Finding the perfect foundation for dark skin can be a daunting task. To help you find your perfect match, we’ve rounded up the best foundations for dark skin, ranging from the best Black-owned beauty brands to luxury splurges and drugstore options.
Historically, shade ranges haven’t been as inclusive as they should, and this has made it difficult for people with dark skin to find the best foundation for them. As someone with a darker skin tone, shopping for foundation isn’t as daunting as it once used to be, but it's not always easy to know where to start.
The best foundations for dark skin should have an inclusive shade offering, but they also need to deliver on other criteria like coverage levels, formulas, and value for money.
We've also enlisted the advice of make-up artists and experts who share their insider tips and tricks for finding the best foundation for you.
To whittle down our edit of the best foundations for dark skin, we tried a variety of different formulas spanning every price point - from the best drugstore foundations to top-rated luxury picks. Each foundation in this edit was applied in the morning and worn for an entire day, without touch-ups, to see how well it performed.
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To score highly, the foundation had to be a good match for our skin tone and cater to all skin types and conditions. We paid close attention to the application process, the finish, and whether the foundation oxidized after hours of wear. The products in this roundup all delivered on ease of application, shade offering, and staying power, making them, in our opinion, the best foundations to buy.
Top Foundation Recommendations
1. L’Oreal True Match Liquid Foundation
The best skincare foundation for dark skin.
Available in 48 shades, this foundation from L’Oreal has a light texture that blends into the skin for a natural, radiant finish. It provides full coverage, so you don’t need to apply a lot of product to achieve your desired look. We love that it's infused with hyaluronic acid, which delivers hydration to the skin and keeps it looking brighter, firmer, and plumper for longer.
While this foundation hasn’t been formulated with a specific skin type in mind, the inclusion of such an ingredient makes it ideal for all skin types. We also loved how the formula kept our oily/combination skin in check and that we weren’t left with that heavy or cakey feeling that some full-coverage foundations come with.
Overall, we thought this foundation gave our skin a lovely, natural finish and the match was pretty impressive for a budget buy. Even though the foundation has been formulated with 6 different pigments, we weren’t able to find an exact match for dark skin with a yellow undertone. If you have a cool or warm undertone and struggle to find the right shade, neutral options can work as they provide balanced coloring with no obvious cool or warm tones.
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Specifications:
- RRP: $13.99 / £9.99
- Shades: 48
- SPF: Yes
- Finish: Natural
Reasons to buy:
- Skin match technology
- Natural finish
- Oil-free
Reasons to avoid:
- Some shade limitations: we weren’t able to find an exact match for dark skin with a yellow undertone.
2. MAC Studio Radiance Face and Body Radiant Sheer Foundation
The best sheer foundation for dark skin
If you're a fan of the ‘no makeup’ makeup look, then look no further than the MAC Studio Face and Body Radiant Sheer Foundation. We thought it was a light and lovely base that gave our skin a natural, skin-like finish. Although the foundation took some time to settle, we were happy with the level of coverage it provided.
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While it stayed in place, the key to making it last all day is good skin prep. If you have oily or combination skin, use your best primer before wearing it because it won’t mattify once applied. Like the L’Oreal True Match Foundation, this one caters to cool, warm and neutral undertones but if you aren’t able to find an exact match, it’s worth using a setting powder that’s similar to your skin tone to balance things out.
Specifications:
- RRP: $39 / £30
- Shades: 30
- SPF: No
- Finish: Sheer, radiant
Reasons to buy:
- Long-wearing
- Doesn’t cause acne
- For all skin types
Reasons to avoid:
- Doesn't have a matte finish
3. Urban Decay Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation
The best vegan foundation for dark skin
One of those brands was Urban Decay and the result was the Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation. It is everything we would want from a foundation and more - from its lightweight, matte finish to its pore-minimizing properties, you can expect nothing less but your best skin yet.
Texture-wise, the foundation is definitely on the runny side, so we recommend shaking the bottle before dispensing the base. Once applied, we found it settled into our skin really well. Like the True Match Foundation, a little bit does truly go a long way. There are nine shade intensities for all skin tones, with built-in master tones and undertones that make finding your shade easy. We were able to find a lovely match that enhanced our complexion. If you find yourself struggling to find the perfect match, you can always use the brand’s Foundation Finder tool.
Specifications:
- RRP: £31 / $40
- Shades: 50
- SPF: No
- Finish: Matte
Reasons to buy:
- Minimizes the appearance of pores
- Second skin finish
- Waterproof
Reasons to avoid:
- Texture is thick and a little runny
4. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
The best matte foundation for dark skin
If you have dark skin and feel like you spend a lifetime searching for the right foundation, Fenty Beauty’s Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation might be the answer to your prayers. There are 50 inclusive shades in this range so there’s something for everyone. We loved the soft, matte finish that this foundation provides. It’s also super light and comes with technology that adapts to the environment your skin is in which is a bonus we never knew we needed. It stayed put all day long and looked as good at 6pm as it did at 9am. It didn’t clog our pores and did a fantastic job of keeping shine at bay - which is what also earned it a place on our edit of the best foundations for oily skin.
Specifications:
- RRP: $39 / £30
- Shades: 50
- SPF: No
- Finish: Soft Matte
Reasons to buy:
- Humidity-resistant
- Non-comedogenic
- Smoothes and diffuses the look of pores
Reasons to avoid:
- Can be drying
- Can oxidize
5. e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation
The best budget foundation for dark skin
With over 40 shades to choose from covering all bases with offerings for those with fair, light, medium, tan, deep and rich complexions, you’re bound to find your perfect match. We were happy with our shade selection, it really complimented our undertones. It also blended into our skin really nicely, providing a smooth, natural finish with a subtle hint of radiance. It didn’t oxidize, which was a bonus and our skin tone looked more even.
If you gravitate towards foundations that contain skincare ingredients, then this one might interest you - it contains glycerin, which hydrates and softens skin and it’s also free from parabens and sulfates. For a budget foundation that has been formulated with all skin types in mind and offers a semi-matte finish, we were surprised at how long this lasted - no touch-ups were needed.
Specifications:
- RRP: $10.50 / £9
- Shades: 40
- SPF: Yes
- Finish: Semi Matte
Reasons to buy:
- Buildable
- Improves skin tone and texture
- Weightless feel
Reasons to avoid:
- Not ideal for those with acne-prone skin
6. Morphe Filter Effect Soft-Focus Foundation
The best filter foundation for dark skin
If you like the filter-effect look but don’t want an unnatural finish, give this one a try. We loved the elevated second-skin finish and how it diffused the look of imperfections - even though we weren’t having the best skin day when we tested it, it did a great job of smoothing things out. Compared to Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Foundation, we thought that the filter effect was subtle and complemented our skin’s texture.
While it doesn’t provide a matte finish, the formula is oil-free making it one of the best lightweight foundations we've tried. If you have oily/combination skin, it can be difficult to find a foundation that nourishes the complexion while minimizing shine and that’s what this one did for us. The color accuracy is also really good. It comes in 40 shades and the brand has covered all bases with offerings for those with light, medium, tan, rich and deep complexions.
Specifications:
- RRP: $20 / £18
- Shades: 40
- SPF: No
- Finish: Natural
Reasons to buy:
- Fragrance free
- Contains skincare ingredients
- Sweatproof
Reasons to avoid:
- Not long-lasting
7. Dior Forever Matte Foundation
The best glow enhancing foundation for dark skin
The Dior Forever Matte Foundation comes in six iconic Dior Forever undertones and provides a matte finish with radiance. The base is quite thick, so we expected it to look heavy once applied but it didn’t. Like MAC’s foundation, it takes a while to settle, so we thought our complexion looked a little lighter at first.
Once the foundation settled, the finish looked good. It stayed in place all day and didn’t transfer which is definitely one of the main things we look for in a foundation. The shade offering isn’t as good as it could be which is a little disappointing and there are only four shades for darker skin tones. We thought that the cool shades were far too orange and the warm shades were far too red for our yellow undertone. Additionally, the foundation oxidized later in the day, which wasn’t great.
Specifications:
- RRP: $54 / £45
- Shades: 42
- SPF: Yes
- Finish: Matte
Reasons to buy:
- Contains skincare ingredients
- Minimises shine
- Evens out skin tone
Reasons to avoid:
- Took a long time to settle
8. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation
The best luxury foundation for dark skin
Not only is it weightless, but it has also been formulated with all skin types in mind. We loved the lightweight formula and the lovely satin finish. We thought the foundation diffused the look of imperfections while providing subtle hints of radiance in all the right places. We love a non-comedogenic foundation that lets our skin breathe and this one does just that - making it a great foundation if you like a natural makeup look.
Specifications:
