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11 best foundations for pale skin: From full coverage to lightweight formulas
Shopping for fair skin tones no longer needs to be a struggle with these tried-and-tested products
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It doesn’t much matter if you find your holy grail foundation if you can’t get it in a shade that matches your skin.
Thankfully, with brands under pressure to increase their shade offering across the range, paler-than-pale is no longer such a niche requirement.
We’ve been testing foundations to find those that not only sit well on skin and last well, but also offer shades that match pale skin beautifully, whether you’ve got oily or dry skin, yellow or peach undertones.
Consider whether you’d prefer a yellow tone to even out the pink in your skin – or vice versa – rather than matching your natural tone.
It can be tricky to buy a foundation in person during a pandemic, but if you can get to a store, don’t swatch foundations on your hand: apply along the cheek under the cheekbone and along the jawline, where you’re less likely to have redness and you can see how well the shade blends to your neck.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
The verdict: Foundations for pale skin
Estee Lauder’s “double wear” is a bestseller for a reason: endlessly reliable, it’s also the most extensive range we’ve seen by far.