula that’s made with hydrating ingredients so you can nourish drier areas of your skin without clogging oilier patches.
What type of finish do you prefer? This will help you narrow down the search. Whether you like a radiant glow, a velvety matte effect or a subtle hint of coverage, think about what look you want to achieve before you start scrolling.
Ease of application. Are you likely to wear your foundation over a primer? Do you take the time to blend in with a foundation brush? Or, are you more inclined to quickly apply with your fingers? Different foundations will lend themselves better to different application methods. At a glance, full coverage formulas will usually need more patience to blend in properly with a brush or beauty sponge, while lightweight, sheer options only need the warmth of your fingers for a natural-looking finish.
A: When narrowing down the very best foundations, we're looking for the formulas that tick all the boxes: coverage, staying power, blendability, shade range and bonus skincare benefits. Of course, your reviews play an important part, too. When a foundation racks up all those five star reviews, we pay attention. If you're looking for something that won't break the bank, there's some impressively low-priced options in here.
By Sephora UK Makeup Editorial Team
Writers and experts
Updated: 05 March 2024
Airbrush Flawless Foundation
Racking up a 17,000-person waitlist, expectations were high with Charlotte Tilbury’s newest, long-lasting foundation - and it does deliver the goods. Like magic, it curbs shine while imparting a healthy glow, so your skin still looks like skin. It gives a near-weightless, full coverage finish and hydrates as you wear, thanks to an exclusive extract of moss, Magic MossCellTec, ticking *all* the boxes.
Tried and tested: “Airbrush Flawless Foundation gave my skin a naturally matte finish without feeling like I was wearing a foundation. It felt weightless and cool to apply, it's really buildable and lasted all day without a single touch up." - Customer Review
Sheer Glow Foundation
Not a foundation fan? NARS Sheer Glow might change your mind. Offering a natural-looking, radiant finish, you can mix a little with your moisturiser for just a hint of colour or build up for a full coverage foundation. Enriched with nourishing ingredients that are gentle enough for sensitive skin, including Vitamin C and Turmeric Extract, it helps to brighten, even out the skin tone and fight against everyday aggressors. Here’s something clever: with continued wear, Sheer Glow improves your skin’s brightness and texture over time. To see your skin in its best light, alternate with NARS Light Reflecting Foundation that acts as light-as-air skincare.
Tried and tested: “I don’t usually wear foundation, but this one evens out skin tone with a natural-looking, luminous coverage that lets my freckles show through.” - Alice, Customer Review
Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick
Despite being small in size, a little goes a long way with this pigment-packed, full coverage foundation. The waterproof stick combines the coverage of a concealer, fluidity of a liquid, and weightlessness of a best powder foundation to create the perfect, long-lasting finish. With a triangular bullet tip, it allows for precise application over the contours of your face and mess-free touch-ups when you’re on the move.
Tried and tested: “Best foundation stick I've ever used. Only a little is needed for full coverage as it is highly pigmented. So easy and handy compared to liquid foundation, especially when you need to carry foundation out with you, great for quick touch ups, too.” - Teresa, Customer Review
Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation
The latest from the complexion perfector herself, this beauty does not disappoint. Combining full coverage foundation with light-catching luminosity, this Charlotte Tilbury Foundation is the epitome of no-makeup makeup. A combination skin hero, we love when a foundation contains skin-saving ingredients. This one uses Hyaluronic Acid and a brightening Rose Complex to transform skin into a dewy delight. Smooth skin, plump fine lines and minimise the look of pores with this multi-tasking miracle, it truly earns its spot as the UK’s no.1 foundation.
Tried and tested: “The lasting power is impressive, too, whilst most dewy foundations tend to have a shorter lifespan than their matte counterparts, I found the Beautiful Skin Foundation to hold up well all day. Yes, there was a tiny bit of fading here and there, but overall my skin still looked fresh and even-toned.” - Cosmopolitan
#FauxFilter Luminous Matte Liquid Foundation
Full coverage foundations might strike fear in the hearts of those who’ve battled tide marks and caking, but not with this one. Packed with skin-unifying pigments and rich in hydrating Argan Oil, Huda’s new and improved #FauxFilter Foundation grants a natural-looking, matte finish that won’t dry or flake throughout the day. Water-resistant and budge-proof, a little goes a long way with this heavy duty formula, so start with a small amount and build up to your desired level of coverage.
Tried and tested: "Whilst my skin is usually pretty blemish free, it typically takes a few layers to cover the pigmentation around my mouth and chin, but this only took one layer to give me an even skin tone and stayed all day without feeling heavy or cakey." - Karmel, Customer Review
Forever Skin Glow Foundation
Taking long-lasting foundations to the next level, think 24-hour staying power and second-skin coverage. If you’re tired of your makeup sliding, then this Dior Foundation is your new secret weapon. From week one to week four, your skin is visibly more hydrated, plumped, and radiant with continued wear. Formulated with an 86% skincare base, extracts of Wild Pansy, Hibiscus, Nasturtium, and Iris enhance your complexion while providing a beautiful finish that lets skin breathe. These antioxidant properties protect even the most sensitive skin types. And with 40 shades to choose from, find your perfect match with SPF 20 or SPF 15. What’s not to love?
Tried and tested: “I bought this last month and I'm so glad I did! Feels lightweight and easy to blend out, has a smooth flawless glowy finish! Doesn't break me out!! I use it with my Dior Glow Veil Primer and it's literally perfection! Highly recommend.” - Customer Review
Good Apple Skin Perfecting Foundation Balm
An apple a day keeps excess shine at bay. This handy, compact foundation has taken TikTok by storm and has been highly praised for delivering full-on, extreme matte coverage that even covers up tattoos. Infused with Apple Extract to give skin all the goodness, this lightweight foundation leaves skin with a healthy sheen and minimises the appearance of pores from dusk until dawn. Did we mention zero cakiness? It’s hard to find a foundation that does it all, but this one is the apple of our eye.
Tried and tested: "This is my holy grail, everyday foundation. I love it. I found my perfect colour and have been loving it in every sense. I have one in use and two in backup!! I made sure I’ll never be without it! Good apple of course!! It sits beautifully on my skin, I never feel it and it wears great for 9+ hours.” - Customer Review
Best Skin Ever Foundation Long Wear Foundation
Want to achieve your best skin ever? This new generation skincare foundation from our very own coveted Sephora Collection will help you do just that. Its second skin texture offers buildable coverage to create a smooth, even complexion and an ultra-natural finish. Enriched with anti-pollution Algae Extracts and Hyaluronic Acid from natural origin, your skin will be improved and protected with a hydrating foundation formula that lasts all day long.
Tried and tested: "Great coverage, true long wear. I put it on and it's like it blends into my skin even more after 2-3 mins by itself. My skin is oily, this has been perfect. Not too matte, not too shiny. Lasts through my shift and beyond with some powder touch ups." - Customer Review
Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Fenty Beauty is one of our all-time faves, so it’s no surprise how much we love Rihanna’s trusty soft matte, longwear foundation. Born in a boundary-breaking range of 50 shades, find the ultimate photo filter for all skin tones in Fenty Beauty Foundation. The light-as-air texture instantly smoothes, diffuses pores and easily builds to medium to full coverage. The best bit? This oil-free formula is resistant to sweat and humidity, thanks to its climate-adaptive technology.
Tried and tested: "I have looked my ENTIRE life for the perfect shade that matches my skin, I have very pale skin and even the lightest of shades in drug stores did not match my skin. But this foundation matches PERFECTLY, it’s like putting skin on top of my very own skin providing the perfect coverage. It leaves my skin feeling moisturised as well. I’m in love! Thank you, Rihanna!" - Tori, Customer Review
True Skin Serum - Foundation
Skin that looks like skin has never been easier. Meet ILIA’s True Skin Serum-infused Foundation with buildable, medium coverage and a beautifully natural finish. Now with active levels of skincare ingredients, including Niacinamide and Allantoin, this silky, breathable formula helps smooth and soothe to visibly improve bare skin over time. From an array of 30 shades, the weightless foundation melts in and seamlessly blends for all skin tones.
Tried and tested: "Great coverage, smooth application. Not too heavy. Doesn't crease or crack - feels like it moves with you. Great polished look!" - Raina B, Customer Review
Turn Up the Base Blurring Foundation
Turn up with the ultimate ONE/SIZE must-have, this Beauty Blur Balm Foundation that’s a triple threat against skin texture. Thanks to its unique mousse-like formula, it blurs texture, absorbs oil, and boosts hydration all in one. Japanese White Rose Stem Cells quickly improve the appearance of skin tone and visibly minimise oil over time, while the Avocado and Mango hydra-blend heightens hydration levels. The result? A smooth-feeling second skin and all-day wear. We love.
Tried and tested: "This reminds me more of a BB cream than a foundation and I absolutely LOVE that about it. I just apply it with my hands, and it blends out super quickly and evenly. It’s my go-to for quick makeup days." - Katherine C, Customer Review
Beauty Yummy Skin Serum Foundation
This skincare-hybrid foundation is the yummiest of them all. Containing Jojoba Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, and Olive-Derived Squalane, this nourishing formula will balance hydration and moisture while protecting skin with free radical-targeting antioxidants. The key ingredients address common skin concerns for comfortable everyday wear. Medium, buildable coverage effortlessly creates a natural-looking, glowing complexion. Our pro tip? Start from the centre of the face and blend outwards for even application. Layer over Yummy Skin Glow Serum for an added boost of radiance and you’re good to glow.
Tried and tested: "My favourite foundation! This foundation makes my skin glow so beautifully!! I love it so much. I’ve worn it to a couple of events, and everyone compliments my skin. I can’t wait to get more shades. I’m a makeup artist and I know that my clients will LOVE this foundation!!!! Also, the packaging is amazing. I love how you’re able to squeeze out the exact amount of product that you need, and the bottle is beautiful!" - Marcela, Customer Review
Double Wear Sheer Long Wear Foundation SPF20
May your foundation give you a natural confidence that lasts for hours and hours. Estée Lauder Double Wear delivers just that with its fresh feeling formula. Plus, it has SPF 20 to protect against UV rays and pollution, so you'll stay protected whatever the weather. Apply with your fingertips to even skin tone and see visibly smoother skin thanks to its undetectable formula, it's so sheer you'll forget it's even there. The best part? It's humidity and sweat-resistant so you'll remain streak-free with no caking.
Tried and tested: "This foundation has light coverage which is buildable to a medium coverage. It looks gorgeous on my skin, allowing all my freckles and other natural features to show through just as much or as little as I would like. I have been looking for a foundation which allows me to feel like myself and I have finally found it, although I'm 23 now, I intend to use it for many years to come as my skin ages." - Emma, Customer Review
Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation SPF20
Go one step further for even better skin using Clinique Foundation. Discover visibly improved skin instantly and over time with medium to full coverage. It's clinically proven for good reason! Let the results speak for themselves; in 24 hours, 56% of women felt that skin was more moisturised. After using the product for 12 weeks, 73% showed more radiant skin and 61% showed more even-looking skin tone. Top tip: Apply half a pump of this serum after moisturiser and let its good-for-skin ingredients work their magic.
Tried and tested: "Found the perfect match for my tone. Skin stays soft and dewy. Blends perfectly and doesn't settle in lines. Love this foundation so much I've ordered my second bottle!!!!" - Rach, Customer Review
Real Flawless Foundation
Laura Mercier Foundation is the real deal. Reveal healthier-looking skin thanks to the Perfecting Colour Technology that lifts dullness for cake-free, colour-true wear. If that isn't enough, the Auto-Balancing Technology instantly hydrates for smoother skin, helping to reduce shine throughout the day. It's weightless, long-wearing, waterproof and fade-proof for 12 hours. The list goes on. Apply to clean skin with Laura's Real Flawless Foundation Brush, or over our Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer for best results.
Tried and tested: "Light and perfect foundation. I needed a new colour for my foundation and decided to try the online option of trying the virtual try on. I was sceptical and had never done this. Ordered what they recommended and am pleased to say the colour is perfect for me. Love how light the foundation is and how nicely it covers. I'm over 70 and this is just perfect for me." - Geri, Customer Review