Five of the best foundations for fair skin

Pasty. Ghostly. Pale. Lily white. China doll. Yes, even China doll. I’ve been called them all. However, I prefer to refer to myself as fair skinned, or an English rose, despite having only a teeny weeny amount of English blood running through my veins.
That said, I feel I am most certainly qualified to write this article on the best foundations for fair skin. Overqualified, in fact. And considering bh member EmBurke66 is struggling to find the right base for her “casper white skin”, as she calls it, I feel now is the time to reveal my favourite foundation finds; those that never look orange, and leave an English rose looking wonderfully healthy…
BEST FOUNDATION FOR FAIR SKIN #1: Bourjois Healthy Mix
I don’t just adore this product in its foundation form; I’m utterly in love with the concealer version, too. It boosts your skin’s radiance for a divine glowy finish, and its fruit ingredients of apricot, ginger, apple and melon ensure your cells are nourished as well. Try it in Vanille Clair or Vanille.
BEST FOUNDATION FOR FAIR SKIN #2: YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat
Almost unmatchable in its ability to make the skin appear even-toned and wonderfully luminous at the same time, this lightweight formula contains golden pigments to brighten the skin in a natural manner. Wear this and you will receive compliments. Try it in Beige 10, Beige Dore 10, Beige Rose 20 or Beige 30, depending on your undertones.
BEST FOUNDATION FOR FAIR SKIN #3: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation ($68, meccacosmetica.com.au)
Delightfully lightweight, silky and hydrating, this luminous-inducing fluid provides sheer, buildable coverage for even, glowy skin. The bottle will last you anywhere from six months to a year too (no joke!), so it’s definitely worth the investment. Try it in Siberia, Deauville, Mont Blanc or Fiji, depending on your undertones.
BEST FOUNDATION FOR FAIR SKIN #4: Bobbi Brown Luminous Foundation
What I love most about this foundation is its ability to leave the skin feeling superably hydrated and even-toned at the same time. It also works wonders at covering imperfections, but leaves your skin look natural, healthy and glowy. Try Alabaster, Porcelain or Warm Ivory.
BEST FOUNDATION FOR FAIR SKIN #5: Revlon ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex
This is my go-to foundation when I need a little extra coverage. It feels conformable on the skin despite working hard to even out any blemishes and dark circles, and has a lovely a satin-matte finish. Try Ivory, Buff or Sand Beige.
Oh, and this post wouldn’t be complete without a shout-out to my current complexion must-have: BB creams. I’ve raved about my love for Garnier Skin Naturals Miracle Skin Perfector before, and let me tell you, that ship has still not sailed. I remain utterly in love. (Although I do occasionally cheat on him with his brother, the oil-free version. Please don’t judge me…) I must also give props to the light variations of Chi Chi Super BB Cream, Maybelline New York Dream Fresh BB and Rimmel London BB Cream – they’re all amazing, and will always have a place in my make-up kit.
Do you struggle to find the perfect foundation for your skin colour? Have you tried any of the fair skin-friendly foundations above? What foundations do you recommend no matter what your skin colour?
Have you tried any of the products mentioned above?
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206 Member Comments
LancomeTeint Idole has some really pale shades for fair skin tones,
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All of those BBs are too dark for me...The only BB I've ever found I can use is La Roche in shade 3. Must try the foundations. The Rimmel I mostly use is a little dark but blends ok to give me some life!
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I use Nars mont blanc, finally found my match after a friend recommended it!
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I've enjoyed using the Revlon Colorstay foundation in the past. Got a couple of others to finish before I can repurchase.
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Good to see some recommendations for those with very pale skin tones. I have light-medium neutral skin and find it really difficult to get a match in budget foundations and in some high end brands (there is no MAC shade for me). Judging from all the comments, there are lots of others with similar problems finding a good foundation colour-match regardless of where their skin sits on the colour and shade spectrum.
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Body shop has lightening drops I add to any foundation to lighten the colour- my fav product! Then I'm not restricted by brand and shade
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Definitely noting these down and would hunt for shade testing. I'm finding it very hard to find a colour that matches.
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Rimmel is great and cheap. I've been using theirs for years. I have very fair skin.
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Well I am super fair NC10/15 and are currently trialling both LancomeTeint Idole in 005 which is a great match and a super lovely foundation, and also Estee Lauder Double Wear in both shell and ivory nude (funnily enough both of which i can get away with). I do find the EL requires only the smallest amount though otherwise it can look mask-like, but it has great staying power.
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Kat Von D Lock It Foundation has the best range for pale skin, although the foundation is definitely on the full coverage side. So I use it for special occasions and use L'Oréal True Match (thanks a trial) its my now go to foundation.
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I have to go foundation shopping very soon. My trip to the chemist this morning to have a mini facial confirmed that so many foundations for my skin type are just...wrong. And then once you get the texture right, you have to get the colour right too.
And then just when you think you have it sorted, your skin changes, or the season changes and you have to use something different.
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I find the ivory Revlon colorstay is sometimes light enough for me, with illuminator on cheekbones. It's a must try for oddly white skin..
I have the whitest English skin with Italian greenish olive undertones, it's ridiculous hard to not look pink.
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very helpful as i have fair skin
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Im using Maybelline Fit Me. Its a pretty good match for my pale skin.
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I'm a Revlon fan at the moment.
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Moisturiser is your best foundation for nice skin. I can't be bothered with finding the perfect foundation. I only just started using BB cream.
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Ive not tried any of these products but at the moment im simply using a Rimmel BB Cream and thats working for me. Life has changed a lot for me over the past 8 months and so i dont have as much time in my mornings so a BB Cream is excellent.
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I find Illamasqua and Nars have a great range of lighter shades.
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I haven't used any of these but I found the rimmell and loreal true match are pretty good for my light skin
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Ive tried a lot of foundations but the only one I can't get to actually match my skin tone properly is rimmel stay matte mouse
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Always have trouble finding the right shade of foundation.
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The Body Shop's Fresh Nude Foundation in 010 Chelsea Porcelain is a great light foundation, too!
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Ugh I hate foundation shopping, I want to try the YSL but that's about it.
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I have yellow toned skin so I look for that but I hate when foundations oxidize and turn orange. I guess we all have skin colour matching issues of some sort.
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