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.) In my extensive testing to find the best foundation for pale skin, I’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, my 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
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.
2. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
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.
3. Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation
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.
4. The Body Shop Fresh Nude Foundation
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.
5. Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation
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.
6. Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting SPF30 Foundation
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.
7. Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick
