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Picking a foundation for your 30s is much like picking a partner for life. It deserves an equal amount of research and experimenting. It’s no joke! The best foundations for your 30s enhance your existing beauty. They can help you cover imperfections, but not so much so that you look like you’re wearing someone else’s face.
As 30-somethings, covering fine lines and wrinkles can be challenging. But the good news is that there’s no shortage of flattering foundations to cover up dark spots, fine lines, and even acne.
There are light-coverage options you can try for more natural looks. There are full coverage options that blur out wrinkles and still feel light on the skin. And there are even foundation alternatives that multi-task and offer skincare benefits.
But before digging in, don’t forget to take care of your skin if you want to get the most out of your makeup. Skincare is way more important than makeup in this decade.
And also, if you’re a beginner and don’t know where to start, you can check out our practical tips on how to wear makeup in your 30s.
Whether you have oily skin or dry skin, or you want light coverage or full coverage, we’ve got some amazing foundations that can help with age-related issues for all skin types.
The Best Foundations For Your 30s
From liquid to cream and from drugstore to high-end, find below the best foundations for your 30s.
1. Chanel CC Cream Correction Complete Super Active SPF 50
You know you’re in your 30s when a CC cream replaces your water-proof foundation. And it’s for good reason! You’re usually done obsessing over heavy, super-coverage foundations because they usually crease and sit in your wrinkles.
That’s why a lightweight foundation gives way better-looking results. It won’t sit in wrinkles or make your existing wrinkles more visible. But don’t worry. You don’t have to sacrifice coverage for the sake of looking natural.
This one gives a surprising amount of coverage for a CC cream. It has such a beautiful, luminous finish that it looks like you’re wearing a highlighter. It’s one of those products that exceed expectations.
It is easy to apply and it instantly evens out your skin tone. Additionally, SPF 50 is great for people who hate using sunscreen over makeup. It’s suitable for everyday wear and it’s easily buildable.
It contains hyaluronic acid for long-lasting moisture and antioxidants for anti-aging. But who cares? Guys, with the luminous finish, this is absolutely the best foundation for your 30s!
Tip: To get the most out of this CC cream, pick a concealer that has a similar finish. I’ve seen that Tarte Shape Tape Concealer blends perfectly well with it. The texture’s almost the same. So it looks like I’m wearing one product all over my face.
Coverage: Medium/full. Finish: Radiant. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
2. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation
OK, I was born in 1985 so Estee Lauder is very close to my millennial heart. And if CC cream isn’t your thing, this may be the next best thing. Sometimes you want your foundation to have a foundation label on it, I get it. Even though we’re not a huge fan of matte, full-coverage foundations in our 30s, we still need them.
Double Wear is a long-wear, full-coverage foundation with a matte finish. It turns your face into a canvas just like that. You can cover redness, hyperpigmentation, scarring, breakouts – everything! It’s also good for oily skin because it’ll keep your skin looking matte all day!
It simply does not move or smudge or oxidize. You absolutely can’t go wrong with it, especially if you have oily skin. If you have dry skin, apply your moisturizer generously before applying this.
Plus, the foundation is oil-free and fragrance-free, which is great for sensitive skin too. And it does not budge under your face mask either! Whether you have dark skin or light skin, the shade range is great!
Tip: Prime your face with face oil for softening the matte look. It won’t mess up the foundation. But it’ll make it easier to blend if you have wrinkles or very dry skin. However you may choose to apply it, this is one of the best full-coverage foundations for your 30s.
Coverage: Full. Finish: Matte. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free, suitable for sensitive skin.
3. L’Oreal Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation
A refreshingly efficient drugstore foundation for your 30s! This one by Loreal is a medium-full coverage foundation with a lovely, natural finish.
It also contains SPF and it’s fit to survive the weather, air, sweat, anything! You can use it on a daily basis. It also allows you to build coverage however you like for special occasions.
It’s budget-friendly, so it saves you the guilt when you’re applying it generously just for the fun of it. It lasts all day and it’s suitable for all skin types including combination skin.
Coverage: Medium. Finish: Natural. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
Good To Know: Non-comedogenic, extensive shade range.
4. Givenchy Teint Couture Everwear 24H Foundation SPF 20
This does not feel like a foundation at all! This baby has a very liquid consistency and applies like a tinted moisturizer. It has medium-to-full coverage. As you spread it out, it looks like you’re applying a silky veil on the skin.
It has a radiant finish, which is great if you’re going for that dewy makeup look. It’s waterproof and long-lasting. And its satin finish is proof that not all waterproof foundations are heavy, cakey, and super flat.
The luxurious foundation may be a splurge but it sure as hell is a well-deserving one. If you want to thicken the consistency, you can try a blurring primer under this to smooth out textured skin.
Other than that, it perfectly covers fine lines and furrows. On a side note, if you’re not familiar with the brand, Givenchy has a thing with fragrance. So this has an elegant scent to it. It smells nice but if you’re not a fan of fragrance, this will not work for you.
Coverage: Medium/full. Finish: Radiant. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
5. Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation
This became an instant hit ever since it came out. This budget-friendly liquid foundation provides perfect smoothness for textured skin. Enlarged pores, even the tiniest ones for that matter, can be annoying to deal with in your 30s.
That’s why a foundation that’s specifically made for covering pores is your best friend. It’s also practical because it usually doesn’t require any additional products like a primer or a powder.
Fit Me Matte does an amazing job at mattifying your look. It’s one of the best drugstore foundations for oily skin. It controls the shine and provides long-lasting coverage.
It blurs out your pores for creating an effortless makeup base. It’s formulated without oil to keep the skin shine-free. And it’s fragrance-free too! If you have dry skin, the same foundation comes with a moisturizing formula with a dewy finish.
Coverage: Medium/full. Finish: Matte. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free, perfect for oily skin.
6. Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Foundation
This is your reminder to get yourself a Sephora bestie. I was able to try this one all thanks to the endless supply of deluxe foundation samples mine gave me. This is a full-coverage foundation with an incredibly thin consistency.
It’s oil-free and has a soft matte finish. Besides giving you a flawless base, it helps reduce the visibility of wrinkles and is one of the best anti-aging foundations for your 30s!
Additionally, it has SPF 20 and other anti-agers like antioxidants to help with wrinkles too. If you’re in your mid or late-30s and want your full-coverage makeup to look as natural as possible, this is it.
It gave me super soft skin and my pores were practically invisible! And I didn’t even use a primer! And even though it’s not waterproof, it does not budge! I accidentally put it to the test too! I wore this in the morning and went by my day.
In the evening, I wanted to make this funny reel for Instagram where I needed my makeup to be smeared all over my face. I kept splashing my face with water over and over again. My mascara was all over the place, my blush was gone, but my foundation still looked flawless!
I used a filter for my reel because it wasn’t about my foundation. But trust me, I’m changing my mascara for summer but keeping the foundation so I can dive into the pool comfortably!
Coverage: High. Finish: Matte. Size: 0.84 oz/25ml
Good To Know: Long-lasting.
7. Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15
Another serum-like foundation for your 30s is this one. As you’re reaching your late 30s, you start to worry less about coverage. Because taking care of your skin comes first as opposed to masking it. And at some point, applying more defeats the purpose and you end up looking cakey.
This water-based foundation is like a dream come true for skin that has fine lines. Because just like a hydrating face serum, it plumps up the skin. Hydrated skin makes wrinkles and lines less visible.
It has medium coverage with a beautiful, luminous finish. It’s hard to tell if you’re wearing foundation or if your skincare has been working out great. It’s perfect for all seasons, day and night, work and party!
The oil-free formula won’t clog pores, worsen adult acne, or make your skin look greasy. Also, if your foundation makes your skin look flaky, you can try this one as it’s great for dehydrated skin.
Coverage: Medium. Finish: Natural/luminous. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, water-based, long-wearing.
8. Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
This is perfect for all ages! Anybody can benefit from this lightweight tinted moisturizer with a natural glow. It’s definitely a go-to product for moisturizing your face and giving it a fresh, no-makeup look.
It’s light-medium coverage. But it evens out your skin so well that you wouldn’t want to mask your face with a full coverage foundation. It’s oil-free and contains vitamin C to brighten the skin too.
This is a multi-tasking product that moisturizes, provides coverage, and protects your skin with SPF 30. The creamy formula can help you cover mild redness and it’s also buildable for more coverage.
Coverage: Light/buildable. Finish: Radiant. Size: 1.9 oz
Good To Know: Oil-free, non-comedogenic, contains vitamin C.
9. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation
Magic Foundation is indeed magic for achieving younger-looking skin. When wearing makeup in your 30s, you tend to measure a foundation based on a few things. One of them is how well the coverage is on forehead wrinkles and expression lines.
This is one of those foundations that give your skin a lifted look by smoothing everything out. It has a creamy texture with medium coverage but it’s completely buildable.
It’s perfect for covering dark spots, acne, scars, and any pigmentation. It erases any imperfections and gives you a flawless base to create any look you want. The best part is the silky matte finish.
Coverage: Medium. Finish: Natural. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
10. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Luminous Silk is one of the best liquid foundations for your 30s. The coverage is medium, but “medium” is relative. One can argue that it’s pretty full coverage. But it doesn’t look heavy or cakey like a regular full-coverage foundation would look.
Even with the medium label, it gives you extreme coverage while maintaining a healthy and natural look. It’s incredible in that way. It doesn’t dry out during application. The liquid texture doesn’t sit in wrinkles at all!
The bright satin finish is just amazing. For 30-somethings, dullness is a common issue. That’s why all skin types can make use of this natural glow. But at the same time, it’s super helpful for concealing any impurities on your face. Discoloration, acne, pimples- you name it!
Tip: Some foundations are wasted when applied using a brush. Makeup brushes certainly make things easier. But this one is too good to leave to your brush. Apply it using your fingers for a more natural and blended look.
Coverage: Medium. Finish: Radiant. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, award-winning.
11. Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
Your skin has different levels of thickness in different areas on your face. For example, the skin on the cheeks is thicker than the skin around the eyes. A good foundation looks good on both of these areas.
That’s where Born This Way comes in! It’s a great foundation to achieve a unified complexion with full coverage. When you apply it in the center of your face, it covers all blemishes perfectly.
And it doesn’t look heavy around your eyes because it doesn’t amplify the look of your crow’s feet. It’s a long-lasting dewy-finish liquid foundation.
And it gives you fabulous luminosity! It’s absolutely one of the best foundations for early, mid, and late 30s. This one deserves all the hype in the world and has a wide shade range!
Coverage: Medium/full. Finish: Natural/radiant. Size: 1.0 oz/30ml
Good To Know: Oil-free.
This completes our round-up of the best foundations for your 30s. Keep in mind that this list is in no particular order. I just feel like these are the best when it comes to doing base makeup on mature skin or skin that has wrinkles and lines. And each of them offers something unique. If you haven’t found your match, keep reading to find out how you can.
What to Look For in a Foundation To Use in Your 30s
First of all, foundation is all about coverage. So your end game is to achieve the desired base. It’s cosmetics. And that means ingredients are not your primary focus.
With that in mind, look for more creamy, liquid foundations. They tend to apply very easily and don’t look cakey. Plus, lightweight foundations prevent creasing in smile lines. As our skin becomes drier and less oily, powder foundations may not be the best to use in your 30s. They can cling onto dry patches and look flaky.
On the flip side, if you have a skin condition like rosacea, try hypoallergenic makeup, which tends to be oil-free, and fragrance-free.
If coverage is not that important to you and you want to diversify, you can try CC creams, BB creams, and tinted moisturizers. They offer coverage and they multi-task by moisturizing the skin and providing SPF protection.
How To Apply
Call me a dinosaur but using your fingers is the best way to apply foundation, in my opinion. It took me 30+ years to finally afford a high-end foundation. Do you think I’m going to let my sponge or brush soak it up? Absolutely not!
Brushes and sponges, wet or dry, can help you modify your end look. But applying your foundation using your fingers is the best way to see the full potential of the product.
