Need a little help choosing a foundation? We did the dirty work and tried a gazillion clean beauty foundations so you don’t have to. Check out our easy-to-browse lookbook that shows before and after of our top 5 foundations (plus all the others we tried). Your perfect foundation coming at you below!
By: Lisa Fennessy
Foundation is notoriously tough to shop for. We are all on the other side of the internet like—WHAT’S MY SHADE?! But not only that, there are so many options when it comes to type (liquid, cream, stick…), coverage (light, medium, buildable, full…), finish (dewy, matte, satin…), tone (warm, cool, neutral), texture (creamy, oily, stiff, whipped…), ingredients, add-ons, shelf life, packaging and so much more.
I mean, it’s too much. How are you ever supposed to pick and get something you actually love?
Soooo, to help you navigate the world of clean beauty foundations we created this fun photo lookbook with a bunch of foundation looks applied (on my skin). And if you are wondering what me mean by “clean beauty foundations”—it’s formulas that meet the standards of our beauty credo and do not include any of these ingredients.
But don’t fret, we not leaving you hanging in a sea of before and after pics. I’m also highlighting my top 5 foundations picks (with pros and cons) here so you have an easy place to start.
But before we jump in, here’s a little about my skin, foundation preferences and prep method so you can factor that into your decision too:
- I tend to wear face oil instead of face cream which can sometimes affect the finish of foundations.
- I value a “looks like skin” finish over a full coverage foundation look.
- I’m not a makeup artist so don’t come at me with words like beauty blenders or contouring. Give me something that you would find in a book called “Foundations for Dummies”.
- I don’t like when I can feel makeup on my skin.
- I’m 45 with hyperpigmentation / sun damage, normal to combo skin that leans dehydrated.
Lastly, this is a working post so we’ll be continuously updating as we test, try and discover. Is there a foundation you were hoping to see here but didn’t? Comment below so I can add it in!
IN THIS POST:
- Best BB Cream
- Best light to medium coverage liquid foundation
- Best full coverage foundation
- Best foundation/concealer combo
- Best tinted SPF
- The competition
Over 40 and looking for the best foundation that won’t gather in fine lines? Be sure to also check out our top picks for that here.
RELATED: The IT LIST (TNK faves)
Best BB Cream : Inika Organic BB Cream | $49
BB cream is used to even out skin tone and reduce redness. It provides lighter coverage than a standard foundation, but more than a tinted moisturizer. This goes on pretty sheer but it JUST WORKS. You can see how my freckles, hyperpigmentation, and a few of my broken capillaries show through but it evens out everything just enough to look put together and polished. I love this barely there look.
Pros:
- Light coverage that’s barely there but makes an impact
- Finishes life-like or demi-satin (not dewy and not matte)
- Does not dry out skin
- Does not collect in fine lines or pores
- No scent
- Easier to color match because one shade will suit several skin tones
- Comes in 6 shades
Cons:
- Packaged in plastic
- Comes in way fewer shades overall (but BB cream is usually more forgiving and one shade can suit several skin tones). The Classic Certified Organic BB Cream is the same product (different packaging) but comes in two additional shades.
Use this if: You don’t want to look like you are wearing anything but want the benefits of wearing something.
Shade I’m wearing: Beige
SAVE: Code THENEWKNEW will save you 10% at The Choosy Chick always. Grab your INIKA Organic BB Cream here!
RELATED: My Inika Organic Makeup Review
Best light to medium coverage liquid foundation: ILIA True Skin Serum Foundation | $54
A weightless, light to medium coverage, liquid foundation that delivers a natural look which truly mimics how skin looks and feels. More pics and our full review here.
Pros:
- Light to medium coverage
- Has a dewy finish
- Does not dry out skin
- No scent
- Comes in 30 shades
Cons:
- The top easily unscrews, so just beware if your makeup bag is often on the go
- Formulated with silicones, which are non-biodegradable
Use this if: You are going for that “your skin but better” look.
Shade I’m wearing: SF5 Selina
SAVE: Code THENEWKNEW15 will save you 15% at The Detox Market always. Grab your ILIA True Skin Serum here!
RELATED: ILIA Brand Review
Best full coverage foundation: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick | $68
My husband literally said my makeup looked good when I was wearing this for the first time. (And he never comments on stuff like that!).
Pros:
- Medium coverage that’s buildable; wear a little, get a little coverage, wear more, get more
- Dewy finish
- Mostly a seamless finish but will collect as you build (I like the finish the most with less product)
- Love the packaging and magnetic top
- No scent
- Comes in 21 shades
Cons:
- On a personal note, I don’t think this is the exact color match for me—it reads a bit yellow
- I can see it collect around my nose as I build coverage
Use this if: You want a dewy finish with the option to build more coverage.
Shade I’m wearing: VII
Best foundation/concealer combo: MOB Blurring Ceramide Cream Foundation | $26
A super creamy foundation that doubles as a concealer. I always get compliments when I wear this foundation like, “Your skin looks so good today!”. Because this is basically like a concealer and foundation in one, I can really build it to cover most of my hyperpigmentation which I think is what people notice the most.
Pros:
- Medium coverage that can be blended down or built up to full coverage
- A dewy finish
- Less is more IMO
- Can double as a concealer
- Paper (biodegradable) packaging which will be a hit for some but a miss for others
- No scent
- Comes in 36 shades
Cons (Considerations):
- Kinda finicky to apply
- Looks great from far away or on camera but I can see this collect in fine lines and around my nose up close—especially when I build coverage
Use this if: You want a dewy finish with the option to build full coverage.
Shade I’m wearing: Natural 50
Best tinted SPF: Saie Slip Tint | $36
This is a tinted moisturizer, not a foundation but I wanted to include this as one of my top 5 picks because we get this questions ALL THE TIME. With that in mind, this formula has a moussy, creamy texture that goes on super smooth. It provides very light coverage (think CC or BB cream, not foundation) and it looks super natural. Like you can’t even tell you have anything on but your skin is just…better, softer, more moisturized, protected.
This is my favorite tinted SPF moisturizer but if you are looking for something different (i.e. more coverage, more tint, more or less SPF etc) check out our top tinted SPF picks and see them applied.
Pros:
- Light coverage
- Satin finish
- Looks invisible / flawless on skin
- Feels lightweight
- Non-drying and does not look cakey
- No white cast
- SPF 35
- Leaves skin feeling soft
- Accessible (available at Sephora)
- Comes in 14 shades
Cons (considerations):
- This formula separated a bit at first but then evened out over time
- The margin for error here is large in terms of not using enough of this product to get the actual benefits of a full face of SPF 35 protection so I recommend adding SPF under any and all makeup (regardless if it has SPF in it) to make sure you are protected.
Use this if: You want a fool-proof tinted moisturizer with SPF that will also work to blur imperfections and deliver a your-skin-but-better look.
Shade I’m wearing: FOUR
Other foundations we’ve tried:
Jones Road What The Foundation | $44
- Very sheer
- Not much coverage (if any?) and I have it on in two layers here
- Very oily and creamy
- Will separate in the container over time and create pools of oil that sit on the surface of this product
- Also will clump up into little balls over time and you will have to pick these off your face
- Hard to build
- Don’t love all the ingredients. More here.
- PASS!
Shade I’m wearing: Beige
Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops | $68
- This product separates to the point where sometimes when I squeeze product out, it’s colorless and just oil (even when I shake it up!)
- I get more oil than coverage here
- It’s hard to build coverage because the more product you add, the more oily your skin becomes
- Comes in 20 shades
- PASS!
Shade I’m wearing: IV
Lily Lolo BB Cream | $22
- VERY light coverage
- Has a matte finish
- Super liquidy formula
- Does not collect in fine lines or pores
- Potentially a bit drying
- No scent
- Comes in 5 shades and there isn’t a shade that is an exact match for me but as I rubbed it in, it evens out a bit and because it’s very sheer / light coverage, I can get away with this shade.
Use this if: Your skin tends to run oily and you want barely there coverage.
Shade I’m wearing: Medium
SAVE: Code THENEWKNEW will save you 10% at The Choosy Chick always. Grab your Lily Lolo BB Cream here!
Saie Glowy Super Skin | $40
- Light to medium coverage (more light than medium as the more you apply, the more it will collect in fine lines and pores)
- Very liquidy
- And because of this, harder to get even coverage
- Very dewy / glowy finish
- Be sure to shake before use because this separates
- Comes in 36 shades
Use this if: You want a little bit of that good-kind-of-glow to your foundation (not like that trendy Tin Man kind of glow).
Shade I’m wearing: 9
Sappho New Paradigm Essential Foundation | $54
- Light coverage, more of a BB cream than a foundation
- Not buildable
- Seamless application—can barely, if at all, detect this on skin
- Dewy satin finish that does not dry out skin
- Feels super lightweight
- This shade is a little too light for me but it’s such light coverage that it still works
- Comes in 14 shades
Use this if: You want an easy to use BB cream / light foundation that’s super clean that it’s even been tested for PFAS. (To be honest, this is probably a tie with my top BB cream pick. Really love this formula).
Shade I’m wearing: Rosalina
Rituel de Fille 3 Drop Weightless Serum Foundation | $42
- Medium coverage
- Satin finish
- Weightless
- I like this better when I wear a face oil under it, without that it can wear a little cakey
- If you have dry skin, run away as this will just look cakey
- A little goes a long way
- The more I use this, the more I like it TBH
- You can play with this by adding a drop of it to your face oil or SPF or a drop to another foundation to boost coverage
- Comes in 24 shades
Use this if: You have normal to oily skin, want something lightweight and you don’t mind playing around with a product to see which way it works best for you.
Shade I’m wearing: 33
Fitglow Beauty Foundation+ | $55
- Medium coverage
- Easy to build
- Comes with a doe foot wand applicator
- Packaged in glass
- Noting this shade is too light for me so can’t call it a fave or really test it until I get matched up properly
- Comes in 18 shades
- Check out our Fitglow Beauty review with top picks
Shade I’m wearing: F3
RMS “Un”Cover-up Cream Foundation | $58
- Medium to full coverage
- Very dense, you only need the tiniest amount
- Very dewy finish
- This is more on the oily side and will collect in fine lines and pores
- Sits on top of skin and can not touch face because you will move the foundation around
- Packaged in a open face jar so be sure to use a spatula to get product out and not fingers to avoid introducing bacteria potential contamination
- Comes in 16 shades
Shade I’m wearing: 33
Have you tried any of these? What other foundations do you want me to add in?
TNK Team Note: This article contains affiliate links. TNK uses affiliate links as a source for revenue to fund operations of the business and to be less dependent on branded content. TNK stands behind all product recommendations. Still have questions about these links or our process? Feel free to email us.
Heather Kealamakia
October 1, 2023Thanks for the suggestions! I am really surprised that Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation didn’t make the list. Have you tried it? I would love to know how it compares the the others you have listed here.
Lisa Fennessy
October 17, 2023Hi Heather! Thanks for reading! I have tried that one BUT I didn’t want to get into the SPFs here. For a comparison on clean beauty tinted SPFs and foundations with SPFs be sure to bookmark this post!
Kayleen
October 21, 2023I LOVE ilia, but I’m concerned about the EWG rating of a 7. Have you dug into that at all? All I could get from ilia themselves was that they follow EU standards. Thanks!
Lisa Fennessy
October 27, 2023Hi Kayleen! I see we connected on IG about this (hi!) but for anyone else reading the comments…the EWG is a general tool but it’s not perfect. This is a good example of what I assume to be their algorithm giving skewed results. It rates a 7 yes but if you scroll down, you don’t see any ingredients marked higher than a 5. (So how can it rate a 7?). And then the one ingredient rated a 5, if you click through to actually see it, it’s rated a “1-5”. (So it could also be a 1?). That ingredient is Butyloctyl salicylate and it is NOT mutagenic but is often confused with a different salicylate (methyl salicylate which IS mutagenic). That could be the confusion here. IDK. The next ingredient after that is rated a 3. So I’m okay with using this and I don’t think it merits a 7 on the EWG toxicity scale.
Rae
October 22, 2023Hi! Always love and appreciate your info! Foundation has still been the hardest product to nail down in my collection. Forever searching for the whole package so thank you for sharing all your testing thoughts! Wondering if you have tried/plan to try the RMS ReEvolve Natural Finish Foundation , Zao Foundation Stick, Saint Flawless Foundation, Lily Lolo Cream Foundation, and 14e Aloe Nourish Foundation? Thank you!
Lisa Fennessy
October 27, 2023Hi Rae! Love this comment and now I’m feeling very unqualified because I haven’t tried any of those BUT this post will be a live document so I will continue to add to it as I try. Thanks for the requests! Whats the closest you’ve come to “the whole package”? Curious!
Anna
January 4, 2024My all time favourite foundation is the Kosas Tinted Face Oil, which I was gutted to see they’ve recently discontinued. I loved the ease of application (so good!), the light coverage, and the way it looked like skin, but better! I was wondering if you have a recommendation for something just as good? Pondering trying the Ilia one, or the Kosas revealer foundation, but very open to others. Thanks!
Lisa Fennessy
January 4, 2024Hi Anna! I think you would fall in love with the Rituel de Fille 3 Drop Weightless Serum Foundation!
Anna
January 9, 2024Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check it out.