In the hot summer months I love a good natural looking foundation and many of you do too! Back by popular demand, I’ve rounded up my favorite skin tones and sheer foundations for summer.
Here are my ten favorites right now (in no particular order). I have normal combination skin and live in a very humid area. Many of you have asked for makeup recommendations that don’t sweat and unfortunately sometimes it can be so humid that nothing lasts outdoors. This time of year though I’m indoors as much as I can so these favorites hold up really well throughout the day.
Chanel Les Beiges
Chanel makes my favorite foundations, especially the Les Beiges line. I love their formulas, their shades and the variety of finishes they offer. The Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint ($47 – 70) is available in a journey the full size format. This is the clearest foundation I’ve tried and I love it. It offers minimal coverage with a gel base and micro-droplets of pigment. It’s the best bare skin effect foundation I’ve tried with a lightweight finish that has a fresh glow without feeling greasy. Because it’s so sheer that I don’t need an exact fit, I can wear either a Medium or a Medium Plus. Original review from 2019 here.
The Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch ($70) is similar in concept but has more coverage. I love the finish. It has medium coverage and blends nicely into the skin. I also love the texture and formula. The coverage is easy to control and layer without ever feeling heavy. I wear B40. Review and see on the skin here.
Summer Fridays
The Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint ($42) is another popular sheer shade and I love it. I think the colors are limited (I’d like to see more colors and more undertone options) but if you can find a match that’s great. I alternate shade 4 or 5 and sometimes mix them up. Since I bought them they have added a shade 4.5 but it was warm/pink so I decided to stick with my 4 and 5. The coverage is very sheer. It’s light, cool but not greasy and has a natural look. However, if you have oily skin, I think this will be too refreshing for you.
Lisa Eldridge
Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Strengthening it’s another really good fair skin tone. I usually like to apply shades with a brush or sponge, but I think this blends better with the warmth of your fingers. In my first order I chose T7 and T8 based on the foundation shade chart. I tried a few samples of her foundation (I wasn’t a fan) and my match was No 14. The color suggestions in the Sheer Skin shades ended up being too light. I felt that the olive tone of T9 would be too yellow so I ordered T10 which suits my tanned summer skin very well. Sometimes I mix 8 and 10 though.
This is naturally shimmery so you need to set it with powder. The coverage is very sheer yet buildable. It feels comfortable and slightly moisturizing on the skin. A little goes a long way.
Supergoop!
Supergoop! Protection (tint) Daily SPF tint with SPF 50 ($44) has gotten a lot of love from me this year. I bought these when I still had my winter skin tone and I tan easily, so I’ve ended up with a lot of shades so far. For me the 30W is the best match although I have used 24N and 26W. I have added samples next to them GlowScreen (love it too) for reference. This is a natural foundation that has a sheer to medium coverage. It’s described as “light”, but I don’t know that I’d agree with that description. It is semi-thick and you definitely feel it on the skin. I still really like this one for beach days or boat days.
They are cosmetics
The It Cosmetics CC+ shades have reached a cult following and for good reason! I have tried every formula they have and the It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow ($47) is the best. It’s thinner in texture than most CC+ creams so it’s easier to blend and has a sheerer finish with medium coverage so it looks more natural on the skin. Since it is not too thick like most CC creams, it has a lighter weight feel. I can’t rave about it enough. I wear Medium Tan.
Fenty + Rare beauty
If you need something that isn’t too emollient or cooling, I highly recommend checking this out Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint ($36) or Moisturizing cream of rare beauty Positive Light Timed ($30). Both have a natural finish that is somewhere between soft shimmer and satin with a subtle blur effect. I think they are both very underrated, they should get more love! I wear either Shade 9 or 10 in Fenty and in Rare Beauty I wear 24N. Coverage for both is sheer-medium. Just enough to even out redness and smooth the face without looking or feeling heavy. Leather still feels like leather.
below wearing Rare Beauty Tinted Moisturizer in 24N (full details see here)
below wearing Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint in Shade 10
Patrick Ta
The Patrick Ta Major Skin Crème Foundation and Finishing Powder Duo ($52) isn’t really a skin tone, but I’ve added it to the collection because the finish feels like a skin tone in solid cream foundation form. The finish is SO beautiful on both the cream and the powder. The powder has no full intensity pigment, so it doesn’t darken or change the look of your foundation, it just blends in the most beautiful natural way. I’m wearing Light Medium 2, full review here.
Sisley
Last on my list is the Sisley Phyto-Teint Nude ($110). This is an incredibly expensive option, but the formula is flawless and for me it was worth the splurge. It has a beautiful fluid texture and finish. It glides on with absolute perfection and has a very beautiful finish. I prefer this Phyto-Teint Nude in the newest Phyto-Teint Perfection (which is full coverage, matte and not as forgiving if you don’t have an exact match). I have repurchased once but I don’t know that I will repurchase it a third time because of the price but the formula is extremely good. Full review here.
The best brushes for foundation
For the application of liquids and creams I usually love a beautyblender to blend and press everything into the skin, but I have a few favorite brushes.
It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush #7 it’s a great double ended brush. The foundation side is super smooth and gives you streak free coverage and blends everything to perfection. The smaller side is nice for blending the areas around the eyes or nose.
Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation Brush and Vanish Foundation Brush they are also excellent. Both are very smooth on the skin and blend creams well.
Fenty Foundation Brush 145 its very nice. It has a slightly wider shape and is angled which blends everything smoothly.
Laura Mercier Real Flawless Foundation Brush it is one of the best for me. If I had to pick just one this would be it. It’s wider and more angular without being too short/thick. I love the pointed tip which helps blend into the creases like around the nose.
I clean the brushes with warm water and Dawn dish soap. For persistent creams I will do a double cleanse and after rinsing with warm water + dish soap, I will spray some of Sephora Everyday Collection Brush Cleaner which is the best in dissolving cream products. A brush cleaning pad is essential. I use it Sigma Brush cleaning mat and i love it.
For those of you asking for an updated skin tone collection, I hope you find this helpful! If you want to share your favorite skin tones for summer, let me know what they are in the comments!
