Try These Foundation Alternatives For Lightweight Makeup

There comes a time when a foundation is just too much to deal with. Sometimes, it’s about the price. Other times, it takes too much time to do base makeup because of priming and setting. But for the most part, it’s about how heavy foundations feel on the face. It’s difficult for the skin to breathe under a full-coverage foundation. That’s when you look for foundation alternatives.

You might think that you can cover acne, blemishes, redness, or pores only with a foundation. But you’ll be surprised by how other products can give you just as much coverage among other benefits. These makeup foundation alternatives actually take care of your skin, unlike foundation.

They provide anti-aging benefits, sun protection, hydration and moisture, and even skin treatments. They’re refreshing alternatives that nourish the skin while giving you a beautiful complexion. These products can be CC creams, BB creams, tinted moisturizers, and multi-tasking products. Know that there are plenty of foundation alternatives, and there is one for everyone! Scroll down to find yours.

The Best Foundation Alternatives For a Natural Makeup

1. Chanel CC Cream Super Active Correction Complete Sunscreen SPF 50

I can’t get over the amount of coverage of this one. Let’s leave everything aside and just talk about the coverage. This one is the closest thing to a foundation on this entire list. I thought I was being rewarded by the skincare gods when I went for a CC cream instead of a foundation!

Chanel CC is the lightest form of a foundation with the most amazing radiant finish. It puts a light filter on the face, evens out the skin tone, and gives you a non-greasy dew in all the right places. If you’ve ever used a hyaluronic acid serum, then you know how it instantly wakes up the face and makes it all plump.

Now, think of it with some tint! That’s what this is. Plus, it’s filled with vitamin C. So, you don’t have to feel guilty about looking great. Your skin loves it as much as you do. It’s suitable for all skin types, but I bet dry skin types will especially love it!

2. Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment SPF 30

We recommend Dr. Jart Cicapair Tiger Grass CC cream every time we talk about color correcting. It’s the product if you want to get rid of any redness instantly! This treatment is the perfect foundation alternative for people suffering from rosacea. It’s designed to treat redness in time. But it does such a good job that you don’t need anything else!

Plus, if you have rosacea, you really don’t want to put too much stuff on your face. You may cause irritation. In any case, this green-tinted balm calms the face and creates the perfect canvas. It also has SPF. So, all you need to do is just put on some blush. If you have rosacea, you might want to check out our list of rosacea-friendly skincare products.

3. Erborian CC Creme SPF 25

This CC cream deserves all the hype. The white/gray cream magically blends in with your skin tone and replaces it with a better one! I don’t know how it does it, but it is the perfect color corrector for any skin type!

It has a natural finish that’s on the radiant side. It gives you a very light coverage that is enough to get rid of any dullness or mild imperfections. Your skin still breathes and looks so much better.

Quick Tip: Erborian has amazing complexion products that multi-task. Their primers, CC creams, and tinted moisturizers are all amazing. I swear by their CC Water Gel and BB Creme as other foundation alternatives.

4. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector SPF 30

This is a lazy girl’s product for flawless skin inside and out. It moisturizes, blurs out any imperfections, gives natural coverage, and provides sun protection with SPF 30. This tinted moisturizer looks especially great on skin that has fine lines. It softens the look of those lines.

A regular foundation can increase the visibility of wrinkles. But this lightweight breezy tinted moisturizer is a multitasking foundation alternative that gives you a more youthful appearance. If you’re 30+ and dealing with wrinkles, we have a step-by-step tutorial on how you can do your makeup.

5. Tarte Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20

The clay aspect of this tinted moisturizer makes this an amazing foundation alternative for people with oily skin. If you have oily skin, then you must have some clay-based skincare products like masks and face washes. Because clay is super helpful in absorbing excess oil.

There are some other goodies in this oil-free tinted moisturizer as well. It has vitamins A and E, and chamomile extract. These are all amazing antioxidants that actually improve skin texture. With a basic SPF 20, you’ve got an all-in-one product that’ll give you coverage, moisture, anti-aging benefits, and sun protection.

6. Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation Serum SPF 20

This may seem like a pricey alternative to a foundation. But remember that this is actually a face serum! It is packed with antioxidant plant extracts that improve skin texture over time. They help restore the skin from daily environmental damage. So keep that in mind!

You’re supposed to nourish the skin with this face serum. The good part is the benefit that comes with it, which is a beautiful, naturally luminous coverage that’s buildable. It instantly blurs out pores, wrinkles, and lines. And it gives you a smooth flawless finish. Honestly, this is skincare disguised as cosmetics.

7. Kosas Tinted Face Oil Comfy Skin Tint

I love a good face oil as much as the next clueless oily-skinned person. Yes, they may clog pores. But, who cares? The glow that comes with oils is just amazing! The idea that we can have that glow with a good amount of skin tint as a foundation alternative is just exciting.

This oil foundation is for those of you who want all the antioxidants in the world with natural coverage on the side. The oils in this foundation are the ones you want in your face serum.

Jojoba, avocado, and green tea -all of them are rich in antioxidants that neutralize free radical damage. So, this has all the nourishing elements of face oil. It is super easy to apply, too. It glides on the face and has a luminous dewy finish.

8. IT Cosmetics CC Cream Oil-Free Matte SPF 40

This is an all-time favorite for anybody who wants to catch a break from wearing foundation. This oil-free CC cream is perfect for oily skin types who want shine-free makeup. The charcoal we know from face masks controls the oil production of the skin.

It’s what gives this CC cream the matte finish. It smoothes out all those common skin issues related to oily skin; pores, shine, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation. Plus, with all the anti-aging ingredients, it’s especially helpful for mature and aging skin.

Several antioxidant plant extracts combined with collagen and peptides provide the skin with a substantial amount of nutrients. This foundation alternative is your makeup as well as your skincare.

9. Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm SPF 40

This is the perfect BB cream for natural makeup that doesn’t need any foundation. First of all, the coverage exceeds expectations. It’s not full but it’s better than that. This BB gives you a second skin that looks even, fresh, smooth, and dewy.

It’s a great makeup foundation alternative for people with dry skin. Additional benefits include anti-aging and sun protection. The consistency looks and feels like a medium-coverage foundation. But once you put it on, it feels like a light cream moisturizer.

You can use it for no-makeup makeup days to get a smooth and even skin tone without the heavy feeling of foundation. And because it’s so creamy and moisturizing, it’s also the perfect BB cream for mature skin, which tends to be dry.

10. Revolution Pro CC Perfecting Skin Tint

This is an affordable drugstore foundation alternative just as good as the other ones on this list. It’s a color-correcting skin tint so it comes out white but adapts to your skin tone. That’s how it neutralizes skin discolorations to give you a natural no-makeup look, allowing the skin to breathe while looking amazing.

It gives low but buildable coverage and feels weightless on the skin. As you blend it in, the shade matches your skin tone, making you look like you’re not wearing any base makeup. The budget-friendly formula is great for everyday wear.

What Else Can You Use Instead of a Foundation?

If you still want to see other options, it’s time to get creative. There are ways and products you can use to create a beautiful complexion.

Moisturizer

First of all, don’t underestimate the power of a good moisturizer. I’m not talking about tinted ones at this time. There are amazing moisturizers with different finishes like matte and dewy. If you want to cover up pores, look for a silicone-based mattifying moisturizer that blurs out textured skin. You can then do your eye makeup and add some blush.

For summer, you can use a glowy moisturizer to give you that dewy highlighted skin. From then on, color up your lips and add some mascara and bronzer. This will create a glowy distraction that will reduce the visibility of any imperfections.

Concealer

Concealers are usually more concentrated than foundations. That’s why we don’t use them all over the face. Instead of covering the whole face with a foundation, apply tiny dots of concealer on acne or dark spots or wherever you want to cover.

This will give you the coverage you need in specific areas without creating a flat or cakey look. If you blend your concealer well, you absolutely don’t have to wear foundation. Just do the rest of your makeup and you’re good to go.

Tanner

A tan is the ultimate coverage if you ask me. Whatever imperfections you have on your face, a tan distracts people from them. Sadly, not all of us are enjoying an early retirement where we can lay under the sun all day.

But luckily, there are facial bronzers that give you an instant and gradual tint. These tanners provide a beautiful tint without coverage. But this tint instantly beautifies the complexion where you don’t need to cover anything anymore.

Primer

Some primers are so good that they multitask. There is a variety of primers out there. A smoothing primer, oil-controlling primer, pore minimizing, or illuminating primer.

Even though they don’t provide coverage, most of them are literally made for smoothing out textured skin. You can apply a primer after you apply your moisturizer. The smooth velvety skin will only need a touch of blush and nothing else.

Powder

Loose powder can replace a heavy foundation. Pressed powders can be too heavy on the skin. Plus, they don’t give you much control and they’re difficult to apply.

You can use loose powder as a foundation alternative. Apply it with a brush as a touch-up to lightly cover any imperfections. They’re especially great for oily skin to reduce shine. For dry skin, don’t forget to moisturize in advance, because the loose powder will look patchy.

So these are some of the best foundation alternatives out there and some other products you can use instead of foundation.

If you’re also trying to replace your concealer, you’re in luck. Check out these concealer alternatives you can substitute for concealer.