The 20 best foundations for every coverage level and skin type

The best light-coverage foundations

Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint

This is the perfect foundation option for someone who's just getting into makeup or wants something that feels like it's barely there. I loved how naturally dewy it made my skin look while feeling hydrating, perfecting my tone, and not coming off (despite being so lightweight). Some customers over 55 years old loved it too, noting that it's one of the few that works on their skin and all its wrinkles.

Skin by Mented

Mented was created by Black women to be a makeup haven for women of color. They offer 16 stick foundation shades in luxurious casing. The formula leaves your face with a flawless glow. Skin by Mented is lightweight, but it's also easily buildable to suit coverage needs.

NYX Total Control Pro Drop Foundation

This foundation really flexes a buildability muscle. In fact, the product is part of a bigger line of NYX Pro Drops, which include hue shifters and illuminators to help fine tune your foundation.This lightweight formula gave me a natural finish and hid some blemishes quite well. If you're in the market for something between $10 and $20, this is your pick.

ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation

Made to apply with your hands like a serum, the ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint offers a lot of benefits in one bottle. Although it may be intimidating at first — before drying it's thick, sticky, and shiny and made me look like a glazed donut — the foundation has a dewy finish and stays away from caking and clinging to dry patches. This is one of the few on the list with sun protection, clocking in at a satisfying SPF 40. The clean beauty brand also infuses this formula with niacinamide, squalane, and hyaluronic acid which help hydrate and plump your skin.

Ami Cole Skin Enhancing Tint

This award-winning skin tint was specifically made with melanin-rich complexions in mind. Though there are only six shade options, they work for a wide range. Not only is the skin tint known (and awarded) for creating a beautiful blur effect while also being breathable and buildable, but it has skincare properties too. The formula includes baobab seed, hibiscus, and pumpkin seed extract which improve hydration and balance complexion through all their vitamin and antioxidant features.

Chanel N°1 Revitalizing Foundation

Chanel's newest foundation has a star ingredient: the red camellia. Oil from this deep red flower is infused into the foundation to protect the skin's moisture barrier and keep it looking plump and radiant. Not only does this formula improve your complexion, but it is also Chanel's first foray into sustainable packaging.

PAT McGRATH LABS Sublime Perfection Foundation

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour once dubbed Pat McGrath "the most influential makeup artist in the world," so you know her makeup line isn't going to miss. The Sublime Perfection Foundation doesn't miss the mark by a single inch — and it's shade-inclusive. Pat McGrath Labs longwear foundation is lightweight, buildable, and leaves you with a skin-like finish that's not too matte or too dewy. If you want to splurge on something with a quality formula and luxe packaging, this is the one.

LYS Beauty Triple Fix Serum Foundation

Fans of this foundation span a wide variety of ages because of its hydrating and seamless formula. It has a serum-like feel and applies with a natural finish. One of the best things is using a foundation that has ingredients to benefit your skin, and LYS uses ashwagandha, turmeric, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate, soothe, and protect skin from environmental toxins and stress.

The best medium-coverage foundations

FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

Rihanna changed the game when she launched Fenty Beauty, which has established itself as an inclusive brand with high-quality, sustainable formulas. The Pro Filt'r Foundation is an easy-to-blend, long-lasting foundation that gives full coverage and a soft matte finish. Because mattifying products can be drying, the brand recommends moisturizing before applying the foundation, especially if you have dry skin. Or, you can check out the hydrating foundation or lightweight skin tint.

MILK Makeup Flex Foundation Stick

MILK's stick foundation is not only easily-blendable with a natural finish and medium coverage. It also benefits your skin via moisturizing blue lotus, soothing chamomile, and marshmallow root extract, which contributes to elasticity. The proof in the pudding is, at least in my experience, this formula didn't get creasey or cakey. Sounds like the marshmallow root extract gets to work. If you love MILK but want something matte, check out the Blur Liquid Foundation.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation SPF 15

Bobbi Brown's foundation left me with a flawless, natural finish. The foundation is oil-free and water-based with a water-like consistency that makes it quite easy to blend and a great base for additional products. Bobbi Brown's foundation seems perfect for longer wear. It has glycerin for hydration, a minimal level of SPF for some sun protection, and it's lightweight for a long-lasting natural look.

Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless

Selena Gomez launched her makeup line, Rare Beauty, two years ago and quickly grew a loyal fan base over her knockout products. Her serum-like, lightweight, and buildable foundation is Insider-approved. Rather than a pump or dropper, it has a doe-foot applicator (similar to a concealer) and blends easily.

Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation

The new Kosas foundation has us excited, but we promise it's not rose-colored glasses making us think this formula is great. It has SPF 25, which we appreciate being worked into the formula since SPF is so critical for skincare. This creamy liquid formula blends easily, leaves a soft glow, and feels breathable. Of all its features and ingredients, we especially love how undertone-inclusive it is with colors from subtle pink to olive to red.

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation

A lot of foundations on this list are on the pricier side, but if you're looking for something under $10, this is one of the best options. Maybelline's Fit Me Liquid Foundation is matte and ideal for normal to oily skin types. This foundation won't leave with you with the same flawless finish or crease-less look, but it does a very good job overall and has a pore-minimizing effect. For the price, that's hard to beat.

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk

As the name hints, the goal of this foundation is to make your skin look like the most flawless silk. Giorgio Armani's oil-free formula is made to be luminous and buildable. Fans usually rave about the soft glow and airbrushed look they get from using this.

Merit Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick

This natural finish complexion stick is the multi-functional product every minimalist dreams of. Rather than covering your face in foundation, Merit's stick is made for the "small edits," so you can dab it wherever you want and blend it in. If dark spots are a concern, here's an extra bonus: The formula is made with sea daffodil extract to minimize dark spots.

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Turn Up The Base Versatile Powder Foundation

Powder foundations are often best for oily skin to prevent excessive oiliness. But some common issues can occur with formulas being too drying and making pores look bigger, not blending seamlessly, and creasing excessively. Patrick Starr's formula won an award for all the wonders it works to make your skin look flawless. It blends to a natural, matte finish without caking up or drying out the skin. Some fans say it's the best powder foundation they've ever tried.

The best full-coverage foundations

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation hid my acne, blackheads, and blemishes while giving me a truly airbrushed look. I'm a fan of this formula's smooth application and matte finish, although I noticed a tiny bit of caking. Still, this product is a strong, long-lasting foundation to a full face of makeup.

Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Foundation

The #FauxFilter Luminous Matte Foundation from Huda Beauty was already a favorite of many, but now it's fragrance-free. I personally appreciated how the matte, full coverage finish gave my skin a flawless but natural glow. Plus, it felt particularly easy to apply and blend into my skin.

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation

This semi-thick formula by Laura Mercier glides on, blends with a bit of effort, and leaves a matte finish. While the shade range could be a lot more inclusive of darker tones, current customers appreciate that the Flawless Fusion foundation is fragrance-free and non-comedogenic. I appreciated how this product held up on my face for a full day of wear. If you're looking for something a bit less heavy, Laura Mercier offers foundations that are more lightweight too.

Foundation FAQ

Finding the right foundation for you is a complex art. There are different types of foundation, a science of shade matching, and ingredients to watch out for.

What are the different types of foundation?

There are several foundation types that each cater to different skin types like oily, dry, or something in between. The main types include liquid, powder, stick, and tinted moisturizer. If you have drier skin, liquid foundation is usually better. For oily skin, matte powder foundation is great.

How do you apply foundation makeup?

A flawless foundation routine starts with the right prep. Always start with a clean, moisturized face and a primer. You want to use the right tools, like a brush ($9) or a Beautyblender ($20). YouTuber Jackie Aina has even more tips on the specifics of strokes and finishing the look.

What should you look for when buying foundation?

Think about your skin's oil balance, shade, desired coverage, and length of wear. Oil balance determines the type of foundation you buy, and shade-matching is key for a seamless look. Think about how much coverage and breathability you want from your formula and how long you want it to last.