The Best Foundations For Photos

In a perfect world, your skin would look photo-ready from the moment you spring out of bed. But when you want some extra help — whether it be for a major event like a wedding or just a night out with friends when you know plenty of photos will be taken — the right makeup can work wonders. According to experts, the best foundations for photos are liquid formulas that market themselves as being HD or developed for photo performance. Makeup artist Mallorie Mason tells Elite Daily that you might also find it helpful to look for foundations that don’t contain any talc, silica, or zinc oxide. “You may have seen on red carpets when an actress has white on their face in photos; that’s because of silica,” Mason explains of the ingredient that’s popular for absorbing excess oil. When selecting your foundation, you’ll also want to consider how much coverage you’re looking for and what kind of photos are being taken. “[For] events like weddings, I’d say you want to go for medium coverage to full coverage,” Mason advises. “For photoshoots or daytime photos, I would lean on more natural-type foundations. Then you still have that natural, beautiful glow in photos and the photographer can always edit it a little bit if you want,” she adds. “Or, you can always do a light to medium coverage foundation and then go back in with concealer to do more coverage where you need.”

The Experts

Mallorie Mason is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist whose work spans television, red carpet events, weddings, and campaigns. Mason’s celebrity clients include Molly Sims and Kaley Cuoco. She is also a licensed esthetician in California.

Kirin Bhatty is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist who specializes in editorial and red carpet events. Her celebrity clients include Kate Mara, Freida Pinto, and Jenny Slate.

How To Prep Your Skin For Photos, According To The Pros

More important than the makeup itself is how you prep your skin prior to applying your foundation. “You really want to create a beautiful canvas for makeup to sit on that doesn’t look cakey, patchy, or uneven,” Bhatty says. “This is where great skin care [products] and primers come in handy,” she adds. Mason emphasizes that you’ll want to start with clean, moisturized skin. “Your makeup is not going to sit correctly or last as long without moisturizer,” she explains. “Lately, I’ve been loving the Sunday Riley C.E.O. Afterglow Brightening Vitamin C Gel Cream, which is great for everything from daytime photoshoots to weddings because it has this kind of glow to it so it brightens you up a bit [...] and then another staple is the Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentrè,” Mason adds of the longtime favorite among makeup artists.

Once your moisturizer has had a few minutes to sink into your skin, you’ll want to follow up with a primer. “Primers are your best friend because there are a variety of formulas that can help achieve the look you want while targeting your skin concerns,” says Bhatty, who adds that you can even use multiple primers on different points of your face for a more personalized approach. “Depending on the skin type, you can do a mattifying primer or a hydrating primer, but lately I’ve been doing a bit of both,” Mason says of how she mixes primers. “The mattifying primer would go on the forehead, the nose, the chin, and on the part of your cheeks closest to your nose. And then I do a little bit of a hydrating primer on the cheekbone,” explains Mason.

The Tools You’ll Need

For Mason, the tools you use to apply your foundation are another asset when it comes to getting the most flawless finish. Bhatty prefers to work with a damp makeup sponge, and Mason agrees that it’s a must-have for layering on foundation. “It’s always going to be a nice, beautiful finish, and you have a bit more freedom with the sponge for coverage,” Mason says. “A kabuki brush is my next favorite thing, which is going to give you a fuller coverage because it is a tighter brush,” she adds.

Lastly, both Mason and Bhatty stress that setting your makeup is the crucial finishing step. You can use a powder or setting spray depending on your preference and skin type (if you’re oily, a powder will better help to mattify your skin, while a setting spray can give a dewy finish to dry skin types). “Translucent is key to keeping the skin looking like skin,” Mason says of what to look for in a finishing powder. “Deramblend makes a great powder that’s full coverage and mattifying. Use the non-colored translucent powder, or if you have darker skin do the ‘Banana’ color,” she adds.

Shop The Best Foundations For Photos

In a hurry? Here are the best foundations for photos:

1. Best Foundation For Photos Under $10: Revlon ColorStay Longwear Makeup
2. Best Cream Foundation For Photos: Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation
3. Best Light-Coverage Foundation For Photos: Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation
4. Best Medium-Coverage Foundation For Photos: Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Hydrating Foundation
5. Best Full-Coverage Foundation For Photos: Cover FX Power Play Foundation
6. Best Full-Coverage Foundation For Photos Under $15: Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation

1. Best Foundation For Photos Under $10

For a multi-tasking foundation that’s less than $10, this Revlon ColorStay Longwear Makeup is an fan favorite with more than 15,000 five-star Amazon ratings. The liquid matte formula was designed for oily and combination skin types, and it uses silk powder to help absorb excess oil and blur the look of your pores without drying out your skin. Though it starts out as a medium-coverage foundation, you can build it up for fuller coverage (in fact, makeup artist Rebecca Wachtel previously told Elite Daily that she’s even used the drugstore foundation while working on set for television shows to cover up actors’ tattoos). Plus, it gives your morning sunscreen a boost with additional SPF 15 sun protection.

Finish: Matte Available Shades: 44 Beneficial Ingredients: Bisabolol, Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: No

Relevant Review: “I test a lot of drugstore or affordable makeup brands and this is always the one I go back to. I have combination skin that gets oily quickly. I also have textured skin as well. This foundation always gives me [a] nice smooth complexion and it looks great in photos and lasts all day. [...]”

2. Best Cream Foundation For Photos

The Cinema Secrets line was specifically created for film and television (by a makeup artist in California who worked in the industry, no less), so it’s no surprise that the brand’s Ultimate Foundation leaves you with a photo-ready finish. The highly pigmented formula has a creamy texture that was designed to give you versatile coverage (like Mason, the brands recommend using a damp makeup sponge for sheer coverage and a densely packed brush for full coverage). Because the cream foundation is packaged in individual pans, you can also collect different shades to use for contouring and highlighting. No matter how you apply the foundation, you’ll be left with a matte finish that’s long-wearing and waterproof.

Finish: Matte Available Shades: 29 Beneficial Ingredients: Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: “Perfect for photos. My skin looked flawless! Doesn’t look like you’re wearing makeup!”

3. Best Light-Coverage Foundation For Photos

“If you have clear, easy skin that doesn’t really need a lot of coverage, Koh Gen Do is a beautiful foundation that definitely leans on the lighter to medium coverage [side],” Mason says of a prestige pick that’s worth the splurge. Koh Gen Do’s Maifanshi Aqua Foundation features light-diffusing minerals to brighten up your skin and minimize the appearance of your pores. Nourishing jojoba seed oil, squalane, and shea butter were added to the formula to leave skin soft and give it a post-facial glow. And it’s great for sensitive skin types, as it’s free from common irritants like synthetic fragrances, artificial colors, mineral oil, and parabens.

Finish: Dewy Available Shades: 10 Beneficial Ingredients: Glycerin, Squalane, Jojoba Seed Oil, Vitamin E, Shea Butter, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Licorice Root Extract Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: “The best foundation! It looks dewy on the skin and natural. Amazing on camera for actresses! And looks like you aren’t wearing makeup [and] doesn’t clog pores [or] make you break out!”

4. Best Medium-Coverage Foundation For Photos

For those who prefer more coverage, Mason recommends this Dermablend Smooth Liquid Camo Hydrating Foundation. The buildable-coverage formula uses high-performance pigments that were designed to be able to camouflage unwanted hyperpigmentation and redness without looking cakey or feeling heavy on your skin. Though it has a matte finish that tends to be preferred by oily skin types, it contains ingredients like glycerin, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E to keep combination and dry skin types moisturized. You’ll also get additional sun protection with SPF 25 (courtesy of titanium dioxide, not zinc oxide).

Finish: Matte Available Shades: 14 Beneficial Ingredients: Glycerin, Sunflower Seed Oil, Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: “I am in love with Dermablend. I have super sensitive and acne prone skin that basically rejects all foundation. This product is so gentle and light on my skin while providing excellent coverage. I have slept in this makeup and been fine the next morning. I am an actress and constantly on the go. I apply this once in the morning and have flawless coverage throughout the day without needing to apply. I recommend purchasing their loose powder to apply over this for even better coverage.”

5. Best Full-Coverage Foundation For Photos

When you need a heavy-duty foundation that’s full coverage and won’t transfer or budge through rain, sweat, or tears, there’s Cover FX’s Power Play Foundation. Designed to promote a more even skin tone while still leaving your skin looking like skin, the foundation uses rice hull powder to absorb oil and sweat without giving you a dried out, cakey finish. Rice bran wax helps to give the foundation a creamy, easy-to-blend texture, and antioxidant-rich fermented algae extract gives your skin some extra protection against daily exposure to pollutants and environmental stressors.

Finish: Natural-Matte Available Shades: 30 Beneficial Ingredients: Fermented Algae Extract, Rice Hull Powder, Rice Bran Wax Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: “I was surprised with a makeup class a few months ago. The makeup artist I worked with suggested that I purchase this foundation. Not only is it a perfect match, [but] it doesn’t feel heavy and lasts all day! I’m impressed by the quality, especially since I live in a very humid environment.”

6. Best Full-Coverage Foundation For Photos Under $15

Another full-coverage option, Bhatty gravitates toward this Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation when she needs an HD foundation for clients who are being photographed. This inexpensive pick features a dropper applicator to dispense the product directly onto your skin, similar to a serum. Despite its full-coverage finish, this is another lightweight foundation that keeps your skin looking natural, and it’s even formulated with multi-tasking niacinamide to help reduce signs of inflammation and keep your pores clear.

Finish: Natural-Matte Available Shades: 18 Beneficial Ingredients: Niacinamide, Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: Yes

Relevant Review: “This has the most beautiful finish both [in] person and in photo/video. The foundation melts and blends into the skin effortlessly. It is not a heavy coverage foundation, but it is buildable. It controls oil well and doesn’t separate.”

Experts:

Mallorie Mason, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.

Kirin Bhatty, a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.