Shopping for a foundation when you have sensitive, acne-prone skin is never easy. I've been a beauty editor for years now and have come up with somewhat of a checklist of things a foundation has to have in order for me to try it. For starters, it has to be noncomedogenic but, at the same time, must be hydrating enough for longer periods of wear and provide the right amount of coverage. It seems easy enough, but you'd be surprised how many formulas actually fall short. It's rare I find one amazing enough to usurp my current favorite, but I've definitely found a contender.
If you're a fan of Lawless and its Forget the Filler collection already, you'll be just as jazzed as me to learn that the collection now includes a foundation. Like I said, it's hard for me to find picks in this department I truly love that don't break me out. I can count on one hand the number of formulas that work super well without triggering my skin, but Lawless has managed to achieve the (near) impossible. The newness is safe for acne-prone skin, provides an amazing amount of coverage, and doesn't feel cakey or dry after a few hours. It's a Christmas miracle! If you have similar skin and have been searching for the perfect foundation, you're going to want to keep reading. I'm sharing all my thoughts on the new Lawless Forget the Filler Foundation ($43) below.
If you're not super familiar with Lawless's Maxi-Youth technology, let me explain. It's the main reason the collection is called Forget the Filler. This unique technology is a skin-smoothing complex that's created from a fermentation of biomimetic hyaluronic acid. This effectively plumps and smoothes any fine lines or wrinkles in a flash. The brand's Forget the Filler Moisturizer ($52) also contains it and both make your skin feel smooth as a baby's.
Lawless likes to think of its products as high-performance skincare as much as it is high-performance makeup. CEO Rachel Shelowitz says this was an important part of the formulation process. "From a skincare point of view, our foundation has as much skincare as some of the most concentrated serums on the market—and we have the receipts to prove it," she shares. "Clinical, instrumental testing showed that 100% of test subjects showed increased skin firmness and hydration after eight weeks of using the product. This foundation is vegan, fragrance-free, dermatologist tested, non-irritating, non-acnegenic, and noncomedogenic. And the cherry on top? It’s clean!"
I like to apply this foundation using founder Annie Lawless's technique. She starts by applying it with a brush and then smoothes it over with a sponge to give the skin a filtered appearance. According to Shelowitz and Lawless, applying the foundation with a brush first helps prevent the sponge from soaking up all the product on the initial lay-down. Then, it pats it into place to create the perfect base. I love using this technique. It's so simple, yet I never thought of doing it. It really does help smooth out any areas on my face that tend to crease due to dehydration.
You can see what my skin looked like before applying this in the photo above. My main concerns when shopping for a foundation are acne and hyperpigmentation. Honestly, it's really hard to find a formula that disguises that stuff well, but I am so impressed by this one.
I was so excited to try this because it has so many five-star reviews on Sephora, and now I can tell that's for a good reason. This foundation goes on so smoothly, blends seamlessly, and feels completely weightless. The coverage is also completely unmatched. You can see how well it covered my blemishes and dark spots without having to use a ton of product. I also experienced no breakouts after wearing for over seven hours. A lot of formulas make my skin feel tight or dry after awhile, but not this one. It's truly a new favorite formula, and I know I'm going to be reaching for it often. It's great for both everyday wear and when you want a full beat for an event or going out. My favorite part, though, is that it doesn't crease on me. After a while, my foundation sometimes gets patchy, dry, or starts to crease in all the areas I don't want it to—this one never does for me. That's definitely due to its Maxi-Youth technology, giving you a boost of hyaluronic acid to keep your skin hydrated for longer periods of time.
It's also full-coverage, which I appreciate. I like that you don't have to use a ton of product to get the amount of coverage that you need for blemishes. It's tricky having acne-prone skin because I don't love lighter-coverage formulas—they don't do much in terms of coverage for dark spots and blemishes, but using a heavier foundation can sometimes clog pores. That's why it's so nice that this formula is noncomedogenic and full-coverage—it's the best of both worlds. I only used one and a half pumps of this, and that was enough for my whole face. It glided on like butter and just sat so nicely on my skin. I'm super happy with this one and can't say enough good things. I know $43 is a lot to drop on a foundation, but I will say that it's worth the buy—especially if you struggle with acne and hyperpigmentation. As far as higher-end options go, this is one of the best I've tried.
Below are a few more of my favorite foundations for acne-prone skin.
More Foundations I Love for Acne-Prone Skin
This foundation is my other favorite clean formula for acne-prone skin. It's really light on the skin, hydrating, and gives you such a nice glow.
Honestly, I didn't expect to love this formula as much as I did. It's really buttery and provides a nice amount of coverage without clogging my pores. At some point, my skin was so sensitized I couldn't wear much makeup without breaking out. This was one of the only foundations I could use that was gentle and hydrating enough without setting my skin off.
This semi-matte, medium-coverage formula is such a triumph for Gaga and her team. I remember being blown away the first time I tried it because it was (and still is!) one of the best foundations I've ever tried—especially for acne-prone skin. It leaves a gorgeous finish, applies beautifully, and doesn't contain any pore-clogging ingredients. My only issue is the shades. I could never quite find the right one for me, which usually doesn't happen.
This foundation is the GOAT for acne-prone folks. Makeup artists always recommend it for oiler and acne-prone skin types because it's free of pore-clogging ingredients but has such a satiny finish perfect for longer wear.
Maybelline's Fit Me Matte is a drugstore hero I've been using since high school. If you don't have a lot of money to spend on pricier formulas like the ones above, this one works great and is totally oil-free.
This is another drugstore foundation that makeup artists absolutely love because it has a skin-like finish for natural coverage and has a fantastic shade range. It's also oil-free and totally noncomedogenic.
This foundation is definitely pricey, but I'm a fan. It's one of the most breathable foundations I've tried—you can barely tell you're wearing it. The shade range isn't amazing, but if you can find one that works for you, it's a great hydrating, lightweight option that doesn't cause new breakouts.
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