Thanks to advances in technology, makeup is no longer just makeup. Top cosmetic brands are creating products that not only make you look gorgeous in the short-term, they also pack long-term skin-care benefits. The days when makeup wreaked havoc on your face are gone -- now, makeup can actually make your skin better.

A trailblazer in the makeup-as-skin-care movement? Estée Lauder. The brand has combined its age-defying Perfectionist serum with natural-looking coverage to create Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup SPF 25. Available in 21 shades, this oil-free makeup is purported to hydrate, firm, brighten and minimize fine lines while perfecting skin instantly with medium-to-full coverage.

Three TotalBeauty.com editors tried Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup SPF 25 to see whether it covers all their foundation bases. Here's what they say.

I'm on Team BB Cream, but I keep a few good foundations on hand for days when I may have to take a selfie with a supermodel. (If you think I'm going to turn up bare-faced to interview Arizona Muse, you're mistaken.)

On those special occasions, I look for a foundation that fits a long list of personal must-haves: It should be light and last all day without creasing or smudging. It should have sunscreen and other good-for-my-skin ingredients. And it should make my skin look naturally flawless.

Well, from my lips to Estée Lauder's ears. Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup checks all these boxes. At first pump, I thought the formula was too thin, but I've come to really appreciate the serum-like consistency. It feels more like skin care than makeup. And I love the application technique using the Estée Lauder Sculpting Foundation Brush. I concentrate the product on the center of my face (nose, cheeks, chin and forehead) and it completely covers redness and hyperpigmentation.

Other bonuses? It makes my face feel hydrated (but not greasy) all day, it has SPF 25 sunscreen, and stays put all day yet washes off easily with my regular cleanser.

Now, how about that selfie, Arizona? #nofilter --Dawn Davis

I love wearing eye makeup -- layering my eyelids with all manner of primers, shadows and pencils. When it comes to wearing makeup on my entire face, not so much.

Needless to say, I wasn't sure whether I'd like Estée Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup. I was comforted by the product's thin consistency, which played well with my combination skin. My oily spots didn't look considerably oilier and my dry spots didn't look considerably drier.

The foundation's faint sunscreen smell is a reminder that you can step out protected (and apply one less layer in the morning). Plus, the natural-looking color and satin finish evened out the small areas of hyperpigmentation lingering from my teen years.

What I really love is applying the foundation with the Estée Lauder Sculpting Foundation Brush. After just three to four sweeps across my face, I was out the door, low-maintenance beauty routine intact. I'm still not a foundation faithful, but I'd revisit this perfecting pick-me-up on days when my skin's looking sub-par. --Erica Smith

I traded my foundation for BB cream in college and haven't dipped a toe back into the pool until I tried Estée Lauder's new Perfectionist foundation. Tested on the back of my hand, it didn't have that oily, cake-y feel I associate with a full-coverage foundation. Plus, I totally fell for the cool-looking sculpting brush.

I dipped the brush into the foundation and followed the sculpting directions, working from the center of my face outwards. It gave me a smooth, even tone and a finish that strikes a balance between dewy and matte.

Estée Lauder's Perfectionist serum technology is infused in the foundation, so my skin looked instantly plumper and more hydrated thanks to hyaluronic acid. In the long term, it's said to stimulate collagen production to fill fine lines.

My favorite part about Perfectionist is how lightweight it feels while hiding my skin's imperfections. I didn't even use concealer, which is a major feat in itself. I'm even considering taking a hiatus from BB cream. --Marissa DeSantis