10 Of The Best Full-Coverage Foundations For Your Next Makeup Look
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If you're a full-glam diva, then you understand the value of a great full-coverage foundation. A full-cover base is a perfect way to hide dark spots, pigmentation, acne marks, under-eye circles, or any other areas on the face of which you aren't as fond. It also provides an even canvas over which to apply the rest of your makeup. (And don't worry — we've got you covered with easy application tips for flawless foundation, too.)
Because it's a full-coverage product, this type of foundation also often lasts longer, making it the ideal choice if you wear makeup every day and/or for long hours. It's for these and other reasons that professional makeup artists and social media beauty gurus swear by applying full-coverage foundation on their clients and themselves, especially when it comes to special occasions like weddings, red-carpet events, or any other event where one is likely to be photographed.
Now that you're aware of the advantages of full-coverage foundations, perhaps you're keen to identify which one will work best for you. That's precisely why we're here to help.
How we selected products
In order to identify the best-in-category products, we browsed through user reviews on brand websites and other e-commerce platforms. Social media is also fertile ground for hunting down the best makeup items in different categories, so we browsed through a number of makeup application videos, read blog posts, and sifted through foundation recommendations to round up our favorites. Keeping an eye on key elements like price points, availability, suitability on different skin types, shade ranges, and other such important details, we narrowed down our choices to the best of the best.
After all, the best foundation is one that has both glowing reviews and is worth one's time and money, as well as being one that anyone can use. Ultimately, we believe our carefully curated selection of the best full-coverage foundations will suit the needs of everyone, no matter their preferences or needs, providing you with your next favorite makeup item.
Best overall full-coverage foundation: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation
A whopping 17,100 Sephora verified purchases have given this product an average rating of four out of five stars (with over 9,000 of them being five stars). Great on oily, dry, and combination skin types thanks to its climate-adaptive technology, this foundation also comes with the largest shade range in its category — coming in hot at 52 shades — which really helps it stand out above the rest. "This is a really great foundation for combination skin and it wasn't hard finding my perfect match seeing there are so many colours there are a lot of different shades to choose from," one pleased reviewer wrote.
Purchase the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation at Sephora for $40.
Best full-coverage foundation with a natural finish: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation
The jury has given its verdict. With words like "airbrush," "flawless," and "longwear" in its name, is there any doubt that this product will make your skin look stunning without appearing cakey? Charlotte Tilbury, a professional makeup artist who created her own line of celebrity-approved products, knows how to create makeup items that serve a number of different purposes. Hence, this formulation is lightweight and infused with skincare so that it gives an overall natural-looking effect to the skin while lasting a long time. It's vegan and cruelty-free to boot!
Purchase the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation at Sephora for $49.
Best full-coverage foundation for combination and oily skin: Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation
This OG full-coverage foundation has stayed high on the best foundation lists for years. Emily Noel of YouTube fame, who has nearly 1 million subscribers at the time of writing, even wore it through labor during all three of her pregnancies. Now that is surely a testament to its staying power! What's more, one Sephora reviewer called it "hands down the best foundation," adding, "I can get 12 plus hour wear and the color match is amazing! I have been using for over 3 years." It promises 24 hours of wear and that it stays in place even if you have oily skin or live in humid climates.
Purchase the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation at Sephora for $49.
Best full-coverage foundation for dry skin: It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40
Dry and full-coverage don't always go together, as a number of full-coverage products function on the very premise of keeping oil at bay for long hours. Nevertheless, this amazing product works on all skin types. What's more, it provides its full coverage in addition to offering SPF 40, so you can rest easier knowing that you're getting sun protection in addition to makeup coverage. The product also contains other helpful skincare ingredients such as collagen, peptides, and charcoal. Perhaps this is why it has upwards of 600 five-star reviews on Sephora's website!
Purchase the It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40 at Sephora for $47.
Best full-coverage for sensitive skin: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Full Coverage Foundation and Concealer Stick
Many ingredients can cause skin irritations if you have sensitive skin. If you're looking for a full-coverage foundation, you'll need to opt for a clean product that doesn't contain any ingredient you know can cause a reaction. Westman Atelier's Vital Skin Foundation Stick contains antioxidant properties and boosts hydration, making them perfect for sensitive skin. With a 4.3 star rating at Sephora, it's clear that Westman Atelier's higher price range is still well worth it for this product.
Purchase Vital Skin Foundation Stick at Sephora for $68.
Best full-coverage foundation for mature skin: Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation
Finding the proper full-coverage foundation for mature skin can be challenging, as many foundations will crease and emphasize wrinkles or fine lines. Lancôme's Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation is the solution for mature skin as it gives a natural matte finish but is known for its long-lasting formula. With 92% of Sephora users recommending it, it's a solid product that matches Lancôme's iconic reputation. The brand has reformulated this product over the years, and many users have reported it's lighter than before but is fixable with color matching.
Purchase Teint Idole Ultra Wear 24H Foundation at Sephora for $57.
Best drugstore full-coverage foundation: Maybelline Super Stay Full Coverage Foundation
With the 30-hour wear claim prominently displayed on its sleek packaging, this product is sure to catch your eye when you're searching for full-coverage products. Its pocket-friendly price won't disappoint you, either. With a 4.3-star rating on Amazon from over 28,000 ratings, this product ticks many boxes. What's more, it's lightweight because it's made with an oil-free formula, and it has a matte and smooth effect on the skin that stays put for hours.
"Awesome foundation, great coverage, color match was exact," one Amazon reviewer wrote. "Love that it is easy to apply with my blending brush. And love this price point." That sounds like a dream to us!
Purchase the Maybelline Super Stay Full Coverage Foundation on Amazon starting at $9.99.
Best luxury full-coverage foundation: NARS Soft Matte Complete Foundation
When you crave full coverage but also want to feel luxurious and flawless, NARS should be your brand of choice. Over the years, it's perfected the formulas of its base-coverage products and has garnered a loyal following around the world. This medium-to-full coverage foundation offers a matte but natural-looking finish that stays put throughout the day. Furthermore, its oxidation-resistant formula ensures that the color of the foundation doesn't change mid-wear, which makes it worth its higher price point to us. One user review explains it best: "This is an awesome true full coverage foundation. I believe in most cases one coat of this is all you need. A little product goes to the moon and back."
Purchase the Soft Matte Complete Foundation at NARS for $42.
Best full-coverage powder foundation: Make Up For Ever HD Skin Matte Velvet 24 Hour Blurring & Undetectable Powder Foundation
Though liquid foundations are more easily accessible, powder foundations are still the only way to get long-lasting coverage for some people. For the best of the best, we've found that Make Up For Ever offers an excellent powder foundation that blurs imperfections on the skin and leaves the skin looking matte for hours — all while still ensuring a natural finish overall. Sephora shoppers particularly enjoy this foundation, with 82% of reviewers recommending it to others and one reviewer calling it the "ABSOLUTE BEST." Now that's high praise!
Purchase the Make Up For Ever HD Skin Matte Velvet 24 Hour Blurring & Undetectable Powder Foundation at Sephora for $43.
Best full-coverage stick foundation: Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick
A stick foundation's cream base has a different finish to that of a liquid even though its final results are closer to a liquid foundation than a powder one. As such, people swear by stick foundations for their cream texture and undoubtedly easier method of application. Here, the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish foundation stick truly stands apart for its weightless, waterproof formula that promises long-lasting and full coverage that works on all skin types.
Don't believe us? Believe the over 3,000 five-star reviews on Sephora's website instead. "I have mature skin and this is a game changer. Full coverage without looking or feeling heavy," one reviewer wrote, noting that one should "moisturize first" before application, though this is true for any foundation.
Purchase the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick at Sephora for $49.