The best serum foundations prove that flawless skin doesn’t require a heavy hand; these skin-care-infused formulas blur, perfect, and hydrate while delivering lightweight coverage that looks effortlessly natural. While the premise sounds simple enough, as a beauty writer, I’m frequently expounding their benefits: A serum foundation can do what a skin tint and tinted moisturizer can—and more.
“A formula is only truly a serum foundation if it is doing more than just feeling lightweight. It has to be built like skin care too,” Hourglass Cosmetics and Outside—In founder Carisa Janes details. “That means it should have that fluid, weightless, serum-like texture, but it also needs to include skin care ingredients at functional levels, not just a ‘marketing sprinkle.’ If the skin-care ingredients are not used in amounts that actually make a difference, it’s not truly efficacious—it’s just a foundation with a nice story.”
Vogue’s Favorite Serum Foundations
This thinking was the inspiration behind one of Janes’s latest debuts—a featherweight complexion savior that suspends weightless spherical powders within a liquid serum base, while sinking almost instantly into skin. These two characteristics, pro makeup artist Lauren D’Amelio Ventre adds, are central to the serum foundation equation. “It spreads like a serum and dries down for a skin-like finish rather than sitting on top like traditional foundation,” D’Amelio Ventre says.
By delivering a lightweight finish and natural radiance, celebrity makeup artist and Chanel ambassador Tasha Reiko Brown notes that serum-based foundations align perfectly with today’s skin-first beauty trend because they are “an easy way to achieve hyper-real skin while the serum part of the foundation helps support long-term skin-care benefits.” When applied correctly, these formulas deliver an exceptionally realistic complexion. “When you achieve a flawless base, the other aspects of your makeup take center stage and are free to draw focus,” she explains.
With that in mind, our 10 favorite serum foundations—from heritage labels like Chanel to clean beauty cult-favorites and indie newcomers like Outside—In—for that your skin-but-better look, backed by the pros and Vogue beauty editors.
In This Story
- What is a serum foundation?
- What types of looks can be achieved with a serum foundation?
- How to Apply a Serum Foundation
- How We Tested
- Meet The Experts
Best for Mature Skin: Chanel Sublimage L’essence de Teint
- Why We Love It: Those who love Chanel’s Sublimage skin-care range take note: The same ingredients are infused in its serum foundation. The star is vanilla planifolia fruit extract, which board-certified nurse practitioner Natia Rufolo previously explained supports cell regeneration, provides antioxidant protection, and helps maintain a healthier skin barrier. In addition, Reiko Brown considers it great for mature skin types. “Mature skin tends to be drier, and the added benefit of a serum adds a lovely boost of moisture and is less likely to settle in fine lines,” she says.
- Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, glycerin, vanilla planifolia fruit water, vanilla planifolia fruit extract, magnesium sulfate
- Shades: 21
- Finish: Radiant
- Coverage: Light to medium, buildable
- Fragrance Free: No
- Size: 1.35 fl oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Hydrating, non-comedogenic, and long-wearing formula | One of the priciest formulas on our list |
| Lightweight and buildable coverage | Fragrance may be irritating to those with hyper sensitive skin |
| Great for normal, dry, and mature skin types |
Best for Everyday: Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops
- Why We Love It: Westman previously described these tinted drops as skincare that “happens to act like makeup.” The antioxidant-rich, hydrating formula is particularly great for those with dry or mature skin, while imparting weightless coverage. “[This] both improves texture, firmness, and radiance over time and gives the skin the most insane glowing finish instantly with just the perfect hint of tint,” licensed esthetician and founder of Ställe Studios, Elizabeth Grace Hand, previously said. Its lightweight nature makes it perfect for daily wear—to even out the complexion with ease.
- Key Ingredients: Ginseng extract, sunflower oil, almond oil, pomegranate extract, Tsubaki oil, ginger root complex
- Shades: 20
- Finish: Radiant and dewy
- Coverage: Medium
- Fragrance Free: No synthetic fragrance
- Size: 1 oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Dermatologist tested, cruelty-free, and clean formula | Not entirely non-comedogenic, as oils may heavy for acne-prone skin types |
| Free of free of sulfates, phthalates, parabens, petrochemicals, mineral oil, silicone and talc |
Best for Sensitive Skin: Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation
- Why We Love It: Those who appreciate Ilia’s Super Skin Tint will find the brand’s foundation offers more coverage with the same seamless finish. “This is one I personally love and use often,” pro makeup artist Catrina Breitweiser says. “It offers the perfect balance of skin care and coverage with a natural, smooth finish that enhances the complexion without masking the skin.” Designed for reactive complexions, it incorporates niacinamide, allantoin, and aloe—ingredients that calm, refine texture, and lock in moisture much like a skincare treatment. It’s also worth noting that while some serum foundations have a thinner texture, this one is more cream-adjacent.
- Key Ingredients: Aloe leaf juice, niacinamide, allantoin, rice hull powder, jojoba seed oil
- Shades: 30
- Finish: Satin
- Coverage: Medium
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 1 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Weightless feel | Not entirely non-comedogenic—it contains two potential pore cloggers |
| Dermatologist-tested and safe for sensitive skin |
Best Blurring: Victoria Beckham Beauty The Foundation Drops
- Why We Love It: Fashion and beauty mogul Victoria Beckham had been developing (and secretly sporting) her brand’s latest launch, The Foundation Drops, for years right under our noses. “We created The Foundation Drops for [everyday makeup] minimalists like me,” Beckham previously told Vogue. “The formula melts into skin for a naturally flawless complexion and nourishes with Augustinus Bader’s TFC8 technology as I wear it. This is a foundation that feels like nothing, but truly does everything.” For those unfamiliar, Bader’s proprietary TFC8 complex aids cell renewal through an antioxidant blend, while ingredients such as echinacea and olive leaf extracts support barrier function.
- Key Ingredients: TFC8 complex, echinacea purpurea extract, spilanthes acmella flower extract, olive leaf extract, jojoba oil, glycerin, pentylene glycol, mica powder
- Shades: 19
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Buildable
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 1 oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Entirely clean ingredients | Contains shea butter, the only potential pore clogging ingredient in the formula |
| Skin-care-infused and antioxidant rich formula | Formula is on the pricier side |
| Blurring, natural finish |
Best Non-Comedogenic: Saie Glowy Super Skin Tint Foundation
- Why We Love It: Exceptionally lightweight, Saie’s Glowy foundation boasts a nourishing, plumping blend of 85% skincare ingredients and 15% weightless pigment. “The star of the foundation is Hydrobounce Complex, a proprietary active blend that’s composed of cross-linked and nonequilibrium [hyaluronic acid], polyglutamic acid, and rice-bran peptides,” Saie founder Laney Crowell previously explained. Squalane is also featured for a hydration boost and skin-barrier support. Crowell’s own troubles finding a foundation suitable for her sensitive, acne-prone skin type inspired the launch, leading to a completely non-comedogenic formula making foundation-caused breakouts a thing of the past.
- Editor’s Experience: “It’s no secret that I’m a Saie-aholic. Its serum foundation is another regular in my makeup rotation for it’s lightweight feel and acne-safe formula. One to two drops does the trick for covering up any rosacea flair-ups or spots.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Water, hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, rice-bran peptide, squalane, marshmallow root extract
- Shades: 36
- Finish: Radiant
- Coverage: Medium, buildable
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 1 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Entirely non-comedogenic | Formula can pill if applied over oil-based skin care |
| Formulated with 85% skincare ingredients | |
| Lightweight and buildable |
Best Self-Setting: Outside—In Silk Serum Foundation
- Why We Love It: Outside—In’s debut product, a serum foundation, strikes the perfect balance between high-performing complexion coverage and efficacious skin care. “We infused our Silk Serum foundation with niacinamide and gyaluronic acid in meaningful levels, so it genuinely supports your skin over time, helping to hydrate, strengthen, and boost radiance as you wear it,” says Janes. “Texture-wise, it is silky and almost otherworldly. It feels completely weightless on the skin, gives breathable, second-skin coverage, and thanks to its unique self-setting technology, it leaves a natural, radiant finish that stays looking refined all day.”
- Editor’s Experience: “The brainchild of Hourglass founder Carisa Janes, Outside—In is reimagining the skin-care-makeup hybrid. Of its just-debuted collection, the serum foundation is a standout. Remarkably lightweight on skin, this blends undetectably—imparting a natural, breathable finish that perfects the your-skin-but-better look with ease.”—Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: Silica, dimethicone, niacinamide, sunflower seed oil, evodia rutaecarpa fruit extract, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, centella asiatica extract
- Shades: 25
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium, buildable
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 1 fl oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Clean, vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free. paraben-free, and hypoallergenic | Contains just one potential pore clogging ingredient |
| Buildable coverage with a naturally blurred finish |
Best Drugstore: L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum Foundation
- Why We Love It: A drugstore take on a skin-care-makeup hybrid, this tinted serum is formulated with 1% hyaluronic acid to deeply moisturize the skin. Meanwhile, mineral pigments reflect light, blurring imperfections and providing semi-sheer coverage. “This provides a beautiful glowy finish with buildable to light coverage,” pro makeup artist Kelly Howard previously told Vogue, describing L’Oréal’s tinted serum as both a win and a steal. “It’s a triple threat, providing serum-like benefits, sun protection for the face, and complexion coverage in one price.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, isododecane dimethicone, magnesium sulfate, tocopherol, moroccan lava clay, glycerin
- Shades: 14
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Light to medium
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 1 fl oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Lightweight and hydrating feel | Not the most long-wearing formula—especially for those with oily skin |
| Semi-sheer, buildable coverage | Limited shade range |
| Affordable and fragrance-free formula |
Best for Oil Control: Clinique Even Better Clinical Serum Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 25
- Why We Love It: Clinique proves that a serum foundation doesn’t have to be light—instead, the brand offers a full-coverage foundation that lasts up to 24 hours. The formula is particularly great for oily skin types. A blend of vitamin C, salicylic acid, and hyaluronic acid adds a powerhouse trio of brightening, oil control, and hydration to keep your foundation in place. Plus, SPF 25 adds sun protection.
- Key Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 2.4%, Zinc Oxide 5.9%, dimethicone, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, laminaria saccharina extract, camellia sinensis leaf extract, caffeine, niacinamide, salicylic acid, jojoba esters, vitamin C
- Shades: 36
- Finish: Matte
- Coverage: Medium, buildable
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 1 oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Formulated with 86% skincare ingredients | Matte formula can be a bit clingy on dry patches if skin isn’t properly prepped |
| Dermatologist-tested | |
| Waterproof, sweat-proof, and humidity-proof formula |
Best Hydrating: Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Serum Foundation
- Why We Love It: It’s hard to name a Danessa Myricks product that Vogue editors don’t love—and the Yummy Skin Serum Foundation is no exception. “This formula takes a modern, skin-adaptive approach, offering a lightweight serum texture with flexible, buildable coverage that adjusts to the skin’s needs,” says D’Amelio Ventre. “It smooths the appearance of texture while maintaining a natural finish that never looks heavy.” Designed to balance hydration and oil control, it works across multiple skin types.
- Key Ingredients: jojoba seed oil, olive squalane, linseed seed oil, maracuja oil, chia seed oil, vitamin E, hydrolyzed sodium hyaluronate, meadowfoam seed oil, turmeric root oil,
- Shades: 19
- Finish: Radiant
- Coverage: Medium, buildable
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 0.85 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Hydrating, skincare-infused formula is great for dry skin | Contains one potential pore clogging ingredient |
| Refillable, eco-friendly packaging | Some with oily skin report pilling |
| Buildable coverage |
Best with Sunscreen: Ciele Tint Protect Serum foundation with SPF 50+
- Why We Love It: A scroll through TikTok and you’ll stumble upon Ciele’s viral serum foundation. At its core is mineral SPF 50+ for broad-spectrum UV defense, along with niacinamide to help refine texture, allantoin to moisturize, and bisabolol to soothe and brighten. Just shake and drop directly onto skin for buildable coverage with a natural finish.
- Key Ingredients: Zinc Oxide 12%, Titanium Dioxide CI 77891, niacinamide, mica, bisabolol, iron oxides, hydrogenated lecithin
- Shades: 13
- Finish: Natural
- Coverage: Medium, buildable
- Fragrance Free: Yes
- Size: 1.28 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| High SPF coverage to safeguard against UV rays | Limited shade range |
| Lightweight and hydrating | |
| Acne-safe, clean formula |
Everything You Need to Know
What is a serum foundation?
“A serum foundation has an ultra-fluid texture and is infused with skin-care ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalane, or niacinamide,” Breitweiser explains. “The formula melts into skin, delivering hydration, radiance, and sheer coverage in one step.”
And while the many different types of complexion products may seem similar at first glance, serum foundations occupy their own category. “They’re thinner and more skin-like than lightweight foundations, yet offer more refinement and staying power than tints—all without feeling heavy,” she adds.
What types of looks can be achieved with a serum foundation?
“Serum foundations are ideal for modern, skin-centric makeup looks. They excel at no-makeup-makeup, clean beauty aesthetics, and fresh editorial skin,” says D’Amelio Ventre. While serum foundations work great for everyday makeup looks, Reiko Brown also loves them for photographed special occasions because of how the texture really settles into skin with a satin-like finish.“It’s coverage is as close to real skin as you could achieve,” she says. The key to ensuring your serum foundation looks it’s best is by applying it over a thin layer of hydration—nothing too emollient, otherwise, the formula will slip.
How to Apply a Serum Foundation
D’Amelio Ventre reminds us to always start with properly prepped skin, focusing on hydration rather than heavy primers. For Reiko Brown, she prefers to apply serum foundations with her fingertips, pressing the formula directly into skin. If you prefer a makeup brush, she recommends applying the foundation in the center of the face and sweeping it outward for a flawless, undetectable finish.
They both agree it’s best to build coverage intentionally, only where you need it, and to take a less-is-more approach to setting. D’Amelio Ventre recommends using a finely milled loose powder sparingly in high-oil or high-movement areas, and keeping the rest of the face fresh.
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—pro makeup artists, many of whom have celebrity clientele—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to serum foundations, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, shade range, finish, longevity, and coverage. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the Experts
- Tasha Reiko Brown is a Chanel makeup artist and groomer whose clients include Gabrielle Union, Michael B. Jordan, and Alicia Keys.
- Catrina Breitweiser is a pro makeup artist with over 20 years experience. She’s also the founder of Makeup by Catrina and MBC Cosmetics.
- Lauren D’Amelio Ventre is a celebrity makeup artist, beauty educator, and founder of The Art of Enhancement, D’Amelio Cosmetics, and La Ve Da Beauty.
