Cosmopolitan Editors Test Practically Every New Foundation—These 12 Are the Best of 2025

"Ok, I just tried these new foundation drops by VBB and I’m hooked. Here’s the deal: this stuff actually melts into your skin—like you barely feel it, but it still looks super polished. The glow is real! I used shade number 13, which is a warm-medium with neutral undertones. There are a total of 18 shades, and I’m hoping they will keep expanding the color range after a successful launch. As far as texture, it doesn’t feel heavy or settle into fine lines. Plus, it’s another VBB collab with luxury skincare brand Augustinus Bader, so it’s laced with TFC8, which is an award-winning skin-perfecting compound. This is worth the splurge!" —JULEE WILSON, BEAUTY EDITOR-AT-LARGE

"L’Oréal's True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum is a long-time favorite I always come back to. After a sudden allergic reaction left my face red, swollen, and peeling just days before a wedding, this under-$20 drugstore skin tint effectively camouflaged my redness while keeping my skin hydrated and calm. The hyaluronic acid smoothed over patchiness instead of clinging to it, and the non-comedogenic formula gave a fresh finish without clogging pores. Despite being labeled a tint, the coverage is akin to foundation while still lightweight. Through Atlanta heat, humidity, and hours of photos and dancing, my makeup stayed put—no flakes, no melting, and no redness peeked through. Affordable, accessible, and truly delivers."—JH

"I'm obsessed with how convenient this stick foundation is to use. I swipe once across my forehead, twice on each cheek, and then once on my chin and once on my nose, blending it all with my trusty Ciele foundation brush. The effect is blurred, even-looking skin that looks really natural and healthy."—LB

Read our full Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation stick review here

"The original Makeup By Mario foundation is lovely, but far too glowy for my oily skin. Luckily, this new natural-finish version has a cloud-like softness that looks exactly like my skin after I've blotted it a bit. It's not matte, necessarily (so don't get scared), but it doesn't have the initial dewiness as the luminous version. I've been applying it with the brand's famed F4 brush to get extra coverage, but Mario recommended choosing the F1 brush for days when you want a sheer look." —BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR

"I'm not much of a foundation girl. And, I won't lie, the first time I tried Easy Blur, I was not a fan. But I'm glad I gave it another try. The featherlight soft-matte foundation provides medium coverage and magically blurs pores for a real-life filtered finish, sans TikTok filter. As someone with dry skin, I appreciate that this doesn't dehydrate my complexion or feel uncomfortable in the slightest. This is partially thanks to niacinamide in the formula, which hydrates and works to smooth skin over time."—MARY HONKUS, CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY EDITOR

"As someone who doesn’t go for full coverage makeup, this is one of the only foundations i actually use. I love that it’s buildable while also being full coverage. I tend to use just a tiny bit for a light layer of coverage, but there’s been times where i need a full beat and it works wonders for that too. I even go concealer-free when i wear it because it’s just that good."—JH

Read our full Haus Labs review here

"One pump covered my entire face; redness was banished, most of my discolouration was gone, and only my dark circles slightly peeked through, which I counteracted with concealer and powder. It can also stretch either side of the spectrum—use more with a dense brush for a fuller base, or sheer it out with moisturizer for a natural finish. The foundation dried down matte, blurred and smoothed textured skin, and minimized pores without disguising my most prominent blemishes (no foundation can—it’s makeup, not a Photoshop fairy). With my naturally oily skin, I expected shine, and while my T-Zone did make an appearance, it looked dewy rather than greasy and never separated into a cakey mess. The coverage held up well all day without caking or settling into pores, and the non-comedogenic formula did not break me out."—LIA MAPPOURA, COSMOPOLITAN UK BEAUTY WRITER

Read our full Benefit Porefessional Smoothing & Blurring Matte Foundation review here

“Matte skin that isn’t cakey, dry, or flat? Yup. It’s all because of this cult-fave powder foundation that helps even out my skin tone and smooth uneven texture. I keep this in my bag at all times to touch up and add coverage, but it also looks stunning all over my face with a moisturizer underneath. It blurs out my pores and even covers up acne, hence why it won a Cosmo Acne Award."—BG

"Of every foundation I own, this is the one I use the most. At this point, I own it in four different shades, so I can always mix and match regardless of if I have self-tanner on or anything. I just need to have it around at all times. If I'm going on a date, to the office, out to dinner, for an event—truly, any occasion where I want to wear foundation and feel confident—I'm picking this one. It smooths out my skin and adds a slight glow that isn't greasy or heavy on my oily, acne-prone skin. Best of all, it stays put. I don't have to constantly reapply concealer on top of any acne I'm trying to keep covered all day long. Big plus."—BG

"This foundation is a slightly more full-coverage version of Sheer Glow, and I really enjoyed wearing it. I absolutely loved how it made my skin look and the glow it gave me, and I liked that, although it was a bit heavier than Sheer Glow, my skin still looked naturally radiant and not like I was wearing a bucket load of foundation. It was a dream to apply, and like all the other foundations, it blended out really easily, and I was a big fan of how luminous it made my skin look. I found that I was wearing less highlighter than I normally do when I had this one.It lasted really well, too, and the glow it gave me was there all day long, so I could admire it whenever I caught my reflection in a window or mirror, and what’s not to love about that?"—LUCY PARTINGTON, CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY WRITER

Read our full NARS foundation review here