GirlStyle Beauty Awards 2023: Best Foundations, Primers, Concealers, Setting Powders & Sprays For Glowing Skin

By Shairah on 24 Feb 2023

Project Editor

A dedicated skincare routine really works but sometimes, a good foundation can be the unsung hero behind that coveted glow. Throw in a makeup primer, concealer, setting powder, and spray and you've got yourself a powerful combination of products to create the perfect canvas.

From a barely-there finish to full-on coverage, the possibilities are endless. To help you navigate this beauty minefield, we tested the crème de la crème of the makeup world to bring you our pick of the best foundations, concealers, make-up primers, setting powders, and sprays that have nailed that 'your-skin-but-better' finish.

Photo from Rare Beauty

Best Lightweight Foundation: Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation

32 shades; 3 botanical ingredients; 1 super-fluid serum-like base. The Rare Beauty foundation lives up to its name by offering a weightless coverage that dries to a natural, skin-like finish. Makeup artist and GirlStyle Beauty Awards judge Ying Cui loves this foundation's fuss-free formulation; she found it easy to blend with just her fingers for a smooth coverage.

Get it here.

Photo from Ange Gardien

Favourite Foundation Cushion: Ange Gardien Naturale Glow Cushion Foundation

Foundation cushions are all about the 3 Cs: coverage, convenience, and (oil) control. This cushion foundation by Ange Gardien ticks all the right boxes. Besides a full-coverage finish, the Naturale Glow Cushion Foundation also has acacia peptides and niacinamide to give the skin a boost of glowy hydration. Unlike other cushion foundations, this one has HD pressed powder to absorb excess oil and control sebum production – making it an all-in-one must-add to your makeup stash.

Get it here.

Photo from Sulwhasoo

Best Foundation With Skincare Benefits: Sulwhasoo Perfecting Foundation

Gone are the days when foundations wreak havoc on your skin. The Perfecting Foundation is a skin-caring product that combines breathable makeup technology with Sulwhasoo's signature skincare formulation. GirlStyle Beauty Awards judge Cinddie loved the foundation's natural yet radiant finish, and found that it stayed put for hours.

Get it here.

Photo from Hourglass

Favourite High-End Foundation: Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation

At $96, this Hourglass foundation is certainly on the pricey side but we can safely say that the results are priceless. After applying just two pea-sized drops and buffing them onto our skin with a makeup sponge, we were blown away by how flawless and radiant our skin looked. The name doesn't lie: it blurs pores, hides imperfections, and will give you a natural and soft glow-from-within.

Get it here.

Photo from ESPRIQUE

Best Smoothening Foundation: ESPRIQUE Comfort Makeup Cream SPF50+ PA++++

The Comfort Makeup Cream is technically not a foundation but it offers a natural coverage similar to a foundation – with added benefits. Baby Moist Complex (comprising hydrolysed collagen, hydrolysed hyaluronic acid, and squalene) leaves skin looking radiant and hydrated, while Pore Care Complex and Dark Pore Coverage Powder cover visible pores for a lasting natural finish. This multi-tasking product offers broad coverage SPF50+ and can also function as a primer should you wish to add more coverage over it.

Get it here.

Photo from Charlotte Tilbury

Best Concealer For Dark Eye Circles: Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Radiant Concealer

Charlotte Tilbury calls it 'shapewear for the eyes and face'; we call it a godsend for dark eye circles. The Beautiful Skin Radiant Concealer does it all: conceals, smoothes, corrects, brightens, and gives a lifting effect to the eyes. Makeup artist and GirlStyle Beauty Awards judge Ying Cui picked this as a winner for its fine shimmer pigments that worked wonders to brighten her eye bags and dark eye circles.

Photo from Laura Mercier

Best Mattifying Primer: Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer - Blurring

In sunny Singapore, a mattifying primer is a must. For all-day coverage, we love Laura Mercier's Pure Canvas Primer. Upon application, this lightweight primer immediately blurs pores and minimises imperfections. More importantly, we hardly noticed any shine or patches of oil on our faces after eight hours of wear under the sun – a major win in our books.

Get it here.

Photo from MAC Cosmetics

Best Hydrating Primer: MAC Cosmetics Lightful C Tinted Primer

Pardon the pun but this tinted primer is simply de-lightful to use. Not only does it instantly even your skin tone and texture to create a beautiful blank canvas, its hydrating capabilities (containing coral grass, vitamin C, and cherry blossom) also add a subtle luminosity to the skin. The result? A rosy, lit-from-within effect.

Get it here.

Photo from Bobbi Brown

Best Eye Primer: Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Eye Base

Say goodbye to patchy makeup with this under-eye primer. With the help of hyaluronic acid, vitamins A, B3, C and E, and shea butter, the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Eye Base has a cushion-y soft texture that blends beautifully to correct dark eye circles and prep the skin for makeup. We find that it works well for the eyelids too; our eyeshadow looked more vibrant and stayed put for longer without any creasing or wearing off.

Get it here.

Photo from Laura Mercier

Best Mattifying Setting Powder: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder

This one is tough to beat – and for good reason. Laura Mercier's iconic Translucent Loose Setting Powder does it all: absorbs oil, eliminates shine, sets your makeup, and creates a dreamy, soft-focus effect that lasts for hours. Its finely-milled texture blends effortlessly into the skin without leaving a chalky or streaky effect.

Get it here.

Photo from Laura Mercier

Best Setting Powder For A Soft Glow: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder Light Catcher

The beloved Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder (see above) now has a luminous version – perfect for those who want a dewy effect. The weightless pearl blend pulls double duty to smooth the appearance of texture, pores, and fine lines while giving the skin an effortless glow-from-within.

Get it here.

Photo from KOSE

Best Setting Spray: KOSE Make Keep Mist EX

A setting spray in Singapore's humid weather is a must and our go-to choice at the moment is KOSE's Make Keep Mist EX. This super-fine setting spray does the job well: it repels sweat, water and even sebum to prevent makeup from smudging, caking or fading. GirlStyle Beauty Awards judge Cinddie was thoroughly impressed by its long-lasting qualities –it even kept her makeup intact in the rain.