2026年のベストファンデーション4選 | Wirecutterのレビュー

The 4 Best Foundations of 2026 | Reviews by Wirecutter Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more › Best medium-to-full-coverage liquid: Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation Best sheer, buildable liquid: Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation Best creamy stick: Essence Foundation Stick Best powder: MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation What is foundation? Shade matching How we picked and tested Why you should trust us The competition Sources When Pan-Cake foundation (its actual name!) launched in 1935, there were just five shades — not nearly enough. Ninety years and thousands upon thousands of shades, brands, and options later, it can still feel impossible to find a perfect color and formula match. I know this entirely too well: I’ve spent the past two decades on a quest to find my own holy-grail foundation, and for the past four months, that quest dovetailed beautifully with writing this guide. With the help of makeup artists, a cosmetic chemist, and a dermatologist, I sorted through 91 foundations. Then my colleagues and I rigorously tested 34 of them and arrived at four standouts in a variety of formulations: a luxe, medium-coverage foundation , a silky-sheer liquid , a drugstore sleeper hit in stick form, and a powder classic . Best medium-to-full-coverage liquid: Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter Top pick Best medium-to-full-coverage liquid Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation This luscious fluid foundation offers great all-day coverage without feeling like a mask. Application can be a little messy, though. $53 from Amazon $53 from Nordstrom $53 from Ulta For decades, Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation had icon status — as well as a deep fanbase among several Wirecutter staffers. And even though it was reformulated in 2023, our testers still raved about the refined liquid and its luxurious finish. Throughout our testing, folks put Teint Idole through its paces during long workdays, on humid evenings out, and in chilly, rainy weather. And they discovered that this foundation was the most buildable, offered the best coverage, and provided a lovely finish that lasted for more than eight hours. Even though Teint Idole was among the most expensive contenders, it converted at least one tester: “It’s worth the cost,” she said. Left: Model 1 with a bare face. Right: Model 1 wearing Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation in 550W. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 2 with a bare face. Right: Model 2 wearing Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation in 305N. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 3 with a bare face. Right: Model 3 wearing Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation in 97N. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 1 with a bare face. Right: Model 1 wearing Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Long Wear Matte Foundation in 550W. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Granted, at first pump, this liquidy foundation may not seem bodacious enough, but testers were delighted when it provided legit medium-to-full coverage while still feeling featherlight. “The initial coverage is sufficient but still looks like skin — not like a layer of paint,” one tester remarked. Another liked that it hid her blemishes and that she could build layers without it becoming heavy. Testers noted that the Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation delivered comparable coverage to the Teint Idole. But they found the Double Wear’s open top sloppy, and they said it was outrageous that the pump is sold separately (for $13 at the time of writing). Lancôme won praise for including its pump with the foundation. Flaws but not dealbreakers Application takes practice. Testers noted that due to Teint Idole’s thin consistency, it was initially a little messy to apply, but they got the hang of it after a few uses. This foundation tends to work best on normal to dry skin types. It shows up more glowy than mattifying on oily skin, so you may have to use a setting powder to look less shiny. Key specs: Coverage: medium, buildable to full Shades: 55 Best sheer, buildable liquid: Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter Top pick Best sheer, buildable liquid Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation This lightweight foundation has a silky slip that leaves skin feeling hydrated but fully covered. Those with oily skin may need to set it with powder. $45 from Sephora $45 from Dior At first blush, Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation very much resembles a skin tint , as opposed to a true foundation. But don’t let the runniness turn you off: Our testers were amazed at how the sheer, silky formula provided light-yet-oomphy coverage on dry skin, mature skin, and combination skin. (Folks with oily skin also liked it, though several said they had to brush on setting powders and sprays to avoid looking too radiant.) In fact, a few testers likened the Backstage foundation to a moisturizer, but with the significant bonus of an excellent color payoff. The comparison makes sense, considering the sheer formula’s inclusion of hydrators, such as squalane and glycerin. One tester said applying this foundation “felt casual,” akin to putting on a face lotion, rather than like a big makeup moment. Even so, the color lasted all day, and testers unanimously noted that Backstage was the best of the bunch in the light-coverage category. Left: Model 1 with a bare face. Right: Model 1 wearing Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation in 7.5N. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 2 with a bare face. Right: Model 2 wearing Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation in 1.5W. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 3 with a bare face. Right: Model 3 wearing Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation in 0W. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 1 with a bare face. Right: Model 1 wearing Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation in 7.5N. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter The dropper-tipped bottle also earned a fan base, because testers were able to squeeze just the right amount onto fingers or brushes. By contrast, folks found the Tirtir Mask Fit Red Foundation Cushion sponge a tad confusing (and messy), and the MAC Studio Radiance failed to blend well for several testers. Flaws but not dealbreakers Initial shade-matching can be tricky. The watery formula goes on your skin looking a bit darker and slightly mask-like, but it lightens as it dries. Key specs: Coverage: sheer, buildable to medium Shades: 43 Best creamy stick: Essence Foundation Stick Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter Top pick Best creamy stick Essence Foundation Stick This affordable, creamy foundation is easy to apply, and it blends into skin effortlessly. Alas, the tube’s twisting mechanism can be finicky. $7 from Ulta The Essence Foundation Stick surprised us during testing: Many of us remembered using the drugstore bargain brand in high school, and we didn’t fully expect its Foundation Stick to provide such an elegant overall experience. And yet, there it was, offering even coverage, blending without hassle, and feeling wonderful on our skin. In fact, this under-$10 stick outperformed contenders that cost more than five times as much. Testers repeatedly applauded how this creamy stick (which includes the humectant hyaluronic acid) glided over skin without dragging. And they gushed over the way it seemed to melt into skin, producing a satiny finish: “It didn’t leave me looking like a grease ball,” one said. “It just made my skin radiant in all the right places.” The Dior Forever Skin Perfect was a close second for testers who tried cream-formula foundations. But the Essence Foundation Stick offered a more pleasant texture, and it costs about $50 less. Left: Model 1 with a bare face. Right: Model 1 wearing Essence Foundation Stick in 260. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 2 with a bare face. Right: Model 2 wearing Essence Foundation Stick in 160. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 3 with a bare face. Right: Model 3 wearing Essence Foundation Stick in 110. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter Left: Model 1 with a bare face. Right: Model 1 wearing Essence Foundation Stick in 260. Marki Williams/NYT Wirecutter While the shade options tend to skew a tad warm, folks were still able to find nearly perfect matches. A tester whose skin has a neutral undertone commented, “I was hesitant to try these shades because they looked rather warm, but the one closest to my skin tone blended into my face and neck seamlessly.” Flaws but not dealbreakers If you twist up the stick too quickly, there’s a risk the entire foundation bullet could fall out. It takes multiple swipes to achieve medium coverage, and this formulation will never fully hide imperfections. Key specs: Coverage: light, buildable to medium Shades: 43 Best powder: MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter Top pick Best powder foundation MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation This MAC mainstay is smooth and oil-absorbing, with buildable coverage, and it comes in a convenient compact. The powdery finish isn’t the best for mature or dry skin, though. $39 from Nordstrom $39 from Ulta When MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation came up in our initial reporting, it had us in our feelings: At some point, it seems, we had all tried this foundation, and we remembered it fondly, like a sweet, long-ago ex. Then we learned that MAC reformulated the powder in April 2025, making it talc-free and with a more-modern blur-matte finish. Obviously, we were interested in a reunion! Admittedly, powder foundation may strike some as an outdated delivery system. This category has (justifiably) gotten a bad rap for going on patchy, feeling dry, and looking thick. That made the Studio Fix Powder’s performance even more impressive: Our testers liked how smoothly it