When Rihanna dropped her Fenty Beauty line last year, there was a collective whoop from people who could finally find foundation to fit their skin tone. Riri explained that she created the range “so that women everywhere would be included”, and she wasn’t messing around: there are a colossal 40 shades of Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation to choose from, modelled by the likes of Leomie Anderson and Slick Woods.

Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear swiftly became one of the most sought-after foundations in the world, disproving the claim – long made by less-inclusive beauty brands – that darker foundations “don’t sell”. In fact, it was the darkest Fenty Beauty shades that sold out first and continue to fly off the shelves.

Due to enormous demand, popular Pro Filt’r shades are often hard to come by, made evident by customer tweets.

But fret not, because other brands are following suit and expanding their foundation colour ranges. Many of them use a different model for each shade, making it easier to work out your match if you’re shopping online.

Without further ado, here are five alternatives for those who can’t get hold of Fenty foundation.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Shades: 50

Widely thought of as the best foundation in the business, this delivers medium, semi-matte coverage and is heat and smudge-proof – making it perfect for the summer months. It also includes SPF10, but we’d recommend using a separate sunblock that’s at least a SPF15 (higher if it’s particularly hot weather). 

The website has clear swatches of each shade, or you can visit a counter and get colour-matched by a consultant. 

£33.50, esteelauder.co.uk

Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation

Shades: 40

This high street buy is ideal for oily skin types, working to reduce shine with blotting micro-powders, while blurring pigments minimise the look of visible pores and any pesky pigmentation. 

It delivers coverage for up to 12 hours, with many reviewers holding it on a par with luxury brands for blendability and staying power. 

£6.99, superdrug.com

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick

Shades: 35

This handbag-friendly stick foundation is great for using on the go, and boasts an award-winning ‘Smart Technology’ formula which adapts to moisturise or mattify when needed and allows coverage to be built from sheer to full. 

The shades have been painstakingly formulated to mimic natural skin tones as closely as possible. We recommend visiting their counters to get matched, as the website doesn’t show individual models for every shade. 

£31, bobbibrown.co.uk

Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation

Shades: 30

Ideal if pigmentation is your particular bugbear, Huda Kattan has also infused her foundation range with plenty of personality (shades have mouth-watering names like ‘Milkshake’, ‘Butter Pecan’ and ‘Hot Fudge’). The full coverage, selfie-friendly formula disguises sun spots, blemishes – even tattoos, with a little going a very long way. 

You’ll have to go to Harrods to try it in-store, but online retailers Cult Beauty provide a useful grid which matches each shade to counterparts from other brands to give you a better idea. 

£32, cultbeauty.co.uk 

NYX Total Control Drop Foundation

Shades: 31

NYX have won many accolades for walking the line between ‘budget’ and ‘luxury’ – and for good reason: their hardworking formulas can hold their own again many premium brands. Delivered via a glass dropper, the texture of this velvety matte foundation is seriously lightweight but buildable, making application practically fool-proof. 

The brand recently added six new shades and customers with very pale skin have been singing the praises of ‘White Ivory’ and ‘Alabaster’. 

£14, nyxcosmetics.co.uk

Main image: Getty