From formulas packed with skincare ingredients to lightweight options blended with skin-brightening pigments, we round up the best foundations for guaranteed glow.
When it comes to foundations, there’s a lot of choice to help you pick the best formula for your skin type.
There’s full coverage formulas that have been specially created to remain lightweight and refrain from going cakey. There’s tinted moisturisers that give subtle coverage. There’s even full coverage foundations that won’t weigh down dry skin.
But the ones we’re reaching for now the most now? Dewy foundations that give skin a fresh and luminous finish.
We know, we know – glowy skin for spring? Groundbreaking. But as the days are brighter for longer and with the end of lockdown on the horizon, dewy formulas that give skin a fresh, lit-from-within finish tick all the boxes.
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For some, the thought of a dewy foundation might sound a bit scary – especially if you have oily skin. But today’s clever innovations have been formulated with all skin types in mind.
There are options that are blended with beneficial skincare ingredients to make your glow look as natural as possible, while some are packed with light-reflecting pigments for full-on luminosity.
Here, we round up the best dewy foundations for a healthy-looking glow.
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Best dewy foundations for a natural-looking glow
NARS Cosmetics Sheer Glow Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: NARS Cosmetics Sheer Glow Foundation Formulated with skin-brightening turmeric, this cult foundation smoothes out skin while also making your complexion appear more radiant.
Shop NARS Cosmetics Sheer Glow Foundation at lookfantastic, £33.50
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation Skincare Packed full of nourishing ingredients to help deliver a healthy-looking glow, this foundation contains hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and vitamins E and B5.
Shop IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare at Cult Beauty, £32.50
NYX Professional Makeup Born to Glow Naturally Radiant Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: NYX Professional Makeup Born to Glow Naturally Radiant Foundation Glowy skin in an affordable bottle, this vegan formula delivers an impressively luminous yet natural-looking finish.
Shop NYX Professional Makeup Born to Glow Naturally Radiant Foundation at lookfantastic, £10
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15 This water-based formula is incredibly lightweight and sinks into skin to make it look plump and glowy.
Shop Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF15 at Bobbi Brown, £34.50
Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint While some may argue this isn’t a foundation, its skin-brightening properties are undeniable. Buff out a few drops onto skin for a healthy, even complexion.
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation Shiseido formulated this foundation with protective polymers to block off environmental aggressors like pollution – meaning a fresher finish for longer.
Shop Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation at lookfantastic, £39
Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue Moisturizing Makeup SPF 45
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue Moisturizing Makeup SPF 45 If you have dry skin, try this. It’s formulated with Estee Lauder’s own ion charged water complex to help lock in moisture for glowing skin.
Shop Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue Moisturizing Makeup SPF 45 at lookfantastic, £36
Surratt Dew Drop Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Surratt Dew Drop Foundation Luminous yet lightweight, this Surratt foundation melts into skin for a seamless finish.
The Ordinary Serum Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: The Ordinary Serum Foundation Knowing that a healthy-looking glow starts with good skincare, The Ordinary’s foundation is formulated to give the same glowy finish as its cult serums.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation After the hit success of its first (matte) foundation, Fenty Beauty launched a lightweight alternative that makes skin look fresh and hydrated.
Shop Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation at Harvey Nichols, £27
Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation Long-lasting, water-resistant and flashback-free, this foundation has light-reflecting particles that blur skin and make you look radiant.
Shop Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation at lookfantastic, £43
Pat McGrath Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation When Pat McGrath’s debut foundation launched, it skyrocketed to cult status. The formula contains hyaluronic acid and ceramides for a skin boost, as well as blurring pigments.
Shop Pat McGrath Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation at Pat McGrath, £61
Kosas Tinted Face Oil
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Kosas Tinted Face Oil Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation Dior has formulated its iconic Forever foundation with a radiant but shine-free finish.
Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Foundation
Best dewy foundation for glowing skin: Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Foundation Utilising skincare’s most popular brightening ingredient, vitamin C, this Laura Mercier foundation is luminous, more even skin in a bottle.
Shop Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Foundation at Boots, £28.80
Main image: courtesy of brands