CB PICKS: GLOWY FOUNDATIONS FOR A DEWY BASE
If your complexion is looking a bit too dull for your liking and you’re in need of a radiance boost, nothing beats a glowy foundation for upping the luminosity!
Glowy {foundations} are enriched with ultra-hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and natural oils to flood skin with moisture and restore that lit-from-within glow. Many of them are also packed with light-reflective particles to – you guessed it – reflect the light and make your skin appear brighter, more even, and all-round radiant.
Lightweight and hydrating – but never greasy – glowy foundations are particularly ideal for {dry skin} types. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get the good sort of glow if your skin is typically on the oilier side. Today’s clever innovations have been formulated with all skin types in mind, so no matter your skin type, you can achieve that deliciously dewy base (which is a {summer essential} in our opinion!).
With the help of the {Cult Concierge} team, we’ve rounded up the 16 best glowy foundations from some of our favourite beauty brands. And here they are…
THE 16 BEST GLOWY FOUNDATIONS
140
£62.00
Number one in our rankings is Westman Atelier’s next-gen skin tint. Brimming with hydrating serum-strength actives and a natural hue, {Vital Skin Complexion Drops} transform your complexion from dull to fresh-faced and dewy in just a few drops! Each drop of this radiance-boosting foundation soothes and revitalises a dull complexion thanks to a trio of tsubaki oil, ginseng extract and pomegranate extract. Non-comedogenic, effortlessly chic and available in 20 skin-loving shades, these are sure to become a vital part of your daily ritual.
Coverage: Sheer to medium Shades: 20
550
RRP: £39.00Current price: £31.20
Beautiful by name, beautiful by nature, the {Beautiful Skin Foundation} from Charlotte Tilbury is heaven sent for those who like a glowy, natural-looking complexion. Fuelled with hydrating hyaluronic acid and a brightening blend of rose-derived ingredients, this formula not only instantly beautifies and encourages radiance, but improves the look of skin over time too. Its medium coverage evens the look of skin while letting your natural beauty shine through (hello freckles!). It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and available in a choice of 30 beautiful shades.
Coverage: Medium Shades: 30
31
RRP: £68.00Current price: £34.00
The key to the signature SUQQU glow, {The Cream Foundation} casts simply luminous coverage that evolves over time to achieve a self-renewing glow. The luxurious cream formula blends seamlessly and becomes one with your skin, granting a comfortable, powderless, and naturally dewy finish. Infused with 13 skin-loving Japanese extracts, your complexion will be glowing in just about every (good) way possible!
Coverage: Medium to full Shades: 23
68
The {make up} equivalent to your comfiest sweatpants, this ultra-lightweight, serum-like {Tinted Face Oil} from Kosas glides over your skin with a natural velvety finish while enhancing your skin’s natural glow. Its innovative oil texture (blended with six active botanical oils) grants instant hydration and minimises the appearance of pores while cloaking your skin in blemish-blurring, skin-evening mineral pigment. Oh, did we mention it’s vegan, cruelty-free and void of all kinds of chemical nasties including parabens, silicones and sulphates? All the glow with zero woes!
Coverage: Medium Shades: 16
400
£39.00
This lightweight {Sheer Glow Foundation} from NARS is a favourite among beauty buffs thanks to the glowing and naturally radiant finish it bestows upon anyone who wears it – particularly those with skin on the drier side! The formula is filled with good-for-skin ingredients by way of the NARS Complexion Brightening Formula (which hydrates skin) and a range of antioxidants (which protect against free radical damage). Its sheer-to-medium coverage evens out skin tone immaculately, and it’s now available in 40 versatile shades!
Coverage: Sheer to medium Shades: 40
Check out our {Nars Sheer Glow Foundation Guide} to meet your perfect match.
110
RRP: £34.00Current price: £23.80
Looking to nail the no-make-up make-up look? Enter Huda Beauty’s {GloWish Multidew Skin Tint}. As well as blurring the look of pores and achieving a second-skin finish, it's infused with reflective pearl pigments that naturally catch the light for a flattering, dewy glow. It also features a clever cocktail of (92,6%) naturally-derived ingredients that soothe, hydrate and protect your skin from the effects of blue light and pollution. And it doesn’t end there! It’s also designed to be water-, sweat- and transfer-proof so you can maintain a fresh-faced finish no matter what life throws your way!
Coverage: Sheer Shades: 15
47
RRP: £20.00Current price: £9.00
Another nourishing {skin care}/make up hybrid, the {Triple Fix Serum Foundation} from LYS Beauty satisfies your skin’s needs while giving you your foundation fix. The lightweight formula diffuses into your complexion seamlessly for a flawless veil of sheer-to-medium dewy coverage, while its impressive cocktail of skin-loving ingredients (think: moisture-slurping hyaluronic acid, antioxidant-rich turmeric and firming avocado oil) improves the look and feel of your skin over time for added radiance.
Coverage: Sheer to medium Shades: 35
71
£80.00
Allow us to introduce you to Chantecaille's {Future Skin}, an oil-free gel foundation with a refreshing, ultra-lightweight texture that bestows a stunning glow on any and every skin type. The buildable formula offers adjustable coverage, while light-reflecting pigments are on hand to ease the appearance of imperfections and up the radiance! Boosted with soothing aloe and arnica and antioxidant-rich rosemary and green tea, you’ll be glowing from the inside out!
Coverage: Medium to full Shades: 15
55
£46.00
Tired of dry skin ruining your natural radiance? Look no further than {Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting SPF 30 Foundation} a weightless, creamy foundation from Shiseido. It features an exclusive blend of humectants that bind moisture to your skin for 24-hour hydration, and it’s infused with radiant microcrystals and extracts of mandarin peel and beech tree bud to naturally illuminate your skin for a healthy and radiant glow that lasts all day long. All while shielding with SPF 30! Trust us, you're going to become obsessed.
Coverage: Medium to full Shades: 30
7
£70.00
For ultimate control over how much foundation you use, these {Dew Drops} from Surratt are the perfect solution. This lightweight foundation features a unique delivery system that imparts an optimal amount of the liquid formula, putting an end to wasted drops and messy applications. Its ultra-hydrating formula bestows an even and endlessly dewy canvas that’s never greasy.
Coverage: Light to medium Shades: 20
10
RRP: £35.00Current price: £14.00
Infused with protective microalgae actives, soothing maqui berry and hydrating hyaluronic acid, EXA’s {High Fidelity Foundation} is a godsend for those seeking that glowy, fresh-faced look. And with anti-pollution actives to shield against free radicals and urban pollution, this is a must for city dwellers. The semi-satin-finish formula is infused with perfecting pigments that don't oxidise, so the colour stays true to you all day long.
Coverage: Light and buildable Shades: 43
43
£121.00
Harnessing Clé de Peau Beauté’s proprietary {Skin-Empowering Illuminator} (a cocktail of five key ingredients: platinum golden silk essence, Japanese pearl extract, theanine, perilla extract and angelica acutiloba extract), this featherlight fluid boosts your cells’ reparative abilities and supplements defences while promoting inner brilliance for glowing skin that oozes health. All that, plus broad spectrum SPF 25 to shield from the sun and the city!
Coverage: Medium to full Shades: 31
111
£48.00
{The Major Skin Crème & Powder Foundation Duo} from Patrick Ta has everything you need to achieve flawless coverage and a naturally luminous finish in one golden compact. Start with the velvet-textured cream foundation to blur imperfections, then finish with the airy translucent powder to set, soften and diffuse your complexion. This is sure to become a mainstay in your make up bag!
Coverage: Medium Shades: 24
83
RRP: £45.00Current price: £31.50
A multitasking formula that bridges the gap between {concealer} and foundation, Monika Blunder Beauty’s {Blunder Cover} offers everything from sheer, natural colour to built-up, concealer-like coverage. Brimming with natural botanicals, hydrating oils, and radical-fighting antioxidants, skin is soothed, hydrated, plumped, and protected. Glowing skin is but moments away!
Coverage: Sheer to full Shades: 14
19
£52.80
Innovative and complexion-correcting, the {Foundation Balm} by Kevyn Aucoin melts into the skin and gives radiant and flawless coverage. The featherweight cream is brimming with nourishing ingredients (including hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and avocado oil) to improve the finish and the feel of your coverage and make your skin look supple and healthy.#
Coverage: Full Shades: 20
127
RRP: £56.00Current price: £44.80
Inspired by Hourglass’ Ambient Lighting Collection, their {Ambient Soft Glow Foundation} enhances your lit-from-within glow with a better-than-skin luminosity! Gliding and blending across your skin with an undetectable finish, this soft-focus foundation sits weightlessly on your skin and marries well with your liquid, cream and powder products for the ultimate base. What’s more, it’s totally resistant to sweat, water and humidity!
Coverage: Medium Shades: 32
Find out more about how to choose the best foundation.
