After years of trial and error, here are the best foundations for pale skin - as tested by seriously pale beauty editors
And they don't compromise on the skin-like finish we love
When it comes to honing in on make-up that works for me, my years as a beauty journalist mean that I can pretty much tell from a brief glance at a mascara wand or a quick swatch of a cream blusher whether a product is going to end up in my beauty bag. However, there’s no denying that deciphering the best foundation has been a decidedly more arduous process of testing and trialling. Why? Because I have pale skin, and many foundations that claim to cater to the lighter end of the spectrum are often too orange or too pink.
"It’s really difficult to tell [if a foundation will suit pale skin] from looking at it in a bottle," explains make-up artist Lisa Caldognetto. "Trying a foundation out is really important because some definitely do oxidise. This means that it might look perfect at first, but then within ten minutes of wear it’s gone a little bit orange or a little bit yellow and you just kind of look unwell, or like it’s totally not a match for your skin tone."
Yes, it seems that the subtleties of undertones (that’s those ingenious hints of yellow or pink that help to make a foundation tone look genuinely skin-like) tend to be lost once we get into the porcelain and ivory end of a foundation’s shade offering. In fact, I’d say that at one point basically all foundations for pale skin were available pretty much exclusively in either Victorian ghost or streaky fake tan. Far from ideal.
How to find your undertone
Caldognetto explains that there are some tricks to deciphering your undertone if you’re not sure—if you think you suit gold jewellery more then you’re likely to have warm or yellow undertones, whereas if you suit silver then chances are you have cool or pink undertones. However, if you’re still not sure then neutral is a good place to start: "The beauty of wearing a pale foundation with a neutral undertone is that, whatever your true skin tone, the colour will absorb slightly and work for you without veering to one extreme or another."
My testing criteria
Luckily though, times are changing and there are some amazing brands out there creating brilliant foundations in a truly diverse spectrum of skin tones. (In fact, I should caveat this piece with the fact that historically finding decent foundations on the high street has been an even harder task for those with darker skin tones—and is a space where there is still much room for improvement.) I asked Valeza Bakolli - MCUK's Junior Shopping Editor and fellow pale foundation forager - for her input on the best formulas out there. In our extensive testing to find the best foundation for pale skin, we’ve found that they all have these things in common:
- They all look natural and skin-like when applied, regardless of coverage and finish.
- They are available in a spectrum of shades and undertones that genuinely work for pale skin—there’s no one shade fits all approach.
- They never verge into fake tan territory. It’s an orange streak-free zone.
Below, our pick of the very best foundations for pale skin. For more inspiration, don't forget to check out our guides to the best foundation for dry skin, the best foundation for oily skin, the best foundation for acne-prone skin and even the best drugstore foundations.
1. L'Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation
L'Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"For a high street foundation, the shade range here is impressive—48 in total and recently reformulated with green and blue colour pigments for even more skin-like tones. I wear shade 1W, which has just the right amount of yellow for my skin tone without veering into sallow territory. Plus, the addition of hyaluronic acid means it boasts a beautiful plump, bouncy skin finish." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
2. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"Despite having skin that leans to the oily side, I tend to avoid matte foundations like the plague—this one from Fenty Beauty being the only exception. Yes, it’s shine-free, but skin never looks flat or lifeless when wearing this. Instead, it acts like a filter; blurring over pores and generally smoothing things out. Available in 50 shades, including tons for pale skin (I’m in shade 120), it’s an ideal choice if you want a foundation that stays put." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
3. Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation
Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"This is the foundation I reach for when I haven’t had enough sleep and I need something that’s going to make me look healthy, fast. Traditionally, I’ve found that glowy formulas tend to skew as orange-y on pale skin or they’re laden with shimmer, but this one from Hourglass is all about that subtle lit-from-within glow. I wear shade 2 (and there are 32 available) and love the sheer, natural finish." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
4. Saie Glowy Super Skin Foundation
Saie Glowy Super Skin Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"Foundations with hydrating, glowy formulas are hands down my favourites - come winter or summer - and when it comes to a radiant finish, no foundation delivers quite like Saie. The clue is in the name here, but it really does leave my skin with an impressive glow - even on grey and gloomy days. It comes in 36 shades, with a great selection for pale skin, and unlike other lighter foundations I’ve tried, it doesn’t leave my skin looking at all chalky. I will mention, it’s important to give this foundation a good shake before use as the formula can separate a little in the bottle, but once well mixed, it glides on like water and leaves a beautiful, healthy-looking finish." - Valeza Bakolli, Junior Shopping Editor
5. The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation
The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"When it comes to make-up, The Body Shop tends to fly massively under-the-radar, but this is truly one of the best foundations for pale skin that I’ve ever tried. Sure, it doesn’t promise anything fancy—it’s a medium coverage, hydrating formula with a natural skin-finish—but don’t we all need one of those in our make-up bags? Available in 40 shades (I wear 2W) it’s basically healthy skin in a bottle and it’s perfect for everyday wear." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation
Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"Although Anastasia Beverly Hills is a brand that’s synonymous with brows, it turns out that their first and only foundation offering is pretty impressive in its own right. With 50 shades in a range of warm, cool and neutral undertones (I’m in 120W) it has nailed the pale colour offering. But most appealingly, the subtly luminous finish covers everything from spots to dark circles and stays put all day without looking cakey." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
7. Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting SPF30 Foundation
Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting SPF30 Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"I always recommend Shiseido as a great place to start for people with pale skin. As while there are 30 shades available here (I’m in shade 130 Opal) they are definitely weighted more heavily towards the lighter end of the colour spectrum. If, like me, your skin is oily one day, dry the next and you’re also spotting some signs of ageing in the form of fine lines, then this flexible foundation offers coverage, smooths texture and brings a subtle glow." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
8. Kosas Revealer Foundation
Kosas Revealer Foundation
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"This foundation has my favourite kind of consistency - thin but pigmented - and glides onto my skin like water. It’s a dream to buff in (I choose to do so with fingers for a speedy, natural-looking finish), and doesn’t emphasise my dry patches, despite having exceptional coverage. My favourite thing about this foundation, though, has to be its truly neutral undertone. It allows me to completely neutralise any redness, so I can go in with blusher on the areas I want to cover only - a complete game changer. Alongside neutral, the range of shades covers warm, cool and olive undertones, meaning you can really tailor it to your skin." - Valeza Bakolli, Junior Shopping Editor
9. Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick
Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"Stick foundations don’t tend to be my bag, but the addition of skincare ingredients like moisturising blue lotus and marshmallow root extract mean that this one from Milk Makeup is ultra-creamy and easy to apply. It layers up beautifully so you can wear it sheer or build it to full coverage, and doubles as a decent under-eye concealer. Available in 36 shades, I’m in Shell—fair with golden undertones." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
10. bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation SPF 20
bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Liquid Foundation SPF 20
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
"I swore by the classic bareMinerals powder foundation for many years before becoming fickle with foundation testing. However, this liquid version is my new favourite from the brand thanks to its incredible staying power and ability to cover absolutely everything while still maintaining the illusion of natural skin. Much like Shiseido, its 35-shade offering dominates at the lighter end of the spectrum but makes it a great choice for pale skin." - Mica Ricketts, Beauty Contributor
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Mica Ricketts is a freelance beauty editor and contributor to Marie Claire. She has written for titles including Refinery29 and Who What Wear UK, and also works with beauty brands on content messaging and marketing copy. She was previously Who What Wear UK's beauty editor. As someone that has tried basically every acne product on the market, she has a particular passion for debunking skincare myths and finding products that work. Plus, with two small children at home she is all about time-saving beauty routines that boost glow and disguise dark circles.
- Valeza BakolliJunior Shopping Editor
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