The Perfect Foundation for Your Skin Type, According to Makeup Artists (2024)

The key to faking perfect skin — with or without other makeup — is finding the best foundation formula for your complexion and needs. But knowing where to start can be baffling, so we've made it easy for your with options based on your skin type (oily, combination, dry, sensitive, mature, acne-prone); preferred form, including liquids, creams, and loose and pressed powders; coverage level from light and sheer to medium to full; and finish, from matte to satin to radiant.

To find the best foundation formulas and brands, Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab scientists and editors scan the market for bases across price points, which are then label-masked to eliminate bias. Professional makeup artist evaluators test the foundations on factors such as dispensing, texture, application (spreadability, blendability, buildability) and coverage look and feel. Formulas that claim moisturization benefits, like tinted moisturizers and BB and CC creams, are also tested for skin hydrating effects using the Lab's Corneometer device. In the GH Beauty Lab's latest foundation test, scientists analyzed 190 submitted products to find the top 30 contenders for evaluation, quantifying 919 data points to find the best-performing formulas.

Now, it's time to find your perfect match among the best foundations you can buy, according to GH Beauty Lab testing and experts, including drugstore buys:

This luxurious satin-finish Armani Beauty base proved worthy of its best-seller status: It earned the top rating in the GH Beauty Lab’s foundation test for gliding on feeling like — true to its name — silk. Professional makeup artist evaluators gave the “good for all skin types” formula the highest overall score. They found that it had the smoothest texture and was best for spreading on and blending into skin.

Swirled with skincare ingredients like brightening vitamin B3 and softening vitamin E, this GH Beauty Award-winning CoverGirl cream foundation goes on like face moisturizer and is pigmented enough to double as concealer. Unlike some cream bases can be heavy, this formula is lightweight yet provides great coverage that feels velvety and blends flawlessly, the GH Beauty Lab found.

No7’s Good Housekeeping Seal star liquid base, made with softening glycerin and vitamin E, was a top performer (and the best-priced winner) in the Beauty Lab’s foundation test for blending smoothly and leaving a natural, radiant finish. Per Lab data analysis, 90% of testers said their skin tone was more even after one use, and more than 70% of testers’ skin felt lifted after two weeks of use and looked firmer after four weeks. “Very impressive” and “flawless,” a makeup artist evaluator remarked.

Imagine having your perfect foundation made right before your eyes: It’s not just a dream, thanks to Lancôme's service, a GH Beauty Award winner. At the counter, a beauty advisor scans your skin tone with a device and allows you to choose your level of coverage, including full. Your specific skin tone pigments are then mixed with the foundation ingredients to make your personal formula (with your name on it!). In GH Beauty Lab evaluations, it matched a range of light, medium and dark skin tones. Its finish earned raves, and 100% of testers continued to use it.

One of the trailblazers of mineral makeup, BareMinerals lived up to its legacy, outperforming all other powder foundations in the GH Beauty Lab’s test, providing versatile buildable coverage in 30 shades. The matte-finish powder earned points on par with liquid formulas for smoothness and effortless uniform dispersion on skin. “You can’t make a powder much better than this,” a makeup artist evaluator said. “It’s great for taking away redness,” another remarked.

The best hydrator of the Beauty Lab's test of CC cream foundations, this GH Seal star sheer tinted Olay formula improved skin over time, too. According to Lab measurements, it increased skin hydration levels by an impressive 36% over six hours, and minimized the appearance of dark spots and pores over four weeks.

Fake flawless, shine-free skin with the richly-pigmented Make Up For Ever matte liquid base, a top performer in the GH Beauty Lab’s foundation test. Despite its full coverage, evaluators rated it the easiest formula to use and dispense the right amount, and ranked it highly for having a smooth texture. “It really covers and looks smooth from far away,” a professional makeup artist evaluator said.

The ultimate multitasker, this concentrated yet blendable CoverFX liquid pigment, a GH Beauty Award winner, allows you to adjust coverage from full to sheer, perfect for tailoring to combination skin. It mixes well with other makeup or face skincare products to create a custom tint that hides whatever you'd like (the GH Beauty Lab tested it with serums, lotions, creams, and even oils). "It enabled me to lighten up and use my heavier foundation all year," a Lab expert reported.

Perfect for canceling shine that can pop up in summer, L’Oréal Paris’s GH Seal star and Beauty Award-winning powder won’t dehydrate skin thanks to a silky texture and skincare ingredients like ceramides. In a study, 85% of users reported that it made skin look smooth, GH Beauty Lab data analysis confirmed.

A cushiony gel-cream foundation tint that feels coddling on skin, BareMinerals is GH's beauty editor's go-to for her reactive complexion. The hypoallergenic formula "is super nourishing and never makes my skin feel irritated or dry," she says.

Boosted with moisturizing ingredients including 10 botanical oils and hyaluronic acid, plus a high mineral SPF, IT Cosmetics was a top performer in the GH Beauty Lab foundation test: The moisturizer-like cream base leaves dry and mature skin with a glowing finish. The buildable formula received the only perfect score in the test for smooth-looking coverage. “Dispenses nicely and spreads easily,” a tester noted.

Made with the acne treatment ingredient salicylic acid, this Neutrogena foundation is one of GH Beauty Lab Chemist Danusia Wnek's longtime favorites. Although it provides full coverage, "it literally feels like I have nothing on," she raves. "It keeps me matte all day!"

Clinique's base was created especially for reactive skin susceptible to redness from causes like rosacea. It instantly evens skin tone while calming with probiotics. "I have tried many foundations from other companies over the years to cover my rosacea and this is the only one that does the trick!" a Macy's reviewer marveled.

More than makeup, Mary Kay’s GH Seal star creamy foundation provides glow-boosting effects via ingredients like brightening niacinamide and plumping vitamin E. In a study, over 90% of testers found that it gave skin a luminous finish instantly, according to GH Beauty Lab data evaluation.

A novel lightweight serum form, this GH Seal star L’Oréal Paris base boasts hydrating properties via hyaluronic acid and a high level of SPF. In a consumer study of 106 women, 83% of testers agreed that the foundation covered redness and spots, 78% that it wears well all day, and 83% said it doesn't settle into lines or wrinkles.

BB creams like this bargain-priced GH Beauty Lab test winner from Maybelline are a great option for light coverage. This sheer finish SPF 30 formula increased skin's hydration by 22% in calculations with the Lab's Corneometer device, which measures skin moisture levels.

Find the perfect shade match for any skin tone among Uoma Beauty's extensive range of 51 colors, from porcelain to deep cocoa. The matte formula "looks like my natural skin just better," an Ulta reviewer reported.

Stick foundations like this one from Mented are perfect for toting on the go, travel, targeting specific areas of the face, and even doubling as concealer. This formula has almost 1,000 5-star reviews on Ulta: "Beautiful color, non-drying and doesn't make my skin oily, easy application, gives a nice buildable coverage that you can customize for a natural casual look or a glam full makeup look," a reviewer noted.