Brooklyn Beauty Queen Blog: Top 4 Full-Coverage Foundations for Redness, Acne, and Fine Lines

Hey Beauty Lovers!

As someone who has suffered from adult acne and redness throughout my 20s, I was always on the hunt for full-coverage foundations that will cover my skin issues without looking cakey on the skin.

Can anyone else relate? The struggle was real!

Now that I'm in my 30s, my skin has significantly improved, but I still get a lot of redness throughout the day and I now have fine lines that make it a little more challenging to choose a full-coverage foundation.

So, I decided to put together a list of my top 4 products that work really well for redness, mild acne, and don't settle in fine lines. If that sounds like something you are interested in reading, this post is for you!

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Top 4 Full-Coverage Foundations

Of all the foundations I have tried over the last 10 years, I really only have 4 full-coverage foundations that I like to recommend to friends and family.

These 4 products have been my go-to foundations for every occasion, they are versatile, perform very well, and stay put all day long when set with powder.

My first recommendation is the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Full-Coverage Foundation with SPF 50+ ($42). This is the very first full-coverage foundation that I have tried and loved. Until getting my hands on this amazing product, I was using drug store foundations. If you have ever tried drug store foundations 10 years ago, you know that they were terrible. Not only did they exacerbate acne, but they also sat horribly on the skin and the color was always too orange. The IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream was a game-changer for me.

Not only is this a full-coverage foundation, but it is also skincare! What more can you ask for?

In the last decade, I have gone through at least 5 tubes of this foundation. I also have gotten my mother, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law hooked on this one. After trying it once, they fell in love with how effortlessly it applied and covered every skin issue.

The way I like to use this foundation is by mixing one pump of product with one drop of argan oil (I recommend this one). I then apply the mixture to my skin with a brush and blend everything out with a damp sponge (this one is my favorite). Finally, I set it with a little setting powder and the foundation looks amazing all day long.

If you have heavier wrinkles, this is the foundation that I recommend. It will cover redness, blemishes, and discoloration, but it won't settle into lines once set. It is literally the perfect foundation for mature skin.

My next recommendation is the YENSA Beauty Skin On Skin BC Foundation ($42). This is actually very similar to the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream, but I like the skincare ingredients a little more. If you suffer from acne or rosacea, I actually recommend this one over the IT Cosmetics foundation. The ingredients in the YENSA BC Foundation will help minimize the appearance of pores, brighten the skin, even out the skin tone, act as a moisturizer, and nourish the skin.

The only reason I still recommend the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream after finding the YENSA BC Foundation is that the IT Cosmetics one covers redness a little better and feels a little more hydrating.

Again, I like to apply this BC Foundation the same way as the CC+ Cream, mixed with oil and set with powder. You really only need one pump with this method, adding too much product will turn you into a cakey mess!

The next foundation that I recommend is the Bobbi Brown Intensive Serum Foundation ($72). Before you freak out about the price tag, please know that this bottle will last you a year if used correctly. This is a highly pigmented foundation with amazing skin benefits. Although there is the word serum in the name, this foundation DOES NOT feel like a serum. It is thick, heavy, and will cake if used alone.

So why am I even recommending this foundation?

When mixed with the Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base, this foundation is absolute perfection! My skin literally looks like I am using an Instagram filter and I use this foundation whenever I am going to be photographed.

If you need something that will literally smooth out your skin and your complexion will look flawless.

You can try mixing this foundation with other moisturizers, but I haven't found a combination that worked better than the Vitamin Enriched Face Base. If you do find another product that works well, let me know so I can try it out too!

The final foundation that I recommend is the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation ($49). This is a beautiful foundation that I have been repurchasing for the last 6 years. It is actually a medium to full coverage foundation, so it has to be built up. There are no skincare benefits for this foundation, but it does provide a silky finish that looks stunning on the skin. I love that it is very long-wearing, I can wear it for 12+ hours before it starts to break up, and it never breaks me out.

I like to apply this foundation with a damp sponge. I start with one pump and build it up with a second pump, letting it dry down for a few minutes between layers. A setting powder is a must for this foundation, even though it is a long-wear formula.

I also find that I have to prime my skin really well with a hydrating primer when I plan to wear this one all day. I like to use the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer with this foundation, it makes it apply flawlessly on drier and mature skin types.

Check out the swatches below:

Don't mind the color differences between foundations. I use them at different times of the year, so the YENSA BC Foundation is a lot lighter than the others.