The 15 Best Cream Foundations of 2024, Hands Down
Choosing a foundation isn’t always easy, ultimately because it’s such a personal choice. When considering finish, coverage, and most importantly formulation, the best foundation for you totally depends on what your skin needs. If your complexion is prone to dryness and redness, and you want a medium-to-high-coverage foundation that is easy to apply, has a natural finish and is boosted with added moisturizing benefits, then it’s time to introduce a cream foundation to your routine.
Cream makeup products such as cream blushes and highlighters are certainly having a moment. Why? According to Hollie Ellis, pro artist for Bobbi Brown, because they keep skin looking like skin. "They are also less mess when it comes to applying the product,” she adds. "And cream foundations are amazing for only pinpointing where you need coverage.” The beauty of a cream formula is that it really melts into the skin, meaning it blends seamlessly with other cream products and gives skin a fresh, natural-looking and never-cakey finish.
"Cream foundations tend to be a little richer, more nourishing, with a little extra coverage,” says RMS Beauty founder and celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift. It’s this richness that makes cream formulas especially beneficial for dry skin types. The rich, buttery formulas are often packed with powerful hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. According to Ellis, they’re also great for problematic or redness-prone skin that requires coverage strong enough to cancel out redness. "Their moisturizing textures help to cushion and even out the complexion in a more natural way,” she adds. If your skin is more on the oily side, however, then cream foundations might not be the best option for you, since you probably don’t need the added moisture. Instead, look for powder or liquid formulas with a matte finish.
Although you might think that due to their thicker textures, cream foundations would look and feel heavy on the skin, with the right tools and technique, you can achieve really natural-looking, weightless results. "The beauty of a cream foundation is you can either use your fingers and press into any areas where it needs coverage or you can use a brush,” says Ellis. "For a lightweight coverage, blend and circulate the foundation into the skin, and for a fuller coverage, press and stipple into the skin.” If you’re keen to try this technique, look specifically for a stippling brush. Designed with two layers of bristles—a shorter, more compact one to press the product in and a longer, looser layer to pick up and deposit the product—these brushes are perfect for achieving an airbrushed finish.
Converted? To help you narrow down your options, we’ve tried and tested 2022’s best-selling, highly rated cream foundations, including drugstore and luxury options. There’s also a variety of finishes and coverages, from matte to dewy, sheer to full, and everything in between.
1. Suqqu The Cream Foundation
2. Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick
3. Tarte Face Tape Foundation
4. RMS Beauty UnCover-Up Cream Foundation
"This highly moisturising, concentrated formula incorporates our signature beauty oil for rich, radiant hydration that works to smooth the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles,” says Swift. "Perfect for someone with mature skin or someone in need of a little more coverage and hydration.”
5. Danessa Myricks Vision Cream Cover
6. Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation
7. Chantecaille Future Skin Oil-Free Foundation
8. Jouer Cosmetics Essential High Coverage Crème Foundation
9. Chanel Sublimage Le Teint Ultimate Radiance-Generating Cream Foundation
10. Kevyn Aucoin Foundation Balm
11. Inglot YSM Cream Foundation
12. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation
13. Estée Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup
An even more powerfully pigmented version of the classic Double Wear formula, this rich cream foundation has the ability to cover acne scars, birthmarks, sun spots, and even surgical scars. Expect full matte coverage that lasts all day (and night).
14. It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream With SPF 50
You have options when you use this CC cream since it layers easily from light to full coverage without feeling heavy or looking powdery. In fact, the formula is packed with moisturising ingredients like niacinamide and collagen peptides to boost hydration and add glow.
15. Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation Stick
This post originally appeared on Who What Wear UK.
Grace Day is a beauty editor and content creator. She has over 10 years of beauty-industry experience, spanning editorial, retail, and e-commerce, which gives her a unique understanding into how people shop for their beauty routines.While studying for a history degree (specialising in the history of beauty) and working as a beauty adviser in department stores, Grace started writing her own beauty blog in order to share the products she discovered while dealing with acne. After graduating, she moved to Beauty Bay as beauty editor and content manager. Grace is currently a beauty contributor to Who What Wear. She has also written for Hypebae and PopSugar and works as a brand consultant and copywriter.
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