I'm Breaking Up With My Foundation for This More Natural-Looking One-Step Alternative

I sometimes feel like working as a beauty editor is like slipping on an alter ego post-school run. Because while products are my kryptonite—I truly can’t resist the allure of a luxurious new moisturiser or sheeny lip gloss—I actually interact with very few of them in my normal daily routine. Yes, when I’m at my laptop, writing and researching trends and testing for beauty awards, my desk is littered with the best perfumes, hi-tech serums and innovative skincare tools. But outside of working hours, my beauty routine has to fight for survival between packing school bags, tidying a seemingly endless deluge of toys and answering questions about how the world started at 6 am. (Answers on a postcard, please.)

The truth is, with two young children, the luxury of sitting down to apply a full face of makeup, uninterrupted, is long gone. And I know I’m not alone in that. Almost everyone I know in every walk of life has been embracing a more simplistic approach to beauty in recent years. Yet here’s the truth of it for me: while an easier easier makeup routine has been inspired by necessity, I can’t say that I ever feel truly polished when I step out the door with natural skin. You see, as someone who deals consistently with acne breakouts, when my skin is really acting up, I crave the finish that a full foundation once gave me. But there is a solution. Introducing the “foundcealer”.

What Is a Foundcealer?

“Whether you are strapped for time or just want to simplify your routine, finding a concealer that doubles as a base can be a game changer,” explains celebrity makeup artist Tania Grier. Simply put, a foundcealer is effectively a multitasking concealer that can be used for selected coverage exactly where you need it, rather than covering every inch of your face with foundation. For me, that’s on blemishes and dark circles, while for you, it might be areas of redness or hyperpigmentation.

By leaving some areas of your skin bare, you’ll benefit from creating the appearance of fresh, bright and even skin, but with the added bonus of having blurred over any areas that you might prefer to fade into the background a little. And even better, it’s still incredibly fast to apply and actually cuts down the contents of your makeup bag by meaning you can ditch your foundation entirely.

How We Chose

I personally put all of the foundcealers on this list to the test, judging them on their coverage (in my case, concealing a pretty hefty stress-related breakout and dark circles from a run of broken sleep), how comfortable they are on the skin, their versatility on different areas of the face and their range of skin tones. I also asked makeup artist Tania Grier for her expert pick and reached out to my network of beauty editor friends for their recommendations, too.

The Best Foundcealers

• Best Overall: Merit Beauty The Minimalist (£34)
• Best for a Natural Finish: Erborian Super BB Concealer (£27)
• Best Multitasker: L'Oréal Paris Skin Ink Foundcealer (£15)
• Best for Brightening: Rimmel Multi-Tasker Wake Me Up Concealer & Foundation (£13)
• Best for Customisable Coverage: TirTir Glide & Hide Blurring Concealer (£13)

1. Merit The Minimalist

2. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

3. Erborian Super BB Concealer

4. Dior Backstage Face & Body Flash Perfector Concealer

5. L'Oréal Paris Skin Ink Foundcealer

6. Kulfi Main Match Concealer

7. Rimmel Multi-Tasker Wake Me Up Concealer & Foundation

8. Suqqu Creamy Cover Concealer

9. TirTir Glide & Hide Blurring Concealer

How To Use a Foundcealer

As someone who has very little skill in the makeup application department, I was slightly concerned that a foundcealer may require too much precision for me. However, they are delightfully easy to use. “In most cases, you’ll want to just apply a little to the under eye area, plus a dot on the cheeks, chin and forehead,” explains Grier. “You can then spread it out quickly using your fingers or a soft concealer brush.” If you do have areas like spots or rosacea then Grier suggests taking a moment to “spot check” the skin. “Just apply a small amount to blemishes, redness or pigmentation to create the same effect as a foundation would, but with a quicker turnaround as you’re using less product.”

What to Look for In a Foundcealer

The most important thing when choosing a foundcealer is getting the right shade, as you’ll need a tone that works on various areas of the skin and many of us naturally have fluctuations in tone and colour on our face. “Test the colour by applying it to the under eyes to see how it fares on dark circles before blending it out into the cheeks,” advises Grier. “It should complement the skin like a sheer foundation would.”

Next, it’s the texture to consider. “It needs to blend well and not feel dry,” says Grier. It’s also important to note that if you are used to wearing a more classic medium to full base then you will want to seek out a foundcealer with a little more pigment to make sure that you get that coverage. “Especially if you have rosacea, acne or sun damage, you’ll want something that genuinely conceals,” explains Grier.

Why Trust Us

At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products over the years—spanning skincare, makeup, hair and nails—and work closely with trusted experts including dermatologists, makeup artists and leading industry insiders to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.

We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.