12 of the best summer foundations for all your skin and makeup needs

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With themes of freshness and glowing sun-kissed skin, naturally, summer is the time of year when it’s encouraged to show off a bare face. But as refreshing as that sounds, the truth is, not all of us are brave enough — heck, or even have the desire — to switch up our makeup routines that drastically and skip out on foundation, good skin days or not.

Whether you prefer light or full-coverage, foundations are our friends for many reasons: the right formula can help tackle pores and oil-control, get you the perfect natural-looking finish and coverage and can even tackle bigger skin concerns like sensitivity and sun protection. And when it comes to finding the perfect summer foundation, the key is to find something that does all that without compromising on comfortability. Nobody likes a face of riddled with heaviness and streaks of melted makeup.

So ahead, we’ve rounded up the best lightweight and hot-weather friend foundations to help you get the best skin this summer.

Skincare-Infused

Tarte Maracuja Hydrating Tinted Moisturizer

This skin-loving formula delivers sheer, buildable coverage to help visibly even out skin tone and minimize the appearance of imperfections. Infused with maracuja oil, hyaluronic acid, vegan collagen, turmeric and aloe, the formula hydrates, soothes and helps brighten skin’s appearance.

SHOP IT: Sephora, $38

Sephora Collection Weekend Warrior Tone Up Cream

Inspired by the K-beauty trend, this cream provides a sheer veil of colour to give a brightening and visibly toning effect to the skin. It smooths the look of the complexion and contains kumquat extracts, blurring imperfections, and reducing the appearance of discolouration to leave the skin visibly perked up, dewy and weekend-ready.

SHOP IT: Sephora, $22

MAKE UP FOR EVER Reboot Active Care Revitalizing Foundation

This formulation is perfect for normal to dry skin types and nurtures tired-looking skin over time by reducing the appearance of wrinkles and increasing hydration for up to 24 hours. Reboot is infused with game-changing ingredients like Ginseng, Camellia Japonica and Mondo Grass to support natural collagen, glow, and the protective barrier. After using, the skin will appear plumper and smoother, while a radiant, satin finish leaves the complexion looking flawless.

SHOP IT: Sephora, $51

Sun Protection

BAREMINERALS COMPLEXION RESCUE™ Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream SPF 30

This do-it-all gel-cream achieves dewy, sheer-to-medium coverage that gives skin a radiant, soft, and smooth-looking appearance. Formulated with mineral electrolytes to help energize skin, it’s also infused with marine botanicals to help replenish dry skin. It contains heart-leaf globe daisy, an antioxidant, which aids in protecting against environmental stressors—improving the appearance of skin while keeping it hydrated. Not only is it infused with SPF 30 it is also available in 16 blendable shades.

SHOP IT: Sephora, $40

Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Fluid Powder Foundation SPF 20

This formula keeps skin protected with environmental, blue light, and UV filters. The first of its kind, its liquid to powder complex helps skin look smooth and healthy. Apply a small amount of liquid to fingertips for quick and easy application. The self-setting transformation is quick, so if you need a little more time, apply with a damp sponge. This formula is also powered with SPF 20 for additional sun protection.

SHOP IT: Sephora, $55

It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+

An award-winning foundation and bestseller, this CC cream offers full-coverage, colour-correction with anti-aging skincare and physical SPF 50+ sunscreen. The breakthrough formula never creases or cracks and instantly camouflages skin imperfections including dark spots. Plus, it’s infused with an advanced concentration of hydrolyzed collagen, peptides, niacin, hyaluronic acid, vitamins and antioxidants that work in harmony to diminish the appearance of wrinkles and pores to create a more radiant, supple, flawless and natural-looking complexion.

SHOP IT: Sephora, $52

Matte Finish

Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte Plus Poreless Foundation Makeup

Going beyond perfect skin tone matching, this fan-favourite foundation is specially formulated to enhance the look of skin texture with its unique and long-lasting shine-control complex. Offering a clean and natural-looking finish, it diminishes the look of excess oil and pores (without clogging them) for up to 12 hours. Best of all, its coverage is completely buildable and breathable.

SHOP IT: Amazon, $8

L'Oréal Paris Pro-Matte Infalliable Foundation

A weightless, oil-free and long-wearing liquid foundation that provides medium coverage. It applies on smooth with a demi-matte finish that resists sweat, heat, humidity for a clean feeling and looking complexion that is sure to last the whole day! Infallible Pro-Matte is available in 20 flexible shades.

SHOP IT: Amazon, $20

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Matte Foundation

Available in a whopping 45 shades, this foundation offers a sweat-proof and transfer-proof, buildable medium to full coverage — perfect colour and wear for up to 24 hours! A do-it-all foundation, its effortless glides onto the skin without the feeling of heaviness while also helping control excess sebum, visible pores, texture and shine.

SHOP IT: NYX Cosmetics, $18

Dewy

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Pro Filt'r Hydrating Longwear Foundation

Just like Rihanna’s infamous Soft Matte Foundation, this luminous and hydrating range of Pro Filtr’ comes available in 50 boundary-breaking inclusive shades for all to fit every skin tone. Made ultra-blendable, this longwear foundation delivers a medium to full coverage, with serious staying power, and a glowy, natural finish.

SHOP IT: Fenty Beauty, $45

ARMANI BEAUTY Luminous Silk Foundation

A long-time cult-favourite formula, this oil-free foundation delivers medium buildable coverage and a luminous finish that leaves skin looking naturally flawless. Made with Micro–fil technology pigments, the liquid makeup lays flat on the skin for seamless blending and layering that results to a flawless, second-skin effect — perfect for those no-makeup makeup looks.

SHOP IT: Sephora, $80

Bite Beauty Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation

Ultimately changing the way we look at clean makeup, this long-wearing foundation with gentle micellar technology that mimics skin texture for a natural, flawless finish with buildable medium to light coverage. How? With antioxidant-rich superfood maqui berry that works with your skin, even if you have sensitive and reactive skin.

SHOP IT: Bite Beauty, $40

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