Best Foundation: The 2024 List Beauty Awards
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Let's face it: we all want the perfect go-to makeup look, and you simply can't achieve that without the ideal base. Foundation is, well, the foundation of any great makeup routine, so having the best one in your makeup collection is vital.
Unfortunately, foundation is also one of the most difficult makeup products to get right. Many traits make an otherwise great foundation a no-go. Some products dry out your skin, look cakey or heavy, or don't even out your complexion well. Plus, there's nothing worse than a bad color match, and who among us hasn't faced that before? Luckily, The 2024 List Beauty Awards have arrived, and I tested ten of the most popular foundations out there to find the best ones. Boy, were there some serious winners.
When it came to testing foundations, there were a few important things to consider. We aimed to find products at different price points with different finishes to help with different skin concerns. So, we tested each product all day for multiple days to ensure that our winning lineup stayed put, looked great in different lighting, and didn't dry out from morning to night. No matter what your skin type is or what your top concerns are when shopping for a new foundation, one (or two!) of these five products will surely give your skin a glow-up. We are proud to present our List Beauty Awards for Best Foundation — get ready to revamp your makeup routine.
Best Overall: Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation
Dare we say it, Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation with SPF 30 may just be the perfect foundation. This foundation feels light on the skin while also giving you full coverage. It will cover blemishes and even out your skin tone flawlessly, and just a little product goes a very long way.
You should always prep your skin the way you normally do before trying out a new foundation, but unlike other products, this doesn't require an extra moisturizing serum or primer layered beneath it to keep your skin from getting dry. This product seems to lock in your skin's moisture all on its own. It is also designed specifically with microcrystals to keep your face looking smooth and reduce the signs of wrinkles or discoloration. Consequently, it gives you a subtly glowy, radiant finish that makes your skin look healthy. And, it won't just make your skin look healthy; it will actually keep your skin healthy. It also has SPF, so you can simply put your makeup on and head outside without worry.
Purchase Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation with SPF 30 at Sephora for about $47.
Best budget: e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation
If you've tried your fair share of makeup products, then you probably already know that e.l.f. never fails to amaze with their unusual combination of great products and extra low prices. Most e.l.f. products are well worth the money, and they managed to do it again with their Flawless Finish Foundation. Not only was this easily one of the best foundations I tested, but you can get it for only about $6.
Beyond the great price tag, this product gives you the best of multiple worlds. It's not too glowy, matte, heavy, or light on coverage. This foundation is lightweight, but also buildable, so it can provide higher coverage if that's what you're looking for. It isn't quite matte or dewy; it gives you some subtle glow without looking heavy. This product is great for dry skin and won't give you cracks or cakeyness, but it is also oil-free, so it should give you even coverage regardless of your skin type. Basically, this is a foundation that will likely work for most people, and at a price like that, that is certainly a theory worth testing.
Purchase e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation at Amazon for about $6.
Best for easy color match: Il Makiage Flawless Base Foundation
Even if you've never tried Il Makiage's foundation before, you've likely seen the advertisements. What they offer seems too good to be true: a perfect color match every time through an online quiz. Well, I'm here to tell you that somehow, it's actually NOT too good to be true. Color matching can be one of the most difficult parts of finding your perfect foundation. If it isn't exactly right, it is downright wrong. Even swatching on your hand in the store is not a surefire way to ensure that it will look perfect on your face for your everyday makeup. If color matching is a job that you want the pros to do for you, taking the Il Makiage quiz just might be a game-changer.
The quiz is fairly simple, and it doesn't actually seem like it asks enough questions to get the color match perfectly right. However, somehow this managed to be one of the best color matches of the entire ten-foundation lineup, and that included the ones that I was able to swatch in-store. Beyond the presumed witchcraft behind their color-matching system, the formula itself is easy to wear and provides perfect coverage. It's a bit heavier coverage than some of the other options, but it doesn't feel that way on the skin, and it's easy to blend for a smooth look.
Take the quiz and purchase at the Il Makiage for about $45.
Best for a Glowy Finish: Make Up For Ever's HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation
One way to ensure that a foundation is an automatic "no" is when it has an overly matte, drying effect. Whether you have dehydrated skin or not, some foundations can make your face look dried out and flatten your complexion. If this is a problem you often run into with your foundation, then Make Up For Ever's HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation will make your glowy complexion dreams come true.
While we all want to avoid the look of dry, dull skin, some of us are particularly interested in getting that extra moisturized, dewy look. This product is also a great base for that kind of makeup, especially when paired with your favorite highlighter. Somehow, no matter how your skin texture looks or how you've primed it, this foundation will leave your face looking like it's glowing from the inside out. Who doesn't want that in makeup, especially going into the warmer months? Still, just because this foundation looks like it's full of moisture, that doesn't mean that it doesn't stay put. It dries fast and is long-lasting. That said, make sure to blend, blend, and blend as soon as you put this foundation on your face to avoid letting it start to dry before it's fully blended.
Purchase Make Up For Ever's HD Skin Undetectable Longwear Foundation for about $47.
Best for Clean Girl Makeup: Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint
Rihanna is a beauty mogul for very good reason, and this Fenty foundation proves it. Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint is the pick for you if you prefer a lighter foundation that is a bit closer to a tinted moisturizer than it is to full-coverage makeup. This foundation can be applied very lightly and gives you just enough coverage to even out your skin tone and cover up redness. If you are trying to achieve the ever-popular clean-girl aesthetic, or just want something that is effortlessly light and looks like you aren't wearing a lot of makeup, this foundation is perfect to have on hand.
Since this foundation is so light, it is also buildable, which gives you control over how much coverage you get. That said, this is one pick that is very matte and won't give you the glowy finish on its own that others will. For that reason, this is likely a great pick if you have oily skin. If not, you may want to layer this on top of a good moisturizer and a moisturizing serum or primer.
Purchase Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint for about $36.