Best Overall

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

$49 at Amazon$49 at Sephora$49 at Ulta

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 44 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

After several rounds of testing over nearly three years, this foundation from Charlotte Tilbury continues to maintain its top spot on our list of the best full-coverage foundations. Available in 44 shades ranging from fair to dark, this gem features a lightweight (relative to full-coverage options, that is) texture that blends with ease. It blends effectively whether you use a foundation brush or a damp sponge, creating a subtle powdery finish that offers a true-to-its-name airbrushed effect.

Our tester with oily skin noted it remained matte, but not cakey, and wore well throughout the day; it didn’t crease, settle into fine lines, or break up. While she didn’t notice it emphasizing texture or any dry patches, she shared that it’s quite a matte formula, which might be best suited for people with balanced or oily skin.

Dominique Hobdy, senior editor with oily skin: “This foundation went on smoothly and had an almost powdery finish, which I liked. I only needed to use 1.5 pumps for my entire face, and I found it to be really buildable, easily customizable, and I didn’t experience any caking.”

Best Drugstore

Maybelline Super Stay Lumi-Matte Foundation

$15

$12 at Amazon$16 at Ulta$12 at Target

Finish: Soft matte | Number of Shades: 24 | Cruelty-Free: No

If you’re looking for a great full-coverage drugstore foundation, give this one a try. It has a fluid texture that makes blending it in effortless, and it doesn’t dry down too quickly like many matte foundations do, giving you time to work it into the skin for an even finish. Our tester’s favorite thing about this one is the finish; it’s matte without being flat or dry-looking. It effectively blurred her pores while leaving behind a super-subtle luminosity. She also noted how impressed she was by the wear, saying that after applying two layers of the foundation and locking it in place with setting spray, it survived (and even thrived) in 100-degree heat.

While this formula can be used to cover discoloration and even your complexion completely, it takes some building to achieve total full coverage.

Shauna Beni-Haynes, former senior editor with combination skin: “Sometimes matte foundations make my skin look dry, but this formula has a nice balance of giving the skin a dry finish without being too dry.”

Best Coverage

Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation

View on Ilmakiage.com

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 50 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re seeking an option with super full-coverage capabilities, we recommend this one by Il Makiage. Just one layer completely covers breakouts, redness, and discoloration without looking overly heavy or cakey. Perhaps the best part is that you don’t need a lot of product to achieve your desired coverage; just a pump or two gets the job done while maintaining a lightweight feel on the skin. Our tester found that blending it in with a damp sponge took very minimal effort.

While the brand markets this formula as matte, our tester noted it was shinier than she anticipated. But despite being more luminous than she prefers, she was pleased that it still managed to blur skin texture and leave her complexion looking smooth and even for several hours.

Cher Checchio, copy editor with dry, sensitive skin: “I loved the overall consistency and that I didn’t need much to get full coverage. It was very buildable with skin-loving ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.”

Best Long-Wearing

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Matte Foundation

$53

$38 at Amazon$53 at Sephora$53 at Ulta

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 55 | Cruelty-Free: No

One of my makeup pet peeves is foundation that starts to crumble (literally and figuratively) after just a few hours. I never have to worry about that with this long-lasting, full-coverage foundation from Lancôme; it wears beautifully for nearly 10 hours without fading, creasing, or getting oily—even through unprecedented NYC heat and humidity. Aside from the impressive longevity, I was pleasantly surprised by how lightweight this formula is. It’s more liquidity than many full-coverage options, allowing you to build it up without it getting cakey or heavy-looking. I found that a single light layer provided medium coverage, but I was able to apply a second layer to problem areas and achieve full coverage.

I highly recommend this pick given all of its great qualities, but I suggest those with dry skin apply a rich moisturizer or hydrating primer underneath to prevent it from clinging to dry skin texture.

Best Blurring

Tarte Face Tape Foundation

$42 at AmazonView on Ulta$42 at Target

Finish: Soft matte | Number of Shades: 50 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A foundation that blurs the appearance of fine lines and pores while remaining comfortable and relatively natural-looking is hard to come by, but this one from Tarte has found the magic recipe. It blends into the skin easily thanks to its creamy consistency, creating a smoothing veil of coverage with a soft matte finish.

Our tester with dry, sensitive skin appreciated that the formula felt hydrating as she wore it (it contains hyaluronic acid), and never looked dull and dry, or too greasy. She noted that she struggles with foundations settling into fine lines around her mouth, but was pleased that this foundation resisted settling into lines for most of the day, and never looked cakey in textured areas.

Cher Checchio, copy editor with dry, sensitive skin: “It provided a pretty smooth finish that looked quite natural. It made my skin look more radiant and less dull, and it blurred fine lines pretty well.”

Best Matte

Anastasia Beverly Hills Impeccable Blurring Second-Skin Matte Foundation

$49 at Sephora$49 at Nordstrom$49 at Bloomingdales

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 25 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Matte foundations are often too drying for dry skin types, but this matte full-coverage foundation from Anastasia Beverly Hills offers a soft, matte finish, making it suitable for a variety of skin types. Our tester with very oily skin noted that it initially went on matte, but transformed into a natural finish throughout the day as it warmed up on her skin. Still, after blotting it a bit, it never looked overly greasy, even when she tested it in a New York heat wave.

In addition to the soft, matte finish, we love that this formula applies smoothly, covers imperfections with just a pump or two of product, and feels light on the skin. Our only qualm with this pick is that it’s available in just 25 shades, which, for a full-coverage product where a nearly exact match is needed, isn’t ideal.

Dominique Hobdy, senior editor with oily skin: “It wasn’t drying at all and left a lot of room for moisture and hydration. Because my skin is extremely oily, it ended up giving me a finish that leaned more natural.”

Best Radiant

NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

$54 at Sephora$54 at Ulta$54 at Nordstrom

Finish: Radiant | Number of Shades: 34 | Cruelty-Free: No

While most full-coverage foundations offer a matte finish, this one brings something different to the table. The brand markets it as radiant, though I think it’s a very natural, skin-like radiance. One layer creates nearly full-coverage, while a second layer (or spot application) lends to truly full-coverage results. It can get a bit heavy-looking or emphasized texture if over-applied, so I recommend starting with a small amount and gradually building up as needed. The consistency is creamy with medium-weight texture, and I found it applied best with a damp sponge. Once applied, it looked even, lasted nicely, and layered seamlessly with other makeup.

I didn’t notice this formula looking too greasy throughout the day, though it broke up a bit around my nose as the hours wore on. If you find foundations break up in your T-zone, I recommend applying a mattifying or blurring primer underneath.

Best Stick

Hourglass Cosmetics Vanish Foundation Stick

$49 at Amazon$49 at Sephora$49 at Ulta

Finish: Natural | Number of Shades: 32 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Foundation sticks are great for quick, on-the-go application, and this one from Hourglass is our favorite full-coverage option. While some stick foundations are stiff and difficult to blend, this one offers a creamy texture that glides on the skin like butter.

Our tester was pleased with how well it neutralized her redness and didn’t emphasize her dry patches or feel heavy. The coverage starts as medium but can be built up to full, while still maintaining a skin-like appearance. It has a natural, demi-matte finish that lasts up to 12 hours, thanks to the waterproof formula. She was thrilled with the overall look and performance of this pick, but noted the triangular shape made using it slightly messy when removing and replacing the cap, so we recommend being careful while using it to minimize wasting product.

Chelsea, tester with combination skin: “Every stick foundation should have the consistency, glide, and coverage this one has. It negates any bad rep that stick foundations get for not matching up to their liquid-based counterparts. It coats the complexion evenly and smoothly, feels lightweight, and promotes a perfect blend.”