Foundation preference is extremely personal. Some people love flawless, full-coverage formulas so much they won't consider using anything else. Often, these individuals prefer their foundation to have a matte or matte-adjacent finish. Other people swear by light- to medium-coverage formulas. These individuals are most likely partial to the sheer, natural-looking effect of skin tints and serum-spiked products.
While coverage is a critical consideration when it comes to choosing a foundation formula, it's not the only one. In fact, most people are missing a pretty serious component—their skin type. Yep, you heard it here first. Your skin type directly dictates which foundation will work best for you. Dry skin? You need a formula that will hydrate your skin and resist settling into pores, lines, wrinkles, and uneven texture. Oily skin? You need a formula that will wick away excess shine and resist slipping, sliding, and smudging. Combination skin? You need one of those magical, diamond-in-the-rough formulas to balance your complexion's contradictory needs.
Many foundations are suitable for at least one of the three major skin types, but there's only one foundation formula that works for everyone. Yes—every single skin type. It sounds too good to be true, but it's not. Even facialists agree, saying it won't clog pores or cause breakouts for their acne-prone clients. Keep scrolling to see which iconic formula it is. Then, check out more expert-recommended foundations for each skin type!
The Foundation That Works for Every Skin Type
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Natural/Radiant
Formulation: Liquid
Three different celebrity makeup artists swear by the iconic Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation. Kelli Anne Sewell, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Makeup by Kelli Anne, calls it her tried-and-true foundation. "This formula works no matter the skin type, and I love that it gives you the perfect bouncy skin that looks hydrated but not overly dewy or overly matte. It's a beautiful natural finish, no matter the skin type!" she says.
Celebrity makeup artist Tobi Henney agrees, noting she loves to use it on dry skin especially. "I love Armani Luminous Silk, as it creates such a healthy-looking glow to the skin," she says. "It has buildable coverage, which works perfectly depending on how you like your skin to look."
Last but certainly not least, we tapped Etienne Ortega, celebrity makeup artist and founder of Ortega. His clients include Lana Del Rey and Christina Aguilera. He calls it his "favorite foundation of all time." He recommends it for oily, acne-prone, and combination skin types but adds that "it is extremely versatile for all sorts of skin." Maybe that's because the formula is oil-free. It won't add shine to oily areas, yet its radiant finish works beautifully on drier areas.
Even skin experts swear by it. Take it from esthetician Dakota Katt, who says, "I always recommend Armani Luminous Silk to my clients with oily or acne-prone skin. Its light, oil-free formulation gives your skin a luminous glow—just like its name promises—without causing any acne or congestion!"
There you have it. Armani's Luminous Silk Foundation won't exacerbate acne or increase the occurrence of clogged pores. That's a breath of fresh air for anyone who's ever tried a foundation in the past, only to see their skin erupt in bumps and blemishes (yep, we've been there).
Yet, thanks to hydrating ingredients like glycerin, it also benefits dry skin types who need a little more moisture from their foundation. Rest assured it won't sink or settle into fine lines or texture or make dry areas look worse. It's basically the foundation equivalent of a unicorn.
More Foundations for Dry Skin
Coverage: Full
Finish: Natural/Radiant
Formulation: Liquid
Ortega recommends Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation for parched skin types. "For dry skin, I tend to go for an oil-based foundation," he says. "It helps balance the skin and give it that extra moisture that it needs."
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Natural
Formulation: Liquid
Sewell loves this TikTok-viral foundation for dry and combination skin. "It gives you a nice, hydrating base while also providing a blurring effect to the skin! It also has great control and gives you a dewy glow where you want it," she says.
More Foundations for Oily/Acne-Prone Skin
Coverage: Full
Finish: Matte
Formulation: Liquid
When it comes to oily and acne-prone skin, Henney recommends Estée Lauder's full-coverage, matte-finish Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation without hesitation. "Estée Lauder Double Wear is great for oily skin," Henney says. "It helps the makeup stay in place for the day and keeps oil at bay."
More Foundations for Combination Skin
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Natural
Formulation: Liquid
Henney's fave foundation for combination skin is this Make Up For Ever pick since it has a radiant formula, buildable coverage, and a natural-looking finish. "Make Up For Ever HD is a beautiful foundation that suits those with combo skin," Henney says. "It has great coverage and creates the most flawless finish."
Coverage: Medium
Finish: Natural
Formulation: Liquid
Remember how Sewell recommended this Haus Labs foundation for dry and combo skin? Yeah, there's a reason for that. Thanks to a hydrating base, it plays well with drier areas, and its arnica-infused formula reduces redness and blurs oily and acne-prone areas.
Makeup Artist–Approved Skin-Prep Products
As any makeup artist will tell you, foundation is nothing without the right skin prep. Whether it's a moisturizer, skin mist, or primer, prepping the skin ahead of makeup application can make or break the final result. Luckily, we got the pros to dish on their favorite prep products. Check out each one below!
"Skin prep, to me, is the most crucial step and more important than foundation," Sewell says. "Skin prep is 1000% dependent on skin type. If you're oily, I recommend a water-based moisturizer to avoid additional oils on your face. I would also recommend using a mattifying primer in your T-zone. On the flip side, for someone with dry skin, I would recommend a rich cushion cream similar to Summer Fridays' Rich Cushion Cream Ultra Plumping Moisturizer."
For all the best skin-prep recs, check out the "Back to Basics: Skin Prep" video on her app, Makeup by Kelli Anne.
Ortega's skin-prep product of choice is the TikTok-favorite Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer, but only if you want a full-coverage, long-lasting application. He has another recommendation for light- to medium-coverage looks…
Ortega loves using Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base Moisturizer & Primer to prep the skin for light- and medium-coverage foundation.
For dry and combo skin types, Henney starts skin prep with a hydrating mist—MAC's iconic Fix+ Primer and Setting Spray to be specific. She follows it up with Rationale's #1 The Serum ($177) and Augustinus Bader's The Cream ($185).
For oily skin, Henney uses this mattifying primer. "I use this a lot for men's grooming too. It is perfect for the center of the face to keep the shine off the T-zone," she says.
Makeup Artist–Approved Application Tools
Once your skin prep is complete, consider what tools you're using to apply your foundation before you actually, you know, apply it. Here are the pros' picks.
"I love using the E.l.f. Ultimate Blending Brush for foundation, really working the product into the brush and then applying it in a light stippling motion onto the face," Sewell says. "This gives a seamless, flawless look, and for any area that you want additional coverage, you can go back and build on those areas."
She recommends starting light and building coverage from there. "I typically start by placing the product on my hand or a dish and working it into a brush before applying it to the skin," she adds.
Henney swears by a two-step application process. First, she uses this blending brush. Then, she follows up with a Beautyblender ($20). "Start with the brush and buff the foundation all over the face, starting from the center and working outward," she says. "Finish with a Beautyblender to create that flawless base."
Make sure you dampen your makeup sponge before you use it. "Bounce it lightly all over the skin," Henney says. This will give you the most flawless result.
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