I Want to Quit Foundation—10 Alternatives That Deliver Radiant Results

Personally, I always favour a more natural makeup look. Don't get me wrong, back in the day I used to apply layers of matte foundation in order to cover up any blemishes or dark circles, but these days I'm all about letting my real skin shine through (and as someone with an oily complexion, it really does shine). Over the past few months, I've started to realise that I'm not the only one ditching foundation for lighter alternatives. From watching makeup tutorials on TikTok to speaking with friends in the beauty industry, everyone is favouring skin tintstinted moisturisers and the like in order to embrace more dewy makeup looks. And it's not just consumers either—I've recently noticed a huge nunber of brands bringing out more lightweight base products, from Hourglass to YSL and Rose Inc.

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(Image credit: @tylynnnguyen)

Not only are we wanting more natural-looking alternatives to foundation, but we're also on the hunt for makeup products that benefit the skin too. I for one am very pleased to see more and more skincare-makeup hybrids taking the beauty world by storm, combining nourishing ingredients with sheer coverage. As someone who doesn't have much time in the mornings, I find hybrid products make getting ready so much easier, and I feel much better parting with my money when I know my makeup is doing two jobs in one.

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(Image credit: @joannacoops)

After raving about foundation alternatives to my friends and family, I thought it was only right that I shared my favourite lightweight base products with you, so that you can try them out for yourself and see what all the fuss is about.

So, keep on scrolling for my top picks, and trust me when I say that at least one of these products will have you ditching the foundation. 

Shop the Best Foundation Alternatives:

1. ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint

2. L'Oréal True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum

3. Kosas Tinted Face Oil

4. Beauty Pie Sheer Tinted Oil-Free SPF

5. Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint

6. Rose Inc Skin Enhance Luminous Tinted Serum

7. YSL Nu Bare Look Tint

8. Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint

9. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Natural Skin Perfector

10. Summer Fridays Sheer Skin Tint

Next Up: These Are the 10 Best Cheap Concealers, Hands Down

Grace Lindsay
Junior Beauty Editor

Grace Lindsay is the junior beauty editor at Who What Wear UK. At the age of 18 she decided to train as a makeup artist before going on to study english and media at Goldsmiths University. It was during that time that she explored her love for journalism by interning at a small beauty start-up based in Shoreditch. Since then, she has worked at a number of publications including Marie Claire and Hello!, where her love for all things beauty continued to grow.

As Who What Wear UK's junior beauty editor, she covers everything from the latest hair trends to the stand-out makeup products of the season.