What is The Best Foundation for My Skin Type?

Few things transform the face in the way our foundation can. From making our tired, dull skin look fresh as a daisy, to disguising unwanted pigmentation or spots – and evening out our skin tone – there are so many ways in which foundation is an essential part of our beauty kit.

However it’s important to choose the right foundation for our skin type, otherwise, it can feel heavy and look cakey when applied – or even settle in fine lines and creases which no one wants. With that in mind, here is a handy guide to help you choose the perfect foundation that will play nicely with your skin.

Best Foundation for Dry Skin

There are a number of ways you can tell you have dry skin – it can often feel tight and uncomfortable (especially after cleansing), or be prone to fine lines, wrinkles and redness. The wrong foundation can dry skin out further, looking clumpy and caked on, so it’s important to choose one with built-in skincare benefits as your skin needs all the oil and moisture it can get. Look for a liquid foundation with hydrating, replenishing ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and glycerine to lock-in that precious H20 and leave skin happy and radiant. A BB Cream is another great option for dry skin for this same reason, creating a dewy finish with skin-protecting emollients while delivering light, your-skin-but-better coverage.

(A top tip for dry skin is to use a primer or rich moisturiser under your foundation – it creates a perfect canvas for your base make up to blend smoothly and evenly over the top while ensuring the skin doesn’t dry out in the process.)

e.l.f. Cosmetics e.l.f. Hydrating Face Primer £9.00

Nivea NIVEA Nourishing Day Cream Dry & Sensitive Skin SPF15 50ml £2.49

Best Foundation for Combination Skin

Those with combination skin tend to get to fine lines and redness on the cheeks, but are also prone to oiliness and breakouts on the chin, nose and forehead – or just at certain times of the month. As a result, some foundations can feel dry in some areas and heavy in others… So how do you solve this issue?

The best foundations for this skin type are those that can be customised, depending on where on the face you’re applying them and foundation drops are perfect for this. With a lightweight formulation, they can easily be mixed with moisturiser for any dry areas of skin, or layered under a little powder for when the skin is oilier without feeling heavy or clogging the pores. A stick foundation is also a great choice because it allows you to be precise about where you apply it – plus it’s buildable. So you can add extra coverage to areas that need it while letting the rest of your face breathe.

Revolution Pro Foundation Drops F4 £7.00

MUA MUA Pro Base Foundation Stick 120 £6.00

Best Foundation for Oily Skin

Oily skin tends to produce too much sebum, making it prone to shine, spots and blackheads. Using a foundation that’s too heavy can only make the problem worse, mixing with the oil to clog pores further and lead to even more breakouts. An oil-free foundation is what you should be looking out for, that doesn’t feel cakey or make skin even oilier. For those dealing with shine, a matte foundation works to cancel it out and create a beautiful velvety texture that doesn’t look like you’ve rubbed your face in chip paper!

And for really oily skin, a powder foundation will deliver light, natural-looking coverage while mopping up excess grease (plus it can be layered, so it can be used for touch-ups throughout the day).