A lot of people like full coverage matte foundations but I personally like light coverage dewy foundations. With the sun, beach, and hot weather, summer is the perfect timing to switch to something lighter! Today, I’ll be sharing with you the best foundations for summer! These are products that I think will provide light-medium coverage for an even canvas but will let your natural skin and shine show through.
Light As Air
Cushion foundations have been all the rage for a while now and are available from many mainstream brands. I recently tried the Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radianceย ($49) and this is a top pick for the summer as it contains SPF50! There are only 6 shades available though so it may be difficult to find a match. This foundation offers the lightest coverage out of everything I’ll mention. Aside from the fact that it contains SPF50, I also like how portable it is so you can touch up if you are going on a day trip or to the beach. It will definitely still even out your skin, and I really like how weightless the product is.
Cover and Nourish
You thought the BB (or CC) Cream craze was over? Think again! I finally got to try the cult favorite IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream ($49) late last year and it’s been a staple in my makeup bag ever since. First off, this product also has SPF50 which is awesome to not have to worry about sunscreen if you are just stepping out for a little bit. The product is really creamy and moisturizing without it being heavy at all! It also has a pleasant lemon scent which is quite refreshing! I like to apply this with a foundation brush for a light/medium coverage but it’s definitely buildable. The product also has skincare benefits so you can feel good about wearing your foundation all day!
Another foundation that has skincare benefits is the new Lancome Skin Feels Good Nourishing Foundation ($45). This is quite similar to the IT Cosmetics CC cream but there are a few more shades to choose from so it’s good for people with more extreme skin tones. This product contains SPF23 for light sun protection. The foundation includes antioxidants to protect against free radicals and pollution which is phenomenal if you live in a big city. Although it’s a cream formulation, it is quite watery when blended and feels very weightless on the skin. This will give you light/medium coverage and better for those with dry skin. The product has a beautiful scent that reminds me of flowers and expensive face creams.
More Coverage
Although I’m all about the fresh dewy finish, I know that we all need a full coverage option as well! My pick for the summer is the Too Faced Perfect Peach Comfort Matte Foundation ($45). The packaging alone makes this a fabulous summer pick but the formula is top notch as well. The cream foundation is quite plush to the touch but spreads out surprisingly well. I feel like I can achieve a really flawless canvas with this foundation and yet my skin doesn’t look cakey at all. There are 20 shades available so this is your best chance for finding an exact color match. On another note, the scent is exactly like their White Peach palette which is a blend of peach and figs. Yum!
Swatched from left to right: Laneige BB Cushion Hydra Radiance in 23 Sand, It Cosmetics CC Cream in Light, Lancome Skin Feels Good in 035W Almond, Too Faced Perfect Peach Comfort Matte in Golden Beige
As you can see, some of the shades are quite a bit lighter. That’s because I actually use them in the winter time as well! But I picked these products as I thought the formulations would work for a lot of people in the summer time!
Drugstore Options
I do realize all of my options above are quite expensive. Although I do believe in splurging on a nice foundation, I do have two great drugstore options that are much more affordable!
If you want to get on the cushion foundation trend, I’d highly recommend the Maybelline Dream Cushion Liquid Foundation On-the-Go. For most cushion foundations, I find it difficult to pick up the product in the cushion and have to press down quite hard. However, the Maybelline Dream Cushion is really saturated with product so I can use a foundation brush actually to pick up the product. I like doing this so it keeps the sponge clean for when I really need it! This foundation is really moisturizing and fast to apply! Similar to the Laneige Cushion, this is awesome to bring with you on the go if you need to reapply make up.
The other drugstore foundation I’ve been loving in the past year is the CoverGirl Vitalist Elixir. I feel like no one is talking about this but it’s a really fantastic product and includes SPF20. This is easily a medium coverage foundation but still with a very comfortable feel. It dries down satin so there is less of a dewy finish on this one. There is a light scent to the product that is refreshing but I can’t quite put my finger on what it is. It provides me with a really flawless base for days when I want to wear a bit more makeup.
Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Dream Cushion Liquid Foundation in 40 True Beige, Covergirl Vitalist Elixir in 625 Buff Beige
I hope you enjoyed this post of the best foundations for summer! Let me know what you thought about this list and if I’m missing your favorite foundation!