Foundation has evolved dramatically over the past decade. Today’s best formulas no longer simply offer coverage, they hydrate, support the skin barrier, improve luminosity and work in harmony with the complexion rather than masking it.
As Beauty Director, I have tested hundreds of foundations over the years. Some arrive with great fanfare only to quietly disappear from my routine within weeks, while others earn a permanent place in my makeup bag, surviving photoshoots, long event days, holidays and countless summers. The foundations below are products I have reached for repeatedly and confidently recommend because I know exactly how they perform, how they wear in heat and humidity and, perhaps most importantly, how they make skin look and feel.
The Foundation That Changed My Summer Routine
Victoria Beckham Beauty Foundation Drops £104
It takes a lot for a complexion product to impress me these days. There are very few launches that genuinely alter the way I do my makeup, but Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Foundation Drops have quietly become something of a game changer.
What immediately sets them apart is their skincare pedigree. Developed alongside Augustinus Bader, the formula harnesses the brand’s proprietary TFC8® technology, a complex of amino acids, vitamins and synthesised molecules designed to support the skin’s natural renewal processes and optimise cellular communication.
The serum-light texture melts seamlessly into the skin, delivering enough coverage to soften redness and even out tone while preserving everything we increasingly want from modern skin: movement, freshness and believable radiance. It never masks the complexion and instead enhances what is already there. The result is skin that simply looks healthier, more rested and effortlessly polished.
What I appreciate most is that it behaves much like a treatment serum. It leaves the skin looking hydrated, plump and subtly luminous rather than obviously made up. In an era where beauty consumers expect makeup to work in harmony with their skincare, Foundation Drops feel like a glimpse into the future of complexion products. For me, they have become the standout foundation of the season and one I now reach for instinctively each morning.
The Velvet-Soft Innovator
Dior Forever Skin Perfect £48
Few complexion launches have surprised me quite like Dior Forever Skin Perfect.
At first touch, the texture is unlike anything else I have tried. It almost feels powdery upon application, possessing a beautifully soft, velvety quality that immediately diffuses the complexion. Yet as it warms against the skin, it begins to melt, transforming into something far more fluid and skin-like.
The stick format is deceptively versatile. It can be swiped directly onto the skin for targeted coverage, buffed out for an all-over perfected finish or even mixed with skincare to create a bespoke skin tint.
What I particularly appreciate is that a little truly goes a long way. Despite its lightweight feel, the formula offers impressive payoff and can easily be built from sheer to medium coverage depending on how much product is applied. It never appears cakey and maintains its elegant, velvety finish even when layered, which is surprisingly difficult to achieve in a buildable foundation. For warmer months, when comfort and longevity are equally important, it has become one of the most impressive complexion launches I have tried in recent years.
The Complexion Hero That Feels More Like Skincare
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation £40
Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin Foundation remains one of the most comfortable foundations I own.
Dispensed from a pump, the texture feels far closer to a nourishing moisturiser or hydrating primer than a traditional foundation. It glides across the skin effortlessly, immediately creating the impression of a complexion that has been thoroughly cared for before makeup has even been applied.
The formula is infused with Hyaluronic Acid, Rose Complex and Coconut Extract, helping to maintain hydration levels while supporting a smoother, plumper-looking appearance.
For summer, it offers exactly what many of us are seeking: enough coverage to perfect and unify the complexion without compromising that healthy, luminous glow. It is one of those foundations I reach for when I want my skin to look replenished, comfortable and naturally radiant.
The Korean-Inspired Formula Designed For Hot Weather
REFY Skin Base £30
REFY’s Skin Base feels perfectly suited to modern summer makeup.
Inspired by Korean formulation techniques, the gel texture delivers an almost immediate cooling sensation upon application, making it particularly enjoyable to use during warmer months.
Coverage remains light and buildable, never appearing heavy or obvious, while the formula itself works overtime to support the skin. Inclusium™ helps reinforce the skin barrier while Hyaluronic Acid attracts moisture, helping maintain hydration throughout the day.
Clinical studies have demonstrated that Skin Base can increase skin hydration by up to 36 per cent after four weeks of use, which further reinforces the growing movement towards complexion products that function almost as skincare treatments.
The precision push pump with its built-in palette is another thoughtful addition, allowing for measured application and minimising waste. Fragrance-free, alcohol-free, non-comedogenic and suitable for all skin types, REFY has created a foundation that feels genuinely contemporary.
The Foundation That Looks Beautiful In Every Light
NARS Light Reflecting Foundation £43
NARS understood the skinification of makeup long before it became an industry buzzword.
Light Reflecting Foundation contains 70 per cent skincare ingredients and more than 81 per cent naturally derived ingredients, making it one of the most skincare-focused foundations currently available. It has also been clinically shown to immediately enhance luminosity and improve the appearance of skin clarity over time.
One of its standout innovations is its Photochromic Technology, a photo-friendly powder designed to adapt to changing light conditions so skin never appears washed out, whether viewed in daylight, flash photography or evening settings. The brand’s Light Reflecting Complex acts almost like a prism, diffusing light across the complexion while helping defend against environmental aggressors and blue light exposure.
The finish strikes a beautiful balance. Coverage is medium and buildable, redness is softened and imperfections appear blurred, yet skin still looks distinctly like skin.
The Cult Favourite That Quietly Delivers
Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Foundation £39
Lisa Eldridge’s Seamless Skin Foundation has become something of a modern cult favourite amongst makeup artists and beauty enthusiasts, and for good reason.
The texture is incredibly lightweight, almost water-like in consistency, but do not let that fool you. It offers far more coverage than one might expect from such a fluid formula.
It effortlessly evens tone, softens redness and creates a beautifully natural satin finish while remaining exceptionally comfortable to wear. Unlike some long-wear foundations, it moves with the skin rather than sitting on top of it, preserving texture and radiance in a way that feels remarkably modern.
It is one of those formulas that reminds us that lightweight foundations do not have to mean sacrificing performance.
The Holiday Hero That Leaves Skin Looking Expensive
Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch
There are very few foundations that have remained in my makeup wardrobe for as long as Chanel’s Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch. While newer launches continue to push the boundaries between skincare and makeup, Chanel quietly perfected the concept years ago.
This is, quite simply, a watery serum with just enough pigment to make your skin look like the best version of itself. The suspended micro-droplets burst upon application, releasing colour into an intensely hydrating gel-serum base that feels cooling and refreshing against the skin.
For me, this is the foundation I instinctively pack for holidays. After a long day in the sun, when skin feels slightly dehydrated from salt water, chlorine or air conditioning, it provides exactly what the complexion is craving: hydration, comfort and a touch of coverage without ever feeling oppressive. It allows freckles to peek through, softens redness and leaves behind a softly luminous, expensive-looking complexion that photographs beautifully in golden hour light.
This is not a formula for matte lovers. There is an undeniable dewiness to Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch and that is precisely its appeal. It embraces skin at its healthiest and most radiant, making it ideal for balmy evenings, sunset dinners and those moments on holiday when you want to look polished without appearing as though you’re wearing foundation at all.
The Verdict
The best summer foundations no longer simply cover. They hydrate, strengthen, illuminate and work alongside the skin rather than against it.
After years of testing complexion products, these are the formulas I continue to trust because they have consistently proven themselves in real life. They withstand long days, changing temperatures and countless applications while delivering what we all ultimately want from our makeup: skin that looks healthy, believable and undeniably beautiful.
Increasingly, foundation is becoming an extension of our skincare routines, and I am fully embracing that shift. Whether it is Victoria Beckham’s skincare-first innovation, Dior’s velvet-soft versatility, REFY’s cooling gel texture or Chanel’s holiday-ready hydration, there has never been a better time to wear less foundation while expecting far more from it.
