The Best Serum Foundations For A Natural Look

As we transition to wearing masks again amid the spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant, the hunt for a skin-like, lightweight foundation resumes. Enter serum foundations. If you want the coverage of a foundation, with the feeling of a tinted moisturizer, then the serum foundation might just be a perfect match for you, per Stylist. Serum foundations contain skincare serums in the formula which consist of molecular active ingredients that penetrate your pores and help improve the look of your skin in the long run, according to StyleCaster.

The added benefit of skin-soothing ingredients can even counteract the skin irritation you may face now that many of us are back to wearing masks, per Women's Health. "The moisture will provide more slip between the face and the mask and will actually help ease that friction from the start," makeup artist and skincare specialist Gabrielle Pascua told Women's Health. Nechelle Turner, a makeup artist and educator for Jane Iredale, recommended formulas with willow bark extract to bring down inflammation and tackle bacteria that can lead to acne. 

Luckily for all those glow-getters out there, there are several serum foundations available that will play the part of your best hype woman. Keep scrolling to learn more about the best serum foundations for a natural look.

If you want a natural-feeling serum that'll help plump your skin, there are a few options for you. 

Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation has lychee, bamboo grass, and Cordyceps mushroom extract, which will help firm and smooth your skin, per Stylist. A more affordable formula that offers anti-aging benefits is the L'Oreal Age Perfect Serum Foundation, per Byrdie. The foundation contains SPF 50, vitamin B3, and moisturizing ingredients that won't settle into any fine lines. A fuller-coverage option that is also jam-packed with skincare ingredients is the Estee Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 25, which claims to boost radiance and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

No. 7 Lift and Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation SPF 15 also offers anti-aging properties and is an affordable option available at Target. This foundation firms the skin and diminishes the appearance of wrinkles, as well as provides a blurred skin texture. ILIA, a beauty brand focused on natural ingredients, is known for its True Skin Serum Foundation, which provides a weightless finish and medium coverage. StyleCaster also recommends ILIA's Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40, which offers even more skin-loving ingredients like niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and squalane.

If you just want to even out your skin tone, the Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Hydrating Foundation is infused with nourishing oils and will give you a dewy, "your-skin-but-better" glow, per Stylist. For an airbrushed look, you can try the MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation. The formula contains top-notch skincare ingredients and imparts a candlelight radiance. A drugstore skin tint that works on people of all ages is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint, which contains hyaluronic acid. The formula provides a dewy glow, while diffusing skin imperfections.

Charlotte Tilbury is known for having several hero products, including the Hollywood Flawless Filter, a tinted primer that evens out, blurs, and hydrates the skin, per StyleCaster. The product is a cult-favorite for its ability to be worn on its own for "no-makeup" makeup days. If Charlotte Tilbury is out of your price range, the Maybelline Perfector 4-in-1 Glow Makeup is a great dupe at a third of the cost. According to StyleCaster, TikToker Mikaya Noguiera tried the two products and said, "It looks exactly the same. It feels the same, it has the same glowy shift." She added, "This is hands-down the most exceptional dupe to come out for this, seriously." 

Blurred pores, a lightweight texture, skincare ingredients, and a dewy glow — looks like you can have everything in life ... or at least in a foundation.