The most important part of your makeup routine is choosing the right foundation. Base is, as the name implies, the foundation of your entire beauty routine. This is the foundation of your entire beauty look. If you do it right, every product that you add to it will look better.
Foundations that offer natural-looking coverage with skincare benefits are the best. Are you looking for hydration, sheen, breathable, or a matte, polished finish? It all comes down to the skin type. It is important to know your skin type and whether it becomes dry or oily during the day. Rachel Hardie, senior artist at NARS: “Then you can determine which foundation formula is best for you.”
Our trusted guide will help you choose the right foundation for you, whether you are looking for a full-coverage foundation that stays put on combination skin or a tinted moisturizer that hydrates and plumps your skin. We answer all of your foundation questions, from choosing the right formula to matching the perfect shade.
Our beauty team has extensively tested each foundation in this guide on a range of skin types and tones. Each product was evaluated on its shade range and how they matched up to real skin. We also reviewed their ingredient lists to see if they contained any active ingredients.
We tested the ease and convenience of the packaging, as well as how easy each base could be applied. We tested the foundation’s durability on hot and rainy days. They also proved to be the best foundations for mature skin, remaining natural-looking without settling into lines, caking or drying out.
1. HOURGLASS AMBIENT SOFT-GLOW FOUNDATION
Best buildable foundation
First impressions
Hourglass foundations are well-respected, so we were expecting big things. We were not disappointed. This foundation is vegan, cruelty-free, non-comedogenic and vegan. It promises to blur imperfections while protecting against free radicals. It comes in a frosted, glass bottle with a metal lid. This packaging can be recycled.
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The formula, although water-based is not too liquidy or runny. This makes it great for people who prefer a buildable product. If you prefer a natural, light finish, one pump will suffice to cover your entire face. However, it’s easy to apply more coverage. We noticed a glow immediately after application that was not too shiny, but still left our skin looking natural. It takes a while for the product to sink in properly so make sure you allow it time before adding other products.
What is it like to wear?
Because of its buildable formula, this foundation is one of our most versatile. Even with layers, it didn’t wrinkle or cake up on dry areas. It dried matte, but retained some glow. And it is truly transfer-proof which is important in warmer months. Although it is more expensive, this formula is still unique because of its light feel and good coverage.
2. PIXI H20 SSKIN TINT
Best gel foundation
First impressions
Pixi has perfected the look of your skin with better products, including foundations and concealers as well as bronzers and glowing blushes. The water-based, sheer tinted gel is hydrating, breathable and made with green tea, rosewater, and lavender to moisturize and hydrate skin. Although this product is advertised more as a lightweight tinted product than a foundation with high coverage, the results speak for themselves.
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The formula is best applied using your hands. It can be used as a moisturizer by being pressed into your skin with your fingertips. Applying the product with a sponge or brush could result in too much product being absorbed into your skin. We found that fingertip application was easy and took only seconds. This makes it the perfect product for anyone looking for something quick and simple that will improve their skin. This product is not meant to conceal imperfections, but to improve the skin’s appearance.
What is it like to wear
It is a gel-like formulation that is cooling and hydrating. The formula doesn’t require much mixing to apply. After sinking in, it feels light and similar to a gel moisturizer. This is great for humid climates where heavy products can feel oppressive. It absorbed slowly throughout the day without becoming too dry or losing its color. This skin tint won’t cause flaky skin or product adhesion to certain areas. This foundation could use SPF to make it more durable, but this product is easy-to-use and would work well with sun protection.
3. KEVYN AUCOIN TRIPPED NUDE SKIN TIN
Best foundation for everyday use
First impressions
This foundation’s simple, yet elegant packaging attracted us right away. The foundation comes with a pump applicator, which allows you to apply just enough product for one layer of coverage. This ensures that there are no wasted products. It glows from the start. We could even feel it on our hands, and it gave us a natural glow that wasn’t too shiny or greasy.
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This is a skin tint that claims to be a tint. However, it has slightly more coverage than other watery base options on this list. This foundation is great for reducing redness, but it won’t highlight fine lines even after several hours. This foundation is great for those with freckles and other beauty marks. It allows these subtle marks to show through while keeping your skin tone consistent. This foundation also works well with powder products like bronzer. The foundation was able to retain its natural glow even when matte products were applied. It also worked well when used with our best setting powder to absorb any oil from the T-zone.
What is it like to wear
This foundation is lightweight and breathable, making it one of our favorite foundations. You can use it as a foundation to cover concealer and other high-coverage foundations. It comes in ten shades so it would be a good idea to expand its range. However, the light formula makes it very adaptable and can be used for many skin tones.
4. IT COSMETICS CC+ Cream with SPF 50
Best color correcting foundation
First impressions
It Cosmetics has enjoyed a cult following over the years due to its CC+ cream. It Cosmetics’ formula contains collagen, peptides and niacinamide which help to reduce redness, imperfections, and dark circles while keeping skin plump and healthy. This product comes in a sleek, silver-colored packaging with an easy to use pump.
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It lives up to its name. Although it is a CC Cream, this product performs as a foundation. Although the formula initially feels thicker than BB or CC creams, once it’s blended, it becomes light and breathable. Its color correcting properties and full coverage finish mean that you don’t have to layer it. You don’t have to go overboard if you want a natural appearance. The finish was light and dewy, and our skin radiated despite the powerful blemish-covering properties.
What is it like to wear
The foundation did not crease or lose coverage during testing over a long period of time. It also contains SPF 50, which is essential to keep skin protected regardless of the season. This will instantly mask any blemishes and dryness that you may be prone to. It could use a few more colors to give it a fuller coverage, but the blendable texture makes it very adaptable.
5. NO.1 DE CHANEL REVITALIZING FOUNDATION
The best foundation for most people
First impressions
Chanel foundations are always worth looking at. This brand is known for creating some of the best foundations on the market. This is part of the No.1 de Chanel collection, which, unique for Chanel, includes skincare and makeup as well as fragrance. It also has a strong focus on sustainability.
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What’s the foundation like? It is a beauty. The creamy liquid was quite firm when it was first pumped out. It was surprising how easily it blended with the skin and spread on the skin. This stuff melts away leaving behind a glowing, skin-like finish that is free from dragging and tidemarks. It could be due to Chanel’s promise of a second-skin effect and coated pigments. It feels very comfortable and doesn’t collect or sink into pores after wearing it for six to seven hours.
What is it like to wear
It’s quite light coverage so you can build it up if you need. But this is not hardcore high-pigment stuff so if that’s what you want, then look elsewhere. Camellia oil is a great moisturizer and can be used to create a natural, dewy look. Packaging has been carefully considered. It is recyclable, made from glass and contains no booklets or cellophane. Organic inks are also used. This quality is not cheap but it should be on your shopping list if you don’t have a tight budget.
6. CHARLOTTE TILBURY BEAUTIFUL SKIN FOUNDATION
The best foundation to ensure lasting hydration
First impressions
It’s easy to tell the foundation is good by its name. This one does it: Apply the medium-coverage, satiny foundation, then buff it. You will have beautiful skin.
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Although there are no surprises from the name, the texture of this foundation was quite surprising compared to the product’s appearance. A foundation packed in a light pump-action tube such as this will usually be very thin and watery-light. However, this foundation is thicker than you would expect and provides more coverage. It doesn’t feel heavy, or look obvious. However, don’t confuse it with a tinted moisturizer. This foundation is much closer to a traditional foundation but has a beautiful modern finish.
What is it like to wear
Beautiful Skin’s other great feature is its abundance of skincare ingredients. You can feel them working their magic on your skin while you wear it. It’s not only rich in hydrating ingredients like coconut extract and hyaluronic acids, but it also has tone-enhancing rose oil and moisture-binding cassia agustifolia seeds. You get extra points for thoughtful touches such as the fact that this tube is recyclable and has a vegan-friendly formulation.
