Dewy foundation doesn’t just even out your skin tone and cover up blemishes. It also gives you a healthy glow that helps your skin look even more flawless.
Most dewy foundations are moisturizing, so they work extremely well If you have normal, dry or mature skin. If you have oily or combination skin, though, you may have to be more careful when choosing a formula to avoid greasy skin or a nasty breakout. But the best dewy foundations have options for every skin type.
When applying makeup, many beauty lovers want their skin to have a luminous glow. The basis for this look is a dewy foundation.
These formulas are made with ingredients such as moisturizers, plant-based oils and hyaluronic acid that hydrate and plump skin. In addition to dewy, some of the descriptive terms you may find on the packaging of these types of foundations include glowing, hydrating, and illuminating or luminous.
Choosing a foundation that produces a dewy or matte finish is really a matter of preference. However, the differences are noticeable. A dewy foundation produces a glow while it moisturizes the skin. A matte foundation delivers optimal coverage for blemishes, red spots and other imperfections.
Huda Beauty GloWish Multidew Vegan Skin Tint Foundation
If you prefer light coverage, this lightweight, dewy foundation is an excellent option when you want a glow. It contains Damascus rose oil and plant-derived squalane to moisturize, making it a perfect fit for dry, mature, normal and combination skin. It also boasts a waterproof, fragrance-free and vegan formula.
Sold by Sephora
Wet n Wild Photo Focus Dewy Foundation
For those on a budget, this is one of the best dewy foundations at the drugstore. It best suits normal to dry skin and can blur the look of pores and imperfections for a flawless look in photographs. It’s vegan and cruelty-free too.
Sold by Ulta Beauty and Amazon
RMS Beauty “Un” Cover-Up Cream Foundation
This cream foundation offers buildable coverage, so it can cover nearly all blemishes and imperfections with just a small amount of product. The luminous finish still looks natural on the skin and is suitable for all skin types except the very oiliest. It’s available in 16 shades and comes in recyclable packaging.
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation
This affordable drugstore foundation offers 24-hour wear without fading or breaking down. It’s lightweight but still hydrates the skin and offers medium coverage. It works best for normal to dry skin and has a sun protection factor of 15.
Sold by Amazon
It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Illumination with SPF 50+
This color-correcting foundation offers full coverage despite its lightweight feel. It also has an SPF of 50 with a mineral sunscreen. It can work well for all skin types, but it’s an especially good option for mature skin, thanks to the included collagen and peptides.
Sold by Sephora, Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation
This dewy foundation can keep skin hydrated for up to 24 hours, so it’s a perfect match for dry and normal skin. It features light-adjusting technology to help skin look smoother and more refined too. It also boasts a 30-shade color range, making it easy to match your skin tone.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Luminous Foundation
This water-resistant luminous foundation is free of parabens and mineral oil, so it works well for all skin types, including oily. The formula is lightweight and blends easily across the skin. Best of all, it comes in 50 shades, so there’s an option for nearly any skin tone.
Sold by Ulta Beauty and Sephora
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Tint
Dry skin loves this lightweight water gel foundation with hyaluronic acid to help hydrate and plump the skin. It can keep your skin moisturized for 24 hours, but the formula is oil-free, so it can also work well for normal and combination skin. It’s non-comedogenic, making it a solid option for oily skin in colder weather.
Sold by Amazon
Saie Slip Tint Dewy Tinted Moisturizer
This lightweight tinted moisturizer is perfect for anyone who prefers a more natural makeup look. It also provides mineral sunscreen protection and is gluten- and cruelty-free. It contains licorice to brighten discoloration from sun exposure, too, and works well for all skin types.
Sold by Sephora
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation
This long-wearing lightweight foundation gives the skin a natural luminous glow that’s flattering for normal, dry and combination skin. It’s sweat- and oil-resistant, making it an excellent choice for warmer weather. It's also paraben-, sulfate- and phthalate-free.
Undone Beauty Unfoundation Light Coverage Glow Tint
If you prefer a no-makeup makeup look, you’ll definitely want to consider this light coverage foundation. The coverage is buildable, too, so you can add a little extra when you need it. It’s vegan and cruelty-free and contains coconut extract to deliver a natural dewy finish.
Sold by Ulta Beauty
Clinique Even Better Glow Light Reflecting Makeup
This lightweight dermatologist-tested foundation provides a luminous finish that works well for normal, combination and even sensitive skin. The formula contains vitamin C and E to help brighten the skin and SPF 15 to protect against sun damage. It’s sweat- and humidity-resistant, too.
Sold by Sephora
Urban Decay Hydromaniac Glowy Tinted Hydrator Foundation
This foundation makes skin glow thanks to marula oil that's extremely moisturizing. It also contains nourishing plant ingredients, and is vegan and cruelty-free. Although lightweight, it provides medium coverage and all-day wear.
Sold by Sephora, Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Wet n Wild Bare Focus Tinted Hydrator
This budget-friendly dewy foundation is oil-free but still hydrating, so it works well for all skin types. It features light, buildable coverage that helps smooth and even out the skin. The coverage is pretty sheer, too, so it’s ideal for no-makeup makeup looks.
Sold by Amazon and Ulta Beauty
Beauty Bakerie InstaBake Aqua Glass Foundation
This lightweight foundation still delivers full coverage and a dewy, glass-like finish on the skin. It helps blur the pores and other textured areas, so your skin always looks smooth and soft. The formula is vegan and suitable for all types of skin, including oily.
Sold by Ulta Beauty
Maybelline Fit Me Dewy and Smooth Foundation
Featuring a moisturizing formula, this foundation is dermatologist- and allergy-tested, so it’s a good fit for normal, dry and sensitive skin. It helps hydrate and smooth the skin and provides a naturally radiant finish. It also offers SPF 18 to provide sun protection.
Sold by Ulta Beauty and Amazon
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Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
