Last Updated on March 11, 2025 by Eve Dawes
I put 10 foundations to the test to find the best foundation for your skin type and needs
The best foundation is different for everyone and finding the perfect one can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack! Whether you have oily, dry, or combination skin, I spent months trying, testing, and comparing 10 different foundations to see which one truly stands out for every skin type. I was personally on the hunt for the best foundation for mature skin and I turned up a few! From long-lasting wear to flawless finishes, sheer to full coverage, glowing to matte finishes. So, let’s find your new holy grail foundation together because it’s definitely not a 1 foundation suits all scenario!
This post contains affiliate links.
Find the best foundations to suit your needs
It’s a long one as I wanted to give you a detailed comparison of each of the 10 foundations, their benefits, who they’re suited for and any downsides to them. Plus my 3 favorite full coverage best foundations for mature skin and 1 sheer to medium finish foundation for mature skin.
Shop the Foundations
Best foundation for oily/combination skin | Very Valentino SPF 26 Foundation
Very Valentino SPF 26 Foundation says it’s available in 40 shades but even on their website it’s only available in 25 shades so I don’t know what to tell you about why the numbers don’t match! It gave really good coverage, is SPF 26, and is described as semi matte but I found it very matte and too matte for me.
They say it gives 24 hour wear which I didn’t try, but it is long wearing and stayed matte all day without touching up with powder. So I think it’ll be good for oily/combination skin because it’s so matte and formulated with an extra-light powder that can absorb up to three times its own weight. On the downside, it’s not cruelty free.
Best hydrating foundation for dry, combination of normal skin | Makeup Forever HD Skin Hydra Glow
Makeup Forever HD Skin Hydra Glow comes in 32 shades, offers 24 hour hydration, and 86% skincare including hyaluronic acid and a Hydra-Skin Booster Complex™. This is designed to have the hydrating effect of a sheet mask, plump & boosts skin. I really liked the natural radiant finish and how long wearing it is but it’s not cruelty free. I think it’s great for dry, combination of normal skin as well as uneven skin texture.
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga cruelty free & vegan foundation
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga foundation is vegan and cruelty free, comes in 51 shades and has over 20 clean skincare ingredients. Including:
- Fermented arnica that helps reduce redness and protects from environmental stress.
- Intellizen 7 Complex™ which is a proprietary blend of medicinal herbs that promote healing and calming.
- BioFerment 7 Complex™ which are antioxidants that protect the skin from stress.
It gives medium buildable coverage and a luminous finish but I found that it creased super easily. So if you use this one, powder and set really well. I also found that although it says long wearing but I found it faded and separated really quickly.
If you have sensitive and acne-prone skin it’s worth giving a shot as it says it’s suitable for you but it’s a hard pass for me. Sorry Lady Gaga, I hate saying that as I love her as an artist.
Bobbi Brown weightless foundation SPF 15
The smell of this Bobbi Brown foundation was off putting as it smells like paint to me, not what I want under my nose all day. It gives easy buildable coverage, and is a matte oil controlling foundation. They say it minimizes the look of pores, is water-proof, sweat and humidity resistant and hydrating but honestly, it didn’t work very well with my dry skin.
So I think it’s better for oily, acne prone or combination skin as it has Smart Skin-Balancing Technology and Oil-Absorbing Silicas to absorb oil and shine without stripping your skin. It also has Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, and Honey Extract to boost skin’s moisture levels for immediate and long-term hydration.
On the downside it’s not cruelty free and I don’t know if its being discontinued but it only comes in 4 shades so good luck getting a good color match.
Born This Way Soft Matte Foundation
Born This Way Soft Matte Foundation is vegan and cruelty free and comes in 30 shades. It offers oil control, and is supposed to deliver moisture for up to 12 hours, be waterproof, sweat and humidity-resistant. Now, they say it gives 24-hour undetectable coverage but I don’t really understand that as you can definitely see it!
I found it a little hard to apply and blend, so it might be good for oily skin but it’s a little too matte for dry skin. I definitely does not give up to 24 hours of non-fading, non-settling/creasing, non-caking, non-poring, and non-streaking wear – look at this!!!
It was my least favorite and creased so badly on me within minutes I had to wash it off and go back to my regular foundation. This is a hard pass for my skin type anyway!
Best foundation for mature skin | NARS Sheer Coverage Foundation
Spoiler alert, this was one of my favorites for it’s flattering, luminous finish. NARS sheer coverage foundation comes in 40 shades and is really easy to apply, build and blend. It feels hydrating, is illuminating and although it’s called sheer and buildable it gives way more coverage than I was expecting.
It also didn’t settle in fine lines as much as some others did and I loved the glow it gave my skin and how well it lasted through the day. So I think this is good for mature and/or dry skin types. The other benefit is that it has NARS Complexion Brightening Formula (Glycerin, Turmeric and Vitamin C) to help improve your skin’s brightness, correct dullness and improve texture over time.
The downside is that it’s not cruelty free and might be too hydrating for oily skin types.
Best lightweight SPF foundation | Supergoop Protec(Tint)
Supergoop Protec(Tint) comes in 14 shades and gives more coverage than I was expecting for a tint. It’s good for pretty much all skin types except for very oily. The Protec(tint) Daily Skin Tint SPF 50 is formulated with both mineral and chemical sunscreen actives, providing broad-spectrum protection with a natural finish.
What I love about this cruelty free formula is how comfortable it feels. It’s kind of a super foundation, formulated with 83% skincare ingredients to promote a more radiant complexion and a smoother-looking texture. It has:
- Ectoin which defends against oxidative stress caused by blue light, radiation, and pollution.
- Hyaluronic Acid-Infused Clay which balances your skin’s moisture levels and absorbs sebum.
- Broad-Spectrum Hybrid SPF 50 with Zinc Oxide 13.58% which protects against UVA and UVB rays.
If you’re looking for an SPF foundation that’s not as full coverage as iT Cosmetics, check this out. I think it’s luminous coverage works whatever your age but is especially good for dry or combination mature skin.
Best foundation for mature skin (and all ages) that want skincare benefits | Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation and Dior Forever tend to be my Winter go-to foundations. It comes in 30 shades and is a cruelty free, buildable, medium-coverage, hydrating foundation, that gives a luminous finish and an instant glow. Bonus, it has skincare ingredients for long-term skincare benefits including:
- A brightening Rose Complex.
- Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid.
- Bix’Activ™ to help to decrease the appearance of oiliness and visibly reduce the look of shine and pores.
- Hyalurosmooth™ which targets uneven texture, dryness, dullness, and locks in moisture.
- Coconut Extract to plump and strengthen your skin barrier.
- C.T. Defence which prevents pollutant particles from penetrating the skin to help improve your skin quality over time for more healthy-looking skin.
It’s quite the powerhouse of a skin loving foundation. I feel like it would be good for most skin types and I love how many skincare benefits it has. It also creases minimally which is a big selling point for me.
Best foundation for dry, combination or mature skin | Dior Forever Skin Foundation
Dior Forever Skin Foundation comes in over 40 shades and is designed for for normal to dry skin. It’s my go-to when I want medium to full coverage coverage for nights out or filming as it gives a lovely luminous, radiant finish, is long wearing and creases minimally, skincare.
I also like that Dior Forever Skin Glow complexion has a 86% floral skincare base formula, formulated with iris, wild pansy, hibiscus and nasturtium extracts to help hydrate, smooth, improve its quality, resist hot and humid conditions, and protect against UVA and UVB rays.
On the downside it isn’t cruelty free and might be too hydrating for oily skin. As you can see, there is some shine after 12 hours when I didn’t powder through the day but that’s an easy fix.
Best full coverage SPF foundation | iT Cosmetics CC+ cream full coverage foundation with SPF 50
iT Cosmetics CC+ cream full coverage foundation with SPF 50 claim to be the number 1 SPF foundation in America and I can see why! This cruelty-free foundation comes in 30 shades and is your full-coverage foundation, anti-aging serum and broad spectrum SPF 50+ sunscreen all in one that doesn’t leave a white cast.
The cream formula is good for drier skin or mature skin that wants full coverage as it’s formulated with a hydrating Anti-Aging Serum that has hyaluronic acid, Niacinamide, and vitamin E as well as SPF 50. If you have oily or combination skin, try iT Cosmetics matte cc cream instead. This and Supergoop Protec(Tint) are my go-to summer foundations. This for when I want more full coverage, Supergoop for when I want a more luminous, medium coverage.
I hope this helped you find the perfect foundation for your skin type and the benefits and coverage you want.
Follow
