Blame it on Hailey Bieber, the clean girl movement or our cultural obsession with skincare, but our preoccupation with dewy, glowing, plump skin isn't going anywhere. In fact, if the rate at which brands are dropping dew-rich products is anything to go by, we might just be getting started. And, while there is a glut of make-up and skincare products that can help imbue your face and body with dewy goodness, I prefer things that do multiple things at once. Like, a dewy foundation, for example.
Not only do they help to conceal the uneven skin tone dotted around my cheeks and forehead, along with my forever-friend, hyperpigmentation, but–and this is crucial–it doesn't flatten my complexion in the process. Oh, no. Because dewy foundations are designed to affect the type of healthy post-facial glow we covet, they don't take all the dimension out of the face in the process.
As for how to best apply it, celebrity make-up artist Florrie White has a few, brilliant pointers.
"I like to apply foundation from the back of my hand so that the product is room temperature and glides easily onto the face," she shares, going on to explain how she does this when working on clients like Anne Hathaway, Rosamund Pike, Alexa Chung and Gillian Anderson. "At work, I do this with a flat synthetic brush to apply from my hand to the client’s face and then buff it in with a stippled foundation brush."
"If I'm working on my own face, I'll just use my fingers around my nose and outwards then sometimes buff all over with a foundation brush if I want a full face finish. This can also help the foundation to stay in place longer so it's worth the extra effort."
Heard enough? Ready to get to the good stuff? Don't blame you. We've been putting lots of foundations to the test, and these are the 12 best dewy foundations out there today.
(If you're after cream foundations or matte foundations, we've tested those too. Along with the best drugstore and luxury foundation options.)
The Best Dewy Foundations, as Recommended by a Beauty Editor:
- Best skincare-makeup hybrid: Saie Glowy Super Skin Foundation
- Best gel-cream formula: Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation
- Best hydrating formula: M.A.C Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation
- Best sheer finish: Lumene Instant Glow Beauty Serum
- Best natural-looking formula: Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation
- Best skin tint: YSL NU Bare Look Tint
- Best buildable formula: Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
- Best oil-free formula: Chantecaille Future Skin Gel Foundation
- Best BB cream: Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream
- Best coverage: Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation
- Best seamless formula: Lisa Eldridge The Seamless Skin Foundation
- Best tinted moisturiser: Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer
1. Saie Glowy Super Skin Foundation
Number of shades: 36
Coverage: Light to medium
Formula: Liquid
A skincare-foundation hybrid that glides onto the skin, leaving it plumper, bouncier and dewy as anything. Comprised mostly of a serum base – foundations usually use water as a base – with pigmented particles, it actively treats skin while giving you a little coverage, too. Ideal if you prefer light to medium coverage, Saie's cult Glowy Super Skin Foundation is smooth, blurring and easily buildable, meaning you won't need to use multiple pumps to get your desired finish.
2. Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation
Number of shades: 32
Coverage: Light to medium
Formula: Gel cream
When Glossier launched the Stretch Fluid Foundation, it felt like I couldn't move for the amazing reviews. My entire Instagram feed was beauty editors proclaiming the incredible shade-matching, long wear time and smooth feel on the skin. Another skincare-infused dewy foundation, it's a gel cream, meaning you get the hydration and comfort of a cream with the radiance and dew of a gel.
3. M.A.C Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation
Number of shades: 56
Coverage: Buildable
Formula: Liquid
Something's going on in make-up at the moment because brands are dropping guaranteed-cult products left right and centre. And this new M.A.C. foundation is exactly that. Formulated to lock in moisture (an 80% skincare formula makes this a sure thing), it also contains vitamin E and jojoba oil to help with the long-term suppleness, of the product but also of your skin.
Number of shades: 5
Coverage: Sheer
Formula: Serum
I can always rely on Lumene products to give my skin a healthy glow, and the Instant Glow Beauty Serum is no exception. The formula is infused with hydrating skincare ingredients and offers sheer coverage for a natural-looking finish. Pair this with a bit of concealer for the perfect "no makeup" makeup look.
5. Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation
Number of shades: 30
Coverage: Medium
Formula: Liquid
Shiseido, in my opinion, can't put a foot wrong. The research, development and innovation behind their skincare and make-up is incredible and the products they release are need-driven rather than trend-driven. As a fairly shrewd beauty editor, this makes them one of the greats. The Revitalessence Glow Foundation is no different, a creamy-feel serum with a natural-looking, luminous finish. Glow secured.
6. YSL NU Bare Look Tint
Number of shades: 20
Coverage: Light to medium
Formula: Liquid
Never, in my life, have I received more compliments on my skin than when I first tried YSL's Nu Bare Look Tint. It feels like a gel moisturiser, applies like a skin tint and settles as a dew-rich, radiant foundation. No streaks, no patchiness and no drying into the areas around the nose and eyes. Use your fingers for ultimate efficiency or, as I like to, buff onto the face using a small base brush. The pigment particles are so fine, it's like gently draping a blurring, brightening veil over your skin.
7. Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
Number of shades: 40
Coverage: Buildable
Formula: Liquid
If you're already a fan of the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (a failsafe product almost every beauty editor has stashed away somewhere), but want something to even out the rest of your skin tone, consider yourself sorted. The Nars Sheer Glow Foundation has a satin texture – soft and diffused – without sacrificing dewiness or brightness.
8. Chantecaille Future Skin Gel Foundation
Number of shades: 15
Coverage: Medium to high
Formula: Gel
For acne-prone skin or anyone looking for an oil-free formulation, Chantecaille's Future Skin Gel Foundation is light on the skin, doesn't block pores and creates a medium-to-high coverage finish without heavy pigments particles that look blocky and flat after an hour or so. Instead, it covers without masking and soothes any angry patches, thanks to the aloe, arnica, rosemary and green tea-infused formulation.
9. Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream
Number of shades: 24
Coverage: Light
Formula: Gel-infused cream
A brand beloved by Hailey B, Kosas is going from strength to strength, this latest launch a follow-up to their bestselling Revealer Foundation. A gel-infused cream makes it easy to apply – I like to sweep and pat on with my fingers – while ingredients like copper peptides and squalane help my skin feel stronger and more radiant beneath. It's your skin on its best day: bouncy, dewy and bright.
10. Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation
Number of shades: 30
Coverage: Medium
Formula: Liquid
This foundation sits firmly in the medium-coverage category. A great thing considering dewy foundations tend to skew towards lighter coverage as a rule. It only took one day of wearing it to become a regular in my make-up bag. It has the smoothing, brightening effect of most of Charlotte's products (I'm thinking of Flawless Filter, specifically) but, crucially, I didn't have to use much for an even base that hid my hyperpigmentation and under-eye circles.
11. Lisa Eldridge The Seamless Skin Foundation
Number of shades: 43
Coverage: Medium
Formula: Liquid
Esteemed celebrity make-up artist Lisa Eldridge knows more about beauty than can really be fathomed. Having painted the faces of Victoria Beckham, Alexa Chung, Dua Lipa, Kate Winslet and Keira Knightley, to name a very select few, her knowledge of how to create a beautiful skin-like base is second to none. So, when she released The Seamless Skin Foundation, it's safe to say I jumped.
It's smoothing without creating a heavy mask and leaves skin looking believably dewy and glowy, well-suited if the ultra-glaze dew trends were a little too much for you. Florrie's best advice is to apply before concealer and then just look for the areas that might need a little more coverage, like dark circles, broken veins and blemishes.
12. Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer
Number of shades: 14
Coverage: Light
Formula: Liquid
It's rare to see a brand recommended twice but the grip Saie has on dewy skin is unparalleled. While the Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturiser is, admittedly, an SPF35, it could easily rival any of the other brilliant, lightweight, dewy foundations listed above. One for the people who don't love to wear foundation but want an even, bright, glowing base to start from.
This story was published at an earlier time and has since been updated.
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