The nine best vegan foundations for every skin type

This product is the first of its kind, condensing a water-based liquid formula and SPF 25 into a foundation stick form. As a result, it’s super easy to apply – just swipe over where you want coverage and blend out with your fingers. The product practically melts into your skin and feels really moisturising. Dewy formulas rarely last all day, but this was surprisingly durable, and, if you want to apply a quick touch-up, layered without caking. It also boosts skin hydration in the long run, which is an added bonus. Available in 20 shades.

This foundation is fantastic for all skin types. Available in 26 shades, it’s lightweight, easily blendable (especially with a sponge) and has a lovely sheen once set. While it does tend to cling to dry patches, this is easily remedied with a pre-foundation exfoliation. A little goes a long way and it’s long-wearing, seeing us through rain and snow without any separation. It might not be heavy duty enough to cover blemishes, but is ideal for a “no-make-up make-up” look.

Calling this a foundation might be cheating. As the name suggests, its main goal is to smooth out imperfections like a filter. It just so happens that it packs a pigmented, illuminating punch better than most foundations. We love the formula – it’s light and applies smoother than any complexion product we’ve ever tried, leaving no streaks or cakey patches. Applied with the “magic wand” applicator (sort of like a chunky concealer brush) and blended with a sponge, our skin had the dewy, fresh-faced finish of our dreams. However, those looking for heavy coverage might be left wanting.

It’s rare to find a product that provides high coverage without leaving skin dry and flat, which is exactly why this foundation is a cult classic. The blend of coconut water and hyaluronic acid helps skin retain moisture and gives it a soft, semi-matte finish. Don’t mistake it as a product for dry complexions only – it’s oil-free, so also does a solid job of controlling unwanted shine. While we preferred how it looked applied with a sponge, it applies equally as well with your fingers or a brush and is buildable without looking thick. It also offers an impressive shade range with 35 different options across light, neutral and golden undertones.

If you thought Fenty Beauty was the one to beat with shade range, think again: Pür offers twice the choice at 100 different options. This is an innovative formula, filled with skin-friendly ingredients like vitamin B, green tea and ginseng, that not only protect your complexion from environmental stressors but actively work to improve its natural glow. You can choose between two different applicators, a doe foot or a pump. Going with the latter, we were impressed by how evenly it blended out with a damp sponge. While it did cling to drier skin in all the wrong places, it looked amazing on oily complexions even after a whole day’s wear.

It’s hard to believe The Ordinary could do anything as well as it does skincare, and yet this foundation is better than most products five times its price. Available in 21 shades, the formula is highly pigmented yet easy to blend out. While it advertises itself as a medium-coverage product, it was heavy enough to cover acne scarring but not so heavy that it masked our natural skin. This had the perfect long wear finish, satiny enough to give you a glow but not so dewy that it encouraged oiliness. It also contains SPF 15.

This foundation is matte without looking flat on the skin, using powder-filled microspheres in its formula to blur and obscure fine lines and imperfections. We loved the soft finish; it made quick work of our tester’s dark under-eye circles and felt plumping, not drying, thanks to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid. Unlike a lot of smoothing foundations, it doesn’t contain any silicone. Perhaps because of this, the formula does separate in the tube so be sure to shake before applying. We recommend topping with powder, as it separated slightly on our tester’s oily skin after a few hours. Available in 24 shades.

Foundation doesn’t get much more breathable than this. The formula is ultra-thin but depending on what you’re looking for, this is both a positive and a negative. For those loving the natural look, it’s infused with diamond powder, which gives it a flattering, soft-focus finish, and is just pigmented enough to blur out large pores or dark circles. The coverage isn’t heavy enough to cover blemishes or scarring though, and oily complexions may find it too sheer to keep shine at bay. Available in 12 shades, we found it applied best with our fingers.

You can choose from a whopping 44 shades for this foundation, beloved of oily skin types everywhere. The thick consistency can cling to dry skin but while we were worried it would emphasise wide pores, it actually sat well across our notoriously oily T-zone and lasted well throughout the day. It can be a little tricky to apply (done poorly, it will cake or crease after a few hours) but we found the right combo was using a hydrating primer beforehand and buffing out with a brush.