These 20 Sweat-Proof Foundations Hold Strong Even on the Hottest Days

Best Overall

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation

$49 at Sephora $49 at Nordstrom $49 at Bloomingdales

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 44 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Along with iced coffee and air-conditioning, this foundation makes it onto our list of summer essentials. Formulated with a  proprietary ingredient called Aircool™, Airbrush Flawless Foundation will keep your makeup intact no matter what sweat-inducing scenario you find yourself in. Even if you start feeling the heat, you can rest assured that your makeup will remain in place and keep its velvet matte finish all day long. 

Best Budget

Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

$6 at Amazon $5 at Walmart View on CVS

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 12 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

For this price, you won't find a better matte foundation. The mousse texture is easy to work in and can either deliver either a sheer effect or layered up for heavier coverage. Use less than you think you'll need—just a teensy amount will cover your whole face.

Best Drugstore

Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation

$11 at Ulta $9 at Target $8 at Walmart

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: 40 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Both professional makeup artists and beauty fans alike love this drugstore foundation for its ability to reduce the appearance of pores and keep redness under control.  What’s more the oil-free formula makes it perfect for hot weather and sweaty situations. If you struggle to control your shine, you’ll love that this foundation keeps skin looking soft and matte all day long.

Best Waterproof

MAC Pro Longwear Foundation

$35 at Nordstrom $38 at Saks Fifth Avenue View on Belk.com

Coverage: Medium to full | Shade Range: 24 | Finish: Satin | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This waterproof formula actually started off as a concealer prototype, with MAC's product development team setting out to create a dimensional product in the category. Instead, it came up with a base that can be worn both sheer and full coverage, meaning it can take the place of concealer and foundation in your makeup bag.

Best Full-Coverage

Armani Beauty Power Fabric + Foundation

$70 at Sephora $70 at Nordstrom View on Giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 30 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Any foundation by Giorgio Armani has, and will probably always have, a legacy as one of the best foundations you can slather on your face for a red carpet–approved glow. Usually, it's this foundation's sister formula, Luminous Silk, that tends to get all the love, but if you're looking for play-hard endurance, this one's the better bet. Commerce writer Caitlyn Martyn swears by this one for warmer summer days, especially if you're attending an outdoor wedding or riding a hot subway.

Best Medium Coverage

Clinique Stay-Matte Oil-Free Makeup

$36 at Ulta $36 at Nordstrom $35 at QVC

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: 20 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Another winner, this formula is light and silky (not chalky or difficult to blend), but it still manages to keep your skin matte. It delivers medium coverage and is best suited to normal and oily skin types. The formula contains willow bark extract, which is derived from the white willow tree, and is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It reduces redness, minimizes pore size, and removes dead skin cells. If you have a really oily complexion, you should definitely give it a go—the staying power is impressive. Bonus: It's so absorbent that you won't even need setting powder.

Best Light Coverage

Make Up For Ever Matte Velvet Skin Foundation

$40 at Sephora View on Makeupforever.com $40 at Macy's

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 40 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Like all foundations from Make Up For Ever, this shine-zapping formula does what it's supposed to (conceals blemishes and uneven texture), but it still looks believable. The fluid texture is easy to blend, feels light on the skin, and lasts for ages. Want your skin to look perfectly naturally matte? This is the foundation for you.

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

Hourglass Ambient Soft Glow Foundation

$58 at Amazon $58 at Sephora $58 at Ulta

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: 40 | Finish: Soft Glow | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you often fall victim to breakouts, rising temperatures can especially aggravate skin if you’re wearing a comedogenic foundation. Keep your base feeling light and breathable with this foundation from Hourglass. The medium-coverage formula comes in 40 shades and leaves behind a gorgeous soft-focus finish that blurs and smooths the look of texture.  The formula also gets bonus points for being humidity- and sweat-resistant. 

Best for Oily Skin

Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Foundation

$52 at Sephora $52 at Ulta View on Ulta

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 56 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Possibly one of the most popular foundations ever created, the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Liquid Foundation stands true to its name—once it's applied, it’s not going anywhere. Whether you wear it dancing all night, riding the subway in triple-digit temperatures, or sitting in the beating sun for hours, this foundation will stay with you through the day without ever smudging or feeling cakey.

Best for Dry Skin

Chantecaille Future Skin Gel Foundation

$90 at Dermstore $90 at Dermstore $90 at Dermstore

Coverage: Medium to full | Shade Range: 15 | Finish: Natural | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This luxurious, gel-based foundation actively hydrates skin while providing unbeatable coverage, preventing moisture loss with its oil-free, non-drying formula.

Best Matte Finish

Smashbox Studio Skin Oil-Free Hydra Foundation

View on Ulta $22 at Walmart View on Smashbox.com

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: 40 | Finish: Natural | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

When you want a matte finish that won’t settle into creases or crack, reach for this formula from Smashbox. The breathable formula delivers a natural-looking matte finish with medium coverage and works to help to control oil and shine. In addition to lasting you through a sweaty workout, it’s also transfer- and humidity-resistant. Not to mention, its 40-shade offering is pretty impressive.

Best Natural Formula

Rituel de Fille The Ethereal Veil Conceal And Cover

View on Amazon $34 at Credo Beauty

Coverage: Medium to full | Shade Range: 12 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Handcrafted by artisans in Los Angeles, this foundation balm is a stunning option for summertime—or any time of year for that matter. It boasts a natural silky finish and because it’s infused with the aroma of frankincense, it has a spellbinding quality. We also love that it comes in a compact that’s easy to carry and bring with you on all of your adventures.

Best Buildable

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation

$49 at Ulta View on Walmart $49 at Nordstrom

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: 10 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

A forever favorite for anyone who loves the minimalist look, Laura Mercier’s Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation is makeup for everyday life. If you are looking for a high-performing base to wear day to day, this stunning formula is designed to be sweat, humidity, water, and transfer-resistant.

Best Tinted Moisturizer

Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer

View On Sephora $46 at Sephora $46 at Ulta

Coverage: Light | Shade Range: 16 | Finish: Radiant | Size: 1.9 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This multi-purpose tinted moisturizer has all the bases covered, not only will it help even out your skin tone with its featherweight colored formula, but it also protects against the sun, hydrates skin, and provides a subtle glow. The oil-free formula offers great coverage for a tinted moisturizer and is infused with mineral-rich seawater to reveal a smoother skin  texture.

Best Powder

Wander Beauty Powder Foundation

$42 at Amazon $40 at Sephora $40 at Nordstrom

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: 11 | Finish: Matte | Size: 0.3 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Wander has reinvented one of the all-time classic makeup bag essentials by creating a talc and oil-free pressed powder compact. It works to absorb excess oil—thanks to its Rubicell applicator—and gives your skin a soft matte finish in one dab. It is also formulated with aloe leaves, honeysuckle flowers, jojoba esters, and hyaluronic acid to reduce redness and keep skin plumped.

Best Liquid

Dermablend Flawless Creator Lightweight Foundation

$42 at Amazon View on Dermablend.com

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 20 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Suitable for all skin types, this foundation is smudge- and transfer-resistant, so you can count on it to last all day. The super blendable weightless texture means you can customize the amount of coverage to whatever you need, making it a great makeup bag staple.

Best Serum

ROSE INC Skin Enhance Serum Foundation

$25 at Sephora $49 at Roseinc.com

Coverage: Light | Shade Range: 14 | Finish: Radiant | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We love it when skincare and makeup combine, so it is no surprise that we can’t get enough of this innovative tinted serum. Best applied by pumping it onto the back of the hand and then using a foundation brush to burst the microencapsulated pigment spheres, it's a sheer wash of color that will even out your complexion while hydrating your skin without irritation. 

Best Stick

Westman Atelier Vital Skin

$68 at Sephora $68 at Nordstrom $68 at Goop.com

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: 21 | Finish: Natural | Size: 0.31 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As much as we love the warmth, it can leave some of us looking red and flushed. Enter this luxuriously packaged stick foundation. We love keeping it on hand to calm redness and provide natural coverage—a win, win. The consistency is super creamy, so you can apply it using just your fingers.

Best Cream

Juvia's Place I Am Magic Foundation

$22 at Amazon $22 at Ulta View on Juviasplace.com

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 42 | Finish: Velvet Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you struggle to find your perfect shade match, this velvet matte foundation has one of the best selection of shades available. It’s water-proof and sweat-proof, but the magic really lies in the way that this product has the ability to provide a full coverage finish but with a lightweight feel. Best applied using a damp blender sponge or brush, a tiny amount is all you need for your whole face. 

Best with SPF

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Matte Foundation

$46 at Amazon $57 at Sephora $57 at Ulta

Coverage: Full | Shade Range: 50 | Finish: Matte | Size: 1 fl. oz | Cruelty-Free: No

Despite being founded almost 90 years ago, Lancôme continues to reinvent and reformulate their foundations to ensure they provide the best possible coverage (while also refreshing their technology and skin-enriching ingredients). This new and improved formula is suitable for all skin types, and we love how it has all the elements you’ll need in a foundation for a long hot summer—SPF protection, sweat resistance, and long-lasting wear.