oundation is a slippery
subject. You must get
the colour right to
start, then there’s the
coverage, the finish, the
skin concerns, even,
these days, the skin benefits.
But fear not, I have picked my
favourite 15 foundations, including
tinted moisturisers, BB and CC
creams (and yes, I explain what
they are too), full coverage to
minimal tinted moisturisers, and
bases with the most flattering
finish for every skin out there.MOST MOISTURISING
1
Max Factor Miracle
Pure Skin Improving
Foundation SPF30
(in 20 shades; £13.99;
maxfactor.com)
This new base is a
skincare/make-up hybrid
because it offers the
lightest coverage but is
loaded with hyaluronic acid and
vitamin C. In other words, it soft-
focuses, protects and moisturises
with minimum coverage, is
applied as final-stage skincare
and is the ideal weekend base.THE FLATTERING FINISH
2
Erborian BB Cream
(in 4 shades; £38;
uk.erborian.com)
I beg of you, Erborian,
produce this in more
shades because every
woman wants this finish.
Medium coverage, never
too glowy to show up
imperfections but still
soft-focus, hydrating and
flattering. It’s from Korea, so trust
me – they create great hydrating
formulations and I have not
recommended this to a single
person who hasn’t immediately
fallen in love with it. But the
shade range needs to be extended
ASAP. By the way, BB stands for
blemish balm, which means that
it will build to cover breakouts
but starts off sheer.EASIEST ONLINE
3
Il Makiage Woke
Up Like This
(in 50 shades; £36;
ilmakiage.com)
This brand sells
exclusively online
and prides itself
on its colour and
finish matching
service. And it works – even this
sceptical beauty journalist was
impressed with the colour and
finish. This is very liquid, but
is buildable for extra coverage
and the concealer is just as
good. If you’re stuck at home,
in lockdown or self-isolation,
then trust this online brand
to really deliver, literally and
figuratively, to your front door
and onto your face.THE REDNESS ERASER
4
IT Cosmetics
CC+ Cream SPF50
(in 14 shades; £14;
itcosmetics.co.uk)
The founder of this
billion-dollar brand,
Jamie Kern Lima, wouldsell this foundation on US
shopping channels by giving it
a glowing review then removing
her make-up live to reveal her
rosacea (as impressive as it
sounds), so this is the foundation
for anyone who wants to conceal
redness. It comes in three
finishes, but this, the original,
is still the best. You can go to
a larger Boots now and try
before you buy, or get the smaller
travel size if buying online. What
does CC stand for? It’s colour
correcting, so the chances are
that a CC cream will have some
sort of redness eraser in it.BEST FOR BODY
5
MAC Studio
Face and Body
Foundation
(in 11 shades; £32;
maccosmetics.co.uk)
Created for make-up
artists to use at
fashion shows, this
is the secret of
immaculate legs,
shoulders, décolleté... Obviously
it works well on the face too, and
is a super-lightweight liquid base
that goes on sheer to lightly blur
skin imperfections. It has a satin
finish and it’s rich in emollients
for drier body parts.LONGEST-LASTING
6
Estée Lauder
Double Wear
(in 60 shades;
£35; boots.com)
Yes, this is the
reason that double
cleansing is so
popular – this stuff
sticks and stays. This
is also why this is the choice
of base for anyone who is self-
conscious about breakouts. It will
last for 24 hours, is oil-free and
is a bestselling, long-lasting cult
classic with good reason. I’d like
to give a shoutout to the brilliant
Double Wear Concealer too(£24), which deserves to be
a bestseller on its own merit.OH YES TO OIL-FREE
7
Laura Mercier
Tinted Moisturizer
Oil Free (in 20 shades;
£36; boots.com)
With everything I have
said above, some oily
and breakout-prone
skins do not want full
coverage, so hallelujah
for this newcomer, an oil-free,
demi-matte sister to the
bestselling Tinted Moisturizer.
This truly is a gorgeous tinted
moisturiser, not glowy but
like your skin on its best,
soft-focus day.EASY BREEZY BASE
8
Nars Pure Radiant
Tinted Moisturizer
(in 16 shades; £34;
spacenk.com)
If you like a soft
tint, a subtle glow
and the option of
fooling people into
thinking your skin “just looks
like this”, this is for you. Tinted
moisturisers can be shade limited
for darker skin tones, but this
comes in a good range.THE PRO CHOICE
9
Monika Blunder
Blundercover (in 14 shades;
£45; cultbeauty.co.uk)
Heads up, this was the cult
foundation launch of last year,
from Austrian-born, Los Angeles-
based professional make-up artist
Monika Blunder. It is a concealer/
foundation in one that requires
good skin prep (moisturise,
moisturise, moisturise) so youF
Nadine Baggott picks her favourite bases, from tinted moisturisers to spot cover-ups
Pout! MY TOP 15 FOUNDATIONS
56 The Times MagazineCARINA JAHN/BLAUBLUT EDITION