Good skin begins with good genes, a good skincare regime, or a pretty good foundation. We’re here to assist you with the latter. If you want effortless ”clean girl” skin or a barely there look and feel to your base, you’ll need a lightweight foundation with a skin-like finish. The goal is your skin, but better, so here are nine of the best lightweight foundations that will do just that.

 

1. Best lightweight foundation for blemish-prone skin

Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Foundation, £44

Mario’s SurrealSkin is a breathable, luminous foundation with long-wearing coverage. The formula seamlessly blends into the skin for a natural finish that lets your true complexion shine through. Featuring Mario’s MoistureGripTM technology, the SurrealSkin foundation hydrates skin for up to 12 hours, thanks to skin-loving ingredients like grapeseed oil and vegetable squalene. Why we love it: Half a pump of SurrealSkin is enough to create a flawless base and it comes in 30 flexible shades.

2. Best lightweight foundation for long wear

Lancôme Teint Miracle Foundation, £33.50

The Teint Miracle foundation is infused with pearlescent pigments to leave skin with a radiant, dewy finish. It contains a high concentration of water to hydrate skin and promote a healthy-looking complexion. Why we love it: Teint Miracle has a lightweight, creamy texture that blends easily into the skin and provides a long-wearing, matte finish that lasts up to twelve hours. It’s also oil and fragrance-free.

3. Best hydrating lightweight foundation

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, £33.75 (Was £45)

If you follow us on TikTok, you’ll already know Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation is a makeup artist’s staple. This lightweight, oil-free formula provides seamless application and a skin-like finish. Why we love it: Armani’s exclusive Micro-fil technology helps to sculpt and brighten the skin, improving texture while blurring imperfections. Plus, it’s infused with glycerin to provide all-day hydration. Luminous Silk comes in 40 shades suitable for all skin types.

@blncdbeauty Date Night Soft Glam: Simple Ingredients 🤌🩷✨️ MUA: @Ashlea Penfold 🫶 Products Used 🎨: • @Armani beauty Luminous Silk Foundation • @Nudestix Nudies Blush in Nude Peach • @INGLOT AMC Eyeliner Gel in 77 • @Chanel Beauty Baume Essentiel (highlight balm) • @Clarins Official Supra Volume Mascara • @Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Lighting Bronzer #datenight #softglam #wingedliner #blush #makeuptutorial ♬ Can i love you – Shiloh Dynasty

4. Best lightweight foundation all-rounder

Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint, £27

Are you after that blurred effect? Available in 25 shades, this flexible skin tint instantly evens out your complexion and provides a flattering blurred finish. Eaze Drop is perfect for a no-makeup makeup look and feels incredibly lightweight throughout the day. Why we love it: It’s also humidity, sweat, and transfer-resistant, so it’s great to use in the summer.

5. Best lightweight foundation for combination skin

Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF15, £29

Create a flawless, natural-looking base with Clinique’s Even Better Makeup SPF15. Ideal for combination skin types, the moderate-coverage mineral foundation smooths and hydrates the complexion and provides up to 24-hour wear. Why we love it: The oil-free formula actively improves the appearance of uneven skin tone with every use. And, it’s sweat and humidity-resistant. What more could you ask for?

6. Best lightweight foundation with hyaluronic acid

Yves Saint Laurent NU Bare Look Tint, £23.80 (Was £28)

This lightweight foundation is the ideal combination of makeup and skincare. The 90% skincare-based formula offers up to 24-hour hydration, locking in moisture for a fresh, dewy complexion. Its creamy water-gel composition contains ultra-fine pigments that blend into the skin for a seamless, skin-like finish. Why we love it: This formula helps you achieve that fresh-faced, barely-there glow. Think model off-duty glowing skin. Plus, it’s available in 20 shades.

7. Best lightweight foundation with a water-based formula

Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint, £52

Looking for a weightless foundation that looks like your skin but better? Its 75% water content ensures a softened, smooth finish for an even complexion that lasts all day. On contact, microdroplets of encapsulated pigments melt into the skin, creating a radiant bare-skin effect. Why we love it: It’s unbeatable for a natural, luminous glow, and the ergonomic brush makes application a breeze.

8. Best lightweight foundation with a matte finish

Estée Lauder Double Wear Sheer Long-Wear Foundation SPF20, £15.40 (Was £38.50)

Want perfected skin with a softly diffused matte finish? Estée Lauder’s Double Wear formula with SPF20 won’t disappoint. The undetectable formula enhances skin with enough coverage to let your natural beauty show. Why we love it: This weightless foundation provides sheer-to-light, buildable coverage, is long-wearing, and resists sweat and humidity.

9. Best lightweight Foundation with a glass skin finish

Illamasqua Beyond Foundation, £13.20 (Was £33)

Need a lightweight foundation with sheer coverage and a glass skin finish? Look no further than Beyond Foundation from Illamasqua. Infused with hyaluronic acid and Vitamin E, the formula draws water to the surface of your skin and keeps your complexion refreshingly hydrated and conditioned throughout the day. Why we love it: There are 25 shades in this Beyond Foundation range, plus it’s easy to navigate between warm, neutral and cool shades with a shade for every skin tone.