Unless you have bad scarring, acne or birthmarks, a light covering of foundation is all you should need for your normal daily routine.

In typical Niamh fashion, I found myself at the end of this month with just about enough money for beans on toast, never mind a replacement for my light day-to-day foundation (Bourjois Healthy Mix or YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat).

So, through nobody’s fault but my own, I have been using my heavy night-time foundation (Clinique Superbalanced) and the effect on my skin has been horrible. It is too cakey, heavy and smothering for sweaty, commuting skin which has to deal with grubby hands and city pollution.

I’ve had lots of new spots crop up and generally sore and more sensitive skin as a result.

Hence I have been on a mission to bring you light, brightening and kind-to-skin coverage for your daily routine.

There are a couple of great mineral bases included here too, which are kind to skin and better for daily use:

Bourjois City Radiance (€13.99) Good coverage and with a nice brightening effect without feeling too heavy. Nice price too (roughly 12 tins of beans).

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat (€42) Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Definitely. Of all the high-end foundations, this is one of the few which really proves its worth. Doesn't clog up skin or slip off in the heat and there's nothing quite like it to give that lit from within look.

Inika Certified Organic Liquid Mineral Foundation (feelunique.com, €37) This Australian mineral brand prides itself on being organic and vegan, while also delivering quality products that work. Most of the range is middle of the road in terms of pricing and this foundation gives a light, dewy finish without smothering your skin in harsh chemicals.

BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream (€31) Just enough coverage to get you through the day looking polished without the heavy, cakey look of a thick foundation.