8 of the Best Makeup Sponges for a Blended Finish, Plus Tips From a Celeb Makeup Artist

Both Dr. Chiu and makeup artist Jessica Lamb namechecked this award-winning foundation as one of their favorite recommendations for acne-prone skin. It’s like the Goldilocks of bases: not too shiny and not too matte, just right and perfectly blurring for a filtered finish. “This is a fan favorite for a reason,” Lamb says: it does the job in terms of coverage and looks great IRL, in photography, and TV, too. For those with active blemishes or uneven texture from a bout of breakouts, Armani Luminous Silk glides right over imperfections without highlighting them.

Coverage: Buildable, light to medium coverage

At the top of Dr. Chiu’s list of best foundations for troubled skin was Clinique’s skin-clearing treatment formula because it contains salicylic acid, an ingredient she notes that can help treat and prevent acne. You get the buildable coverage, the clarifying care, and the preventative benefits in one bottle. Oil control keeps excess sebum (which can clog pores) at bay, but the finish never veers too matte; you simply look fresh-faced and even. 

Coverage: Moderate with matte finish

“It’s packed with 17 skincare ingredients that calm, soothe, and revitalize the skin barrier,” Lamb says. And though it’s skin-focused, The Performer doesn’t forgo wear time—something she appreciates as a makeup artist (and why she counts this as one of her top three go-to’s for acne-prone skin). It’s plush in texture—cushiony, even—and manages to feel nourishing even throughout the day. For oilier skin types this sumptuous feel may take some getting used to, but it’s a dream formula that won’t cling to or highlight any flakiness (typical of a breakout that was recently treated, and healing).

Coverage: Buildable, medium coverage

Full-coverage foundations are the typical defaults for acne-prone skin—but pimples can be cute, and sometimes you just want to embrace your skin exactly as it is, blemishes and all. Neutrogena SkinClearing Oil-Free Makeup is the one for those days (or daily for perpetually troubled skin, given its clarifying formula). Coverage is natural to even out the look of skin while controlling shine. More importantly, it’s oil-free and contains salicylic acid to fight breakouts: a standout factor that makes this foundation a top recommendation from Dr. Chiu.

Coverage: Natural

It’s a fan-favorite for a reason—and another both Dr. Chiu and Lamb list among their top recommendations for acne-prone skin. Don’t underestimate its coverage potential, though: this is a powerhouse that conceals uneven skin tone, acne scars, redness, and large pores with the confidence of a foundation with a capital F, thanks to its silicone-based formula. The fluid-cream texture makes building and blending a breeze, and because it’s technically a CC+ cream, derm-approved ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin E help care for skin, too.  

Coverage: Full

“This skin tint is for those who truly do not want a lot of coverage and just want to even out the skin tone,” Lamb says. “It has antibacterial ingredients which are great for acne-prone skin, and a mineral sunscreen of SPF 50 [which] tends to cause less breakouts for acne-prone skin.” Ciele Tint & Protect is great for daily wear, she notes, especially for those with dry skin and experience breakouts: the hybrid serum-foundation formula glides over bumps and blemishes with minimal effort.

Coverage: Light to medium

While this serum-foundation hybrid isn’t technically billed for acne-prone skin (the Rose Inc. brand perspective seems very much like the clear-skin, “clean-girl” aesthetic, personified), it’s actually stunning on all skin types—even if you have minor breakouts, small bumps, or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and don’t want to go the full-coverage or matte route. Set with powder in the T-zone if you’re on the combo-oily side; otherwise, this luminous finish (by way of hydrating ingredients, not shimmer) enhances your complexion beautifully. 

Coverage: Sheer to light

Illuminating foundations seem counterintuitive for troubled skin (especially if your most formative years for developing beauty habits started at a time when matte makeup was queen), but makeup innovation has made strides since. Lamb loves this for acne-prone skin because it’s “universally flattering” and sets flawlessly on most skin types. It’s exceptional at concealing spots, post-acne discoloration, and redness—all the makings of a solid base for smoothing the look of imperfections without contributing to breakouts.

Coverage: Buildable, medium

Product names can be wholly hyperbolic, but this Danessa Myricks do-it-all balm truly delivers what it purports to: yummy skin. For those with combo-to-oily skin and mild breakouts, the hero ingredient—Upsalite—is the secret to its airbrushed finish. Sweat and oil are absorbed throughout the day to keep unwanted shine in check (which can cause the foundation to break up and exacerbate the look of breakouts), giving skin a beauty-filter-IRL finish that blurs the look of pores and blemishes.

Coverage: Buildable, medium

For starters, the con below isn’t a con, especially considering that even in this day and age, some of the most popular foundations—however modern or innovative in formulation—still lack the breadth and depth required for inclusivity. When brands like Ami Colé can fill the gaps and address the needs specific to melanated skin, it’s a feat worth celebrating. As is the formula of this scribble-and-go stick: there’s nothing cakey about it. Even on textured areas it blends well, and layers just as easily to conceal blemishes, post-breakout discoloration, and other visible imperfections without losing its skin-like finish.

Coverage: Medium

“If you are looking for a foundation with buildable coverage and a luminous finish, this is it,” says Lamb—who loves it for all skin types, and more specifically, for acne-prone skin. Not only does it have incredible staying power, but it’s enriched with fermented arnica: an ingredient that can help visibly calm and soothe irritated or inflamed breakout-prone skin. Also infused are proprietary blends of super antioxidants and medicinal herbs for an extra dose of reparative care.

Coverage: Buildable, light to medium

This particular powder has been around for what seems like forever—and yet it still remains ever-relevant as a fan favorite. (bareMinerals’ signature swirl-tap-buff method is practically embedded into millennial minds.) It’s as good as we remember, thankfully, and though this loose powder foundation takes a few minutes to melt into skin the way a pressed or liquid formula would, the final effect is worth the wait. A simple, clean formula gives peace of mind and has been shown in clinical studies to promote clearer skin, too.

Coverage: Buildable, sheer-to-full

NARS Soft Matte is another one of Lamb’s favorite foundations as a makeup artist. “If you have oily skin with shine that doesn’t quit and want a velvety matte foundation with a natural finish, this is the one,” she tells us. “This foundation builds incredibly from medium to full coverage but looks like skin.” And, she adds, “It looks amazing on camera.” Minimal touch-ups are required because it stays matte for hours (up to 16 hours, NARS claims!)—perfect for long days or hot, humid climates. 

Coverage: Medium to full

Addressing dry, acne-prone skin often falls by the wayside because we tend to associate breakouts with oily skin—but those on the flipside crave coverage with a side of smoothing, barrier-soothing hydration. Matte or full-coverage liquids and powders can cling to dry patches but this sumptuous serum-like formula replenishes immediately and throughout the day. Redness and imperfections are evened out (though not completely erased; this is meant to serve as a buildable tint that lets your skin shine through). However, it’s this fully-rested, I-got-eight-hours-of-sleep glow—by way of the caffeine and vitamin C- infusion—that makes this a standout for enhancing and embracing your skin.

Coverage: Sheer to light