3 easy foundations to get you through 2025 (plus a budget option too)

Foolproof options for a polished look, whether you're office-bound or WFH

If you’re in a similar life stage to me, chances are you’re looking after someone or something other than yourself: a child or two, an elderly parent, a team at work, a pet, your partner: the list goes on.

And as much fun as it can be to scroll through endless makeup tutorials, let’s face it — doing all that blending and planning? Not so much.

You need a foolproof foundation: one you can apply with your fingers, that doesn’t slide off halfway through the day and gives you enough coverage to create the illusion that you’re a functioning human.

Or at least, that’s what I need!

After lots of experimenting, I’ve found three that hit the mark. They don’t require fancy brushes to look good, you can go light or build coverage as needed, and they genuinely last all day.

1. Lisa Eldridge Skin Tint

When your foundation looks like a magical space egg - £37/$49

Let’s start with the lightest option, which isn’t technically a foundation but from the “foundation-adjacent” category: Lisa Eldridge’s Skin Tint.

It comes in this groovy, space-age egg-shaped bottle that makes you feel cooler just holding it. Shake the egg before applying — the formula is a watery liquid, and you can apply it directly to your face (if you’re bold) or use your hand as a palette to blend.

This offers gentle, sheer coverage: enough to brighten a tired face and mask mild redness or pigmentation. It’s perfect for a work-from-home day or a casual office vibe. And it would be a great choice for people who don’t habitually use makeup, it’s light and subtle.

Of the three, this is the one I’m most likely to use with a brush, but it’s still very finger-friendly. It’s not exactly cheap, but my bottle is still going strong after five months.

2. Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheet Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick

Stick season: £35/$46

Next up is one of the big launches from last year: Charlotte Tilbury’s Unreal Skin Sheet Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick.

CT claims this gives you a “ring light” effect. In my experience, it’s more of a soft, natural glow — which is no bad thing. It’s so easy to apply that fingers work better than brushes. You can smear it on and blend, no precision required.

The divine Sali Hughes compared it to CT’s Hollywood Flawless Filter, a product I could never quite figure out. The Unreal Skin Stick is a faster, easier shortcut to that classic CT glow.

One caveat: you can’t build up much coverage with this one. It’s sheer and glowy, designed to enhance rather than cover-up. I usually add concealer to cover blemishes or dark spots, but it’s my go-to for work-from-home days. It gives just enough glow to make me feel like I don’t need to set up a light for online meetings!

3. Ilia Skin Rewind Complexion Stick

Stick it to me: £48/$48 (it’s like the exchange rate doesn’t exist!)

Finally, my favorite of the three: Ilia’s Skin Rewind Complexion Stick.

This finger-friendly stick applies smoothly, but it’s more opaque than the others. The formula is beautifully buildable, so if you want a “one product to rule them all” vibe, this is the one. You could easily skip concealer when using this.

It offers a more grown-up matte finish, which flatters my —ahem— mature skin, and you can build to give you a full-coverage polished, put-together look. Or you can just swipe and blend with fingers, if you’re on a minimum-viable-makeup day. If I had to choose just one product from this list, this is the one.

4. A budget-friendly option: Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Perfector 4-In-1

Sponging it up: £12.99/$14.99

If all three sound too spendy (fair enough), here’s a great alternative: the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Perfector 4-In-1.

This one’s dummy-proof thanks to its unique packaging: it’s a gentle, blurring liquid foundation which ‘bubbles up’ through a sponge-tip applicator. While it’s not as glowy as the CT stick, it’s an excellent everyday option for work-from-home or quick errands. This one goes on super quick too, thanks to that sponge-tip. Just a few swipes and bish-bash-bosh, you’re ready to face the world.

Have you given in to the hype around foundation sticks and skin tints too? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments!