The 15 Best Foundations of 2024, Tested & Reviewed
Foundation is a staple in just about everyone's makeup routine—we love it because it evens out your skin tone, covers up blemishes, and creates a flawless canvas for the rest of your makeup routine. But with so many finishes, formulations, and coverage levels to choose from, it can be a hassle to find a foundation that works for you and your skin.
That’s why we tested more than 32 liquid foundations in our NYC lab and evaluated them based on feel, finish, and wear across all skin types to find the best foundation. We also spoke to makeup artists Kevin Kodra, Anabelle LaGuardia, and Jonet Williamson, Wade Review’s Beauty & Fashion Editor Hana Hong, and Rea Ann Silva, CEO and founder of Beautyblender, for more insight on how to match foundation to your skin and what foundations work best for which skin types.
MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation at Nordstrom
$47
NYX Professional Makeup Born to Glow Foundation at Amazon
$10
Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation at Amazon
$69
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This full coverage foundation is right in the middle of a matte and dewy finish, making it supremely versatile.
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It may be too matte for those with dry skin.
The Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation offers the best of both worlds with its unique finish. We loved that this product was the perfect combination of matte and dewy, which is not an easy feat to pull off. This can be attributed to the foundation’s natural matte finish, which gave us a nice glow all while providing full coverage as advertised.
Plus, unlike some matte foundations, this Lancome product did not appear dry or feel cakey on our skin, nor did it accentuate any fine lines or wrinkles. The Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation comes in a whopping 50 shades, offering plenty of options for people with all types of undertones.
It's also made to last for 24 hours, resistant to oxidation, and oil-free, making it a great option for people with oily, normal, or combination skin (although people with dry skin might need something more moisturizing). It’s more expensive than drugstore brands but is priced just about average compared to similar foundations.
Coverage: Full | Finish: Matte | SPF: 15 | Shades: 50
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This affordable pick has buildable coverage that resists transfer.
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The finish is super matte and may not look as natural as some of our other selections.
Our testing revealed that the L’oreal Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation performed just as well as, or in some cases better than, its pricier counterparts. It felt very expensive for a drugstore option and created a beautiful, seamless finish on our skin.
This foundation is advertised as buildable, offering medium to full coverage that should last up to 24 hours. While we found this product to have more of a light to medium coverage, we still think that this foundation is buildable.
Plus, it didn’t get streaky and evened out our skin tone without looking cakey. We were so impressed with its buildable abilities that we would use this foundation specifically for special events.
We integrated this product into our makeup routine over a month-long testing period and found that we reached for it at least twice a week—it became a handy alternative to our CC creams, BB creams, and tinted moisturizers. While we appreciated the lightweight feel and natural coverage of the foundation, we wish the product was a bit less watery.