The Best Foundations and Concealers for Summer

We’re long overdue for a fun summer, so we’re not going to let any bad foundations and concealers get in our way. The only beauty products in our stash will need to be able to stand up to heat, sweat, face masks, and diving headfirst into the deep end!

Choosing foundations and concealers can be tricky in the best of times, but summer presents a unique challenge. You’ve got to battle sweat, shine, excess oil, dehydrated skin… the list goes on, but we’re one step ahead. We’ll help each skin type find their perfect foundation and concealer combo, to help skin look and feel its best from sun-up to sunset.

Before we get started on how to make our base last all day, let’s first review: what does summer skin need from a foundation and concealer?

HYDRATING
Yes, it sounds counterintuitive to add water and moisture to the skin if we’re already feeling a bit oily, or are worried about longevity – but trust us on this one.

Even with great skin prep, the skin will naturally start to lose moisture throughout the day. A hydrating foundation can help with a longer lasting finish because the product is made to provide both coverage and hydration. This leads to a smoother finish, more radiance, and less creasing with hydrating foundations and concealers.

LIGHTWEIGHT
Beyond rare special occasions, there’s almost no time that we can think of wanting to wear heavy, full-coverage foundations and concealers. A lightweight product is less detectable on the skin, meaning it will look more fresh and natural. It also won’t contribute as much to pore-clogging associated with sweating or excess sebum, since heavy makeup can exacerbate the effects of both.

BUILDABLE
Since we want a lightweight and hydrating base, we’ll need something with medium coverage that can be built up to conceal blemishes or sheered out for more natural looks. A buildable formula is also better for touch-ups during the day, so you won’t have to worry about reapplying a full face – just where you need it most.

SPF
Lastly but certainly not least, using SPF in foundations and concealers can be one way to ensure our skin is properly armed against damage from UV exposure. It’s not always necessary to get SPF in our base products, but layers of coverage can definitely lead to better protected skin.

A skin type is just another way of classifying the behavior we can expect to see on our skin’s surface. The biggest factor in determining skin type is whether we experience oiliness or not. And when we cater our makeup to our skin type, that’s when we start seeing quality makeup results in even the most trying conditions (looking at you, summer heat wave).

Oily Skin

• Fruit Pigmented Healthy Foundation

• Saint Cosmetics On the Go Perfecting Concealer

This base pair is a match made in heaven for those with oily skin. That’s because the lightweight full coverage formula of the Healthy Foundation doesn’t require layering, and evens our skin beautifully in a single wispy layer. It’s formulated with a matte finish to combat excess oil, and has an aloe juice base for a kiss of hydration.

The On the Go concealer offers a finishing layer of targeted coverage that’s great for sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin. Enriching nutrients from olive oil, sunflower seed oil, and rosehip oil drive away inflammation and condition the skin for subtly transformed skin.

Dry Skin

• Fruit Pigmented Tinted Moisturizer

• Alima Pure Cream Concealer

These foundations and concealers are an easy first choice for our dry skin picks, simply because of how comfortable they feel on dry skin. The dewy, lightweight foundation prioritizes skin’s moisture levels with quenching cucumber juice. This formula feels instantly refreshing when applied – a treat for summer skin!

Concentrated with shea butter and olive squalane, this concealer is suited to resist dry-out from transepidermal water loss and summer heat. The ultra-conditioning Pure Cream Concealer is able to target dry areas like the under eyes, around the nose, and the chin for a smoother result.

Normal Skin

• Fruit Pigmented Full Coverage Water Foundation

• HAN Liquid Concealer

Normal skin types benefit from hydrating foundations and concealers as well, because they sit naturally on the skin and keep moisture levels balanced. This foundation has a long-lasting satin finish and features coffee bean, green tea, and red wine for a balanced complexion.

We paired this option with the Liquid Concealer because both are refreshingly lightweight. Conditioning shea and argan oil support moisture levels, while green tea de-puffs and diminishes dark circles.

Combination Skin

• Fruit Pigmented Cream Foundation

• Fruit Pigmented 2nd Skin Concealer

Since combo skin can be unpredictable, we keep our foundations and concealers uncomplicated. This cream foundation is a buttery and buildable consistency, for more coverage where it’s needed without caking up. Lots of natural balancing components like chamomile and calendula flowers keep skin at a happy neutral.

For the under eyes and stubborn blemishes, we’ll layer on a tiny bit of this lightweight, super natural concealer. Nearly undetectable on the skin, it blends right in with the foundation for an effortless finish.

Before we’d discovered our favorite skin type-focused combos, we were getting by with a few tricks that never fail us. If we’re in need of extra insurance that our foundations and concealers will last all day, we’ll try adding one of these tried and true methods to our routine!

1. Always hydrate and moisturize before you begin! Skin that’s craving moisture will act out either by creating more sticky sebum (resulting in oily looking skin), or by sucking our makeup into pores for a creased, patchy appearance.

2. Dry and acne-prone skin: use a hydrating primer for a longer lasting base. Layer this after SPF and give the skin a few minutes to fully absorb the sun protectant before priming and adding makeup.

3. Alternatively, combo and oily skin types can try prepping the skin with a mattifying sunscreen. We’ve found that most zinc sunscreens have a naturally mattifying effect!

4. After priming, oily and combo skin types can dust a bit of translucent powder over oily areas to achieve a lasting matte finish.

5. Dry and normal skin types may prefer applying products with a clean, damp makeup sponge to preserve hydration during makeup application.

6. Combo and oily skin types can touch up throughout the day with an SPF powder that adds sun protection and neutralizes any shininess coming through.

7. To keep makeup looking its best, spritz on a refreshing rose water face mist to revive makeup and uplift the skin.

Check below for more summer beauty tips:

• Summer Eyeliner Trends

• 5 Highlighter Powders to Try This Summer

• 7 Ways to Sweat-Proof Your Summer Makeup

• Where to Highlight for a Sultry Summer Glow

• Summer Skin Care Tips

• Skin and Makeup Essentials for Summer Travel