Foundation is fabulous—use it correctly and the time-tested makeup standard is like a magic eraser that hides all flaws. So, if it’s one of those product picks you won’t leave the house without wearing, why not sport one with some serious skin-saving abilities that treats your concerns while covering your complexion? We tried these 13 and we can tell you: They work hard to make skin look better—even when you aren’t wearing them.
Problem: Lack of Radiance
Product: Laura Geller Baked Liquid Radiance Foundation
Fanatics of Laura Geller’s signature Baked collection can now get their foundation fix with the brand’s new liquid makeup, a supercreamy, yet somehow lightweight, formula that gives that glowy finish. It still relies on the company’s signature baking process to offer the ultimate in color correction, but this time, ingredients like aloe vera juice, essential oils, vitamin E and white tea work even harder to help up the hydration and radiance factors. $38, laurageller.com
Problem: Tired-Looking Skin
Product: Diorskin Nude Air Serum Ultra-Fluid Serum Foundation SPF 25
With powerful antioxidants like cranberry oil, vitamins and minerals, the incredibly fine texture of this fluid-serum somehow manages to feel like you have nothing on your face, yet creates that “fresh and rested” look everyone wants. $53, diorskin.com
Problem: Uneven Texture
Product: Lumene Bright Now BB Serum
Sure, this sort of doesn’t totally fit into the foundation category since it’s a BB, but it does so many things for the skin and provides such flawless coverage (it’s sheer, but it blurs everything) that it can’t be left out. Combining detoxifying Wild Arctic cloudberry extract with the always-powerful anti-aging star that is vitamin C, this serum actually has the ability to exfoliate your skin as you wear it, which helps to smooth it out and improve texture. $18, ulta.com
Problem: Aging Skin
Product: Jouer Age-Repairing Perfector
Infused with a proprietary Dermaxyl complex (which helps boost collagen), vitamin E, Japanese green tea extract and anti-inflammatory arnica oil, this buildable cream foundation protects skin and treats it to a ton of anti-aging benefits as you wear it. $36, jouercosmetics.com
Problem: An Oily T-Zone
Product: L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Powder
Anyone who has oily skin can stop it momentarily by applying some powder, but this air-fine powder absorbs shine, doesn’t disrupt any of your other color and looks perfectly matte, not mask-like. As an added bonus, it has built-in blotting spheres that last up to 16 hours. $13, ulta.com
Problem: Less-Than-Perfect Pores
Product: iT cosmetics CC+ Illumination
The perfect product for those who aren’t so great about applying a separate sunscreen and need something that works to hide past sun damage (it can cover up even the most stubborn of dark spots), this full-coverage cream creates the look of subtle radiance as soon as you apply it. Plus, it’s infused with an anti-aging serum made of peptides, vitamins, hydrolyzed collagen and antioxidants that have the ability to minimize pores. $38, itcosmetics.com
Problem: Dryness
Product: Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude SPF 15
Blendable and buildable, this lightweight foundation contains the unique ingredient of wild mushroom extract, a natural antioxidant that works to lock-in moisture and help skin retain it throughout the day. $39, elizabetharden.com
Problem: Lines and Wrinkles
Product: By Terry Terrybly Densiliss Compact
This mattifying pressed powder pretty much does the impossible: It creates a healthy glow, camouflages everything and merges micropigments and a soft-prism complex to help smooth out lines. $95, beauty.com
Problem: Overall Discoloration
Product: Colorescience Even-Up
This majorly multitasking mineral-based product—it’s like a foundation, primer and sunscreen all in one—brightens, corrects and protects (with an SPF of 50!) through its skin-brightening UV complex of LUMIRA, which is clinically proven to address the underlying cause of discoloration. $120, colorescience.com
Problem: Lack of Firmness
Product: So Susan Moisturizing Soft-Focus Peptide Foundation SPF 15
Like the name suggests, this fluid foundation is enriched with skin-firming peptides that help improve skin’s elasticity, while nourishing ingredients like rosehip oil and grapeseed extract help heal dryness. $25, sosusan.com
Problem: Pretty Much Everything—Including Acne
Product: Cover FX Custom Cover Drops
All you need is one tiny drop of these pure pigments to customize any product in your beauty cabinet (they can be added to primers, serums, lotions, moisturizers and work really well on acne-fighting products to cover as you treat). It’s really easy to do and works especially well on sensitive skin types. $44, coverfx.com
Problem: Hard-to-Cover Spots
Product: Almay Smart Shade Anti-Aging Skintone Matching Makeup
Besides taking the guesswork out of finding that perfect shade (there are only three and they all have the ability to adjust perfectly to your skin tone), this “smart” foundation can adjust to the natural tones and nuances of your skin to provide seamless coverage, which makes it especially good at covering up those hard-to-hide spots. $15, ulta.com
Problem: First Signs of Aging
Product: Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Fluid Foundation
Luxurious and virtually weightless, this serum formula features potent anti-aging ingredients including Pigmento Perfetto, a marine-based algae extract known to fight the production of Progerin, a protein that accelerates aging by encouraging loss of firmness and elasticity. $48, sephora.com
