GET FREE SAMPLES

sign up for our newsletter to get free sample alerts

13 Foundations That Double as Skin Care Saviors

They're packed with skin-loving ingredients

This skin care-makeup hybrid is the real deal: With anti-inflammatory niacinamide, moisturizing bisabolol, aloe leaf juice powder, and two types of skin-plumping sodium hyaluronate, it doubles as a soothing serum for those with sensitive skin. (Since sodium hyaluronate can exasperate dry skin, this formula may be best suited for oily or balanced skin types.)

As a skin perfector, the tint (made in 18 shades) easily covered redness and dark spots, leaving a gorgeously dewy finish. The formula is more viscous than those from The Ordinary and Kosas (mentioned ahead), and it feels sheer enough to forget you're wearing makeup at all once blended into the skin.

Buy now



When Natura Bisse discontinued its widely-loved The Cure Sheer Cream, it was a blow felt around the world. Where else would we find a moisturizer that quenched dry skin, blotted out redness and dark spots and delivered the perfect dose of tint and warmth that adapted to a range of light and medium skin tones? Where?

Thankfully, we weren't left in the lurch for long. With the launch of this moisturizer, we score the same healthy glow as we did with the old formula (courtesy of light-reflecting pigments), as well as the same major hit of hydration. A thicker texture means a little goes a long way for a no-makeup makeup look, but it can also be applied more generously for buildable coverage.

Buy now



This tinted moisturizer is basically an entire skin care routine in an adorable little pot: With collagen-supporting ingredients like Bulgarian rose extract, moisturizers like Bulgarian rose and moringa oils and skin soothers like rose flower water, green tea and coconut water (along with 18.9 percent non-nano zinc oxide) this multitasker is made to take the place of your AM serum, moisturizer, mineral SPF, and light-coverage makeup. The bouncy, pudding-like texture is made to be applied with fingers and leaves our skin with a healthy finish that reads like an all-natural glow.

Buy now



For those who hate the feel of a face oil, finding a serum-foundation that doesn't feel greasy can be a challenge. The antioxidant-packed cranberry seed oil found in this foundation instantly evaporates, morphing into a powder-like texture when smoothed onto the face, something that finishes in a demi-matte glow — no setting powder required.

Buy now



Thank color theory and a helix of green, lavender and peach for this primer's ability to conceal ruddy, sallow, and hyperpigmented skin. But what makes this new take on a Stila classic even more illuminating is the inclusion of a low-key champagne shimmer (in the brand's hero shade, "Kitten").

Meanwhile, it packs legit skin care benefits too: inside the oil-free formulation is a blend of 50 percent mineral water and 15 vitamins, minerals and antioxidants help skin feel bouncy, not greasy. Two pumps made our skin feel hydrated and look evenly-toned with a touch of warmth, which is everything we want makeup to do — without the makeup.

Buy now



BY ERIKA STALDER | AUG 20, 2020 | SHARES
VIEW COMMENTS
Full Site | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
TotalBeauty is a property of Evolve Media Holdings, LLC. © 2024 All Rights Reserved. | Affiliate Disclosure: Evolve Media Holdings, LLC, and its owned and operated subsidiaries may receive a small commission from the proceeds of any product(s) sold through affiliate and direct partner links.