The 2026 Foundation Edit: 6 ‘Real Skin’ Bases Vetted By A Pro
Makeup artist Donna May shares the best ones to buy so you don’t have to waste your money
Foundations... where on earth do you start? It is so overwhelming - I think I must get this makeup question more than any other. Even as someone who has spent 27 years in the beauty industry, I still feel that sense of “where do I even begin?” when I see the amount of products that are available.
That is why I really wanted to chat with this week’s guest on Smiling Gives You Wrinkles®, makeup artist Donna May and founder of Donna May London.
Look, Donna is in the trenches when it comes to makeup; she is testing these products every single day on her clients, so she knows what really works. We’re all being sold the idea that “this is good for that” and “this is the solution for this,” but in reality, it’s just confusing.
So, we decided to tackle the six most common problems when it comes to finding the perfect base, and the specific products that actually solve them.
How do I get my foundation to last all day without it sitting in my wrinkles?
The Expert Verdict: Manage your expectations - unless you are okay with a heavy, matte finish, you will struggle to find a longwear base that doesn’t settle into lines.
Donna says that one of the biggest hurdles we face when shopping for a foundation is the ‘longwear’ trap. We all want our makeup to last, yes, but as Donna explains in the podcast, if you see that ‘longwear’ label on the bottle, it will likely mean that it’s matte:
“It’s gonna be a heavy duty matte foundation. So it’s really misleading, the packaging.”
If you’re not prepared to wear a heavy-duty mask-like base, the next best thing is one of the new generation glow foundations that offer reasonable staying power without the flat finish. Donna’s top pick for this is the Yves Saint Laurent Beauté All Hours Glow: “This is really nice and glowy.”
How do I make my foundation look dewy and not dull on dry skin?
The Expert Verdict: Don’t assume that if the word ‘serum’ is on the packaging, that the base will appear glowy on the skin - some are surprisingly flat.
Even the word ‘serum’ on a bottle isn’t a guarantee of glow. Take the new Clarins Double Serum Foundation - Donna’s opinion on it was a real eye-opener:
“It’s too matte. It feels weird when it goes on. Even though it’s got all this serum stuff in it, it’s not glowy. You would expect the opposite.”
So if you do have dry, midlife skin and you’ve been disappointed by skincare-first serum foundations, Donna suggests looking for more liquid-y formulas that have more movement as you apply them. Her gold standard for this is the Lisa Eldridge Enhancing Skin Tint: “That is glowy, really nice, lovely.”
Why does my foundation always look orange or too yellow?
🎬 WATCH THIS PODCAST CLIP WHERE DONNA EXPLAINS WHY…
If your foundation looks “off” the moment you apply it, the brand or product usually isn’t the problem - it’s the undertone. To get that really natural finish, you have to understand your skin’s base colour first. And Donna’s ‘vein test’ is one of the easiest rules to follow:
“Basically the rule is, if you’ve got blue veins, you’re normally pink toned skin... you’re cool. Think Nicole Kidman. And then if you’ve got green veins, you’re normally olivey skinned and you’ve got a yellowness under your top layer... that means you’re a warm skin tone. Think JLo.“
Once you know your tone, Donna suggests shade matching with a tried-and-tested classic like Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation, which she far prefers over their newer launches: “I do love the Clarins Skin Illusion. This one, really glowy. It’s gorgeous. Been around for a long time... I much prefer that over the new Double Serum Foundation.”
What is the easiest foundation to apply quickly when I’m in a rush?
The Expert Verdict: Use a glowy stick formula for ‘bumping’ on coverage mess-free.
Foundation sticks are amazing for travel and the morning rush because they are mess-free and you don’t need brushes to apply them. Donna loves the Kiko Milano Hug Couture Stick:
“It’s lovely and glowy and lightweight. I really like the component of that. Just like, bumping it on the skin like that.”
Is e.l.f Halo Glow a good dupe for Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter?
The Expert Verdict: It’s a brilliant third-of-the-price dupe that you can mix into any foundation for a quick boost of glow.
Donna says that you don’t always have to spend a fortune to fix a base that feels a bit flat and recommends the e.l.f. Halo Glow as a serious contender for one of the most famous luxury glow products on the market:
“It’s the rip-off of the Hollywood Glow by Charlotte Tilbury. A third of the price or something, and it is proper glowy. I mean, it’s really glowy.”
But Donna’s real pro-secret isn’t just wearing it alone; it’s using it as a “booster” for your other products: “It’s really nice actually to mix with another foundation or just use quite sparingly.”
Which glowy foundation offers the best sun protection for mature skin?
The Expert Verdict: The IT Cosmetics Nude Glow contains a high SPF 50 sun protection but still gives skin a glowy, second-skin finish.
If you want your base to work as hard as your skincare, especially when you’re in the sun, this is the one. Donna loves it because it delivers that high-level protection without the typical “SPF grayness” or heavy texture that can settle into lines. As Donna says during the chat:
“It’s beautiful, and it’s got 50 factor in it... which I love.”