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Skin care foundations: 8 stellar formulas we’ve found

Good skin AND good coverage

By Briar Clark

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / March 30 2021

As far as we can tell the future’s looking bright: 2020’s over for one, Trump’s almost out the door and now skin care ingredients are making their way into our makeup products. You definitely can’t tell but we’re cheering right now.

Keep scrolling for the foundation offerings that draw from your favourite skin-loving skin care formulas for base coverage that improves your complexion as you wear it.

Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Skincaring Foundation

Medium coverage with a dewy finish sounds like heaven, but you know what sounds even better? The fact that this lightweight, long-wearing foundation is packed full of vitamins C and E as well as hyaluronic acid, meaning you can look forward to glowy, plump skin ALL DAY LONG. Plus, the extensive shade selection (40 in total to be precise) makes finding your perfect hue a snatch.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25HR Foundation

Loved by our Review Crew, this budget buy pairs a long-wearing formula with skin-comforting ingredients brilliantly. Hyaluronic acid and vitamin E keep skin plump and hydrated for a smooth base with zero cracks come 3pm.

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IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare

IT COSMETICS has always been lauded for their use of skin-improving ingredients and this offering is no exception. Hyaluronic acid, aloe vera extract, vitamins E & B5 and hepes acid are the stars of the show here, perfecting and treating skin, while the flawless and buildable waterlight formula creates a stunning medium-coverage base for your makeup. Natural radiant skin here we come!

bareMinerals Blemish Rescue Skin-Clearing Loose Powder Foundation

Blemish-prone skin getting you down? Not only does this loose powder foundation from bareMinerals perfect skin, but salicylic acid, kaolin clay, sulphur and zinc come together to fight breakouts at the source. Think breathable, lightweight full-coverage with a natural matte finish in just a few swipes of your powder brush. Too easy.

BITE BEAUTY Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation

Love the skin purifying qualities of your micellar water? Then this supercharged foundation from BITE should be right up your alley. Antioxidant-rich superfood maqui berry is paired with micelles for a glow-boosting formula that’ll promise to impart skin with a natural, flawless finish that mimics your actual skin texture for undetectable coverage.

Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick

Redness and irritation are no match for this hydration-boosting stick foundation. Not only will this creamy formula satisfy even the high-end of tastes but it will also satiate your skin, leaving it looking it’s absolute best with a radiant finish of buildable coverage. Melt it into your skin using your fingers or buff out with a brush into a flawless medium coverage. Sorted.

Bobbi Brown Skin Nourishing Glow Foundation

Glycerin and ginseng are the heroes of this glow-boosting, nourishing formulation from foundation OG Bobbi Brown. The formula is ideal for dry to normal skin types in need of a luminosity boost. Look forward to a natural-looking, luminous complexion with a pump or two of this creamy skin care inspired blend.

COVERGIRL Simply Ageless 3-in-1 Foundation

A hyaluronic complex, vitamin C and SPF 20 are the three major players in this skin care-makeup blend. Delivering plumped, refined and toned skin (plus the handy addition of sun-protection) it's also an absolute steal at just $25.95. It's our top pick for low cost, daily wear that doesn’t disappoint.

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Base wardrobe in need of a spruce up? These are the best foundations you need for every occasion.

Main image credit: @dovecameron

Briar Clark

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).