'The 11 best lightweight foundations I swear by for summer – no sweat, just glow' (2025)

When summer hits, the last thing you want is your foundation melting off faster than your willpower at a family BBQ.
That’s where lightweight foundations come in, because the beauty of these formulas is that they give you just enough coverage to even out your complexion, while still letting your skin breathe.

Whether you’re soaking up the sun on holiday, or heading out for a game of padel on a hot day, lightweight foundations provide a fresh, natural finish that doesn’t migrate down your face the moment you step out the door. Not sure how to find the best lightweight foundation to suit your skin type? We tested the most popular formulas to determine which ones truly stand out.

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What is the best lightweight foundation?

When choosing what lightweight foundation works, it comes down to preference, budget and skin type. If your skin is dry, there's nothing better than a lightweight foundation as the barely-there texture doesn’t sit or dry patches. They're also great for mature skin types as they don't tend to settle in lines, and they work well on blemish-prone skin as they tend to be oil-free.

What is the most natural looking foundation?

The most natural-looking foundation is one that matches your skin shade and typically has a lightweight, skin-like finish that enhances your complexion without masking it. Coverage will be labelled as sheer or buildable.

The best lightweight foundation to try now

I adore this foundation. It's exactly what a lightweight foundation should be: breathable, airy and delivers on the glow factor. If you find your foundation goes patchy by lunch time, this is worth reaching for, as its hyaluronic acid delivers a dose of hydration and coconut extract improves skin’s ability to hold water for a plumper complexion. I just wish more came in the tube; you need a decent amount to get coverage. Having said that, once it's on your skin, it it blends in seamlessly and really it magic.

If, like me, you love the Skin Nova primer, you’ll likely become just as obsessed with the Complexion Balm. It leans more toward medium coverage, making it easy to even out skin tone while still feeling light and airy on the skin. It’s also packed with brilliant skincare ingredients – like niacinamide, which helps improve dullness, and orpheus flower extract, known to enhance skin texture over time. A light layer offers a solid amount of coverage without needing to build, and the finish isn’t overly glowy either, making it a great option if your skin tends to be on the oilier side.

Don't be fooled by its solid cream base; this foundation glides on skin to mask imperfections but somehow feels very lightweight. It cleverly works as a concealer too, and can be used just in the places you need it most. I also love how it keeps looking natural and glowy no matter how much you put on. It's definitely the best at covering spots, too.

Okay, so technically this is a CC cream, but it’s easily one of my all-time favourite products, and performs like a lightweight foundation with its barely-there, skin tint-style coverage. It’s also a true multitasking hero. Packed with skincare benefits, it offers mineral SPF; antioxidants; and a clever pigment technology featuring black, red, and orange capsules that burst and blend seamlessly on application. This not only keeps the pigments from oxidising (so the colour stays fresh and vibrant), but also allows the formula to adapt beautifully to your individual skin tone. It melts into the skin and becomes completely undetectable. Every time I wear it, people tell me how amazing my bare skin looks – but little do they know…

This one easily takes the top spot for achieving that coveted my-skin-but-better finish. I love that it’s waterproof – perfect for holidays or for anyone who likes to wear a base during workouts. And because it’s MAC (aka the masters of makeup formulations) you can count on it to go the distance. It’s lighter than I expected, but buildable – just the tiniest dot gives impressive coverage without feeling heavy.

If your skin barrier is damaged, this helps to nurse it back to health while brightening and evening out skin tone. It contains skin-loving ingredients like fermented Kefir+ and niacinamide, which help to support the skin's natural bacteria while brightening, hydrating, and smoothing the complexion. It's not overly glowy, making it a good shout for oilier skin types.

This has a very loose, watery consistency but applies like a dream, blending into skin to tone down redness and boost skin brightness. It's the lightest of all the products I tried, and is more akin to a tinted moisturiser – only it feel light years ahead in term of the finish it delivers. I'm a big fan of this.

This is a brilliant option if you like mineral makeup. It's very similar to the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream, but slightly glowier. It has a lovely creamy consistency that offers buildable coverage and it boasts some impressive SPF50 protection.

This pips the others to the post in terms of skincare ingredients as it's made up of 85% of them. A winner for very dry skin, it boasts hydrating hyaluronic acid, brightening rice bran peptides, plumping polyglutamic acid and moisturising glycerin, which offers long-lasting hydration.

A total bargain, this brightens skin, boosts your glow and doesn't feel cakey or heavy. It has an impressive shade range and you get good bang for your buck. A bottle of this really goes the distance.