Having fair skin comes with lots of complications and it’s difficult to find things that match my skintone. Foundation is one of those complications and I have been on a search to find my perfect foundation for many years now and I’ve come close and found some really good matches but they’re just not quite there. These are the ones that I have tried and tested.

So let’s get cracking

With a huge variety of shades and options for cool neutral and warm skin tones, L’Oreal True Match in N1 blends beautifully into the skin to create an even and natural coverage. I prefer a foundation that has a bit more of coverage but I just put some concealer on with this and it looks fine. It is a very watery texture but as a drugstore product, and for the price of £9.99, it is a brilliant option and the shade range is by far one of the best I have seen in the drugstore.

I am well and truly hooked on the Revlon Colourstay - Buff in the combination/oily option but I also use the whipped version on a daily basis and I totally love it. The liquid version is such a good coverage and I think for a drugstore foundation it is incredible for such a good price. I love how it goes on, the coverage, the way it makes my skin feel so smooth and with a bit of concealer on some stubborn redness the cover is pretty much flawless. The packaging isn’t that great but it’s bearable and it’s about what’s on the inside that counts. I will have a separate review on the whipped version coming up soon but for now the liquid one is still a very good option and is one of the best foundations I have tried.

I purchased the serum version of the Bourjois Healthy Mix in 51 a little while ago as I had seen many positive reviews. I like how the foundation goes on and I use a buffing brush to apply it. The smell is slightly off putting as it is quite a heavy scent but you get used to it. The coverage on this is about a light to medium but the shade range isn’t fantastic - mine is a tad too yellow so I have to buff it in really well. I use this with a primer otherwise I find it sits in any lines or large pores and the primer keeps it on longer too. It is a good foundation it’s just a shame that it isn’t a perfect match but I can make it work.

I was really excited to get the MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC15, I had heard so many good things about it and it was from MAC so I had high expectations and to be honest I wasn’t ecstatic about it once I tried it. I have the shade NC15 which is too dark for me and is a bit of an odd shade really. I can make it work if I use my Sigma F80 and then lighten it with a powder, it does stay on pretty well if you apply a primer first but that’s all the positive things I have to say on it. For the price I was expecting something that was fantastic but it doesn’t even come with a pump you have to buy that separately and when applying it, it can be blotchy and streaky, and I have tried with a beauty blender, brush, fingers, sponges, it just makes me look like I’ve been heavy handed with concealer and bronzer. I don’t tend to use this foundation it’s just not a good foundation for me.

I purchased the NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat in 01 Ivory to keep my t-zone in check through the summer and it certainly does help with keeping my skin matte. It’s not a heavy coverage at all but it is almost a perfect shade for me and so I do like to use it when I am having a “good skin day” - whenever one of those happens. I like that it comes in a squeezy tube and it is so easy to apply with a beauty blender, brush or fingers and I tend to concentrate it on my t-zone and then apply something else to the rest of my face. I haven’t found anything major disappointing about this, it didn’t break me out when I used it as most foundations don’t and I will hopefully be able to use this a lot more, now that my skin is improving.