Figuring out what your undertone is and what makeup formula to get is hard enough, but finding a match for our silky melanated skin can be another job in itself. While brands like Fenty Beauty and OG Fashion Fair has set the bar for what a foundation range should look like, there are still some brands that just haven't received the memo—and that's fine, it just tells me where and where NOT to shop. Call me crazy, but I refuse to buy two different shades to mix together just to get the right match for me. If you don't carry my color, then I assume you do not want my business, and that's on period.
So instead of wasting time and money, here are 16 of the best foundations that offer a range for dark skin.
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Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15
Macy's
The 16-hour full coverage foundation gives a natural matte finish that's breathable and weightless. It goes on silky smooth and comes in 42 shades, 20 of which cater to darker skin tones.
Range Beauty True Intentions Hydrating Foundation
Range Beauty
It's literally in the name. Range Beauty offers clean beauty for the forgotten shades. They offer over 15+ shades of brown foundation that not only matches your melanin but promotes healthy and glowing skin. They aim to represent all shades, genders, and skin types while creating a formula for those with eczema or acne-prone skin.
Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation
Macy's
The oil-free foundation gives medium buildable coverage with a natural glow. Instead of using round pigments that can separate on the skin, this lightweight foundation is made with their Micro–fil™ technology so the foundation lays flat for a natural second-skin effect. The Luminous Silk Foundation come is a total of 38 shades, and 14 that cater to darker skin tones.
Mented Cosmetics Skin by Mented
Mented
Mented, short for pigmented, became popular because of its large range of nude lipsticks for darker skin tones. They eventually expanded that concept into their foundations and offers up to 16 shades of golden, neutral, and reddish-brown. Their creamy stick foundation offers a clean, vegan, and dermatologist-approved selection for people of color.
BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15
Macy's
Bare Minerals' loose powder foundation is one of the OG clean beauty formulas. This vegan-friendly powder promotes clearer, healthier skin over time, and protects the skin from UV rays and overexposure from the sun. The line features 30 shades and up to 12 tan and deep shades.
Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation
UOMA
Uoma Beauty, founded by Sharon C, offers up to 51 shades ranging from the fairest shade to the deepest dark. Uoma Beauty foundations are weightless, hydrating, and matte and aim to rewrite the rules of inclusivity and diversity to create a world of beauty that truly is for all of us.
IL MAKIAGE Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation
IL MAKIAGE
IL MAKIAGE is designed to capture the spirit of confident women everywhere. With up to 12 deep shades ranging from different undertones, their Woke Up Like This foundation offers a streak-free, even, and natural matte finish.
Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
Macy's
Too Faced offers up to 10 deep shades in an oil-free smooth, velvet finish. It's designed to give you a skin-like and flawless look using coconut water which aids in replenishing the skin's moisture levels.
Blk Opl True Color Foundation with SPF
Blk Opl
Blk Opl offers a variety of formulas running from matte to foundation with SPF. The drugstore brand offers up to 19 tan and deep shades at an affordable price. Their foundation also has antioxidants like vitamins C and E so your skin is protected and flawless.
M.A.C’s Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15
Macy's
This long-lasting matte liquid foundation gives a medium-to-full buildable coverage with SPF 15 protection. It's easy to blend and controls shine without caking while minimizing the appearance of pores, giving skin a smoother, and more even look and finish. This foundation comes in 63 shades, of which 28 shades cater to darker skin tones.
Beauty Bakerie InstaBake Aqua Glass Foundation
Beauty Bakerie
Beauty Bakerie offers 10 shades for darker skin tones and navigating their site is very easy. It breaks down your complexion and then your undertone to help you find the perfect match. They also make it easy by finding the best shade comparison. So if you know your shade in Fenty, they can help you match with what your shade would be for Beauty Bakerie.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation
Macy's
This foundation is a true long-lasting foundation. The non-transferrable matte foundation feels lightweight and comfortable while unifying uneven skin tones. The buildable, medium to full coverage foundation comes in 40 shades and about 20 that cater to deep skin tones without leaving a grey hue or tint.
The Lip Bar Skin Serum Foundation
The Lip Bar
The Lip Bar is another brand that started out being known for its range of lip colors, especially their red lipstick. They've expanded into so much more including their skin serum foundation. The 26-shade collection offers a light to medium coverage and a buildable, dewy, skin-like finish.
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation
Macy's
This foundation is a sheer, buildable foundation with a natural-looking finish. It's also made with NARS Complexion Brightening Formula that leaves skin hydrated, softer, and smoother. It features 40 shades and 10 that cater to darker skin tones.
Juvia’s Place I Am Magic Velvety Matte Foundation
Juvia's Place
Juvia's Place is most known for its pigmented eyeshadow palette that looks great on all skin types and tones. As they expanded their collection, they also created a foundation that offers more than 20 tan and deep shades. The full-coverage foundation is also lightweight, long-lasting, and never looks cakey.
Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Foundation
Pat McGrath
Pat McGrath is an OG when it comes to the makeup and beauty industry. Her skin finish foundation collection not only comes with years of experience but offers a lightweight and buildable flawless finish in 36 shades. This foundation also helps fight the formation of wrinkles by preserving the hydrolipidic film barrier of the skin.
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