We tested out the best sweat-proof foundations

Because nothing stays on in this weather


It’s been a humid week and the only thing worse than being stuck inside with no air conditioning is being at work, stuck inside, with no air conditioning. After an eight hour shift my make up was a smudged disaster, shiny, sweaty and gross.

As our British weather peaked at 32 degrees, I decided to test out what makeup could combat this persistent heat by trialling five different foundations to decide on the ultimate sweat-proof, shine-proof solution.

When it comes to foundations I can be awfully picky. My freckles are my favourite feature so I always look for a foundation that allows them to shine through whilst evening out my skin tone and covering dark circles and redness.

Five foundations

The five foundations I played with were Miss Sporty’s SoClear which offers ‘shine control’ that was only £3.49, L’Oréal’s Infallible Foundation that claims to be ‘24h-matte’ and was £8, Perse’s LOLA that is ‘matte and long lasting’ which was the most expensive at £18, Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse that gives a ‘perfect matte finish’ at £6 and finally Rimmel’s 9-in-1 BB cream at £7 that ‘smoothes, mattifies [and] gives a flawless finish’.

Wearing each of them for a day I documented how long they lasted and whether they really kept me free from that sweaty glow.

Bare-faced

No make up here

Miss Sporty’s SoClear

Dull dull dull

First up was the cheapest option, Miss Sporty’s SoClear. Despite going for the palest shade they had, I still found it to have a lot of orange undertones which wasn’t the best look for my cool complexion so maybe this isn’t the best for pale girls. After an hour or two I noticed it was starting to go patchy so had to top up with a little more foundation. The formula was also really runny. This was definitely one of my least favourites.
Rating: 4/10

L’Oréal’s Infallible

Infallible OMG

The second was L’Oréal’s Infallible Foundation which might just be my new favourite foundation ever. It didn’t budge. After an eight hour shift the foundation still evened out my skin tone and gave a soft glow whilst still remaining matte and non-oily. A little went a long way with the formula and for only £8 I was really impressed.
Rating: 9/10

Perse’s LOLA

 

Still matte though

The third foundation was the most expensive and held up decently in the heat. I did get a bit of transfer when I touched my face but it didn’t go patchy like the Miss Sporty foundation and out of the five had the most coverage with a thicker formula than the others.
Rating: 7/10

Rimmel’s 9-in-1 BB Cream

Such shine 🙁

To add a little variation in my quest for matte skin I tried out a BB Cream but disappointingly found it gave me a very ash coloured skin tone and despite having ‘radiance’ in the name was the exact opposite. The thick formula was unpleasant and by the end of the day I was looking shiny and oily again! This was the worst.
Rating: 3/10

Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse

Matte and a Mousse?

This was my second favourite! After a whole day at work it still looked fresh and the formula blended really well into my skin, hiding any sign of shine. It was reasonably good coverage and didn’t transfer in the heat. This one is perfect for a summer beach trip for sure.
Rating: 8.5/10

The winner

Overall my favourite was L’Oréal’s Infallible which for the price was amazing, with Maybelline’s Dream Matte Mousse a close second. The formula gave a nice coverage without hiding my freckles and also lasted the entirety of my day without needing reapplied. It stayed matte without being dull and I am definitely using this one again!