Coverage and Beyond: These Supercharged Foundations Deliver Skincare Results

June 9 | 3 minute read

Words by The MECCA Memo

Welcome to the era of hybrid beauty, where lipsticks act like lip balms, mascaras act like lash treatments – and foundations act like serums. Think of this new generation of complexion perfectors as the beauty version of your parents' ‘hiding vegetables in pasta sauce’ tactic because you refused to eat your greens. 

As MECCA’s Makeup Category Education Lead, Jeremy, explains: “Skincare-infused foundations go the extra mile beyond just providing coverage. They’re full of potent ingredients that improve the way skin looks and feels over time.”

He adds: “Everyone can benefit from skincare-infused formulations, but they can be extra helpful for those whose skin needs some extra TLC or those who don’t have time for skin prep on busy mornings.

“The right skin-loving formula can help foundation apply smoothly over dry skin or can provide a dewy glow, no illuminator required. It's all about your lifestyle and how you want to harness the power of skincare in each step of your routine.”

For glowing skin long after you’ve washed off your makeup, here are our favourite foundations supercharged with skincare.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Skin Perfecting Tint

Earning the much-deserved title of a triple threat, this award-winning multitasker is a makeup, skincare and broad-spectrum SPF30 boost in one. On the surface, it blurs imperfections, controls oil and leaves a natural matte finish. Behind the veil, squalane and electrolytes are hard at work to hydrate and even out texture – with a pleasantly refreshing ‘water burst’ sensation included.

This is a secondary sunscreen, designed to complement your primary SPF as top-up protection.

RMS Beauty SunCoverup Super Tint SPF50

If there’s one thing RMS Beauty is known for, it’s how to formulate long-wearing complexion products improve your skin while you wear them. Thanks to the additions of niacinamide, peptides, jojoba oil and bisabolol (a calming active derived from chamomile), this tinted moisturiser delivers the benefits of visible firming, smoothing, brightening and soothing, alongside natural, sheer coverage that just looks like great skin. What’s even better? The seamless addition of SPF.

This is a secondary sunscreen, designed to complement your primary SPF as top-up protection.

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Polite Society More Than A Pretty Face Skin-Caring Medium to Full Coverage Foundation

When making this viral foundation, Polite Society’s co-founder, Jerrod Blandino, says he reverse engineered his favourite serums to create a next generation formula. With comfortable all-day wear and a skin-like finish, it gives you the coverage you want and works overtime to leave skin brighter and more even-toned thanks to niacinamide, willow bark and hyaluronic acid.

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Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation

What happens when you take over 150 years of skincare science and turn it into a foundation? You get Revitalessence. Powered by prebiotics like fermented kefir and niacinamide, this medium-coverage foundation supports your skin's microbiome for smoother, brighter, healthier looking skin. Plus, it's long lasting, lightweight and leaves a glowy finish that doesn’t emphasise texture or the appearance of pores.

NARS Light Reflecting Foundation

Formulated with 70% skincare ingredients and made by the master of ‘skin that looks like skin’, Mr. Nars, this buildable foundation is a crowd favourite. Its thin, water-like texture feels weightless yet gives your complexion a radiant, blurred finish. Best applied like your favourite serums (with your fingers), Light Reflecting Foundation contains hydrating humectants and redness-reducing skin soothers.

ILIA Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40

According to ILIA founder Sasha Plavsic, it took three years to perfect this foundation-meets-serum-meets-SPF, but we’re glad she did – there’s nothing like protection you actually want to wear. Just like your favourite hydrating serum, this tint contains niacinamide, squalane and hyaluronic acid to plump and smooth skin. It also contains zinc oxide for added sun protection, though we always recommend layering with a primary SPF underneath. This sheer wash of colour has a dewy finish, is best applied with fingers and is the perfect one-and-done complexion step for busy mornings.

This is a secondary sunscreen, designed to complement your primary SPF as top-up protection.

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Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops

Recreate the ‘I’ve just had a facial’ glow every day with this skincare-infused tint, created by the pioneer of no-makeup makeup, Gucci Westman. These easy-going drops are designed to work with your skincare, not over it. Packed with serum-strength actives and the brand’s antioxidant-rich Skin Vitality Complex™, they instantly hydrate and soothe while working to brighten and improve skin texture over time. The cushiony serum texture starts off as a lightweight oil that sinks into the skin for buildable coverage and a luminous finish.

Tower 28 SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation

These days, it feels as though we’re missing out if our complexion products aren't spiked with skincare – and Tower 28 seems to agree. With prickly pear extract (reparative, blue-light blocking) and white sage (an antioxidant that helps protect against free radicals and even out the look of redness), SunnyDays glides on like skincare, looks like your real skin (but better), has additional broad-spectrum SPF30 protection and won’t freak out sensitive skin. Does it get any better? Yes! The sheer, satin-y formula is incredibly easy to build and even easier to apply – use your fingers, just like moisturiser.

This is a secondary sunscreen, designed to complement your primary SPF as top-up protection.

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Kosas Dreambeam Comfy Smooth Tinted Base With SPF40

If your daily base can’t hydrate, protect and improve your skin with every wear, does it really deserve a place in your routine? What does belong there is this number from Kosas. Somewhere between a primer, skin prep and skin tint, wear it alone for instantly even skin and luminosity, or as a base layer beneath your foundation to add glow and make it last longer – either way, it melts in so effortlessly you forget it’s even there! The addition of peptides, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and allantoin means it acts like a high-performance face serum, visibly brightening, hydrating and improving signs of ageing by helping to strengthen the skin. And how could we forget the bonus SPF40?!

This is a secondary sunscreen, designed to complement your primary SPF as top-up protection.

Now you’ve chosen your skincare-supercharged foundation, only one question remains: which shade? We’re glad you asked! Meet your match with our newly upgraded shade finder tool: select your foundation online or via the MECCA App – make sure you have the latest version! – then tap ‘Need help finding your shade?’ (it’s right above the shade selector). Watch our eCommerce Manager Steph take you through the steps here.