Serum Foundations Are The Lightweight Coverage Game-Changer Beauty Editors Are Switching To

Verdict: Who Serum Foundations Actually Suit

Serum foundations are lightweight, skincare-infused base products that even out tone with a breathable, skin-like finish, prioritising comfort and wearability over full-coverage opacity, which makes them ideal for natural, ‘no-makeup makeup’ routines and for anyone who dislikes the feel of heavy foundation on their skin. From a beauty editor’s perspective, they are a welcome correction to years of ultra-matte, high-coverage formulas. Across three key options—the budget-friendly The Ordinary Serum Foundation, the easy No7 Pro Artist Silk Glaze Skin Tint, and the camera-ready Hung Vanngo Red Carpet Skin Luminous Longwear Serum Foundation—the bottom line is clear: go serum if you want lightweight, buildable coverage foundation that looks like real skin. If you still crave full-conceal glam every day, these will feel too sheer. But for dry, reactive or comfort-first complexions, they are a genuine upgrade.

The Ordinary Serum Foundation: The £6 Comfort Hero For Dry, Flaking Skin

The Ordinary Serum Foundation, at £6.40, is the standout budget serum foundation lightweight enough for unhappy, dry or flaking skin. Designed to give moderate coverage without a heavy make-up look, it is an emollient-rich, high-spreadability formula that glides smoothly across the skin and avoids settling into fine lines. In real-world testing, it did not cling to rough patches even when skin was at its most flaky, which makes it far more forgiving than many expensive bases. Shaded across 36 tones and praised for its flattering finish and long wear, it behaves like a comfortable foundation formula that balances dryness while reducing shine without ever feeling mask-like. The trade-offs: the bottle is relatively small, some shades are hard to find, and shade matching can be fiddly. If you can get your match, though, this is the most impressive value option by a wide margin.

No7 Skin Tint: The Everyday ‘No-Makeup Makeup’ Base

If your ideal base is barely-there colour that evens out redness but still looks like skin, the No7 Pro Artist Silk Glaze Skin Tint fits that brief. The new skin tint provides lightweight coverage with a natural-looking finish and comes in 12 shades. It smooths over redness and minor imperfections while still allowing skin to look like skin, avoiding heavy, overly perfected edges. It blends quickly with fingertips, but also works with brush or sponge and needs little effort to look even. The finish has a healthy freshness, making it ideal for everyday wear. In the skin tint vs foundation debate, this sits firmly on the tint side: it is a flattering veil of colour that enhances rather than hides your complexion. The compromise is obvious—it will not satisfy anyone chasing full coverage or a completely matte finish, but it never claims to.

Hung Vanngo Red Carpet Skin Serum Foundation: Lightweight Soft-Focus Glam

Hung Vanngo’s Red Carpet Skin Luminous Longwear Serum Foundation is the most glam-leaning option of the three, designed as a buildable coverage foundation that still feels like a serum. Housed in a sleek square bottle with signature red branding, it has an ultra-lightweight, serum-like texture that delivers medium-to-buildable full coverage with long-lasting wear and a natural, blurred finish. Ingredient highlights include hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid for smoothing and hydration, niacinamide and licorice extract for brightness, and microspheres that create a soft-light, filtered effect. It also feels light on the face yet gives impressive blurring with just a few drops. In testing on a hot, humid day filled with events, the main drawbacks were transfer—streaks of foundation appeared on anything touched—and some settling into fine lines. It costs USD 46 (approx. RM215) for 1 fl oz, so it targets those who want camera-ready results more than casual minimalists.

Buy if / Skip if

• Buy the Ordinary Serum Foundation if you want serum foundation lightweight coverage that comforts dry, flaking skin at a very low price.
• Skip the Ordinary Serum Foundation if you struggle to shade match online and dislike formulas where some tones rarely come into stock.
• Buy the No7 Pro Artist Silk Glaze Skin Tint if you prefer a natural-looking base that is quicker and lighter than traditional foundation for everyday wear.
• Skip the No7 Pro Artist Silk Glaze Skin Tint if you expect full coverage or a completely matte finish from your base product.
• Buy the Hung Vanngo Red Carpet Skin Serum Foundation if you want lightweight yet natural blurring coverage that looks softly retouched in photos and real life.
• Skip the Hung Vanngo Red Carpet Skin Serum Foundation if you dislike formulas that can transfer onto clothing or settle into fine lines during long days.
• Buy the Ordinary Serum Foundation if you want a comfortable foundation formula that feels like it costs four times its price, with moderate coverage that calms redness.
• Skip serum-style bases altogether if you consistently prefer dense, full-coverage foundation and have no interest in a ‘no-makeup makeup’ aesthetic.
• Buy the Hung Vanngo Red Carpet Skin Serum Foundation if you need a reliable event base and are happy to pair it with powder to control transfer.