With new products hitting the booming beauty market almost every day, finding the best foundation for dry skin should be a breeze, right? Well, if you are someone who has ever found themselves blankly staring down the poorly-lit aisles of a beauty store or blindly clicking through endless pages of cosmetics online, you know that this is simply just not true. After a while, finding the right foundation can start to feel like an unsolvable puzzle, as the never-ending barrage of products is nothing but a glaring reminder that each person’s skin is as wildly unique as his or her fingerprint.
21 Moisturizing Foundations That Make Dry Skin Look Radiant
Let’s face it — finding a foundation that perfectly matches the shade of your skin, provides the right amount of coverage, and won’t break the bank involves more trial and error (and wasted money) than some of us might care to admit. However, understanding your skin and finding the right formula for your skin type also has a lot to do with how your foundation will look on your face. Many formulas dry out the skin, even more, causing the makeup to settle into wrinkles, accentuate dry skin patches and leave behind the oh-so-dreaded “cakey” finish that all of us try to avoid.
The good news is that with cosmetic brands, makeup gurus, and beauty influencers developing and promoting new products all of the time, dry-skinned beauties are no longer doomed to settle for anything less than their perfect foundation. Like the ones listed below, there are tons of innovative products available today that are filled to the brim with groundbreaking ingredients aimed at improving the overall texture of dry skin. Many of these foundations work double duty to give a flawless finish and drench the skin in hydrating moisturizers that are sure to make you look better even after the makeup comes off. Now you really can have your cake and eat it, too — without looking like one, of course.
1. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint
Loaded with skin-quenching hyaluronic acid, Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint takes hydration to the extreme. Available in 10 blendable shades, this moisturizing tint works overtime to plump the skin and improve its elasticity with regular use. Plus, it provides just the right amount of coverage to even out your skin tone without ever feeling too heavy or settling into fine lines and wrinkles — leaving behind a smooth, natural finish your skin will love.
2. NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil
Natural beauties, this one is for you! With NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil, achieving that seemingly effortless “no makeup” makeup look has never been easier. This lightweight concealing veil evens out your natural skin tone and achieves a smooth, satin finish without looking too heavy. Its breathable, moisturizing formula makes it the perfect alternative to heavier foundations, and fans of the product love how it feels just like their own skin — only better!
3. NYX Professional Makeup Born to Glow Naturally Radiant Foundation
Let’s be honest — hearing that your skin is glowing just might be one of the best compliments one could ever receive, and with the NYX Professional Makeup Born to Glow Naturally Radiant Foundation, you will hear it often. Its impressive shade range and buildable formula let you control the coverage and leaves a naturally radiant finish that never cakes or creases. This hydrating makeup is one of the top-rated cheap foundations for dry skin, making it a clear favorite among beauties on a budget.
4. L’Oréal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation
Nothing lasts forever, but this foundation sure comes pretty close! As the new standard of longwear, L’Oréal Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation boasts a long-lasting formula that stays in place for up to 24 hours. The moisturizing formula contains an important SPF and is a good foundation for dry skin. Lightweight and creamy with medium coverage that instantly hides imperfections, this long-lasting makeup goes on smooth and finishes with a soft glow that lasts all day long.
5. Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation
Get ready to give your parched skin a colossal dose of moisture with the Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Foundation. This lightweight, skin-plumping formula provides medium coverage and uses hyaluronic acid and collagen to hydrate and smooth, visibly improving the look of your skin and giving you a natural glow you will want to wear forever. Delivering up to 12 hours of hydration, it is a popular choice among makeup lovers in search of the best foundation for dry skin.
6. Wet N Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation
Searching for cheap foundations for dry skin that stick to your budget and look great on your face? Look no further! The silky, nourishing formula of Wet N Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation leaves skin looking flawless and photo-ready all day long. This weightless makeup is buildable and blends beautifully for hydrating coverage that blurs imperfections and helps shrink the appearance of pores. It also has a radiantly smooth, dewy finish that others will be sure to envy.
7. L’Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation
With up to 24 hours of staying power, this breakthrough foundation from L’Oréal aims to make running towards the nearest mirror to touch up your makeup a thing of the past. Infallible Fresh Wear 24 HR Foundation is lightweight and provides medium-to-full coverage with a natural finish that lasts long. Containing moisturizers and protective sunscreen, it is a good foundation for dry skin. Waterproof, sweat-proof, transfer-resistant — is there anything this breathable formula can’t do?
8. FLOWER Beauty Light Illusion Liquid Foundation
Experience the unmatchable beauty that light can make! Light Illusion from FLOWER Beauty is a breakthrough foundation that bathes your skin in the softest luminosity imaginable, while still allowing you to control the coverage. It hides all imperfections and fixes uneven skin tone to the point where only a flawless, smooth, and incredibly natural complexion is left visible. Reviewers love its “second skin” feel and often cite it as a very good foundation for dry skin.
9. Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation
Who doesn’t love high-quality, cheap foundations for dry skin? Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation is a full coverage makeup that erases imperfections and mattifies the skin to create a fresh and even complexion for up to 24 hours. Featuring a fun little dropper applicator that sets it apart from other products, it is no mystery why customers love more than just this foundation’s low price tag.
10. Maybelline Dream Urban Color Flawless Coverage Foundation
Maybelline’s Dream Urban Cover Flawless Coverage Foundation is specially formulated to shield your delicate skin from dangerous environmental factors. Packed with antioxidants, this protective makeup stands guard against pollution while still managing to completely cover imperfections and deliver an even skin tone. Plus, it contains hydrating SPF 50 to provide extra protection from damaging UVA and UVB rays — which is extra important for individuals with dry skin.
11. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation
Filled with amazing skincare benefits and the coveted NARS Complexion Brightening Formula, this sheer, buildable foundation is a true miracle worker. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation comes in a wide variety of shades to accommodate all skin tones and finishes with a sheer, natural glow. With daily use, it will leave your skin looking and feeling more hydrated, brighter, and smoother.
12. MAKE UP FOR EVER Reboot Active Care Revitalizing Foundation
MAKE UP FOR EVER develops some of the most popular foundations that exist on beauty the scene today, and this one does not disappoint! The Reboot Active Care Revitalizing Foundation is infused with skin-loving ingredients that dramatically reduce the appearance of wrinkles and maximize hydration for a full 24 hours. The skin feels softer and smoother, while a satin finish leaves your face looking gorgeous all day long. Another successful formula from a highly credible brand, this foundation ranks high among users as the best foundation for dry skin.
13. Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation
This foundation has all of the good stuff in it. Containing SPF 30 and antioxidants, Estée Lauder Double Wear Nude Foundation acts as an invisible shield to protect your skin from harmful UV rays and pollution, while hydrating red fruit extracts work to restore moisture. Its long-lasting, light-to-medium coverage formula stays in place for 24 hours and gives a natural, flawless finish to the skin.
14. Laura Mercier Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation
Sure, silver mushroom extract might sound weird, but it works wonders on hydrating and smoothing even the driest of skin. Loaded with other skin-quenching vitamins and extracts, Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation from Laura Mercier turns the brightness all the way up on your complexion, leaving your skin feeling softer and looking naturally luminous. Reviewers seem to go crazy for this product too, with many of them declaring it the best foundation for dry skin on the market today.
15. FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation
Often praised for its all-inclusive shade range and hydrating finish, the FENTY BEAUTY by Rihanna Pro Filt’r Hydrating Longwear Foundation is considered to be the best foundation for dry skin by many makeup users from all over the world. The long-lasting formula feels comfortable on your skin and blends seamlessly into your natural tone. With this fan-favorite foundation, you control the coverage, allowing you to focus on concealing any problem areas without it ever looking too cakey.
16. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
his award-winning foundation is formulated with Micro-Fil™ Technology, which allows color pigments to lay flat on the skin’s surface for effortless blending and layering. A lightweight foundation that offers buildable, medium coverage and a naturally luminous finish, this skin-softening formula contains moisturizers that make it a very good foundation for dry skin.
17. Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Liquid 24H Longwear SPF 15 Foundation
Yet another good foundation for dry skin is Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Wear 24H Long Wear Foundation. This product is a full-coverage foundation that is designed not to smudge or budge for at least 24 hours after application. It contains a protective SPF and provides a flawless, natural matte finish that feels very light on the skin Transfer and humidity-resistant, this foundation is sure to stay put on even the hottest summer days.
18. Too Faced Born This Way Undetectable Foundation
If you are like many others who struggle to blend their makeup properly, you are going to want to check this one out. Too Faced Born This Way Undetectable Foundation is absolutely a stand-out product, in that it effortlessly diffuses the line between makeup and skin like magic. Also, with key ingredients like coconut water and hyaluronic acid, this makeup formula helps to delicately restore skin’s moisture levels, often landing itself on the list of the best foundation for dry skin.
19. NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation
NARS Radiant Longwear Foundation uses a unique blend of fruit extracts to help improve skin’s elasticity and smooth the look of uneven texture over time for peak radiance. It is a buildable, full-coverage formula that still manages to look light and natural when applied. Fans of the product rave about its fade-resistant technology, which is said to last for up to 16 hours.
20. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation
As the only hybrid skincare-foundation on the list, Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation is a total game-changer. It contains a special mix of ingredients chosen by Charlotte herself, including the revolutionary Magic REPLEXIUM® that reduces the appearance of fine lines wrinkles. The formula is extremely hydrating and lightweight while still providing full coverage and leaving a soft, matte finish.
21. Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick
Winner of “Best Foundation” for InStyle Magazine’s 2017 Reader’s Choice Awards. the Hourglass Vanish Foundation Stick is a revolutionary product that covers like a concealer, blends like a liquid, and feels as weightless as a powder. Its signature double concentration of pigment is formulated to conceal all imperfections with maximum coverage for flawless skin and a natural finish. The fade-resistant, waterproof formula provides up to 12 hours of coverage and adjusts to your body temperature to make blending makeup into your skin easier than ever.
21 Popular Foundations for Makeup Lovers with Dry Skin
Whether a result of aging skin, dry weather, or conditions such as eczema and psoriasis, dry skin is very common, and many people find it almost impossible to find a hydrating foundation that flatters it. With so many products out there geared towards oily skin types, it might be tempting to throw in the towel and end your search for the best foundation for dry skin altogether, but you do not have to give up just yet. With game-changing formulas like these and many others, dry skin can no longer stand in your way of looking and feeling flawless.
FAQ About Foundation for Dry Skin
How do you make your makeup look good with dry skin?
The good news is that there are a few things you can do to help your makeup look good with dry skin. For starters, make sure you're thoroughly washing your skin and applying a moisturizer. You could also add nutrient oils under your makeup to create a moisturizing barrier. Finally, try to only use products that have ingredients that help keep your skin moisturized.
How do you prep for dry skin before makeup?
First, you'll want to apply a moisturizer right before you apply your makeup. You can also add a hydrating oil on top of that to create a protective barrier between the products and your skin.
How do you put foundation on dry skin?
You'll want to wash and moisturize before applying foundation and it's a good idea to find a product that's formulated for those with dry skin. You'll also want to avoid using things that are drying, such as anything with powders.
How do I make my makeup not look dry?
The easiest way to stop your makeup from looking dry is by using water-based foundations instead of silicone-based. If possible, avoid using foundations that are considered matte or full coverage as they have ingredients that can cause drying.
Why does my makeup look dry and cakey?
One of the main reasons why makeup looks dry and cakey is that you're using a color that's too light or too dark, which makes it more obvious. It could also be a result of certain types of makeup or even makeup that isn't blended or set the way it should be.
