As the months get warmer, many of us gravitate towards subtly glowing, light feeling foundations which even out skin without looking like a mask.
Here are some fantastic picks for helping you achieve a naturally perfected finish, without any faffing about.
Bourjois City Radiance foundation, RRP €11.99
This new foundation release from Bourjois is just delicious, combining a light-to-medium buildable coverage with SPF 30 and an anti-pollution screen that reduces the presence of carbon particles on the skin, perfect for the city dwellers out there. It has quite a thick texture, but blends into skin really easily, leaving skin with a gorgeous glow. I have to say the finish is comparable to luxury foundations which can carry up to five times the price tag, so this is certainly a bargain buy!
Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream, €28.95
If you're in the market for an ultra-nourishing day cream with a hint of colour, this could be right up your street. It's best suited for normal, dry, sensitive and mature skin types, so if you have oily or combination skin it's probably better to steer clear. The all-natural formula contains avocado and almond oils, rose wax, beeswax, quince seeds and rose water to nourish, prevent dryness and support elasticity. The one drawback is that the tint is quite dark it's likely to look unnatural on the very pale. Make sure to try before you purchase! Dr Hauschka skin care is stocked in selected health stores, pharmacies, Avoca and selected Lloyds pharmacies - for stockist details visit www.drh.ie
Giorgio Armani Maestro Glow Foundation €46
Armani's Maestro Glow foundation is a must-try for all the glow-getters out there. It is a very lightweight, oil-based formulation that packs an impressive punch in the radiance department. You just need a few drops of this liquid foundation, applied with either fingers or a foundation brush to the face, to even out the complexion and give a sheen to the skin. As the coverage is quite sheer, this is better suited to those with with good complexions, as the radiance can highlight any open pores or blemishes. The foundation has a high concentration of nourishing oils, so normal to dry skin types will especially love this, while the SPF 30 provides a good level of UV protection.
MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation, €36.50
The MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation has an insanely gorgeous, feathery-light texture, and yet has a beautifully perfecting finish which can be layered from light to medium, while still looking extremely natural on the skin. Truly it's one of my favourite MAC bases I've tried to date, it softly evens out skintone, feels nourishing and comfortable on the skin, and lasts really nicely throughout the day. It's housed in a glass bottle with a dropper for ease of application. There are also a whopping 23 shades in the range, which means there's something to suit most skin tones. It's a home run!
Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation, €42.95
If you prefer a higher coverage, Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation is an excellent option. The foundation has quite a thick texture, and only the tiniest amount is needed for a full face as it's so highly pigmented. I find that about a pea-sized amount of this foundation is plenty to apply all over my face, and it blends like a dream to provide an amazingly realistic and yet perfected finish to the complexion. There are 26 shades in the range, ranging from 1, a pure white shade which can also be used to lighten up bases that are too dark, up to 18, a deep dark neutral shade. I've been using shade 03 which is perfect for my pale skin with yellow undertones. The main issue for Irish customers is Illamasqua's availability in Ireland - but it can be bought online and delivery is just €7.
