5 Melanin-Friendly Foundations for Deep Dark Skin Tones

If you’re looking for coverage that works for darker skin, check out these 5 foundations for deep skin tones

If you’ve been on TikTok lately, chances are you’ve seen some… less than favorable reviews of Youthforia’s Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation. Yikes! Although brands are still fumbling product shades for dark skinned girls, luckily, the days of not having options are in the past. Here are some products I’m happy to share as viable choices for Black women of all skin tones! 

For this lineup, I’m focusing on liquid formulas with medium and buildable coverage, because that’s what’s most consistently in my daily rotation. If you’re looking for something a little more sheer, I’m impressed by this Kosas BB Burst Tinted Gel Cream formula that is both skin friendly and also available in an accommodating shade range. A lot of these picks have powder proxies as well, if you’re more of a powder girly or like to double up on coverage. For girls who like extra setting power, my go-to finishing touch is Laura Mercier’s Ultra-Blur Translucent Loose Setting Powder.

Fenty Beauty

Pro Filt'r Matte Foundation

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation

we may never get another album, but rihanna gave us this foundation – and like her previous work, it’ll keep us fed for years to come. this community-favorite formula is long lasting and provides buildable and full matte coverage. you can check out its more luminous counterpart HERE and its powder companion HERE.

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Makeup By Mario

SurrealSkin™ Liquid Foundation

Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation

one of my daily go-tos, this formula offers buildable coverage with a flawless, natural finish that always looks like my skin, earning a permanent place in my product rotation. this foundation range emphasizes variations in undertones which is super helpful for girls who typically have to mix two shades to get their desired color… chef’s kiss!

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Maybelline

Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation

40 shades with extended range of undertones, medium to full coverage… under $15? you got it. every lineup deserves a worthy drugstore pick, and this is it. hundreds of thousands of reviews make this maybelline foundation exactly that. equally as loved are the dewy version of this product and its powder formula. 

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Bobbi Brown

Weightless Skin Foundation

Bobbi Brown Weightless Skin Foundation

a weightless, long wearing, non-comedogenic formula that offers SPF 15 and hours of oil control. this new formula comes in 42 shades, blurs pores and and is sweat-resistant, making it a great choice for hot and humid summer days in the city.

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Armani Beauty

Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Foundation

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation

a cult favorite, staple formula that you always hear mentioned when talking about makeup. this foundation has remained a best seller for years – probably because we know it’s a celeb MUA favorite. medium coverage that gives you a non-oily, lit from within glow.

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Check out my lineup of highly pigmented and melanin-friendly blushes here.