Light Bases for Spring + Summer

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I’ll be honest. Once the weather gets extremely warm, I tend to forget makeup altogether. If I do wear makeup though, I definitely prefer to keep it on the lightweight side.

When the sun is out, the temperatures are slowly rising, when it starts to feel a little humid… I put all of my thick, creamy, full-coverage foundations away, and bring out some of my most trusted and loved lightweight bases.

On those “good skin days” when my skin looks all bright and pretty, all I need is just a bit of sheer coverage. Other times call for a bit more help in neutralizing redness and evening out the skin tone. During those warmer months, most of us beauty lovers prefer reaching for something that feels light airy and… looks natural and feels comfortable. This bunch right here, are my favorites.

Guerlain Baby Glow Foundation. Probably one of the first makeup base products that I think of when I want to use something lightweight and easy to work with. It adds a healthy glow to the skin without making it look oily/greasy. Love that it matches my skin tone almost perfectly, it has a lightweight formula that can go from sheer to medium coverage. I really have a lot of love for this foundation, I just think it’s a shame that it contains so much fragrance. Sadly, this is not uncommon for some of those high-end brands (looking at you, Dior and Chanel). Whenever my skin feels a little irritated and red, I always want to reach for Baby Glow, just because it’s so light yet good at evening out my skin tone. Unfortunately, fragrance makes it impossible for me to use it when my skin is sensitive as the fragrance burns the hell out of my skin.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation. I was pleasantly surprised when I first tried this foundation a while back. The consistency feels a little similar to Chanel’s Vitalumière Aqua. It has that ultra-light, very water-like formula. For such a lightweight foundation, it has surprisingly buildable coverage. It does need careful setting with powder (at least on my skin), otherwise, it can transfer quite easily. I’m not sure how I feel about the shade selection- I only tried one (1.1) which is supposed to have neutral undertones, but it looks waaay too yellow on me. The packaging could also use some work but with a nice formula and great price, this can be a great, lightweight base product. As long as you can find a shade that matches your skin nicely.

L’Oreal True Match. I always say that that this is probably one of the best drugstore foundations I’ve used and one that I keep coming back time and time again. True Match has amazing shade range, especially considering that it’s a drugstore product. Out of all the countless foundation/base products I’ve used over the years, this one provides a match that’s closest to my actual skin tone. The formula is light, but buildable and has a natural-looking finish.

Armani Luminous Silk. My absolute favorite base for dry skin. It doesn’t accentuate any dry spots on my skin and helps make it look healthy and even-toned. It’s the kind of foundation that covers any imperfections and minor discoloration, while still keeping your skin looking like “skin.” I probably wouldn’t love it as much if my skin was still very oily, but it works amazing with my now normal to dry complexion. It’s quite long-lasting as well, and the luminous, natural finish is just beautiful. Huge plus that it also looks very pretty in photos.

Maybelline Superstay. This can be a really good base product for oily skin types. You can very easily get full coverage with this foundation without it feeling heavy or cakey. It’s long-lasting, has a natural, semi-matte finish and comes in great packaging. BUT, having tried a few shades, I do find that this foundation has a tendency to oxidize throughout the day quite a bit, and that, can be quite annoying. I found that going a shade lighter does help with that though.

BareMinearls Complexion Rescue. This is more of a tinted moisturizer/multitasking base, rather than a foundation, which makes it a great product to use in warm weather. It has a unique gel/liquid formula that blends very easily. I love it because it’s a great base to reach for when you’re in a hurry, as you don’t really have to worry about primers or taking extra care hydrating your skin, even if you’re a little on the dry side. It does have quite a dewy finish, so it’s something to keep in mind if that’s not your thing. The formula also tends to separate, so it needs a good amount of shaking prior to application.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. One of the most lightweight foundations you can probably find. Doesn’t provide a whole lot of coverage, but if you’re looking for something very delicate and lightweight with sheer coverage (which is an ideal combo for warmer months) this cult classic is worth checking out.

Dior Airflash. Even though it’s been a while since I’ve (finally) tried it, this is still my favorite foundation. You can get sheer or close to full coverage with this base, and it will look very natural both ways. It just has the most beautiful airbrushed, poreless finish. It covers redness, acne scars and it won’t look cakey, even hours after application. I find that I do need to let it set for a few minutes before going in with my powder (this is my absolute favorite at the moment). It is quite pricey, which is why it took me so long to finally try it, I just couldn’t give in to the hype. Well, now… several cans later, I can say that it’s totally worth the splurge.

Urban Decay One & Done. This is another lightweight multitasker, a little similar to Complexion Rescue. A really good product to use when going for that “no makeup” makeup look. Light coverage with a natural finish, but, as with a lot of base products, the shade selection is very limited.

Left to right: Urban Decay One & Done in Light; Chanel Aqua Vitalumière in 10 Beige; The Ordinary Serum Foundation in 1.1; Guerlain Baby Glow Foundation in Light; L’Oreal True Match in N2; BareMinerals Complexion Rescue in Vanilla; Maybelline Superstay in #110; Armani Luminous Silk in #3; Dior Ariflash Spray Foundation in #200 (this is a very close match to my natural skin tone- so much so that I accidentally nearly cropped it out…)

What are some of your favorite bases for Spring and Summer?