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These Are The Best Full-Coverage Foundations For Full-Glam Makeup Looks

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Dec. 17, 2023

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Join TZR editors for Main Squeeze, the series dedicated to sharing beloved beauty products — be they bold, effective, or simply fun — that make our week just a little bit better. Ahead, Team TZR spotlights their favorite full-Coverage foundations of the moment.

The key to any great makeup look is a flawless base. Still, it doesn’t make shopping for a new foundation easy. While lightweight products and skin tints are great for every day, it’s good to have heavier options for special occasions. Now, you may think this means a thicker consistency and cakey look. However, the best full-coverage foundations are designed to conceal imperfections, offer skin care benefits, and deliver an airbrushed finish. In short, they’re everything you need to create a smooth canvas.

Makeup is constantly evolving, and these workhorse products are the proof. Along with long-wearing capabilities, these formulas also include skin-loving ingredients. Think hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to hydrate your complexion and minimize pores. Some even have high-tech capabilities like tone-adapting pigments to deliver the ultimate skin-like finish. The options are endless, and finding the perfect bottle can be challenging. Luckily, the TZR team is a decisive bunch who have tried the buzziest foundations on the market.

Ahead, the best full-coverage foundations that never fail to deliver a perfect base. Whether you’re doing a completely glam look or are looking for a nourishing formula that won’t settle into fine lines or wrinkles, the list below is a good place to start.

Polite Society

More Than a Pretty Face Skin-Caring Foundation

$42

This buildable foundation includes pore-minimizing ingredients like niacinamide and willow bark. But that’s not all: It’s also made with hyaluronic acid to deliver a natural, luminous finish.

“I don't typically wear full-coverage foundation, save for formal events. Considering I've attended five weddings this year, and have three more planned for 2024, I've been going a bit harder on the makeup of late. This foundation from Polite Society has been a lifesaver as it offers buildable medium-to-full coverage that feels more like skin care. It keeps my skin looking naturally dewy and supple — never cakey — and blends like a dream. It keeps this effect for hours on end, never budging or oxidizing. I just love it.” — Angela Melero, executive editor

Cle De Peau Beaute

Radiant Fluid Foundation Natural SPF

$130

Despite the lightweight formula, this luxe bottle offers buildable coverage and a skin-like appearance. It’s ultra-hydrating and even includes SPF to protect and restore your skin. The result is a crease-free finish that’s flawlessly smooth.

My skin is notoriously blotchy and red, so a full-coverage foundation is a must, especially for special occasions. However, finding a formula that doesn’t leave my complexion looking cakey is no easy feat. Fortunately, Clé de Peau’s Radiant Fluid Foundation evens out my skin tone without accentuating any texture.” — Kelsey Stewart, associate fashion editor, TZR

ROSE INC

Softlight Skin-Smoothing Hydrating Non-Comedogenic Foundation

$54

With this foundation, you can rest assured that your blemishes won’t be getting worse while you’re wearing it. The clean formula boasts botanical ingredients that work to better your skin while keeping oils at bay and hydrating it for a natural look.

“This year, I fell in love with Rose, Inc. and this buildable, skin-perfecting foundation in particular. It has a soft-focus blur effect that makes anyone look filtered, regardless of breakouts or discoloration. But the formula does it all without feeling heavy, cakey, or suffocating the pores. It can be really layered on for a full-coverage, flawless finish or sheered out with a sponge and a lighter hand — it’s perfect.” — Amanda Ross, beauty editor, TZR

Nars

Soft Matte Complete Foundation

$42

This handy tube is expertly made with oil-absorbing powders that create a smooth and mattified look. The result is a full yet natural coverage that stays put — even on those hot and humid days.

“Foundation is definitely something I dabble in, especially as the weather changes (and my skin with it). But rare is the case I find a formula that matches the velvety, blemish-erasing perfection of this one.” — Alison Syrett, deputy fashion editor, TZR

Tarte Cosmetics

Face Tape Foundation

$40

As the companion to the brand’s viral concealer, this foundation is designed for full-coverage looks. It has a matte finish, but that doesn’t mean it's drying. Thanks to snow mushroom, apple fruit extract, and hyaluronic acid, it hydrates and brightens with each wear.

“Nothing beats this classic foundation from Tarte. It's the one I reach to any time I need more coverage, whether it's because I'm breaking out or just want a more matte finish. I love that it sinks into the skin and doesn't look cakey, but still blurs and covers uneven skin texture and breakouts.” — Faith Xue, executive beauty director, lifestyle, BDG

Pat McGrath Labs

Sublime Perfection Foundation

$69

The texture of this formula may be light-as-air, but it can still give you a full-glam look. It has a silky serum-like feel that blends into the skin effortlessly and delivers a satin finish. Even better? Mother’s formula has smoothing and illuminating properties for couture-level coverage.

“Known as the mother of makeup, Pat McGrath's products never disappoint. The Sublime Perfection Foundation offers buildable coverage that looks (and feels) like a second skin. I love that the formula is infused with skin care ingredients that help smooth and blur fine likes, wrinkles, and pores for an even, airbrushed finish.” — Erin Lukas, deputy beauty editor, TZR

Chanel

Ultra Le Teint

$65

Not only is Chanel’s Ultra Le Teint long-wearing, but it’s also comfortable thanks to its airy texture. The blendable formula is even enriched with a luminous soft focus powder that conceals imperfections.

“I picked this up after seeing Whitney Peak’s smooth complexion in the brand’s latest Coco Mademoiselle commercial. I was transfixed watching the video and was determined to get the same lit-from-within glow as the actress. With this formula, it wasn’t hard. It blends into my skin easily and covers imperfections with little effort. But what I love most is the soft-matte finish that looks powdery smooth but not drying. I’m truly in awe each time I wear it.” — Jessica Fields, beauty writer, TZR

YSL Beauty

All Hours Foundation

$60

This formula is made for special occasions and long nights. It has 24-hour coverage that feels weightless and gives you a flawless look. Plus, the breathable formula includes botanicals like jasmine petals to brighten and vegetal taurine to nourish the skin.

“Like the name implies, this YSL foundation is designed to last. While I don't wear full-coverage foundation on the regular, if I'm headed to a party or special occasion, I'll reach for this bottle because I know it will hold up throughout the night. It's touted as a matte finish, but it has a slight luminosity thanks to hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, jasmine petal, and vegetal turine. In other words, it doesn't cake or oxidize with wear. The SPF 30 is an added bonus!” — Lukas

Alleven

Instant Perfector

$147

This high-tech formula conceals, sculpts, and treats skin for a smooth and perfected look. It has smart tone-adapting and high-definition pigments that give skin a luminous and natural finish. Even better? The formula acts as a biological filter shielding skin against thermal aging.

“This creamy, light-reflective skin perfector is a concealer, foundation and skin treatment all in one. The finish is full-coverage, but you can use a smaller amount if you want a more sheer effect. I use it on busy mornings when my skin needs extra coverage, and it instantly makes my skin look better.” — Xue

NARS

Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation

$50

Not only does this beloved foundation come in 34 shades with varying undertones, but it’s also formulated with fruit extracts to boost skin’s elasticity. The result is a smoothed look that’s flawless even without primer. Plus, it stays put for up to 16 hours.

“This will always be a favorite of mine for a full-glam look. It has a soft, blurring finish that’s eerily close to skin-like and gives me a poreless complexion. It’s a total win and never lets me down.” — Fields