Meet Your Match: The Best Foundations at MECCA Right Now
January 1 | 6 minute read
Words by Team MECCA
Originally published on | April 10
We've rounded up the greatest bases for different occasions and various skin types, so get set to put your best face forward.
Finding the right foundation is a little like shopping for the perfect pair of jeans – it requires patience and time, and can sometimes feel disheartening in the unflattering lights of the change room. But when you finally locate that perfect fit, the one that seems like it was made just for you, it’s as though the stars have aligned.
That's exactly the feeling we want you to have after you've applied your foundation. Your perfectly matched, feels-like-this-was-made-just-for-me type of foundation. Because, we promise you, it's out there. Whether you're looking for a balancing formula for your combination skin or a powder compact foundation you can toss in your work bag for mid-afternoon touch-ups, we've curated this list featuring 11 of the best tried, tested and approved foundations.
Best foundation for buildable coverage
NARS Sheer Glow
We love that this foundation works on multiple skin types (balanced, dry, combination and oily), and we especially love that you get to control your level of coverage – no matter how many layers are applied, it always looks natural! One layer imparts a sheer and radiant finish, multiple layers deliver a more airbrushed appearance. Add to that the fact that the formula – available in 40 shades – features skincare ingredients that work to hydrate the skin over time, and it’s really not hard to understand why this is one of the best.
Best foundation/skincare hybrid
Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation
Charlotte Tilbury has MECCA customers in love (and glowing) with her lineup of bestsellers, which includes this foundation: a creamy complexion perfector. Featuring hyaluronic acid and a rose complex to give your skin a hydrating boost, it’s available in 30 shades, with a medium coverage that leaves skin looking like actual skin – just glowier.
Best foundation for mature skin
Ellis Faas Skin Veil Foundation
Ask any MECCA makeup artist what their secret weapon is for dewy, healthy-looking skin, and this foundation will be it. Ellis Faas was one of the most influential makeup artists in the business with years of experience under her brush belt, so it’s no surprise this foundation is a winner. This suits-all-skin-types, vegan-friendly formula diffuses light to impart a seamless, soft-focus finish that becomes one with your skin. It’s buildable and won’t settle into fine lines, meaning you can add a light tint or layer up for medium coverage.
Best oil-free foundation
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
This Too Faced icon is oil-free and hydrating (thank you, coconut water and skin-plumping hyaluronic acid), as well as brightening, which makes it ideal for balancing combination or oily complexions. The formula is medium to full coverage with a semi-matte finish that delivers the blurring and soft-focus effect you’ve always desired, but perhaps never discovered.
Best foundation for undetectable coverage
M.A.C Cosmetics Studio Radiance Serum Powered Foundation
Looking for a foundation that makes your skin appear as if you have your own lighting crew with you 24/7? Look no further. This serum-infused foundation blurs the appearance of pores, has a medium buildable coverage and a radiant finish thanks to silver and gold pearlescent particles. Plus, it’s packed with 33 skincare ingredients including nourishing jojoba oil, plumping hyaluronic acid and soothing vitamin E that will leave you looking luminous and fresh, even after you take off your makeup. Plus, its 56-shade range means you can find your perfect match.
Best medium coverage foundation
Kylie Cosmetics Power Plush Long Wear Foundation
According to Kylie Jenner herself, this foundation took three years for her brand to get just right: “I’m truly obsessed with this formula – I’ve been secretly wearing it for a while, it’s really comfortable and lightweight, and leaves your skin with a beautiful, airbrushed finish,” she explains. Available in 40 shades, it has a medium, buildable coverage that sits in the sweet spot between not too dewy and not too matte – a perfect satin. Plus, it offers up to 12 hours of comfortable wear, making it the perfect pick for everyday, natural glam.
Best your-skin-but-better foundation
Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation
Laura Mercier is a living makeup legend who knows good skin, so it’s only fitting that she made an excellent foundation that took TikTok by storm when it launched. Available in 30 shades, this medium-buildable coverage formula is loved for its ability to make your skin look like the best version of itself. Formulated with the latest in skin tech, this foundation helps control shine and maintain your skin's hydration while you wear it, making it perfect for combination skin types in particular. And, did we mention this foundation is also fragrance-free and waterproof? Tick and tick!
Best long-wear foundation
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup
A true classic! If you want a matte (but not flat) finish – one that’s non-creasing, won’t budge and is both lightweight and comfortable – this foundation is it. Available in 61 shades, this oil-free formula has been dermatologist-tested and is non-comedogenic, making it a worthy choice for blemish-prone skin. And, it will leave your complexion looking fresh and flawless for up to 24 hours thanks to its sweat, humidity and heat-resistant promise.
Best powder foundation
bareMinerals BAREPRO 16-Hour Skin-Perfecting Powder Foundation
In 2023, bareMinerals reformulated their iconic matte powder foundation to deliver longer wear and more skin-friendly ingredients, like brightening pineapple and hydrating squalane. Everything else we loved about this foundation – 24 hours of oil and shine control, and sweat, humidity and full-but-natural coverage – is still here, so it continues to be a top foundation for oily or combination skin types. Plus, it comes in 35 shades.
Best beginner foundation
Morphe Lightform Extended Hydration Foundation
Pair a radiant finish with undetectable coverage designed to hydrate and blur, and you’ve got this stellar foundation by Morphe. This lightweight formula comes in 36 shades and is easy to apply whether you use a brush, sponge or your hands – making it perfect for those who are just starting out in the world of foundation.
Best all-rounder foundation
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation
According to Shiseido Makeup’s Global Artistic Director, James Boehmer, the brief when developing this formula was “a foundation that still looks like skin and has a natural finish, vitality and that looks alive.” Once applied, the lightweight formula resists heat, humidity, oil and any slipping caused by facial movements. It’s ideal for all skin types looking for a longwear formula, but with zero fragrance and a feeling of instant hydration once applied. It’s also a fitting option for sensitive skin, and the blurring effect makes it a favourite for mature skin, too!
