The 17 Best “No-Makeup” Foundations For Natural, Gorgeous, Glowing Skin
by The Candidly Team
If your foundarion looks like you’re wearing makeup, what’s reeeeally the point?
We want even skin, but we don’t want to feel like we’ve piled on layers of spackle.
It must feel weightless, look like nothing, make our skin look perfect, and be totally imperceptible. And friends? These are the only 17 on the market that truly deliver those essential requirements.
Let’s dive in.
1. The Best Clean Foundation
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40+
Why we love it: Warning: only for the truly dehydrated and parched. The dew-factor is off the charts.
Price: $48
2. The Most Natural Of The Bunch
By Terry Cellularose Moisturizing CC Cream
Why we love it: There is nothing on this list that looks more like natural skin than this product. Truly.
Price: $87
3. Truly The Best Tinted Moisturizer
Bobby Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15
Why we love it: Oh, you thought it would be THAT OTHER famous tinted moisturizer? Nope. This ones better.
Price: $48
4. The One That Just Looks Like Skin
Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Foundation
Why we love it: Pretttttty pricey. But it makes our skin look hallucinagenically perfect. And yet still weightless.
Price: $68
5. The Most Dewy-But-natural
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer
Why we love it: Amazing for oily skin. Even though it’s ultra glowy.
Price: $33
6. The One That Feels Like Absolutely Nothing
Trinny London BFF De-Stress Tinted Serum
Why we love it: This one feels so light and airy that you’ll barely remember you’re wearing makeup that day. And the color matching ability on their site is next-level.
Price: $50
7. The One That Will Not Budge
Why we love it: If you sweat off makeup easily or if you’re in the blazing sun, this truly won’t budge all day.
Price: $58
8. The Only Powder That Looks Natural As a Foundation
By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder Palette
Why we love it: This is so blurring over foundation it makes your skin look like glass, BUT doesn’t “look like powder.” It just looks like your skin.
Price: $60
9. Best For Blindingly Glowy Skin
It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Illumination SPF 50+
Why we love it: This is the glowiest of the bunch and it works for any skin type. Even oily.
Price: $40
10. Best Tinted Sunscreen That Looks Like Skin
Why we love it: You can feel very smug about “being good” about wearing SPF 50 while ALSO having perfect skin.
Price: $39
11. The Best Splurge That’s Really Worth It
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Moisture Foundation
Why we love it: Maybe you know this product. Maybe you don’t. It might be more for the truly makeup-addicted. The coverage is so flawless we had to get out a magnifying glass to even see that we still had pores. And yet, it still looks natural. And since you need only the tiiiiniest amount the price isn’t that insane.
Price: $79
12. The Best Full Coverage, But Still Natural
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Foundation Full Coverage Moisturizer with SPF 50+
Why we love it: This is a cult classic for a reason.
Price: $39.50
13. The Best Blurring Foundation
Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation
Why we love it: If texture or redness or pores are more your issues, the blurring quality of this extremely lightweight foundation is truly impressive. Leave it to Charlotte.
Price: $46
14. Best Budget
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing BB-Gel
Why we love it: It transforms to your exact skin tone on contact. Yes!
Price: $17
15. The Best Satin Finish
Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint
Why we love it: No matter your skin type, you’ll never need a powder with this foundation. The finish is beyond flawless but still looks like skin.
Price: $56
16. The Best Drugstore
Revlon PhotoReady Candid Natural Finish Foundation
Why we love it: We mix this with our moisturizer for a gorgeously natural look. And you can’t beat the price. We’re also biased because of the name. Ahem.
Price: $11
17. The Best For Mature Skin
Wander Beauty Nude Illusion Liquid Foundation
Why we love it: This contains some kind of witches brew (possibly the lotus extract?) that means it never, ever sinks into lines or wrinkles. Ever.
Price: $40
BONUS FOR BEAUTY HOUNDS:
1. Use THIS underneath any foundation to make everything even more glowy and natural
2. THIS will fill in wrinkles and pores and make your skin look like literal, actual glass. It’s not a primer. We don’t really know what it is…
3. And THIS brush used with any of the products above makes it look twice as natural and makes it last twice as long. Don’t ask us how.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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