Guides

Foundation for very fair skin: how far does the drugstore go?

With very fair skin, even the lightest shade of a range is often too dark or too yellow. We counted how often in our catalogue.

How often the drugstore keeps up

We took 818 very light shades from perfumeries and brand shops (foundation, powder foundation, skin tint and BB cream) and looked for the closest drugstore shade each time, only among drugstore products with a shop in our catalogue. The result:

• 70 % fits: no difference to the naked eye.
• 27 % just fits: only visible side by side.
• 3 % probably not: the closest shade, but not the same colour.

“Very light” here means a lightness (L*) of 85 or more on a scale from 0 to 100.

The drugstore ranges with very light shades

• Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Foundation: 41 shades, 9 of them very light; the lightest is F6.5.
• Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless: 40 shades, 6 of them very light; the lightest is 102 Fair Porcelain.
• ColourPop Pretty Fresh Hydrating Foundation: 42 shades, 5 of them very light; the lightest is Fair 05W.
• L'Oréal Paris Infaillible 32H Fresh Wear Foundation: 12 shades, 5 of them very light; the lightest is 15 Neutral.
• Milani Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Foundation + Concealer: 24 shades, 5 of them very light; the lightest is Porcelain.
• Makeup Revolution Skin Silk Serum Foundation: 19 shades, 4 of them very light; the lightest is F0.5.
• Maybelline Super Stay up to 24H Skin Tint Foundation + Vitamin C: 13 shades, 4 of them very light; the lightest is 03.
• Maybelline Super Stay Lumi-Matte Foundation: 15 shades, 3 of them very light; the lightest is 90.
• NYX Professional Makeup Make 'EM Wonder Foundation: 44 shades, 3 of them very light; the lightest is 01 Pale.
• Catrice Soft Blur Matte Airbrush Powder: 7 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is 005C.
• L'Oréal Paris True Match Foundation: 23 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is 1.5.N.
• L'Oréal Paris True Match Pressed Powder Foundation: 4 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is 1C.
• Max Factor Miracle Touch Foundation SPF 30: 12 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is 040 Creamy Ivory.
• Maybelline Instant Perfector Glow 4-in-1: 6 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is 0.5 Fair-Light Cool.
• NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Mattifying Lightweight Powder: 6 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is 01.
• e.l.f. Cosmetics Soft Glam Satin Foundation: 30 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is 11 Fair Neutral.
• wet n wild Bare Focus Niacinamide Skin Tint: 8 shades, 2 of them very light; the lightest is Fair.
• Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation: 25 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is Light Beige 010.
• Catrice Soft Glam Filter Fluid: 3 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 010 Fair - Light.
• L'Oréal Paris True Match Compact Powder: 6 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 1R.
• L'Oréal Paris True Match Nude Serum Foundation: 6 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 0.5-2 Sehr Hell.
• Makeup Revolution Superfix Blur Longwear Foundation: 39 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is F0.2N.
• Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless Foundation SPF 20: 12 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is C10 Fair Porcelain.
• Max Factor Miracle Pure Skin Reset Serum Foundation: 14 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 00-10 Very Fair.
• Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder: 5 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 115 Ivory.
• Maybelline Fit Me Nude BB Cream LSF 50: 7 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 10.
• Maybelline Lifter Plump & Glow Foundation: 14 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 90.
• Maybelline Super Stay 24H Hybrid Powder Foundation: 5 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is 03.
• NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Foundation: 39 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is Pale.
• NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Snatch Powder: 7 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is Sugar Serve.
• e.l.f. Cosmetics Flawless Finish Foundation: 26 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is Light Ivory.
• wet n wild Bare Focus Clarifying Finishing Powder: 3 shades, one of them very light; the lightest is fair light.

21 more drugstore products in the catalogue have no shade at all in this range.

When the lightest shade is still too dark

• Look at the undertone, not just the lightness. Many very light shades are yellowish; if a light shade looks dull or yellow on you, try a neutral or rosy one.
• Some brands offer white mixers you can lighten a foundation with. Use a little and test on your jaw.
• Skin tints and BB creams cover less. If the shade is a touch too dark, it shows less than with a full-coverage foundation.