Hands up if you're a secret foundation snob.
It's not a bad thing – not at all. In fact, a whip round the R29 office showed that a lot of us tend to swerve the high street and go that extra mile just to buy foundation at luxury beauty counters. "Mascara, lipstick – I get everything else on the high street, but my foundation has to be good quality," said one staffer.
And why would you buy your foundation from anywhere else when most higher end brands promise 40+ shades to suit all skin tones, pigments that stay put through even the sweatiest of commutes, and formulas filled to bursting with added skincare benefits? It makes perfect sense to splurge, right?
But while most of us have been making a beeline for those shiny department stores, a foundation revolution has been bubbling on the high street. Affordable drugstore brands like Sleek, Maybelline and EX1, to name but a few, have made it their mission to cater to a wider range of skin tones than ever before, serving up formulations that look immaculate even after hours of wear, and improving compatibility for all skin types, from acne-prone to ultra-sensitive. All that and much more for less than the price of an Itsu lunch.
"Now that there's so much competition, consumers are expecting better quality products from high street brands," says NYX Professional makeup artist, Dean Smith. "I've definitely seen an improvement. Thanks to advances in formulations and a focus on making ranges as diverse as possible, high street foundations are now on par with offerings from the most luxe of brands. Gone are the days where these drugstore products looked cakey, broke you out or slipped off after a few hours. High street foundation has stepped up its game, and everyone loves getting compliments on their skin knowing they've only spent £10 or so, don't they?"
Yep. Click through to discover your new high street foundation match.
Biochemist and beauty expert, Farah Naz, launched EX1 because she found that most foundations were either too pink or too orange. Sound familiar? Having recently made its way into Boots, the Invisiwear collection harnesses yellow and gold pigments instead, making it the go-to for those with fair to deep olive skin.
And sound the exclusive klaxon, because the brand will be adding three new swatches to their existing deep shade offerings later this month. Each formula combines yellow, gold and brown pigments for a finish that actually looks like skin. "Traditional foundations can go too heavy on the red pigments, which ends up making someone with deeper skin tones look more red or darker than their natural skin tone," said Farah. "But balancing the formula with yellow, gold and brown pigments allows the foundation to bring out the most natural tones."
EX1 Invisiwear Liquid Foundation, £12.50, available at Boots
Revolution's foundation stick went viral even before it launched as influencers and beauty editors alike took to Instagram to tell the world how impressed they were by its seriously high coverage and 18-strong shade spectrum – and it really does live up to the hype. Even though it's solid, it glides on a dream, blends seamlessly (bye, tidemarks) and blankets every single pore and imperfection as well as a spot-correcting concealer. We still can't quite get our heads around the fact that it's just £5.
Revolution Fast Base Foundation Stick, £5, available at Superdrug
Approved by makeup artists all over the globe and available in a brilliant 35 shades, this is one of the most inclusive foundations to hit the high street. Designed with oily skin in mind, it's non-comedogenic, so won't clog pores or cause breakouts, and employs micro powders to stop shine in its tracks. It's light enough for all-over coverage but pigmented enough to cloak blemishes.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Liquid Foundation, £6.99, available at Boots
Available in 24 shades, the newest addition to Sleek's foundation family provides exceptional coverage that's on par with higher end brands like Huda Beauty and Fenty – really. Each formula is infused with plant extracts to quench and soften skin, so pigments are less likely to collect in fine lines or parched patches. Even better? It's oil-free, which means it won't slip, slide or break you out.
Sleek MakeUP Vitality Foundation, £8.99, available at Boots
It may only be £7 but you'll find a tube of this full coverage foundation inside most makeup artists' kits. Each shade has been created with your skin's undertone in mind, whether it's warm, cool or neutral, to take the chore out of finding a perfect match. The mineral-packed, water-based formula makes skin luminous in all the right places but never feels mask-like. A little goes a long way.
NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Liquid Foundation, £7, available at NYX Professional Cosmetics
The 28 shades in L'Oréal's True Match collection suit 98% of all UK skin tones. Whether you have excessively dry or oily skin, you'll be impressed by its clever ability to sculpt as it masks pores, pigmentation and spots, making skin look perfectly perky. The finish is satisfyingly velvety, but never sticky or heavy.
L'Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation, £9.99, available at Boots
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