FOUNDATION - LIQUID

In past years we’ve had winning cream foundation entries – but nothing that did well, in 2023. On the incredibly positive side, though, we worked hard to test foundations across a really wide spectrum of shades – something we’d found logistically challenging, up till now.

It is a given for us that any winning product in this category should offer a line-up of shades catering to the diverse culture we live in. But this time around, we assembled a special panel of dedicated foundation testers across the shade range; their photos were sent to brands, who then used their own expertise (or, in the case of Estée Lauder, an app) to match the skintones. And where foundations did particularly well with deeper skintones, we’ve flagged that up. Never mind how fabulous the formulation, though: it’s how well it matches YOUR skintone that really counts, so do still always test on jawline before buying, if you possibly can.

Some truly impressive winners, here – though no naturals, and no ‘steals’, alas. Meanwhile, honestly, between the Gold and the Bronze winners, there were micro-points of difference. So, HOORAH for foundation, we say!

GOLD (JOINT) AWARD Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation SPF10

Double Wear is an absolute foundation legend. It’s been around for as long as we’ve been writing about beauty, although the formulation has been updated now and then. Promising 24-hour wear with a buildable, medium to full finish, this fresh-matte make-up sets out to control oil all day, remaining colour true. Definitely not a ‘no-make-up-make-up’ option, though, it’s said to be sweat-, heat- and humidity resistant – ‘no touch-ups needed’. And most impressively of all, perhaps, there are 60 shades to suit every skin, covering warm, cool and neutral undertones; if you use Lauder’s try-on tool, it will even match you online – our testers did that, and it scored particularly well across a wide range of skin tones.

£39.50 for 30ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Always wanted to try this iconic foundation which I know has rave reviews for being long wearing, etc., and I am duly impressed. It felt velvety and offered great medium coverage. It has a thicker, smooth texture which lasted all day. All in all, it was perfect and will be my new go-to foundation!’ • ‘ I have struggled with blemishes for years and finding a foundation that provides coverage without aggravating my skin has been a challenge. But I can confidently say that Double-Wear is a game-changer for me; coverage is amazing – it's thick enough to conceal my blemishes but doesn't feel heavy on my skin. The finish is velvety but looks very natural and doesn't accentuate any dryness or flakiness’ • ‘A little goes a long way, but it blends seamlessly into the skin, doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin and doesn't settle into fine lines. Overall, coverage is impressive and provides a flawless look’ • ‘I had compliments on my skin after using this foundation – some friends noticed a difference in the evenness of my skin tone and the reduction of blemishes, while others said it made my skin look more radiant and youthful’ • ‘Doesn’t transfer onto clothing or rub off easily’ • ‘A matte, velvety finish shine-control foundation which is long-lasting whilst offering full coverage, which you build up when applying, and doesn’t settle into lines and wrinkles.’

£39.50 for 30ml - click to buy 

GOLD (JOINT) AWARD Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation

Quite a few of 2023’s winners are ‘serum’ foundation options; these can feel fabulously nourishing on the skin, in our experience, while not over-burdening the skin with oil. (In fact, this matte-finish base is recommended for combination/oily skins). Clinique excel in offering a truly inclusive spectrum of shades – in this case, 42 to choose from; again, there’s an online shade-matching tool, activated by a QR code. Clever stuff! All offer an SPF20, and again, this did well with the ‘Foundations Group’ whose complexions spanned light to deep. Equally notably (and unlike so many foundations), the bottle’s recyclable: remove the cap and pump, rinse, and put it in your recycling bin.

£38.50 for 30ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Lasted very well; used in heatwave and there was still some left on my face when I cleansed 12 hours later’ • ‘I love this; it blends in well and gives good coverage without looking or feeling heavy. I have been told I look well!’ • ‘In later years I have stayed away from heavy foundations as they seep into wrinkles and make me look older but is a lovely serum base which feels satiny and leaves skin looking flawless but yet natural; friends commented that my skin appeared dewy’ • ‘Much better than my day-to-day foundation, offering coverage which was lightweight but highly effective. Will be on my buying list for the future’ • ‘Highly recommended to anyone looking for a reliable, natural-looking foundation that provides excellent coverage and lasts all day’ • ‘This is supposedly for oily skins, but my seriously dry skin loved it – and I loved the fresh look that I could see in the mirror. Really stays put, too’ • ‘A game-changer that has quickly become a staple in my makeup routine. Hands down the best foundation I have ever used! From the moment I first applied it, I was blown away by the natural-looking finish and the staying power of this product’ • ‘Perfectly pigmented, no settling into pores, gives a lovely even finish whilst taking care of your skin – I am absolutely in love with this Clinique foundation; it’s become a staple in my daily make-up routine and is worth the investment.’

£38.50 for 30ml - click to buy 

GOLD (JOINT) AWARD SUQQU The Liquid Foundation

SUQQU’s Gold-winning foundation offers 23 shade choices, slightly confusingly with different levels of SPF ranging from SPF15 to SPF30. (Well, let’s park that – because nobody should be wearing foundation all over their face, anyway.) Another serum-textured foundation, this offers high coverage, yet remains very natural-looking – to quote the Japanese brand, it harnesses something called ‘Fluid Pigment technology’, which ‘imbues your skin with luminosity and freshness’, delivering a radiant finish that ‘feels tailored to the skin,’ enabling the wearer to ‘go out for your day without fear of creasing or separation.’ Luxe-priced, but testers loved it.

£71 for 30ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Honestly the loveliest foundation I’ve ever tried; it’s like liquid silk, blends easily. I thought it would just slide off my face, but it hangs on in there till removed at night. I’ve already bought it in a slightly deeper shade as we transition to warmer months’ • ‘A luxurious liquid foundation that blends seamlessly and covers any blemishes; skin looks and feels refreshed after use’ • ‘So much better than my regular foundation, offering fantastic full coverage, yet doesn’t feel heavy at all’ • ‘An absolute splurge price, but I think it’s worth having a little piggy bank of its own. I have some pigmentation marks which it covers beautifully and stays in place very well without even the need for a touch of powder over the top’ • ‘This has all the components of a perfect foundation: it doesn’t cake, oxidise or flake off. It dries down quickly, doesn’t settle into fine lines, has great longevity and goes on super smoothly. The glass bottle and dispenser are also minimalist perfection, and it’s very easy to get just a little out of the bottle, if that’s all I feel I need’ • ‘Leaves the skin looking natural with a flawless base for anything that follows. Perfect for me because the older, I get I feel that a “less is more” approach to make-up is better’ • ‘Leaves a nice, filtered look to the skin and last really well; • ‘My friend absolutely loved this – so I also let her try it, and she now uses it as her everyday foundation.’

£71 for 30ml - click to buy 

SILVER (JOINT) AWARD No7 Restore & Renew Serum Foundation

Well, not what we’d call a ‘Beauty Steal’, exactly – but this is the most accessibly-priced of this year’s winners. (And yup, it’s yet another serum foundation.) To match your shade, from the 20 available, you might use the online No7 Foundation Finder, or go into a Boots where you can try the Pro Derm Scan Service. This is very much a ‘treatment’ foundation, meanwhile, powered by skincare ingredients including ‘Collagen Peptide Technology’, pro-Retinol, a ceramide complex and vitamins C and E, plus ginseng and hibiscus extracts. It offers what they call a ‘Flexible Formula that moves in harmony with your facial expressions throughout the day, ensuring the foundation doesn’t migrate into fine lines and wrinkles.’

£21.95 for 30ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘Dewy texture, light sheer, perfect for everyday use and can be built up for heavier coverage if needed. Open pores were less noticeable, covered small blemishes and redness and I needed concealer only for my under-eye area. Brilliant stuff!’ • ‘Lighter-weight than my normal foundation but felt much more nourishing – in fact, the best moisturising foundation ever! It lasted all day; skin did not feel tight, my lines appeared reduced on my forehead, and I generally felt that I looked younger, skin smoother, bouncy and hydrated – radiant, in fact! I think I will swap this for my regular foundation!’ • ‘I actually really like serum foundations; this was excellent in texture and consistency, is very lightweight and doesn't feel like it's sitting on your face all day – like a tinted serum/moisturiser hybrid’ • ‘A great foundation if you don't need full coverage and if you prefer the dewy look. There's no scent, which is a plus for me as well, having sensitive skin’ • ‘I was really shocked by this foundation! I always associate No7 with being a brand for the more mature person, offering very heavy products. How wrong was I? I am so happy with the light/med coverage and quality of the product. I also used this as a base for eyeshadow and it was great, didn't crease, and I was happy with the look’ • ‘A very good high street foundation, deffo worth a try.’

£21.95 for 30ml - click to buy 

BRONZE AWARD IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC + Cream SPF50+

Is it a foundation? Is it a CC cream? This is really a hybrid of the two, we think. According to IT Cosmetics, this fluid tint offers deceptively good coverage, featuring 90% skincare ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, green tea extract and smoothing niacinamide. Start with just one or two pumps applied with fingers or a foundation brush and build from there. There are six shades available, but they adjust to the underlying skintone, and cover pale to deep.

£38 for 32ml - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘I have tried so many different foundations over the years, but this is my favourite. Other products I have tried do not wear as well through the day unless they are really heavy. With this, my skin still looks like my skin – which I love - but it is velvety, smooth and even’ • ‘Someone in a shop commented how lovely and smooth my skin looked the other day whilst wearing this. Would I buy it again? YES, YES, YES! Five of my friends have already brought this after me raving about it’ • ‘My skin absolutely loves this product. Although it is full coverage, it doesn’t feel cakey and sits really well on my skin; it also wears beautifully throughout the day, eventually letting my natural oils come through to give it a glow’ • ‘A great, buildable foundation; covers any blemish or spot really well without sitting on top of the skin. Helps to even your skin out and keeps it fresh looking without making it look heavy and cakey’ • ‘Very impressed. It’s still what I’d call a “downtime foundation”, rather than something I’d wear to a VIP meeting when I feel I want to look more matte and flawless, but it gives me enough confidence for working from home, Zooming, weekends and general “day wear”. Doesn’t sit in lines and wrinkles but does even everything out and look fresh and smooth. I don’t think it does itself any favours by positioning itself as an “alphabet cream” – definitely offers more coverage than I’d expect from one of those’ • ‘Feels light on skin and I’ve been told how great my skin is looking!’

£38 for 32ml - click to buy