Found: 3 Medium-Coverage Foundations That Will Even Your Skin Tone Without Clogging Your Pores
Picking out a foundation that offers solid coverage without clogging your pores can feel like a tall order. Oftentimes, you’re stuck choosing between a breathable formula that looks nearly invisible on your skin or something that’s heavy and goopy but effectively hides your blemishes—and let’s be honest: neither option is ideal. The good news is that it is possible to get yourself a girl a product that does both—you just have to know what to look for.
In the latest episode of Zoë Tries It All, Well+Good’s senior beauty editor Zoë Weiner is answering readers' most burning beauty questions—including how to find a foundation that delivers medium-to-full coverage without congesting your skin.
“I have this thing where foundations often make me feel like my skin is suffocating, and I hate that,” says Weiner. “But there are a few options that I really love that don’t make me feel that way.” Her secret? Turning to a buildable tinted moisturizer instead of a typical foundation.
Tinted moisturizers are just as much skin care as they are makeup, and help to hydrate your skin while evening out your complexion—all without clogging your pores. Though these formulas are typically associated with light coverage, using a little bit of extra product and applying it the right way can actually deliver a pretty solid finish. Weiner’s pro tip for getting the job done? Apply your foundation with a Beautyblender or a foundation brush, which “gives you great control of your coverage and allows you to kind of blend it out so that things won’t feel super caked on.”
That said, all tinted moisturizers aren’t created equally. To find one that hits both your coverage and pore-clogging needs, shop Weiner’s favorites below.
Smashbox’s “healthy glow”-inducing tinted moisturizer is one of Weiner’s favorites. “It goes on really light and beautifully, and it feels like skin care as much as it does make up,” she says. The vegan, oil-free and cruelty-free formula is sweat and humidity-resistant. Not to mention giving you much needed protection from the sun’s rays with an SPF of 25. What’s great about this product is that you can apply a single layer for a super-sheer finish, but you can add more product to build up to your desired coverage without having to worry about it looking cakey.
If you’re looking for a little bit more coverage, Weiner suggests Beautyblender’s BOUNCE Always On Radiant Skin Tint. “It really falls in between a tinted moisturizer and a traditional foundation,” says Weiner. The skin tint gives your skin a natural glow, while minimizing the appearance of pores and blemishes. It’s a true “medium coverage” product, but (just like the other products on this list) layers easily without looking thick or goopy.
For those wanting a fuller coverage foundation, Weiner recommends this option from Rare Beauty—which isn’t technically a tinted moisturizer, but feels like one on your skin thanks to the fact that it’s formulated with a skin-friendly botanical blend that gives it a serum-like texture. “You can put on one layer and you’ll get really sheer coverage and you can put on a little bit more and build it to what you want,” says Weiner. The foundation evens out your skin tone and won’t clog or cake. It also comes in almost 50 shades, so you’re bound to find the color that’s right for you.
For more 411 on all things makeup (and to finally figure out how to find the right mascara, too), press play on the video above.
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