Problem Solvers

Lighten up with 5 breathable summer-weight bases

The Best Breathable Bases for Spring

The weather is slowly (but surely) hotting up, which means it’s high time to think about switching your full-coverage foundation for something a little less suffocating. Treat your make up like your wardrobe – as the denier of your tights decreases, so should the ‘weight’ of your base. Here’s our pick of the best breathable bases for summer (and beyond).

Jouer Cosmetics Matte Moisture TintIf your skin is on the oily side (lucky you – fewer wrinkles), Jouer’s {Matte Moisture Tint} marries the weightlessness of tinted moisturiser with a shine-controlling formula, to unify and mattify uneven complexions. With a fluffy ‘mousse’ consistency, this blends beautifully to disguise imperfections and actively diminish dark circles (thanks to potent antioxidants), while the inclusion of SPF 15 provides broad spectrum protection – ideal for city dwellers in the summer.Sunday Riley Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer

The dry-skinned should try Sunday Riley’s {Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer} – a stunning, skin-perfecting formula which works alone on ‘good skin’ days, or as a unifying base for artfully applied concealer and illuminator. Infused with moisture-retaining hyaluronic acid, alongside anti-glycation peptides to boost regeneration and encourage collagen synthesis, this ultra-sheer perfector leaves skin looking luminous.

Oxygenetix Oxygenating FoundationCongested, spot-prone skins should opt for Oxygenetix {Oxygenating Foundation – Acne Control} which has a featherweight, blendable texture, to camouflage redness and blemishes without clogging pores. Originally formulated to perfect and protect inflamed, post-surgery skin (think laser treatement), the inclusion of exfoliating salicylic acid works to quell breakout-causing bacteria and diminish visibility of scarring, while ‘Ceravitae’ – a supercharged oxygen complex – creates the ultimate environment for cells to thrive.

Zelens Youth Glow FoundationFor those with more mature skins, we recommend Zelens’ {Youth Glow Foundation} – a beautifully lightweight, glow-bestowing base that melts into skin to provide undetectable, ‘your skin but better’ effect. With a skin-kind cocktail of 10 active ingredients, this base corrects as it perfects – stimulating cell division and DNA repair, while simultaneously plumping, firming and hydrating. Cutting-edge diamond spheres then work to convert invisible UV light to blue light (photo-luminescence), creating a flattering, soft focus effect and reducing the appearance of wrinkles, shadows and discolouration, for skin that looks younger and exudes an enviable vitality.

Ultimate Coverage Complexion CremeAnd if a veil of coverage just will not do, equip yourself with BECCA’s {Ultimate Coverage Complexion Crème}. This full-coverage formula has an unprecedentedly high volume of water (22%), so it feels light without compromising its skin-perfecting capabilities. What’s more, it can be customised – mix with moisturiser, to counteract dryness and prolong its wear, or mix 1 pump of ‘Complexion Crème’ with 1 pump of {Shimmering Skin Perfector} to create an enviably dewy, ‘backlit’ base. This is seriously long-wearing, so ideal for those hectic days of back-to-back meetings, or any desk-to-dancefloor situation (we’ve all been there).

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...