Beauty Editor Kim tells us about her favourite bases and foundations with skincare benefits …
If you wear foundation almost every day, it makes sense you choose one that doesn’t just sit there looking pretty, but that cares for your skin too.
Step forward the hybrid bases that not only ace the make-up side of their role, but also contain youth-boosting ingredients to enhance the health and long-term look of your skin.
It’s make-up marrying skin-care – ideal for post-50 complexions.
I’ve rounded up seven of the best.
LANCÔME SKIN FEELS GOOD
£25, www.lancome.co.uk
This hydrating skin tint contains vegetable glycerine, which acts like a ‘moisture magnet’, re-plumping fine lines, plus Moringa Extract, packed with antioxidant properties that help protect the skin from external aggressors. Its light finish? Perfect for everyday wear.
BOBBI BROWN INTENSIVE SKIN SERUM FOUNDATION SPF 40
£45, www.bobbibrown.co.uk
You have to hand it to the Bobbi brand. They do a great line in foundations. This one’s best for normal to dry skins, – a silky emulsion that gives a dewy freshness, but with good coverage too. Infused with all sorts of weird and wonderful extracts – Lychee, Bamboo Grass and Cordyceps Mushroom – that penetrate the skin in serum-form and boost it with antioxidants, it also contains a whopping 40SPF to keep your skin from further damage.
OXYGENETIX OXYGENATING FOUNDATION
£49.99, www.shopskin.com
So good for your skin, that even sleeping in it won’t aggravate it, say the makers. (Ahem….that’s good to know after a late night!) The oxygen-enriched formula is said to allow your skin to breathe, and encourages collagen production, too. All of which should promote youthful, firm and smooth skin. Celebrity fans include Kourtney Kardashian, Kate Bosworth and Emilia Fox.
JOAN COLLINS TIMELESS BEAUTY FIRST BASE,
£25, joancollinsbeauty.com
From the ‘queen of keeping her skin crease-free’ – this foundation contains wonder-ingredient hyaluronic acid which keeps skin hydrated, plumping up fine lines. We also like the no-nonsense range of shades in the range. There are two categories – Warm and Cool. Both categories contain fair, medium and dark shades. If you tan easily, go for a ‘warm’ shade and if you burn more easily in the sun, go for one of the ‘cool’ shades.
DIEGO DALLA PALMA GEISHA LIFT FOUNDATION
£34.50, Marks & Spencer Beauty stores and diegodallapalma.com
A cocktail of skin-caring ingredients in this perfecting base include White Peony Extract, which is said to help even skin tone and reduce redness. It also contains a complicated-sounding complex that helps ‘reorganise’ collagen bundles in the skin (collagen is the protein that helps keep skin firm). Worth a try we say!
LAURA GELLER COVER LOCK CREAM FOUNDATION
£28, from Debenhams and feelunique.com
If you’re a fan of a foundation that gives fuller coverage then this may be the one for you. It covers redness well and is even said to help camouflage scars and tattoos. Vitamins in the formula help ward off pollution damage too.
THE ENGLISH MINERAL MAKEUP COMPANY LOOSE MINERAL FOUNDATION
£37, englishmineralmakeup.co.uk
Made with 100% pure mineral ingredients, the brand was founded by a mother and daughter duo. Mum Jeannette Burrows was looking for a natural foundation to blend away age-spots and conceal her rosacea and thread veins. The foundation comes prettily packaged in its own drawstring felt bag and floral box complete with a Kabuki Brush for application. A gift to yourself!
So there you have it. 7 of the best foundations with skincare benefits! Time to go shopping?
