I’m a Sephora beauty director and these are the 4 best foundations money can buy

February 02, 2020 at 05:00PM by CWC

I’ve always considered myself a tinted moisturizer devotee, but after two minutes on the phone with Sephora Beauty Director David Razzano, I’ve had a change of heart. The makeup artist who tries thousands of products each year talks about full-coverage foundation the way Anthony Bourdain talked about butter. And after hearing what he considers the four best foundations out of the 599 sold at Sephora, my wallet is seriously hurting.

“I think the reason why people are so obsessed with foundation is because even if you’re not into makeup per se, even if you’re not a makeup person, you still want good skin. You still want to look your best,” Razzano tells Well+Good. If you, like me, are thinking “retweet,” keep scrolling for the foundation Razzano uses down to the very last drop.

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The 4 best foundations at Sephora, according to the brand’s beauty director

1. NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, $49

“This particular foundation really stood out to me. It wears beautifully, and it’s got a semi-matte finish, which I think is a really good standard for [a product] you can use on anyone. It can be used on someone with dry skin to oily skin… There is a radiance to this that gives it a skin-like look and finish,” says Razzano. If you tend toward the dryer side of the skin aisle, he recommends applying an ultra-hydrating moisturizer before layering on your NARS.

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Shade range: 34

2. Sephora Collection Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation, $28

Razzano says that spray-on foundations had their moment in the sun several years ago as a big trend, but few have survived except this one. “It delivers this gorgeous, fine net of foundation across your skin. So If you’re applying it directly from the can, it gives you a really easy buildable coverage and flawless finish with a minimal amount of blending needed,” says the makeup artist-slash-beauty director.

Best of all, Razzano declares this foundation “made for dancing the night away,” so you can bust a move without the product sliding off your face.

Shade range: 5

3. Bite Beauty Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation, $40

The launch of Bite Beauty’s foundation marked the brand’s first-ever non-lip product. According to Razzano, starting with foundation was nothing short of ambitious—but Bite Beauty’s gamble paid off. “When I first swiped it on my hand, I almost gasped. It’s this radiant, velvet formula. It’s ultra-hydrating, blendable, and lightweight,” says the makeup artist.

To boot, the formula also gets creativity points for including micellar technology designed to mimic the texture of the skin.

Shade range: 32

4. Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation, $43

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“This foundation looks like real skin. It is so smooth in its application. It’s buildable enough that I can use this as a concealer if needed. And it’s emollient enough that I can sheer it down to almost a tinted moisturizer if I want to. There’s so much flexibility in this formula,” says Razzano. If your skin’s on the oilier side, the makeup expert says this one might not be for you. But for those dealing with dry? You couldn’t ask for better. “From dry to combination skin, it is a knockout,” he says.

Shade range: 20

A derm’s full skin-care routine, right this way:

If you’re looking for drugstore foundations, we got you. And we busted these full-coverage myths, so you can stop believing them right now. 

Author Kells McPhillips | Well and Good
Selected by CWC