Style Makeup The 11 Best Foundations for Dry Skin That Give You a Dewy Glow Quench dryness, smooth texture, and blur imperfections with these hydrating foundations. By Daley Quinn Daley Quinn * Former editor at Family Circle magazine. * Covers beauty, lifestyle, and health. * Published in both print magazines and digital outlets including Women's Health, Well + Good, The Cut, and more. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines and Emily Belfiore Emily Belfiore Instagram Emily Belfiore is a Buying Guides writer for Meredith brands including InStyle, People, Food & Wine, and more. Always in pursuit of the best reviewer-vouched products, she covers topics spanning across the fashion, beauty, and health and wellness verticals. In her free time, you can find her testing products for articles, watching beauty tutorials, or catching up on the latest binge-worthy show. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 27, 2023 Medically reviewed by Hadley King, MD Medically reviewed by Hadley King, MD Hadley King, MD is a board-certified dermatologist who specializes in medical and cosmetic dermatology. She is also a Clinical Instructor of Dermatology at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University.Dr. King is a highly sought after dermatologist in New York City, where she has been treating patients for almost twenty years. She has won numerous awards including Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor, Top Doctors New York Metro Area, New Beauty Top Beauty Doctor, and RealSelf Top Doctor. Learn More Fact checked by Haley Mades Fact checked by Haley Mades Haley is a Wisconsin-based creative freelancer and recent graduate. She has worked as an editor, fact checker, and copywriter for various digital and print publications. Her most recent position was in academic publishing as a publicity and marketing assistant for the University of Wisconsin Press Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Unlike oily skin that can be mattified or acne-prone skin that can be covered up, dry skin is difficult to deal with when it comes to foundation. Unfortunately, sometimes foundation can actually bring more attention to drier skin types, as a foundation can highlight flaky, dry patches on your face. Tired of dryness ruining your makeup? We've rounded up the best foundations for dry skin that come recommended by the pros for their hydrating and skin-perfecting capabilities. There's something for every budget and makeup preference, and they each have earned glowing reviews from beauty lovers. Our Top Picks Best Overall: NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation at Nordstrom Jump to Review Best With SPF: Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation at Bloomingdales Jump to Review Best Skin-Like: Nudestix Tinted Cover Foundation at Target Jump to Review Best Pore-Blurring: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation at Amazon Jump to Review Best With Skincare Benefits: Kosas Cosmetics Tinted Face Oil at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Glowing Skin: Laura Mercier Silk Crème Oil Free Foundation at Nordstrom Jump to Review Best Budget: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint at Amazon Jump to Review Best Full-Coverage: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation at Nordstrom Jump to Review Best for Mature Skin: Hourglass Oil Free Foundation Foundation at Nordstrom Jump to Review Best Stick: Mented Cosmetics Skin by Mented at Target Jump to Review Best Overall NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation Ulta Beauty View On Nordstrom View On Macy's View On Sephora This fan-favorite foundation is a top pick for Thomas because of its multitasking formula. "The Nars Radiant Longwear Foundation gives a buildable medium to full coverage that also allows skin to breathe, and is transfer-resistant for up to 16 hours," she explains. "The texture of this foundation is packed with humectants, leaving the skin looking and feeling luxurious and glowing." Not only is it great for adding moisture back to the skin, but it also features a trio of raspberry, apple, and watermelon extracts to create a smooth and dewy complexion. The foundation is available in 34 shades and uses specialized color-matching technology for a second-skin-like finish. Best With SPF Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation SPF 40/35 Courtesy of Bloomingdale's View On Bloomingdales View On Harrods.com View On Sephora The Intensive Skin Serum Foundation perfects your complexion while protecting it from the sun's damaging rays with its SPF 40 protection. Rather than using a thick foundation over dry skin, try this serum-foundation hybrid from Bobbi Brown, which contains weightless, tone-perfecting pigments through a cold-fusion process for a more flawless finish. A foundation that treats the skin while hiding imperfections, this lightweight foundation helps to fight against environmental stressors while perfectly hydrating dry skin. Best Skin-Like Nudestix Tinted Cover Foundation Sephora View On Target View On Sephora View On Ulta Heavy foundations can have an adverse effect on dry skin, resulting in a caked-on look. If you're a fan of minimalist, no-makeup makeup, this sheer foundation wears like a tinted moisturizer and glides onto dry skin seamlessly. Its texture-smoothing formula doesn't settle into dry patches and instead, creates a your-skin-but-better finish. The foundation was created with innovative Korean skincare technology, beautifully marrying color cosmetics with skin-improving ingredients for a softer, smoother, and brighter complexion. Best Pore-Blurring Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation 4.8 Sephora View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Bloomingdales For makeup wearers battling dryness and enlarged pores, this luxurious foundation is oil-free (great for those with dry, sensitive skin with acne) and delivers a satin glow finish with medium coverage. Formulated with a patented process that allows the pigments to lay flat on the skin's surface for an airbrushed effect, this foundation comes in 40 shades and is great for giving lackluster skin a boost in radiance. The 5 Best Eye Makeup Removers for Every Skin Type Best With Skincare Benefits Kosas Cosmetics Tinted Face Oil 4.2 Amazon View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Kosas.com This oil-based skin tint from Kosas blankets super-dry skin in serious hydration with a sheer wash of color for lightweight coverage. Featuring nourishing ingredients like avocado oil, jojoba oil, rosehip seed oil, and more, this foundation is a beautiful mix of skincare and color in one. Together, they moisturize, plump, soothe, and brighten, leaving the skin balanced and nourished with a velvety-smooth finish. Best for Glowing Skin Laura Mercier Silk Crème Oil Free Foundation Nordstrom View On Nordstrom View On Bloomingdales View On Overstock "I love the Laura Mercier Silk Crème because it's formulated with hyaluronic acid for maximum hydration," explains Thomas. Created specifically for normal to dry skin, this long-wearing pick offers medium to full coverage while smoothing skin texture and evening out skin tone. The result? Taking a few extra steps to waterproof your makeup will keep this photo-ready complexion absolutely radiant. Best Budget Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint 4.9 Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On CVS If you're looking for a more affordable option, this pick from Neutrogena features ultra-moisturizing hyaluronic acid, the dry-skin darling of skincare. Lightweight while simultaneously hydrating, this tint offers 24 hours of moisture with its breathable, water-gel formula. It's oil-free, non-comedogenic, and comes in 10 shades. It's not hard to see why it has more than 4,500 five-star ratings on Amazon. The 14 Best Makeup Bags to Keep All Your Products Organized Best Full-Coverage Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation 4.8 Sephora View On Nordstrom View On Bloomingdales View On Revolve A hybrid between skincare and foundation, this pick from Charlotte Tilbury features ingredients to help hydrate, protect, and perfect the look of your skin—it'll leave you with a flake-free, flawless finish throughout the day. This pick is great for those looking for a mattifying full-coverage foundation, and with 44 shades available, it caters to a variety of skin tones. You can also buy the foundation at sephora.com, where it's earned more than 290,000 "loves" from shoppers. Best for Mature Skin Hourglass Veil Fluid Makeup Oil Free Foundation Nordstrom View On Nordstrom This serum-like foundation from Hourglass is powered by the brand's Matrix Regeneration Complex, which helps to target the visible signs of aging—a skin concern for all age groups—by helping to smooth the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Ideal for dry, mature skin, this formula has UVA/UVB SPF 15 protection and is lightweight and buildable. Best Stick Mented Cosmetics Skin by Mented Ulta View On Target View On Mentedcosmetics.com View On QVC If you love a stick foundation formulation, look no further than Skin by Mented. This hydrating foundation offers a natural finish, is easily buildable, and contains hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, aloe leaf extract, and grape seed oil. "Creamy, hydrating, great coverage, and a wonderful shade range for women of color," an Ulta reviewer shared. "I feel seen! I love it and my makeup always looks so natural and not cakey or dry." Best Long-Wearing Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation Make Up For Ever View On Kohls.com View On Makeupforever.com View On Sephora "This foundation comes in 50 different shades for the perfect match, and also comes with a technology that will adjust to your skin tone," explains Thomas. With a medium, buildable coverage plus hydrating hyaluronic acid, this foundation blends beautifully into the skin and won't budge all day. If your go-to shade is out of stock at sephora.com, you might have better luck at makeupforever.com. 12 Best Makeup Organizers That Will Seriously Declutter Your Makeup Collection How to Pick the Right Formula "When working with clients with dry skin, my mission is to find foundations that have hydrating and nourishing ingredients, which not only improve texture and tone, but also a formula that will give a healthy radiant glow," explains celebrity makeup artist Mila Thomas. "Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, humectants, and emollients are both plumping and hydrating, making the skin supple and soft—liquid and cream formulas are also moisturizing and easily blendable, giving a more seamless silky coverage." For those with drier skin, you want to avoid any foundations that claim to be quick-drying and have a matte finish. "Alcohol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid are great for acne-prone skin, clogged pores, and blackheads, but [these ingredients in some foundations] lack the moisture that is necessary for dry skin types and ultimately can make your skin even dryer," says Thomas. Other Ways to Combat Dryness Regardless of how hydrating a foundation might be, Thomas urges those with dry skin to prep the skin with a primer, moisturizer, and/or face oils, which will make a major difference in your foundation application. "I love primers with a milky and creamy texture with ingredients that add extra hydration and plumpness to the skin," explains Thomas. "If your foundation is water-based, layer a water-based primer underneath, and if it's an oil-based foundation, use an oil-based primer." Some of Thomas's favorite primers are Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Hydrating Primer ($39; sephora.com) and Pure Canvas Illuminating Primer ($39; sephora.com). "When I need an extra boost of moisture and glow, I love adding Diana Madison Beauty Glow Topia Face Oil ($45; revolve.com) which contains prickly pear seed oil loaded with fatty acids, as a cocktail mixed into the foundation or applied directly to the skin with my fingers." Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit