For most people it’s the staple a make routine is built around, so it figures it’s hard to swap from a favourite foundation.
But if you’ve stuck with that product for more than a year or two, there are so many reasons to switch it out for a newer option.
The main one is that skincare and makeup innovations are happening all the time. Ingredient evolution is delivering new finishes to foundations as well as texture changes that can be so much more enjoyable to wear than the thick, pore-clogging foundations of old.
Less is more with application, but much thinner, liquid products now also skim over skin more seamlessly, so it never looks flaky and dry, or flat.
Your skin type may also have changed since you last shopped for a new foundation. Skin condition can change due to factors like hormonal shifts and even stress, seasonal changes (cold weather dries skin, humidity increases oil), and aging which means skin has less oil and collagen over time. Your skincare habits—like over-exfoliating or switching to more hydrating products—can also impact skin balance and the way foundation lasts on skin.
After swings between very matte, and very dewy foundations, right now there are plenty of products that are a happy medium between the two. They deliver on evening out skin tone and hiding discolouration and redness, and have a gently-luminous finish, leaving skin looking soft, smooth and flawless, but still like your actual skin.
What’s more, they are formulated with skin nourishing ingredients and have a lightweight feel, so you don’t get that feeling of being desperate to take off your makeup after a long day.
If you have dry skin, one with a hydrating formulation and ingredients like hyaluronic acid plus a gently radiant, glowy finish will help skin look more youthful.
Don’t feel you have to jump in with a very high coverage product either. Counteracting age spots and a natural loss of rosy tone can now be quickly addressed with a product that has medium coverage. These now have a thin consistency but can be built up by applying more just in the areas you need, for example around the nostrils, chin or apples of the cheeks.
Don’t forget to also update your foundation brush, it makes a huge difference to the way makeup blends and sits on skin.
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Foundation Drops
Possibly the most talked-about foundation this year, this product is a real unicorn. It’s loaded with skincare benefits, you only need a drop or two for decent, even radiant coverage. It’s a light, fresh-looking skin base and it doesn’t settle in lines.
The catch? It’s almost prohibitively expensive, but it comes with rave reviews. Part of the cost can be attributed to the fact in includes serum ingredients from luxury skincare brand Augustinus Bader. The brand’s TFC8 complex is a blend of amino acids, vitamins, and peptides said to support skin’s natural repair and renewal processes.
The foundation is part of Victoria Beckham’s beauty line that’s just arrived on our shores.
NARS Light Reflecting Foundation
A glow so good people will think you’ve changed up your wellness routine. This has been cleverly designed to reflect the light, and easily blurs imperfections, smooths the look of textured skin, and helps conceal blemishes, dark spots, and redness. It has a serum-like texture and contains a long list of skincare ingredients (apparently its 70% skincare ingredients) so it will help keep your complexion in great condition and well hydrated.
It comes it a respectable number of different shades too. A little goes a long way so we suggest starting with a little on the back of your hand and buffing into skin evenly as you go. If you find it a little too glowy try pressing a touch of powder just over ‘hot spots’ like beside the nose and chin.
Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Glow Foundation
Another one for dry skin, this is new the glow version of YSL’s popular All Hours long-wear foundation. It has medium coverage but looks natural and dewy on. If you need more coverage, we suggest a tiny dab of concealer blended over top after foundation is evenly applied.
L’Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation
A more affordable but no less effective option, this natural-looking medium coverage foundation is a favourite with many makeup artists as it seems to suit most skin types and has a good range of shades. It works well if you ensure you apply moisturiser and let it settle into skin for a few minutes before applying the foundation.
Bobbi Brown Weightless Skin Foundation SPF15
Bobbi Brown is an incredibly reliable choice when it comes to foundations, proving its worth over decades. This release is a modern take with a light feel, enough covarage to make you feel like skin looks great but a nice natural matte finish. It has a good diverse colour range including different undertones too.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Second Skin Matte Foundation
If you’re still looking for full coverage? This is your best bet. It covers everything you need to for a beautiful even finish without looking fake. Its velvet-matte finish lasts reliably throughout the day on lots of different skin types, too.
Patrick Ta Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Luminous Skin Perfecting Foundation
The name says it all really. This creates luxe, expensive looking skin, like you’re just had a facial. It has a serum-like finish with medium coverage, and does have a slightly more dewy finish but works well with other products like setting powder and blush.
Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
It’s not new but it’s still hard to beat the finish and wear of this foundation and its why its still a mainstay in so many makeup artists kits. You can build it up nicely on skin where you need more coverage too.
Nude By Nature Perfect Skin Filter Foundation
If you want a more silky, satin-matte finish, this foundation offers a bit of a blurring effect that helps hide pores. As with many products from Nude by Nature it has lots of skincare extracts too, With Australian berries, Vitamin E and Licorice Root for hydration and antioxidants that will protect skin throughout the day.
Chanel Healthy Glow Foundation
With the winning combo of being hydrating, but also long-wear, this foundation is a firm favourite. It wears comfortably and feels like a second-skin on and has a lovely radiance that looks especially good on more mature skin or dry skin.
