10 Nourishing Foundations That Will Give You Better Skin—Starting At $8
Foundation: For many of us, it’s the most important product in our makeup bag. It’s an often-underrated everyday commodity that allows us to put our best face forward. And while that typically involves concealing imperfections, there’s more to it, because the best foundations also provide hydration, protection from the sun, and in the some cases, even extra doses of skin-loving ingredients.
We’re talking about serum foundations, which are a special category of skincare products formulated with reparative, moisturizing ingredients that leave the skin feeling velvety smooth after application. So whether your current foundation is resulting in cake face or you’re just ready to level up your daily makeup routine, there’s no better way to achieve a clear, glowing complexion than with a serum foundation.
How We Found The Best Serum Foundations
If you’re new to Rank & Style, let us walk you through how our Top 10 lists are created. We use a data-powered algorithm to vet every product we feature so that you can make shopping decisions that are backed by research and completely bias-free. Taking user reviews, best-seller lists, and social buzz into consideration, our algorithm finds and ranks the best products on the internet. That means that the 10 serum foundations below beat out all the rest, and it also means there’s a good chance your perfect match is just a scroll away.
Next up, check out the 10 Best Foundations.
July 27, 2022
Written By:Sierra Rogers
Product Expert:Georgia Jones
Top 10 Lists serve as unbiased shopping guides to the most trusted product recommendations on the internet. Products are scored and ranked using an algorithm backed by data consumers find most valuable when making a purchase. We are reader-supported and may earn a commission when you shop through our links.
The Rankings
Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 20
Overall Score
4.55
10
Perricone MD No Makeup Foundation Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 20
4.19
3059 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
5
Industry Recognition
0
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: If you’re looking for a lightweight, buildable serum foundation, add Perricone MD’s No Makeup Foundation to your shortlist. Meant to leave you with a semi-matte finish, this foundation combines color-correcting superpowers with the ability to smooth over uneven tones and imperfections.
NOTEWORTHY INGREDIENTS: Foundation that's good for your skin? Please and thank you. The lineup of supplements behind this foundation includes wrinkle-fighting neuropeptides, a skin-brightening antioxidant called bisabolol, and daisy flower extract (which is known to even out skin tone).
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Cruelty Free
Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint Foundation
Overall Score
4.55
09
Hourglass Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint Foundation
4.23
2307 User Reviews
3.3
Best Seller
4
Industry Recognition
3
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: The Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint Foundation has a few tricks up its sleeve. For starters, it plumps fine lines and wrinkles, resulting in tighter, firmer skin. But more importantly, it provides glowy, all-over coverage while protecting your skin from harmful UVA rays.
REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: Shoppers say that this is one of the best serum foundations for aging skin, likely due to Hourglass’s Hyaluronan Complex (an advanced form of hyaluronic acid) in the formula.
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Cruelty Free
Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Flawless Serum Foundation
Overall Score
4.6
08
Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Flawless Serum Foundation
4.08
1612 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
4
Industry Recognition
3
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: Thanks to the addition of coconut alkanes in Juice Beauty’s Phyto-Pigments Flawless Serum Foundation, this product is highly adept at hydrating and softening skin. But it also provides a buildable to full-coverage finish that won’t leave you feeling bogged down.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: If you find yourself wondering what a phyto pigment is, you’re not alone. We did some digging and discovered that phyto pigments are Juice Beauty’s plant-based substitute for artificial, synthetic, and insect-based dyes.
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Cruelty Free
No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation
Overall Score
4.7
07
No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation
4.47
1464 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
4
Industry Recognition
3
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: We love a top-rated beauty product you can pick up at your local Target, which is exactly what No7’s Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation is all about. This best-selling serum foundation offers a light layer of coverage that will reduce (not enhance) the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS: Out of the 300+ five-star reviews for this product, this one sums up it in a short and sweet sentence: “Makes my skin feel soft and airbrushed and is super hydrating at the same time.”
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Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation
Overall Score
4.7
06
Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation
4.3
10568 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
4
Industry Recognition
3
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: This full-coverage, weightless liquid foundation promises to deliver a smooth complexion with a satin matte finish. And because it has an oil-free formula, it’s one of the best serum foundations for those with combination or oily skin types.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: Clinique really said “we’re going to make a foundation that looks like skin,” and somehow, they were successful. Plus, they made this miracle product available in 42 different skin tones, so your chances of finding the perfect match are pretty good.
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Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation
Overall Score
4.8
05
Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation
4.46
4924 User Reviews
3.3
Best Seller
5
Industry Recognition
5
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: Described as having a “skin-like finish,” this serum foundation offers buildable coverage for those with oily, combination, and normal skin types. As a bonus, it’s non-comedogenic and safe for sensitive skin, so if that’s a concern for you, Ilia’s got you covered.
NOTEWORTHY INGREDIENTS: Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, is the primary ingredient behind Ilia’s True Skin Serum Foundation. Niacinamide is common in skincare products because it helps build keratin, a type of protein that keeps your skin firm and healthy. Additionally, it helps your skin retain moisture, which means this is one of the best foundation options for dry skin.
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Cruelty Free
The Ordinary Serum Foundation
Overall Score
4.8
04
The Ordinary Serum Foundation
4.27
1822 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
5
Industry Recognition
4
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: You’ve probably seen The Ordinary’s Serum Foundation in a TikTok, but if you haven’t, that’s okay, because we’re going to tell you what you need to know. This affordable liquid foundation offers lightweight medium coverage without caking or settling into fine lines.
REVIEWER HIGHLIGHTS: With nearly 800 five-star reviews behind it, this serum foundation has amassed quite a fan base. After a quick scroll through the reviews on Ulta’s website, we’ve learned that users love that this foundation looks just as good after hours of wear as it does when first applied.
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Cruelty Free
L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation
Overall Score
4.8
03
L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation
4.38
19907 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
5
Industry Recognition
3
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: In addition to offering ample protection from the sun due to the inclusion of SPF 50 in the formula, L'Oreal Paris’s Age Perfect Radiant Serum Foundation provides lightweight coverage and all-day hydration.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: What’s interesting about this product is that it’s as much of a face sunscreen as it is a foundation. It lives somewhere on the spectrum between tinted moisturizer and face sunscreen, which makes it a fantastic option for those with a mature skin type looking for an everyday foundation.
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Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint
Overall Score
4.85
02
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint
4.39
11312 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
5
Industry Recognition
4
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: It’s right there on the label: Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint moisturizes and plumps skin for up to 24 hours. But it also conceals uneven skin tones and blemishes by providing a light layer of coverage.
NOTEWORTHY INGREDIENTS: If you’re going to use the word “hydrating” in your product, you’ve got to have an ingredient list that backs that claim up. We’re thrilled to share that this serum foundation does, with hyaluronic acid (an ingredient known for its skin plumping and hydrating properties) leading the way.
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Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation
Overall Score
4.95
01
Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation
4.3
14475 User Reviews
5
Best Seller
5
Industry Recognition
5
Social Buzz
About Our Scoring System
In order for any product to be featured on Rank & Style, it must first meet the requirements set by our algorithm—a vetting process that allocates points based on consumer and industry data to score and rank products within a given category.
WHAT IT DOES: At the top of our list of the best serum foundations is Ilia’s Super Serum Skin Tint Foundation. As an Allure Best of Beauty award winner and a Sephora community favorite, this foundation combines niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and plant-based squalane to create a lightweight, tinted serum that will leave you with a smooth and dewy complexion.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS: The addition of SPF 40 ensures protection from the sun, but what you may not know is that this product is formulated with zinc oxide in order to shield your skin from free radicals, blue light, and pollution as well.
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Cruelty Free
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