What do you look for in a perfect foundation? Have you found the perfect one? Come close? Share your recommendations and how they measure up against your requirements!
Studio Fix Fluid is the closest I’ve come. For me, I need a light-to-medium foundation that has a matte finish that doesn’t look powdery/cakey. It should be relatively sweat proof and have SPF 15 in it.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Maybelline dream matt mousse, it’s amazing, goes on perfectly,lasts really well all day and is easy to remove.What’s not to love?
I don’t wear foundation every day though, i like to give my skin some room to breathe :o)
That’s some of the worse stuff I’ve ever used. It feels great at first and goes on smooth, but an hour later it makes not only me but everyone else I’ve seen use it look like they’ve crawled out of the grave.
lol I like the undead look 😉
No seriously, it matches my skin tone perfectly and loads of people have asked me what foundation I use as my skin looks so healthy.
i love my studio fix mist. it’s so light but has great coverage, and never does that weird melty foundation thing. then i just set it with studio fix loose powder and i’m set!
I haven’t met my perfect foundation yet. My ideal one would be sweat proof-as I sweat a LOT, 5 minute after I finish the whole face, I’ll be sweating, even in AC room. AND i want it to help me stay matte for at least 4 hours, provides a medium coverage but not heavy and still let my skin breathe, and it should still be able to make my face glowing.
I’ve yet to try SFF, but i’m currently using SF powder foundation for touching ups. I’ll try SFF when I finish my Body Shop foundation. Do you think it’ll be the possible HG for me, Christine?
I have been lucky enough to find my HG foundation : Giorgio armani LSF. Its a light to medium coverage but very buildable while remaining natural looking. It gives a fresh luminous glow to my dry skin, it stays put all day and i have found a color match (#3) that counteracts the redness in my cheeks but isnt too yellowy on my cool skin. I set it with giorgio armani loose micro fil powder(which really makes the foundation’s glowy quality even more aparent <3) or lancome poudre majeur(if i want a slightly more mat effect). I love it. 🙂
At the moment i use a variety – avon’s perfect wear foundation, avon’s perfect match matte foundation, rimmel’s lasting finish foundation. I like to have a collection, so hopefully i’ll be getting more in the future. The main thing i look for is complete coverage, which most seem to achieve, so im not all that fussy.
studio fix fluid for me too!perfect matte look that doesnt look caked on.but i might go for lighter coverage next time..i am not too sure
good coverage, non cakiness, warmth and smoothness, love studio fix fluid and pout radience foundation.
Studio Fix Fluid. I love the texture and the kind of coverage it gives me. The only problem with it now is that my MA gave me the wrong color. So I look very pale/pinkish. D:
I hate when this happens! I’m a fairly light skinned Latina but have olive undertones and MAC just can’t get my skin color right. I always look goth-y because it’s too pale, sunburned cause it’s too red, or dirty cause it’s too dark.
I’ve tried multiple times with MAC and even though I like the finish, the colors just weren’t made with me in mind 🙁
…I have the same problem with foundation. I am a fair latina myself;I use NC 25 Mineralized foundation, It works really well. I set it with Blot /pressed powder in Nc 20. Check it out:)saludos
Right now my favorites are:
Light Coverage – MAC Studio Fix Fluid or Clarins True Radiance (MAC does not photograph well but Clarins is amazing)
Medium Coverage – Maybelline Age Rewind Cream (don’t let the name fool you – this is a top quality foundation – it includes SPF 18- and ranks way up there with almost every single high end brand I have tried!)
Full Coverage – Laura Mercier Silk Creme
My perfect foundation would never settle into my nose, cover blemished,match my skin perfectly, have an SPF of 15 at least and last for 8 hours while looking utterly natural. The last few days I’ve been trying out MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Light.
Anyone else have this problem where they look into a bathroom mirror and their foundation looks like a hot mess, then when they look in a different one they look fine? Its been happening to me and I’m rather puzzled. Which reflection is reality?
It depends on the lighting, low light lighting gives your face an ethereal glow that may look absolutely beautiful but when you go out into natural light, it looks like crap.
So it’s best to check your makeup in natural light and then touch up where needed inside afterwards.
Very true. With me though, it only happens in my bathroom. I look at the big mirror in front of me, and I look fine. I do a 90 degree turn and look directly at the right mirror, and I look scary. Lighting angle maybe?
This happens to me all the time i look perfect in other mirrors now when i go to the bathroom one it doesnt look nice at all.
What IS going on here? Its good to know I’m not alone.
my perfect foundation thus far is MAC PRO face and body foundation in white… yes you read that right- WHITE!
I am white as a piece of paper, so this is the closest i have come to my match
My biggest issue with foundation is the color. I’m Indian (from India) and have olive-toned skin, but a lighter olive-tone. My HG foundation is something I discovered last year in Thailand when MAC did Lightful there and in other Asian countries. It’s a powder foundation with SPF. It’s EXACTLY the color I need (NC37). Thanks to Nat who is a reader of this blog…she lives in Singapore and found it for me…YAY!!
If I had to pick something sold here in the US, I’ve been using Benefit’s Play Stick in Jump Rope. Love the coverage and the color is very close to my skin.
I also like MAC’s Studio Tech (in NC30, NC35 in summer), but it’s a little heavy for day. But it’s definitely something I would use at nighttime for going out.
I have MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium. I can’t remember why I bought this…is it to use as a foundation? Or to put over foundation? If any of you readers have it…how do you use it? Thanks!
NMSF can be used as a sheer coverage foundation/powder or on top of liquid foundation to set the look.
Hi,
I’ve been looking for an online store that would carry the MAC lightful foundation and would ship to the U.S. Do you know of any website? I’ve read great reviews for this foudnation. I too have olive undertones and oily skin. Hope you can help.
Thank you!
Hi Mia,
No, not that I know of. Unfortunately, Lightful is only available overseas, and MAC only distributes through MAC… no other retailers.
I have only been using it for a couple of days but I am loving MAC Studio Moistureblend with MSF Natural over top. It is giving me a nice smooth finish that hasnt settled out into my pores or worn off. I like the MSF too because it sets my foundation with out looking powdery. I am super happy with this combo so far…I have tried most of the MAC foundations and been the most impressed with these two.
I agree with the above poster about MAC SFF not photographing well – I have horrible experiences with that! SFF is nice, used to be my HG, but I always was on the hunt for something different.
Clinique superfit (liquid) foundation was my answer. It looks beautiful and airbrushed on, wears well, and photographs even better. My friends commented on how nice my skin looked when I wear Clinique superfit, before they just commented on how nice my makeup looked!
Right now! I’ve been using the NMSF as a fondation..Buff it on my face and then set it w/ fix+..everyone tells me they love my skin…and when I go to mac ..they tell me how nice my skin looks…and I tell them…and then they go..”very nice!!”
what’s HG?
thanks.
Holy Grail…the perfect product 🙂 the one your seach and seach for…you hear stories of the “perfect one” BUT it takes years to find it and some never find it 🙂 We each look for a HG in each type of product; foundation, shadow primer, powder, mascara etc etc.
I use macs studio fix fluid nw15 and when i apply using my cosmetics mirror it looks flawless, then when i go outside or even look in another mirror it looks terrible. Can anyone give me tips on how i can make it look natural. Ive been trying to buff it out with fix+ but nothing seems to help. Ive also tried putting a warm damp washcloth over it and it seems to make it alittle better. PLEASE HELP!
I haven’t found a perfect foundation yet…but I found one that was extremely close to my skintone, Prescriptives.
My ideal foundation would have these qualities:
-Full coverage.
-Feels light, even though it’s full coverage, it shouldn’t feel like cake frosting on my face.
-Oil free and mattifyer…or something that keeps the oil in or soak it up.
-Sunscreen. Full spectrum.
Ideal mineral foundation:
-Perfect match without having me have to mix my own thing…xD i’m too lazy for that.
-Full coverage but not cakey feeling/looking.
-Oil control properties.
I’ve been wanting to try out the nmsf for an everday to school use…but I don’t have access to a MAC counter/store near me so I can’t see which one matches me..*sad*
I have tried others, but I always go back to MAC Hyper Real foundation with a light layer of studio fix powder. The powder gives more coverage, but the light reflecting pigments from the Hyper Real makes it look like I have fab skin… and I don’t!
I was using Hyper Real MAC in N200 but just found it a half shade too dark. So I tried to pick up some N100, apparently they don’t make it anymore 🙁 Anyone have any suggestions for maybe a lighter color (similr coverage) of MAC I could add to my bottle to make it just a little lighter?
On days when I just thow on some sunscreen I will dust the MAC mineral in Light onto my skin to just cut down on shine, not really to add much coverage.
This week I picked up MAC Face and Body, in N1, not sure yet if its my new HG but it seemed rather similar to the Hyper Real but a little more sheer which I really like.
My ideal foundation is quite sheer, obviously the perfect color, lasts all day without any fading or vanishing act, and last but not least it doesn’t cause any breakouts.
Great post, I am looking for a new foundation. Currently using DiorSkin Forever but it dries kinda “tight” and I don’t love the finish. I love Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + it has amazing coverage and does stay matte all day … but no SPF. I need my foundation to have SPF because it breaks me out in moisturizers (titanium dioxide is finr for me though). I may check out SFF … I looked at the new Elizabeth Arden one today it is suppose to be med coverage, but it didn’t cover anything on my face and the lightest color was too dark. Ugh.
I use DiorSkin Forever and I’ve found that as long as you use it with a moisterizer, it doesn’t tighten up. I have dry skin so this is important for me. I’ve found a color that matches my skin beautifully (31) .. and you gotta love the 25 spf! What a like about Dior foundations is that they are so buildable..I can go light one day and opt for a full coverage the next.. easy!
For liquid foundation, I’m liking Prescriptives Virtual Skin. Not too heavy, blends well, light to medium coverage. It’s only SPF 10 though, i think, and it doesn’t last all day. But it’s the best thing I’ve found so far for me.
I agree! I love prescriptives, and their virtual skin foundation has been the best I’ve ever tried for me, especially with their super line preventer underneath!
I really like the MAC Face and Body Foundation applied with a stippling brush. It looks natural (lets my freckles show through without looking cakey) and repels moisture which I like. Although I do have to agree with some others on the “doesn’t really photograph well” part 🙁
I also like the Skinfinish applied over the foundation for a dewey look.
I have not found the perfect one im still searching i have really dry skin and a bit of acne once in a while don’t know what foundation would be best for my skin. Do u have any recommendations?
Loreal True Match Liquid Makeup in Soft Sable for me! I love it. When I look for a foundation I don’t want it too dark which normally happens I want a good coverage but not all over where it looks kind of fake just enough to where I can wear it and look smoothed out and I always use physicians formula concealer underneath the two together works as a perfect foundation!
I like Clinique Superfit Makeup for a good coverage but opt for Clinique’s Perfectly Real Compact Makeup(powder foundation) for everyday wear which is quite a sheer, natural coverage.
I never used to wear foundation up until a few years ago so I am still searching for the coveted HG but these are pretty faultless at the moment!
what i want in a foundation is that it should be moisturing, light and matches my skintone. oh an spf should be a plus too.
i just bought artdeco hydrasilk #5 and it’s so moisturizing and matches my skintone (i’m asian) better than l’oreal’s true match which i think tends to look to dark for me…and it’s not true that it adjusts to your skintone.
i think this might be my hg foundation.
Studio Fix Fluid does it all for me and this bottle has lasted me since October.. i bought another one in December thinking i would need it soon, but i still havent finished the first one! Its amazing.
As for other MAC foundations, I havent tried any but my mom recently went in a freestanding store asking for a new foundation, the artist recommended and used Studio Stick on her because she said it was good for fine lines and created a nice matte finish. She bought it and a brush to use it with but now hates it, she said it just looks cakey even after blending and doesnt give good coverage at all. Would you recommend Studio Fix Fluid for all ages? She is 52 and has relatively dry skin.
Yeah studio stick is too cakey for me too – and it settles into my fine smile lines, making them MORE pronounced!
if she has dry skin u may want to try something more moisturising like satinfinish maybe.age is no bar for sff
True!
I never could find anything to mach my skintone, absolutely everything looked icky orangey (my skin is very light and pink – no brown or yellow what so ever). Getting made up by MAs in stores just made me want to go home and wash my face!
Then I found Bare Escentuals mineral foundations. “Fairly light” matches my skintone beautifully, and as long as I take proper care of my skin and don’t let it get too dry this really is perfect. I’m quite sure I found my Grail 🙂 I love how I can choose the coverage by using different brushes, how it makes me not look made up, how it lets my skin breathe and not makes me break out like liquid foundations tend to, and I love the finish as well! I think it looks natural; not too shiny or too matte. And it has amazing staying power! I look just as nice when I come home from work as when I go there; I never touch up anything unless I’m going out at night (but then I normally redo my whole face).
That was a long post, but that’s what it takes to declare my love for the Bare Escentuals mineral foundation in Fairly Light, xxI guess 😉
Oh, and i just got my first MSF (light flush from N) on ebay, and it is great for glowy cheeks and “unflattening” my foundationed face! Love that too.
sorry about the x-s, kitty helped my type… >^.^<
Oh wow! I didn’t even read your comment until I wrote mine! LOL! Yeah, I use Fairly Light too! I love that stuff! I also found it’s the only thing that doesn’t look orangey on me!! Yay Bare Minerals!!
I have my HG of foundation, Bare Escentuals foundation in Fairly Light! For now, it works great for me. I know someday when I’m in my 30’s or 40’s I’ll need more coverage, but for now, I have nice skin, and I want to enjoy it and not cover it too much with foundation. Liquid foundation has always felt weird and heavy to me anyway.
Bare Minerals always looks super natural on me, and it’s fast to apply (I hate taking a long time, I take long enough as it is!!) and it stays put for ever! I go to the gym, and I can see my face turning red on parts where I hadn’t put it, but not where I used it more, so sweat doesn’t even phase it. Plus it never makes me break out, and it has SPF in it!!
It is a super foundation, isn’t it, MariahGem 🙂 Lucky us to have found it 😉
For me, the perfect foundation is one that is: light-medium coverage, buildable though, and semi-matt with dewy finish (i believe you can always matt your foundation with powder if thats what your going for). I like my foundation to last long through the day coz im too lazy for touch ups hehe. its also important that my foundation be the perfect color match and skin-friendly coz my skin is sensitive which makes finding the right foundation even more struggling! ugh!
I’ve tried many foundations from different brands (including mac) and they all were ok. I dont recall trying one that i disliked, they just weren’t bad. However the ones i just adored are the estee lauder foundations, i just love how they feel on my skin. I use individualist most of the time and double wear for special nights. Individualist is more natural looking but wears off in less time than double wear does. Double wear is heavier in coverage but last all day! I just love having them both.
Yeah, I know what you mean, nothing horrible, just nothing FANTASTIC!
I’m glad you liked EL’s foundations!
I’m still on the hunt for a HG foundation.
What I look for is something that has decent coverage, but is buildable and flexible. Not too heavy, and definently safe for sensitive skin, as I’m prone to acne every now and then. I love a matte finish, but without looking powdery, ashy or chalky. I’m not big on stuff that makes me look dewey, because I just end up looking greasy.
Where for art thou?
Isn’t it funny how many of us have the same wants in a perfect foundation, and yet none of us have found it?
I second the not being big on any foundation the promotes dewiness.
There’s a brand that they sell out here by cataloga (Dominican Republic and some other places in latin america)
Its called L’Bel Paris and i have used one their foundations called Mat Effet and i love it! It covers up but your skin does not feel cakey and it lasts up to 8 hours.I used it for my prom and it worked wonders on my oily skin ( oops i forgot to metion that its for oily skin ) it really workd u’ll skin stays mat for real.
p.s it smells like rose perfume :p
That’s great, it’s so good that you’ve found a local brand that rocks!
I live by Armani foundation!I also like Loreal HIP Foudation and Bare Minerals.I look for coverage and SPF.
I’ve heard many good things about Giorgio Armani’s foundation!
i like studio fix fluid and estee lauders double wear both stay on great especially on oily skin DW is full coverage where studio fix fluid has buildable coverage from light to full
SFF is fab, my favorite!
I have very fair and neutral skin. I have yet to find a pale foundation without specifically warm or cool undertones. A cool foundation makes me look very corpse-like since I have dark hair and eyes. Warm foundation makes me look like I have a tan. I usually just use a warm-toned powder foundation and even it out with a cool-toned finishing powder (Guerlain Glittering Pearls Meteorites). That’s the only way I can get even close to my natural skin color.
As for the product itself, I want medium coverage, powder matte finish that lasts all day.
Oh, that is a tough nut to crack, Charlotte!
You should give MAC’s Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation a try. It’s really long wearing. You can also control the coverage by applying it with a brush (rather than the sponge that comes with it…although, I lov the way it looks when you apply it with the sponge), which will give you more of a medium matte finish. Plus, they have a very extensive shade range that will match your skin tone. You should probably have an artist match you in person.
I have different foundation to serve for different purposes.
Well..Suqqu (Japanese brand) the Skinny foundation gives me very natural look, feel like bare face which is perfect for holiday, outdoor minimal coverage.
During the workday, Bobbi Brown is beautiful. The latest one with the vitamins A and E..I guess.
When travel, I prefer Chanel, the cream type comes in a black case because it doesn’t spill.
I like that you have multiple foundations and use them for different occasions!
I’m new to this site and I appreciate all the information. I use MAC NC50 liquid foundation (I’m from the Caribbean). I also use a local brand called Sacha in Perfect Tan which works well and, is not as expensive as MAC.
I think the readers are SO helpful! I learn so much from what you guys comment with!
My now-favourite foundation is Biotherm Long Wear Detox Foundation. It is pricey, but it goes on beautifully, covers beautifully and stays put for hours. It doesn’t make your skin look yucky after you take it off, as some do.
It’s matte, but doesn’t make your skin “tight” as other matte foundations can do. Also, it’s not drying if your skin is not very oily.
Sounds like a dream foundation, Louise!
At the moment I’m using Studio Fix Fluid, which I thought was my HG but now I’m not sure.
I usually wear NW15 in MAC foundations and its been a perfect colour. I’m super fair and foundations always turned orange on me b/f I found MAC. Problem is, SFF in NW15 is about a half (or more) shade darker than the same shade in any other type of MAC foundation. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this. Maybe its just in Canada. Even the girls at the counter recognized this when it first launched. I’m so fair (and pink) that a half shade too dark is noticable. In the summer I can get away with it b/c I use self-tanner but I’m noticing a line when I use it in the winter.
I love everything else about it, though. The coverage is great (most foundations don’t cover my broken veins), it lasts all day w/o looking greasy, yet it doesn’t accentuate the odd line in my 34 year old face! What will I do!
(Sorry this is so long…)
My new fave is MAC SFF, in NC15, the lightest shade. I chose this because the 187 brush just blends it perfectly into my skin, giving lasting coverage. And i know the product tend to oxidise after some time in my country’s hot weather, so i got a lighter shade. 🙂 Loving it! I set the SFF with Bare Essentials Mineral Veil.
i’ve tried chanel teint innosence both liquid and creme…one’s too sheer, the other is too cakey. i’ve used MAC’s SFF but by the 2nd hour on my face, i’ve sweated through it. ugh. so, i went back to clinique’s superfit (like the above mentioned comments) and found it so wearable, with plenty of coverage without the heaviness/cakiness of SFF. it also photographs amazingly, unlike MAc, where you look in the mirror and it’s the perfect shade then come out looking like you’re wearing a mask in your photos.
thanks for your suggestions, girls! i LOVE clinique’s superfit!!
I look for something that doesn’t look like I’m wearing makeup – the most natural finish I’ve found is Chanel Teint Innocence liquid. I’ve been wearing it since just before my wedding (it was my wedding foundation) and I’m still very much in love with it 😀
I just wanted to tell you, Christine: I tried studio fix fluid because you like it so much, and it is great for me!!!! I´ve been using it for over a week now and I couldn´t be happier! NC15 is my perfect shade and I love the coverage and feel of it. Thanks for another winning recommendation!
Hey Nell!
I’m SO glad that it works well for you! That’s fantastic to hear 😀
the perfect one should be the one make my skin comfortable. i dont mind the coverage, but i will expect to have the glow of health.
The best foundation i have ever seen is the Vincent Longo Water Canavs foundation. Its very unique although its very expensive its worth every penny and a little goes along way i would definatly recommend it to anyone who wants to achive an airbrush look but you do have to put it on with a foundation brush or else it wouldnt work as well i was at newyork fashion week and when the makeup artist put this on me my jaw dropped !
does anyone know if MAC studio fix powder photographs well? im having pictures taken soon and i’ve heard people say that studio fix powder is refelctive in pics and can make you look pale. anyone know for sure?
Hi Karen,
Any foundation or powder with SPF will do this.
I don’t wear foundation. I just moisturize, put on sunblock, put on some cover up and go.
1. Colour match
2. Luminous but not oily shine
3. Stay put formulation