If you love the lightweight feel of a tinted moisturizer, but want the full coverage of a liquid foundation, then its serum-based counterpart may be the answer to your beauty prayers.
Unlike the traditional heavy finish of a classic foundation, formulas like Ready to Wear’s Skin Perfection Serum Foundation ($29; hsn.
com) and Perricone MD’s No Foundation Foundation Serum ($55; sephora.com) have an ultra-fluid consistency that blend easily over your skin, and can impart both “no makeup” and almost-airbrushed effects alike. They’re meant to mirror the appearance of bare skin, so stick to a drop or two if you want a sheer look—a little goes a long way—and dial up the intensity slowly if you prefer more coverage.Serum foundations are also jam-packed with nourishing ingredients similar to those found in your go-to skin care product, though they shouldn’t replace your staple moisturizer or eye cream altogether. We recommend using your everyday products prior to applying a layer as you would with a classic foundation.
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If uneven tone or dark spots are a concern of yours Bare Escentuals’ BareSkin Foundation ($29; bareescentuals.com) is infused with ingredients like vitamin C and lilac plant stem cells to counteract hyperpigmentation, while dry skin types will drink up the nourishing argan blend of Josie Maran’s Matchmaker Serum Foundation ($42; sephora.com). Straight out of the bottle, Maran’s formula starts out white, then immediately starts to adjust to your own tone as you work it onto your skin.
The Diorskin Nude Air Foundation ($53; nordstrom.com) boasts equally-smart technology—thanks to the glazed pigments, meant to create a soft-focus effect, you can tag your #nofilter selfies with no shame, and the infusion of vitamins and minerals certainly won’t hurt.PHOTOS: The Best Foundations for Every Skin Tone