20 Best Foundations For Fair Skin (2023 Updated)

So I’m new to buying expensive foundation and didn’t know which to try. I have combo skin (oily t-zone, dry everywhere else) so I looked into Foundations that were supposed full coverage & were good for dry, combo skin.

I usually wear drug store foundation but as i do makeup on social media like ig & tiktok (Guerita_Rdgz, mostly eyeshadow bot other makeup mini tutorials) figured i needed to try out some expensive foundations.

After going through hundreds of reviews not knowing which to choose and feeling somewhat overwhelmed by so many foundation options but not wanting to spend a crap ton I purchased, Anastasia Beverly hills, Patrick Starr, both nars (this one & the luminating foundation) & kosas! I actually waited abt a month giving all the foundations an equal shot with the same primers to see what worked best for me.

Out of all 5 Foundations the best ones that were truly full coverage and made my makeup look great, lasted all day. didnt make me oily considering i didnt get a matte foundation, and worked well with moisturizing spf, and 2 diff primers on top of my skin was this Nars foundation & the Patrick Starr foundation.

Abh was a good runner up. I didn’t care much for the other two, as they seemed more like a skin tent. If you don’t want full coverage I’m sure those work fine but i wanted full coverage. I will repurchase this one again, I usually wear drug store and I can say some of those were better than the other two Foundations for a third of the price (wet & wild photo focus, milani conceal & perfect, revlon colorstay, Maybelline super stay, Maybelline fit me, elf flawless finish) Overall this particular foundation is one of my favorites to use, I don’t get oily with this foundation as others have stated it makes them oily I didn’t find that to be an issue for me & I have a really oily t-zone as long as I used a setting spray right after applying my foundation & then i used a good setting powder.

If I could give ‘half credit’, I would give this foundation a 3. 5. It is a good every day foundation with a decent shade range, but there are a couple issues I have that make it not a favorite: 1. Shades run quite pink or yellow.

For someone like myself with a solidly neutral undertone, it is going to be difficult to find the perfect shade. Deauville works, but I have other complexion products in my small collection that match my light, neutral skin better than this.

2. The word “glow” is misleading. This has more of a natural to matte finish, at least on my combination-leaning-dry skin. 3. I find it to look a little cakey on me, even though I always prep my face with moisturizing skincare.

But, if I mix some moisturizer in with the foundation itself, it applies well and looks pretty on my skin. I will use it up, as it has a nice shelf life of 24 months, but probably won’t repurchase. On the other hand, I would recommend this for someone that wants a medium coverage foundation with a natural finish and has an obviously cool pink or warm yellow undertone.

In NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, I wear the shade ‘Oslo’ so I purchased the same shade in Sheer Glow. This has been a good match, suits my skin tone perfectly. I love this foundation, it looks very natural with sheer coverage.

Unfortunately I do have a huge issue with the fact this foundation DOES NOT come with a pump. I was aware of this before purchasing, but it’s put me off for a long time. I absolutely hate this, for the price of this foundation why can’t NARS just include the pump and a cap as they do for the Natural Radiant Longwear? I purchased the NARS foundation pump for it and while it does fit and work fine, I think the bottle would look nicer with the cap on.

The cap cannot be used as it does not fit over the pump. This is seriously the worst thing about this foundation, you essentially have to pay extra for a pump to be left with a completely useless cap, what a complete waste NARS?.

I love this foundation. First the color range is so amazing. I use different shades to gently sculpt and highlight my face into having less severe angles as I age. The porcelain is great for highlighting the tip of the nose, the cupids bow, the cheekbones, and the center of the face, to draw more attention there.

Without using contour or shimmery highligh, my face looks fresher. The portability is perfect. It is a long lasting tube, and the wearability throughout the day is tenacious. It doesn’t crease or look dry with proper moisturization.

I can wear it super sheer or build it up for skin perfection. I learned from a BB stylist on youtube to draw the stick on to my fingertips and warm the product, then press onto my moisturized skin. Then either blend out with fingertips or a flat top brush (moving in circles with the brush).

It sheers out beautifully and people always comment on my amazing complexion when I use a bit of the foundation. They don’t “see” the foundation. Be careful, as you can think it is not building up quickly, but it is.

If you are more mature, use less and make sure you are near natural light to see what’s really going on your face!.

Okayyyyy so I know most of the people scrolling through the reviews have normal to oily skin but I have dry acne prone skin and it works absolutely amazing but you have to use it right so let me tell you how! This foundation is going to make your skin look sooooo good if you have normal to dry skin, but I have also heard some good reviews for oily skin too.

If you have dry skin try this with a sticky or tacky gel primer NOT a silicone based one!! It does also work fine on my skin without any primer, hyaluronic acid works great under this foundation too so I recommend that.

Best application is when I squirt the foundation onto the bottom of my beauty blender and then blend it on my skin, once it is blended, LET IT SIT. If you need to set your foundation then go ahead but I honestly think you get best results when you just let it dry and set.

It is the best thing for covering acne, I have very textured acne scarring and active acne, it covers a breakout better than anything I have used. Once this foundation is set this stuff is BULLETPROOF, I have worn every type of mask with this foundation, NO TRANSFER AT ALL, it lasts all day (it really does, I get up at 6:30am and take it off at 9:45pm at the latest if I do school then work).

CONS: completely bulletproof unless you get in water, only thing is that it doesnt stay nice in water it will get patchy. And the foundation does come off a little when you use liquid highlighter, blush, etc, so I typically use powder bronzer, blush, and highlighter.

Not that you will need it because it has full coverage, but concealer works best under the foundation not on top. OVERALLY AMAZING FOUNDATION PLEASE PLEASE TRY IF YOU HAVEVERY TEXTURED ACNE.

As I have very pale skin, a lot of lines LIGHTEST shade will still be noticeably darker or orange looking on me. I got this in Cloud after scouring reviews for fair skin friendly foundations and found it to actually be slightly lighter/brighter than my nars Chantilly Concealer which is on all the lists for best lightest shade concealers, once my freckles started popping out for summer I purchased the shade swan as well to mix and get the perfect, slightly less pale, shade but I’m confident that Cloud and Swan will be my go to shades seasonally.

Aside from having my perfect shade, I’m obsessed with how this feels on my face–or better yet how it doesn’t feel. For a decent coverage that I’ve been able to build up or leave medium and have my freckles still show through, my combo skin does not feel cakey or dry with this, it feels very breathable and not like a heavy cream with it’s thinner consistency.

If I forget I have a face on and rub my sleeve against my face, it will have a bit of transfer but this could be powder as well and it doesn’t transfer to the point of needing any reapplication. The only con I’ve noticed is that as I prefer a brush to a sponge for application, it does not spread as far as some other foundations I’ve tried and you have to apply and blend as you go rather than dot your whole face and then going in with the brush–it startes to dry down fairly quickly and will be harder to blend out.

I have used a blender to compare and it seems to go further that way but with less coverage.

I can’t express how much I love this one! I have oily skin and i’ve been disappointed with so many foundations in the past. The only foundation that got my approval before this is esteé lauder. I’ve been using that since 2015.

However, I decided to find a new foundation again because im not a fan of esteé lauder’s packaging – it does not have a pump. You open it and there’s the big hole to get a tiny amount of foundation from.

As i purchased another brand’s foundation here at sephora, they gave away a mini sachet tester of this product- too faced’s born this way foundation. And I actually tried it before my actual purchase! I immediately purchased a full bottle after i finished my sample because this is just it.

I mean this is IT. It blends super well, the shade (natural beige) matches my skin tone perfectly, it has enough coverage — not too much and not too light. It’s sooo easy to work with and my skin looks so fresh! I do not have a problem with this product – AT ALL.

I still love esteé lauder, but comparing the 2, this one is easier to use as it comes with a pump.

I received sample of this in shade 4. 5 in my ipsy bag and it matches my skin tone pretty good. It covers my blemishes really great and I do bring a littke under my eyes and it helps cover dark circles but still need concealer.

No improvements needed. It looks like sKin it doesn’t get cakey and it’s long wearing. It’s medium buildable to full coverage buildable. This is very easy to blend and a little goes a very long way. It’s not thick but it’s not thin.

I have acne scars and textured skin big pores and I can honestly say this does cover better than other foundations that I have tried and blend out better it doesn’t cling to dry patches or texture. I love how it looks just like skin but covers and blurs imperfections and covers redness in my skin.

It evens out my complexion and looks natural looks just like skin and I get a slightly dewy finish. I love how it makes my skin soft and conditions my sin. It feels very light to me I really don’t feel it on my face.

I don’t get oily or to dry and it last all day long even if I don’t powder it and it does not transfer which is great. The color/pigment doesn’t fade it stays in place all day, no creasing no cracking or settling into fine lines.

I don’t know how it does through hot tempatures or sweating yet because I tried it in winter time but )I do think this will hold up amazing in hot weather just the same! I love how it doesn’t sink into my lines and wrinkles it minimizes my pores, it’s a great foundation with great coverage and I 100% reccomend to anyone who hasn’t tried it yet.

I even think that someone with oily skin can use this foundation it will do just as great! I 100% reccomend this to anyone. I will repurchase.

I am a professional mua and also 45 years old and this foundation is the very best on the market. I use it on all clients young and old on all skin types it really leaves the skin looking the most flawless ever.

You can use a light amount or a fuller amount for more coverage and no matter what it just looks incredible. I have tried most foundations over the years and nothing comes close to this incredible skinbase trust me you wont be dissapointed.

You can buy samples of this foundation as well which is a fab idea especially as the lower 6 are for very fair skin.

I one thousand percent reccomend this beautiful foundation to everyone young or old. Im a makeup artist and i use this on all of my clients on all ages and all skin types/tones. It just makes the skin look so flawless but natural and not a bit of cakiness in site.

I myself am 45 now and ive been using this little gem for years and love it as much now as i did in my 30s. You can wear a small amount for day wear or build up for more coverage for the nightime etc and both look equally beautiful honestly i have tried many many foundations but none will ever come close to this little piece of perfection.

I purchased this last week, arrived today. Very fast, accurate shipping. Thank you Ordinary Shipping Staff! I used the choose your shade quiz and the on screen colours. Frankly, I found the descriptions of HOW to choose most helpful (maybe because I am an IT person and photographer and don’t trust screen colours).

I nailed the right colour first time. Boom! I also bought NIOD photography fluid and mixed 3 drops of fluid with 2 drops of this foundation and I am going on almost 8 hours of a natural, smooth, dewy yet matte finish.

It is not cakey or dry, and is not coming off on my hands if I touch my face. I diligently use TO products and my skin loves it so adding this on top is perfection. The colour is perfect, it spreads beautifully, I can tell already that it is buildable (if you need it to be), the application bottle is very precise, and the price can’t be beat.

It is a great value too. I will pay good money for things that work and this works really well as a fraction of the price. I shook it first and the pigment colour and consistency was great (better than I expected).

If you’re waffling, I encourage you to try it. It’s inexpensive and so worth a try!.

my previous foundation was running out, i really liked it but i needed a better job. i bought a foundation from a big makeup store and returned it the next day. i was walking through coles and bam I saw this.

I thought about the fact that it has hydrochloric acid and my skin has a lot of acne. so I knew this was a plus already. I noticed it says perfectly matches to skin tone and color which is good because I may be caucasian but I have a red/brown under tone to my skin due to my Sri Lankan and Irish heritage.

so most can’t figure out my “color match”. I need a lot of boxes ticket when it comes to foundation honestly it’s a nightmare. but I took a chance on this and boy I’m so happy. my skin is flawless for once, the color is beautiful and the finish is just absolutely incredible.

i went to a wedding and people thought ide had my makeup done professionally. please don’t ever discontinue this product because I will be a lifetime customer of this product.

This is yet another one of The Ordinary’s hero products. For a few years now I’ve been using their skin care products for my day and night time routines. They work, they are sustainable in terms of price and frequency of having to replenish/repurchase and the packaging is beautiful.

This foundation is no exception. The price point is incredible (There are drugstore brands that are twice the cost). The pump dispenses just the right amount. Shake well, apply product on the back of your hand, use your favorite beauty sponge and enjoy the results.

It’s light coverage so for all of us who love tinted moisturizers or just a hint of color, this is perfect. The first time I wore this, I had the following products underneath – HA, Vitamin C serum and my sunscreen.

I never use setting powder and rarely use a setting spray on top of makeup. Since it was my first time wearing this, I did not apply anything else on top. It lasted for hours, stayed put while I ran errands and looked even under my eyes (which is such a tricky area for me when it comes to concealer or foundation) until the end of the day.

Definitely worth a try. And with some Ulta stores having these in store, it was awesome to be able to sample a few shades before buying what I loved. So thank you Ulta.

I debated weather to give this three or four stars, but I went with four, because in the end, it works for me. Based on the name “serum foundation” I expected it to be hydrating and somewhat sheer, but it actually has a natural to matte finish and coverage that can build to full.

I didn’t like this, because I tend to go for a “my skin but better” look, but I found that applying a small amount with a little bit of moisturizer overtop gives me what I’m looking for, and honestly that just saves me money since I use so little product, so I don’t mind.

There are also some unexpected benefits. I have very acne-prone skin and one night I wore this without washing it off (bad idea, regardless) and it didn’t break me out at all! It didn’t even worsen my existing acne.

Also, it is LONG WEAR. Like, I put it on at noon, went to a concert at 7, got back at 10:30, slept with my face on the pillow, and in the morning, there wasn’t a trace on my pillow and my face looked the same way it did when I applied it.

The only thing I wore with it was a touch of powder. That was truly shocking. Again, I only wore a small amount so results may differ with a more full-coverage look, but I still think regardless that this could be the type of makeup you don’t have to think about at all after you apply it.

I have purchased 3 bottles to get to a shade that seems about right. Fortunately, this is affordable! At first i thought the texture had an oily feel, but it turns out to spread beautifully — and for me, it works UNDER sunscreen to give a hint of color, and smooth out discolorations, without yelling “makeup” in sunlight.

SO – I’m 75, have pretty good skin, no longer oily, except a bit on the nose. How it would work on oily skin, the type I used to have, I don’t know. Next -choosing a color from the chart on line – impossible? When I compared the colors as shown on the chart ( cutting and pasting them overlapping) you really couldn’t figure out the difference.

My take on the light colors I tried. I have white skin that usually falls into the hues just north of pallid, with a touch of jaundice but always need warm shades. The two I tried first were way too yellow, and i ended up with a neutral 1.

2, which is a warm shade by any other makeup standards. I do use a light topping of a sheer powder around the nose and forehead. Also one of the “too yellow” tones, 1. 2 YG, actually would work for me as a light bronzer.