The 10 Best Drugstore Foundations That Compete With High-End Formulas
You can still get a flawless base without having to drop major cash.

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While a high-end foundation might be great for the occasional splurge, an affordable drugstore foundation can be your everyday go-to that still delivers quality coverage and a beautiful blend. They can perform just as a well as a luxury foundation, and will leave some extra room in your wallet.
It's great to have a no-makeup Monday, but there might be other days when you want to even out your complexion, cover up pesky blemishes, or set a flawless base for the rest of your makeup routine. You may have the perceived notion that a cheaper drugstore foundation will just leave you with creases, flakes, and separation. That's not the case anymore, because many of the products and brands on the market today can give you the flawless finish that you've been looking for at a reasonable price.
Best Drugstore Foundations
- Best Overall: Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Drugstore Foundation
- Best Budget: wet n wild Photo Focus Matte Liquid Drugstore Foundation
- Best Tinted Moisturizer: wet n wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator Drugstore Foundation
- Best Powder Foundation: L'Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Powder Drugstore Foundation
- Best High-Coverage Foundation: Milani Conceal + Perfect 2-in-1 Drugstore Foundation
What to Consider
Choosing the right drugstore foundation for you can be challenging and you might not know where to start, but there are a few tips you can keep in mind to help you find one that best fits your needs.
Formula
Foundations can come in a variety of formula types such as cream, liquid, powder, or even mousse. They often come in bottles, pump dispensers, squeezy tubes or compacts. A solid foundation formula can help even out skin tone and hyperpigmentation, and it should blend seamlessly and create a smooth base. It should also last for a decent amount of time without transferring or wearing off.
Tinted moisturizers, such as the Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator from Wet n Wild, are great for dry skin because they contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalene to refresh and boost hydration. It also offers the sheerest coverage, so you can wear on days when you just want to cover up redness or minor blemishes.
A powder foundation, such as L'Oréal Infallible Fresh Wear, is ideal for people with oily, combo, and normal skin types who are looking for coverage that can be built from sheer to medium.
Liquid foundations usually offer the most buildable coverage and work for a variety of skin types, depending on the finish. L'Oréal True Match has vitamins like A and C and grapefruit extract to promote healthier-looking skin and will have a dewy finish, while the Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation has a mattefying finish to blur imperfections and control shine, which might work better for people with oily skin.
Cream foundations can provide some of the best coverage, such as the COVERGIRL + Olay Simply Ageless Wrinkle Defying Foundation. Our beauty editor Nicole Saunders recommends a cream for someone dealing with skin imperfections that they'd like to camouflage.
“They’re best for those with mature, dry, and normal skin. If someone has acne-prone or oily skin, I’d advise against using them because it’s more likely that their cream product is loaded up with moisturizing ingredients that could potentially congest pores, leading to acne and blackheads,” she says.
Coverage
Formula can also directly affect the level of coverage of your makeup. Liquid foundations, such as our best overall pick from Maybelline, can be very buildable so you can apply multiple layers if you have problem areas that need a little extra attention. Creams and tinted moisturizers will be more lightweight and are less likely to crease, but they may still show blemishes and skin texture. Think about whether or not you'd like to completely cover skin imperfections or go the more natural route.
Skin Type
Your skin type is also a very important consideration when shopping for the right drugstore foundation. If you have normal to oily skin, a foundation with a matte finish might be your best friend. But if you have dry skin or a problematic T-zone that suffers from dry patches, a foundation with a dewy finish can re-hydrate and provide extra moisture. Or if you basically break out in pimples the second you look at your skin, a foundation specially designed for acne can allow you to wear makeup without stressing over oil buildup or clogged pores.
How We Selected
We researched several different drugstore foundations that range in price, coverage and formulas. We looked at products that are buildable, easy to blend and can provide a good base for the rest of your makeup. We also used our own personal experience with some of our all-time favorites and go-tos as well as researching drugstore foundations with the best online reviews. We've settled on the following list of the best drugstore foundations that are affordable and good quality, so you can slay the makeup game without breaking the bank.
Amber is a Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics with a focus on home, appliances, tech, and gaming. She also occasionally contributes lifestyle content to Best Products, Runner's World, and Bicycling. In her free time you can likely find her trading trinkets at an EDM festival, watching bad reality TV shows, or cuddling with her two cats.


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