Top makeup artists have access to the world’s most luxe and high-end foundations: La Mer, Cle de Peau, Tom Ford, Armani — you name it, they’ve used it. So given makeup artists’ experience, we wanted to know which drugstore foundations they love — because if a drugstore foundation impresses a celebrity makeup artist, you know it’s good.
We asked 10 artists to share their all-time favorite drugstore foundation. There were some clear drugstore standouts (we’re looking at you, Maybelline Fit Me!), along with a few must-know application tricks, so keep reading!
1. Makeup artist: Amber Dreadon
Clients: Lorde, Haim, Sofia Ritchie, Florence Welch
Favorite drugstore foundation: Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation ($8)
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“I discovered how great this foundation is when I worked on a couple of shows with Maybelline this season at New York Fashion Week. The shade selection is so great. It just looks like great skin. It’s lightly matte, so it wears really well during the day.
“I like to use a damp Beauty Blender and lightly build the coverage starting through the center of the face and working outward. I also love using a couple of shades darker across the cheeks for a natural tanned effect, also applied with the Beauty Blender.”
2. Makeup artist: Denika Bedrossian
Clients: Kelly Osbourne, Kiesza, Matt + Kim, Kelly Cutrone, Kelis
Favorite drugstore foundation: Revlon ColorStay Foundation ($13)
“A personal favorite of mine is the Revlon ColorStay Foundation. This magical foundation has incredible long-wear and buildable coverage. Its oil-control components help with shine, and it sets matte to the skin.
“I am constantly searching and trying for new things. As an artist, you never know what will surprise you and be incredible. I actually tried this after seeing so many commercials and finally decided to go out to buy a few shades. Hooked ever since!
“Drugstores provide such a large range of beauty items for reasonable prices. Who doesn’t love a good deal — especially for something you love to use! Because our skin tone changes through seasons, it’s nice to use something affordable, so you can change shades as often as you need.
“I love to apply foundation with a fluffy brush, preferably a kabuki-style flat and fluffy brush, almost like a shaving brush. This allows the product to blend and buff into the skin, rather than it sitting on the surface. I like to finish it with a soft stipple using a blending sponge.”
3. Makeup artist: Joy Fennell
Clients: Runway and editorial for Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, and Carolina Herrera
Favorite drugstore foundation: Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm ($8)
“My favorite drugstore foundation is the Maybelline BB cream. I joined Maybelline’s New York Fashion Week team a few seasons ago and was introduced to this product then. Once I started using this product backstage on all the models, I fell in love with it.
“Now I use it on a lot of my shoots and clients, and everyone is surprised how much they end up loving it. It’s such a ‘no fuss’ product. Once it goes on, you don’t have to worry about it for the entire day. I’ve used it on several Self magazine shoots, where the models are running and jumping in 90-degree weather, and this product did not move an inch. The No. 1 way I like to apply it is with my fingers. It goes on really smooth and blends easily under the eye area. I also like to apply with a damp BeautyBlender if I want a little bit more coverage. The BeautyBlender helps the product build on top of itself easily.”
4. Makeup artist: Kelly Hunt
Clients: Lizzy Caplan, Amber Valetta, Sofia Richie, Danika Yarosh
Favorite drugstore foundation: L’Oreal True Match Super-Blendable Makeup ($9)
“My all-time favorite drugstore foundation is the L’Oreal True Match. I discovered it way back when I was in college and had a bad breakout from stressing over all those midterm papers. Now I use it on clients whenever I need a product with great coverage that doesn’t get cake-y.
“True Match is not only a buildable foundation, but it’s also oil-free, which is great for anyone with trouble-prone skin. It leaves a nice, even and airy finish, comparable to more costly foundations, and it’s got great wear for clients headed to events. For the best finish and coverage manageability, I use a damp sponge. It’s definitely my drugstore secret!”
5. Makeup Artist: Julie Harris
Clients: Allison Williams, Ashley Greene, Kate Hudson
Favorite drugstore foundation: Revlon Nearly Naked Makeup ($10)
“I love the consistency and color choices of Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation. I was sent the product when I worked with Olivia Wilde, so I applied it on myself first and realized I liked how natural it looked on the skin.
“It has light to medium coverage with a satin finish to give the skin a luminous and flawless look without feeling heavy. I like to apply it with a damp BeautyBlender sponge for light coverage, without looking cake-y.”
6. Makeup artist: Robert Sesnek
Clients: Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton, Kiernan Shipka
Favorite drugstore foundation: Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup ($11)
“I love Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme foundation. I needed a buildable cream foundation for a client that required a little more coverage, but my cream foundation of choice was not available in her shade. I gave this a try, and everyone was blown away by the results!
“Since this is medium to heavy coverage, I always start with a damp BeautyBlender or sponge and sheer it out, then build as we need if areas require more coverage.”
7. Makeup artist: Kirin Bhatty
Clients: Jessica Pare, Alessandra Ambrosio, Abigail Spencer
Favorite drugstore foundation: CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup ($10)
“I love CoverGirl TruBlend Liquid Makeup because the coverage is sheer, but buildable if you need a little extra coverage. The finish is luminous, which is what I strive for every time I work. Also, there are lots of shades to choose from, and you can mix shades too!”
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