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While beauty balms, CC creams, and tinted moisturizers are having a moment, there will always be a place in beauty for tried-and-true foundation—especially the liquid variety. “Liquid formulas allow for the most customized level of coverage,” celebrity makeup artist Bryan Cantor tells Byrdie. And with the right brush and technique, he says you can count on stunning, natural-looking results.
Byrdie Tested & Approved
For best overall liquid foundations, the NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation checked off our boxes. Not only does it come in a diverse range of shades (36, to be exact), our tester said the formula felt more like lotion than makeup and didn’t settle into her creases. If that’s out of your budget, we recommend the L’Oréal Infallible 24 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation due to its perfect consistency and natural-looking finish.
The liquid foundation market is undoubtedly saturated. To help you narrow down your options, we researched today’s best-selling, highly rated formulas and selected upwards of 30 to try out in The Lab.
Keep reading for the best liquid foundations tested by our editors.
Best Overall
NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation
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Sephora
- Blends and builds easily
- Doesn’t settle into creases
- Skincare-first formula
- Excellent shade range
- Expensive
What do buyers say? 1,000+ Sephora reviewers rated this product 4.2 stars or higher.
After trying over 30 liquid formulas, NARS Light Reflecting Foundation was a clear winner. The lightweight consistency goes on smooth and dries quickly. It offers medium coverage, but you can easily build it up to your desired coverage level. Our tester liked that the natural-looking, slightly dewy finish didn’t settle into her creases.
We love the high-end feel of the glass bottle too. While the pump makes it easy to dispense, the watery liquid drips a little. Still, our tester said the skincare-first formula melted into her skin, explaining that it felt more like lotion than makeup. Available in a diverse range of 36 shades, the color blends beautifully and offers a complexion-enhancing, flattering effect that lasts all day.
Shades: 36 | Coverage: Medium/buildable | Finish: Natural/dewy | Key Ingredients: Oat, cacao peptides, milk thistle, Japanese lilyturf | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes
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Byrdie / Tamara Staples
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Byrdie / Tamara Staples
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Byrdie / Tamara Staples
What Our Testers Say
“I loved the formula. It melted into my skin and looks great.”—Elizabeth Hecht, Product Tester
Best Budget
L’Oreal Infallible 24 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation
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Walmart
- Perfect consistency
- Doesn’t settle into fine lines
- Beautiful finish
- Contains PEGs and BHT
For something more affordable, we highly recommend L’Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear. Our tester loved everything from the packaging to the application process to the natural-looking finish. Lightweight and easy to blend but also not runny or overly thick, this foundation has a perfect consistency.
It dries down quickly, too, but not before you can start working it into your skin. The buildable coverage evens out your skin tone without looking cakey or feeling tight, and it won’t settle into your fine lines.
Shades: 40 | Coverage: Buildable | Finish: Natural | Key Ingredients: Octinoxate, titanium dioxide | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
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What Our Testers Say
“This product has a beautiful finish on the skin that went on super easily. I would definitely wear it again for everyday use or build it up for special occasions.”—Julia Fields, Product Tester
Best Splurge
N°1 DE CHANEL Red Camellia Revitalizing Foundation
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Byrdie / Ulta
- Perfect consistency
- Hydrating
- Leaves skin plump/dewy
- Expensive
- Contains fragrance
The steep price of N°1 De Chanel is kind of a bummer, especially since we liked it so much. But if it’s within your budget, you’ll be glad to have this top-shelf foundation in your glam kit. The consistency is just right—not too thick or runny—and goes on smooth with buildable coverage.
Our tester loved the heavy frosted-glass container and said the pump makes it easy to dispense. She said the formula evened out her skin tone, blurred imperfections, and left her with a plump, dewy complexion.
Shades: 20 | Coverage: Buildable | Finish: Luminous | Key Ingredients: Glycerin, camellia seed oil | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes
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Byrdie/Tamara Staples
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Byrdie / Tamara Staples
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Byrdie / Tamara Staples
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Byrdie / Tamara Staples
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Byrdie / Tamara Staples
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What Our Testers Say
“It leaves the skin looking plump and dewy.”—Julia Fields, Product Tester
Best Matte
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
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- Buildable coverage
- Velvety smooth
- Diverse shade range
- Contains PEGs and fragrance
Prefer a shine-free finish? Fenty Pro Filt’r has your name on it. “RiRi did it again!” one tester exclaimed. She loved the tall, frosted container and said the pump dispenser made it easy to use.
This buildable foundation offers medium to full coverage. Available in a diverse range of 50 shades, it goes on velvety-smooth, blends beautifully, and leaves a natural-looking, soft matte finish in its wake.
Shades: 50 | Coverage: Medium to full | Finish: Soft matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
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Best Natural Finish
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation
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Byrdie
- Very lightweight
- Smooth, even coverage
- Evens skin tone
- Contains PEGs
- Not very buildable
- Not transfer-resistant
We also liked Rare Beauty’s Liquid Touch Foundation, which offers more of a natural finish. Our tester said the lightweight, slightly watery consistency dries down within 30 seconds. Though you might be able to add one more layer, anything beyond that may start settling into your creases.
The doe-foot applicator makes the formula easy to apply, and the natural-looking pigments do an excellent job evening out your skin tone and concealing redness. We noticed some transferring, but all in all, we were impressed with the results.
Shades: 40 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural/matte | Key Ingredients: Sunflower seed oil, botanical extracts, vitamin E | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
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What Our Testers Say
“Rare Beauty’s Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation does indeed feel weightless! It transfers a little bit, but for medium coverage, you can’t do better.” —Rachel Nussbaum, Product Tester
Best Full Coverage
HOURGLASS Vanish Seamless Finish Liquid Foundation
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Ulta
- Thick yet spreadable
- Not heavy or cakey
- Doesn’t settle into fine lines
- Contains PEGs
If you prefer full coverage, Hourglass Vanish is your best bet. Though the consistency is somewhat thick, it goes on smooth and won’t drip down your face before you get a chance to blend it in.
As the product claims, a half-pump was enough to cover our tester’s entire face, and she was even able to build the coverage as needed. It didn’t settle into her fine lines, and the natural-looking finish had a hint of a glow.
Shades: 26 | Coverage: Full/buildable | Finish: Natural | Key Ingredients: Glycerin, jojoba esters | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes
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What Our Testers Say
“I love the way my skin looks when wearing this foundation. It would be amazing for special events when I want to cover redness, acne, or other imperfections.”—Julia Fields, Product Tester
Best Medium-Coverage
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation
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Nordstrom
- Smooth, lightweight texture
- Doesn’t settle into fine lines
- Lasts up to 24 hours
- Pricey
- Contains paraffin and PEGs
Our tester loved the smooth, lightweight texture of Lancôme Teint Idole, explaining that it’s not watery or overly thick. We wish the price was more accessible, but the medium coverage is conveniently buildable and doesn’t feel heavy or tight on the skin.
Offering a natural-looking, semi-matte finish with a slight glow, this liquid foundation doesn’t appear cakey or settle into fine lines. Our tester also liked the feel of the heavy glass bottle and appreciated that the formula lasts up to 24 hours.
Shades: 35 | Coverage: Medium/buildable | Finish: Natural/matte | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
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What Our Testers Say
“This product is the perfect combination of dewy and matte without sacrificing any of the coverage.” —Julia Fields, Product Tester
Best Light-Coverage
ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint with SPF 40
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ILIA
- Doesn’t settle into creases
- Hydrating
- Contains SPF
- Pricey
- Dropper bottle
Ilia’s uber-popular Super Serum does, indeed, have a serum-like consistency. This slightly runny liquid blends effortlessly and delivers lightweight, semi-sheer coverage with a healthy-looking dewy finish that doesn’t settle into your creases.
The dropper bottle isn’t our favorite, as it’s hard to dispense the exact right amount of product. Still, we appreciate the built-in SPF 40 protection, the hydrating formula, and the “looks like skin” results.
Shades: 30 | Coverage: Light/sheer | Finish: Radiant/dewy | Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, squalane, hyaluronic acid, zinc oxide | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes
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What Our Testers Say
“Its coverage is definitely more sheer, but it imparts a dewy, natural-looking glow and blends incredibly easily.” —Avery Stone, Associate Commerce Editorial Director
Best with SPF
FLOWER Beauty Light Illusion Liquid Foundation
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Ulta
- Light and non-drying
- Buildable coverage
- Hybrid sun blockers
- SPF could be higher
- Contains PEGs
Flower Beauty Light Illusion calls on a hybrid blend of mineral and chemical blockers to provide SPF 18 protection. But since the SPF is relatively low, we recommend wearing sunscreen underneath.
This liquid foundation has a lightweight, watery consistency. Our tester said it took a little while to dry but liked the buildable coverage and natural-looking, dewy finish.
Shades: 15 | Coverage: Light/buildable | Finish: Natural/dewy | Key Ingredients: Octinoxate, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No
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Best Lightweight
Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation
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Sephora
- Goes on smooth
- Evens skin tone
- Fancy glass bottle
- Expensive
- Not very buildable
- Contains PEGs
Our tester said Skin Fetish has a lightweight, watery texture. It offers medium coverage, but since it dries down quickly, it’s not the most buildable formula we tried. Still, this foundation goes on smooth and does a great job covering redness and evening out your skin tone.
It’s easy to dispense, too, thanks to the high-end glass pump bottle. The thin consistency was slightly messy, but our tester said it was generally easy to apply with a makeup brush and sponge.
Shades: 35 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural/luminous | Key Ingredients: Amino acids, diamond core powder | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: No
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Final Verdict
The best option we tried was NARS Light Reflecting Advanced Skincare Foundation. The skincare-first formula blends and builds effortlessly, doesn’t settle into creases and offers a natural-looking, dewy finish that lasts all day. If you’re on a budget, we highly recommend L’Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation, which boasts an amazing consistency and a beautiful, natural-looking finish that lasts up to 24 hours.
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How We Tested
Byrdie editors carefully researched today’s best liquid foundations, then narrowed it down to 32 to try in The Lab, our product-testing facility in Manhattan. After inspecting the packaging, reviewing the ingredients lists, and looking at the directions, our in-house testers applied the formulas to see how they performed in a real-life setting.
We assessed the consistency, feel, blendability, and buildability, then performed a transfer test to see how well the pigment stayed put once dry. The foundations were then awarded a score from 1 to 5 for texture feel, finish, transfer resistance, and wear. With price and shade range taken into consideration, those with the highest overall scores were ultimately selected for this roundup.
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Other Options We Tested
NYX Professional Makeup Born To Glow Foundation
This thick, gel-like foundation takes about three minutes to dry, and while it’s buildable, we found it hard to achieve a full-coverage effect. And although we appreciate the diverse range of 45 shades, the squeeze tube makes the liquid formula a bit messy.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Our tester liked the lightweight, breathable feel of this fancy foundation, noting that it felt like she wasn’t wearing any makeup. While we can appreciate the product’s dedicated following, it just wasn’t our favorite liquid formula, and the price was a bit too steep.
Milk Makeup Sunshine Skin Tint Foundation
We liked the smooth, non-greasy texture of this foundation. Our tester appreciated the unique dispenser, and unlike other full-coverage formulas, it left her with a nice glow. While we don’t have many complaints, we ended up liking other formulas better.
MEET THE EXPERT
Bryan Cantor is a global celebrity makeup artist based in New York City. He brings his impressive knowledge of skincare, makeup products, application techniques, and professional tips and secrets to clients and companies in New York City and across the globe.
What To Look For In a Liquid Foundation
Buildable coverage
According to Cantor, the ideal scenario is one in which the coverage your foundation offers is just enough to camouflage any redness and even out your overall skin tone, but not necessarily eliminate blemishes or spots (that’s a concealer’s job ). Happily, most liquid formulas are buildable, and how you apply them can also dictate the level of coverage (more on that in a moment).
Consider your skin type
“Some liquid foundations are made for all skin types and others for specific skin types,” says Cantor, so choose one that suits you. If it is an “all skin type” situation, how you prep your skin before the foundation will be key for making that foundation work for your skin, he explains.