We’ve Got You Covered—These 9 Full-Coverage Foundations Are Tester and MUA-Approved (2024)

TL;DR

Our Top Picks

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 40 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This is, without a doubt, one of the most popular full-coverage foundations around. Despite having a pretty thick texture (which often makes for a cakey finish), it blends out beautifully on the face and can create a natural-looking base. It can cling to dry patches—which is pretty common with full-coverage, matte foundations—but if you properly exfoliate and moisturize before using it, you’ll be able to achieve a smooth, full-coverage result that looks natural and, most importantly, is long-lasting. In addition to admiring its wearability, we appreciated that it passed the transfer test with perfect scores. It also comes in a pretty extensive shade range, which is especially important for foundations that offer lots of coverage and won't be as forgiving if your shade doesn't match your skin color.

Joyce, tester: “With two pumps, it covered almost all my imperfections and made my skin look very even. There was no foundation transfer when I used a blotting paper, so it has great staying power.”

Finish: Natural matte | Number of Shades: 45 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With a unique mousse-like consistency and incredible buildability, this budget-friendly foundation quickly became a favorite during testing. With one pump, we were able to blend out the formula seamlessly with a brush and a sponge to yield medium coverage that nicely cancels out redness in the skin. A second layer allowed us to achieve completely full coverage that totally blurs the appearance of dark spots and blemishes. We love that it sets down to a natural matte finish that doesn’t look dry or radiant—it’s truly somewhere in the middle. To avoid accentuating dry patches, we recommend gently exfoliating and moisturizing prior to application. And did we mention it comes 45 shades that range from fair to dark in a variety of undertones?

Mia, tester: “The foundation feels weightless. Since it’s full coverage, it was clear I was wearing a foundation, but in a way that left my skin looking like my own skin.”

Finish: Natural | Number of Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

It’s not often that cushion foundations provide significant coverage, but this one can be built up from light to full, offering enough coverage to completely even out your complexion. Aside from experiencing a bit of transfer, our experience with this foundation was overwhelmingly positive. We loved the natural, glowy finish, how easily it blended into the skin, and how weightless and comfortable it felt when applied. It completely covered redness while maintaining a skin-like appearance and didn’t settle into pores or fine lines. One thing we're not impressed by is the shade range—it's very limited, and we would like to see the brand expand the range.

Jeanie, tester: “The coverage was amazing—it provided a natural glow, it covered the redness that I deal with, and it looked like my skin.”

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 50 | Cruelty-Free: No

Another incredibly popular full-coverage foundation, this one stands out for its long-wearing capabilities. The sweatproof and waterproof formula won’t budge, and it’s no surprise that it performed beautifully in our transfer test, resisting creasing and fading as we wore it. As for coverage and finish, it’s full coverage and can be built up or sheered out depending on your preferences, and the finish is matte but not flat. Though it can cover pretty much anything, it maintains a true skin-like appearance. We also love that it layers nicely with the makeup you apply on top of it. This product was recently reformulated, so if you previously tried it and found it to be heavy, this is your sign to give it another go. It now offers the same coverage and longevity with a much more lightweight and breathable texture.

Michelle, tester: “The foundation blended easily and felt like a second skin. My skin looked natural and it evened out my skin tone.”

Finish: Natural | Number of Shades: 36 | Cruelty-Free: No

Pat McGrath Labs nailed the shade selection of this foundation. In addition to creating shades that vary in depth, there's also a vast range of undertones to cater to a large spectrum of skin tones. Even better? The formula looks stunning on the skin and performs beautifully. While it’s not marketed as a full-coverage foundation, it’s extremely buildable and can be layered on to create a pretty full-coverage look. After applying just one coat, it worked beautifully to even out the complexion while maintaining a natural appearance that didn’t lean overly matte or dewy. While we did notice a bit of creasing in the smile lines, it wasn’t significant and could likely be avoided by setting the area with powder.

Alyssa, tester: “I absolutely adore the finish of this product, but I knew I would. My skin truly looks airbrushed—it's the perfect amount of satin and matte finish. This looks like my skin, just a way elevated version of it.”

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 31 | Cruelty-Free: No

One layer of this full-coverage powder foundation will provide light coverage, while additional layers will build up the pigmentation to offer much more covering ability. We loved how well it evened out the complexion, but we would have liked to see just a bit more coverage on top of the discoloration. If you want to opt for powder foundation but need additional coverage, you can always conceal blemishes first and then apply the powder. The skin finish is completely matte without appearing dry or cakey. It layered nicely on top of moisturizer and didn’t crease or fade as we wore it. Keep in mind that it did rub off quite a bit onto the blotting paper during the transfer test, so we recommend setting it in place with a powder and a setting spray.

Sunita, tester: “This product looked natural, and I was able to control the coverage. It looked good on the skin and I think it would work well as a setting powder as well if needed.”

Finish: Matte | Number of Shades: 59 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We’d be surprised if you're not already familiar with this iconic foundation from Fenty Beauty. Aside from helping to set the industry standard for shade range inclusivity, this one also has a loyal fan base who praise it for its formula. We can see why it’s so well-loved, thanks to how blendable it is, how comfortable it is on the skin, and how it's almost completely transfer-proof. During testing, it didn’t crease or fade, and we loved how skin-like it looked. If we could change one thing about it, it would be the level of coverage. Despite being marketed as a full-coverage foundation, one tester struggled to get it to fully cover her melasma. The good news is it builds well and can be layered with concealer, so this isn’t a deal-breaker for us.

Surfina, tester: “I would recommend this product to anyone who doesn't have blemishes or dark patches. Anyone with pretty good skin wanting to look more polished would benefit from this product.”

Finish: Matte | Number of shades: 40 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We were curious to see if this foundation balm lived up to the TikTok hype—and it did. It provides complete coverage in just one layer, a little bit of product goes a very long way, and it can be applied using your fingertips, a brush, or a sponge, without the mess that liquid and powder formulas can create. Despite its matte finish, we found that our skin looked and felt more hydrated after applying it. We appreciated that it set in place and didn’t crease as we wore it. While we didn't dislike the texture, some online reviewers share that it feels a bit thick and heavy on the skin. If you’re sensitive to that, we recommend applying it in light layers using a damp sponge.

Pooja, tester: “I only used my fingers to apply, and I used very little, but it provided full coverage in one go. It did a great job of hiding my blemishes and hyperpigmentation.”

Finish: Natural | Number of shades: 36 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Finding a great full-coverage foundation that includes SPF can be tricky, but the Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation is fantastic. It’s formulated with zinc oxide as well as niacinamide and squalane for hydration benefits. The texture is lightweight, creamy, and easy to blend, and the finish on the skin is absolutely stunning. It’s the perfect midpoint between matte and dewy, and it creates a gorgeous veil of coverage on the face. We were impressed by how well it covered minor redness and discoloration, though we noticed that we would need additional concealer to fully cover under-eye circles. We also appreciated that it didn't settle into fine lines or emphasize texture. Though it did transfer a bit, we think this would be mitigated by lightly setting it with powder.

Lee, tester: “My face was glowing, even-toned, and, dare I say, stunning? I would still need concealer, but this foundation did an incredible job evening out my skin.”

FAQ

• How do I apply full-coverage foundation?

  "I highly recommend prepping the skin very well beforehand (consistent exfoliating, moisturizing, etc.) as this will offer a smoother surface for a more flawless foundation finish," says Shahzada. "Apply the foundation in layers instead of a large amount from the start." Vargas suggests focusing on the areas you’d like to conceal, as they require more coverage.

  "Remember to blend the foundation down the neck and onto the ears for a seamless look. I like to set the foundation with a translucent powder to enhance its longevity and prevent any unwanted shine," Vargas adds.

• How do I make full coverage foundation last?

  Making foundations last all day and night can be tricky, but there are a few things you can do to enhance their wear. Ensuring that you prep your skin properly is important because when foundations cling to dryness or are applied on top of excess oil, they can fade and break down. Before applying your full-coverage foundation, be sure to exfoliate any dry patches and apply a light layer of moisturizer. Once applied, locking your base in place with setting powder and a long-wearing setting spray can make all the difference. But don’t overdo it—too much product can lead to heaviness and may make your makeup break down.

• Who should wear full-coverage foundation?

  "Full-coverage foundation benefits those with acne-prone skin, hyperpigmentation, or uneven skin texture, but it can be used by anyone who wants a high-coverage finish," explains Vargas.

• What type of foundation should I wear for acne-prone skin?

  If you have acne-prone skin and are concerned about applying makeup on breakouts, allow Dr. Westbay to ease your mind. "It is absolutely okay to use full-coverage foundation if you have acne-prone skin, and many with acne elect to use this type of foundation because they feel more comfortable with the coverage it provides," she tells Byrdie. "The most important cardinal rule in choosing a foundation for acne-prone skin is to look for formulations that are noncomedogenic and don’t have any ingredients that can clog pores or lead to breakouts.