What do you look for in a good foundation? As someone with redness and the occasional blemish, I want a foundation with long-lasting, dewy coverage that doesn’t dry out. I’ve readily found this on the high street in the past, but it’s a lot harder when it comes to natural beauty boutiques.
First off, the majority are based online. It makes testing items hard – if not impossible – and samples are a rarity. Second, natural ingredients mean natural, absorbable bases, which is great for skin health and breathability, but not so great for its staying power.
That being said, there are a number of wonder products I’ve tried. These fall in well with my last Natural Foundation Edit, and I’m pleased to see more on offer this time round!
Best Natural Concealer
I love a good concealer, although I’ve had to learn over the years how best to apply it for my redness. Concealers are there to balance out the skin tone, and I’m of the opinion that it best goes on first (after primer, before foundation).
To choose a good natural concealer, you should first look to buy a shade lighter than your foundation, and check its composition. My holy grail concealer has to be RMS Beauty’s “Un” Cover-Up, a creamy concealer that lasts all day under my foundation because of its coconut oil base. It’s perfect for using with a brush (I recommend EcoTools Airbrush Concealer Brush) or for touching up by hand when I’m on the go.
At the moment, I’m trying out Ere Perez Arnica Concealer, a new item to their range and a good one at that. I also like how Ere Perez is ehancing their makeup with botanical ingredients – arnica extract is revered for its ability to reduce bruising and swelling, so it’s especially good for under-eye use and on blemishes.
I chose the concealer in the shade Latte, which as the lightest in its range, works surprisingly well for my slightly olive skin when coupled with a darker foundation. The concealer is slightly drier than my “Un” Cover-Up, but I’m convinced it makes for better coverage and blendability. It also comes in a shallow glass pot, but with a lower price tag – result.
Best Natural Liquid Foundation
As I said before, I like a foundation that is relatively opaque, without the need to cake it on. This time, it’s important to match the colour with your skin tone for the best effect.
My current two favourite foundations both share the same base ingredients: aloe vera juice and shea butter. These are Inika Organic Liquid Foundation in Beige and Hiro No Doubt Natural Foundation in #08 Bara. I’ve found Inika’s foundation to be the perfect liquidity, so it’s good to use a small amount and brush all over the face – even when it feels like there’s no foundation left on the brush. They also do a relatively cheap foundation trial kit, which includes their liquid foundation, primer, and two mineral foundations too.
As for Hiro, they’re a new brand to me, and I really like what they do. Started in 2011 in Germany, their range is the first natural one that really challenges high-street brands in terms of presentation; big bold products and soft touch bottles. I chose the shade #08 Bara using their handy chart, and I’ve found it’s a very thin mixture, meaning a little goes a long way. With half a pump, I can cover my face, starting across my cheekbones using EcoTools Foundation Brush, and then dabbing all over with what’s left. The foundation is incredibly light on my skin, and stays all day too.
If you’re looking for a simpler option, a real solid range to try is Ere Perez Oatmilk Foundations. Their first set comes in the shades Light, Medium, and Dark, but the newly-released tubes diversify the colours further – meaning you can go for a specific shade, or something more general. Personally I like their Light/Medium foundation the best, which translates to the shades Chai or Honey in the tubes.
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