Foundation is the secret to flawless-looking skin and when it comes to finding the perfect shade for your skin tone, “good enough” simply won’t do. With its telltale tint and demarcation between the neck and face, unmatched foundation is not a good look.
It’s no surprise that Rihanna’s newly launched Fenty Beauty range is flying off shelves — and it’s not just because people want to “shine bright like a diamond” with a RiRi-like glow. The line has been a hit because of its inclusive 40-shade foundation range. While Rihanna deserves praise for catering to all skin tones, Fenty Beauty isn’t the first brand to offer an extensive foundation selection. More and more makeup brands are realizing that people don’t come in just eight shades. That’s why they’re offering as many shades as possible to help us achieve that seamless, my-skin-but-better look.
Click through the gallery above to see the best foundation brands boasting an impressive range of shades to match all skin tones.
[ Next: Tried Everything? These 8 Foundations Will Save Your Oily Skin ]
10 Brands With Inclusive Foundation Ranges For Your Perfect Match
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Fenty Beauty
For those who missed the memo and all of the viral reviews, Rihanna's Fenty Beauty launched with the Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation ($34) available in 40 colors. The shade selection has been praised for catering to the fairest skin to the darkest. Rihanna herself explained, "Foundation is one of those areas in the beauty industry that has a big void for women at extreme ends of the shade spectrum. There’s this middle ground that's covered really, really well. But then if you're very pale or if you're very dark, there aren’t a lot of options. And so, I wanted to make sure that women of all skin tones were covered."
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Bobbi Brown
After makeup artist and founder Bobbi Brown found it difficult to find makeup for women of color, the brand committed to producing products for all skin tones. The Skin Foundation SPF 15 ($50) is available in 30 different shades, while the Skin Foundation Stick ($46) is available in 31 shades. Both products have numbers associated with the foundation colors with 00 being the lightest and 10.25 being the darkest shades currently on offer.
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Maybelline
Maybelline is one drugstore brand that offers an extensive foundation range at great prices. The brand's Fit Me line focuses on matching skin texture as well as color. In other words, the products cater to skin that's oily, dry, normal or combination. The Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation ($7.99) has the most extensive color range with 32 different shades for those with normal to oily skin. Those with normal to dry skin can try the Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation ($7.99), which comes in 16 shades.
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MAC Cosmetics
MAC Cosmetics is known for its broad range of rainbow colors for eys and lips, but the brand's foundation range is pretty impressive, too. The Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 ($29) is available in 42 shades, while the Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation ($29) is available in an impressive 53 shades. Both of the products deliver full coverage and offer a matte finish. Plus, they help manage excess grease. The foundations are broken down into Warm (W), Neutral Warm (NW), Neutral (N), Neutral Cool (NC) and Cool (C) to make it easier to find a flattering match.
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L'Oréal Paris
L'Oréal Paris is another drugstore brand that delivers with its foundation offering. The True Match range has foundation, concealer, powder and blush. The products blend to match skin tone and undertone. Check out the True Match Super Blendable Makeup ($9.99), which is available in 24 colors. Helpfully, the shades are labeled by undertones (W, C, N) to make it easier to find a seamless match.
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Cover FX
Cover FX focuses on products for a flawless complexion and describes its range as being available "in a global shade palette that covers every skin tone and skin type." The Total Cover Cream Foundation ($42), Pressed Mineral Foundation ($36) and Natural Finish Foundation ($40) are each available in 40 shades. Additionally, the products have been designed for all skin types, including those with very sensitive skin. And the products have all been developed without the "inflammatory five." That's fragrance, mineral oil, parabens, gluten and talc.
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Clinique
Clinique has a lot of different foundations, from powders to liquids to cushion compacts. The beauty brand also has a stellar color selection. The products with the most shades include the Even Better Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($28) with 30 shades, the Even Better Glow Light Reflecting Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($28) with 30 shades and the Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer ($28) with 27 shades.
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Sephora Collection
Sephora stocks a lot of brands with excellent foundation ranges, but its own Sephora Collection has ample shades that make it easy to get a convincing match. The 10 HR Wear Perfection Foundation ($20) and the Matte Perfection Powder Foundation ($20) come in the highest number of colors with 37 and 35, respectively. The liquid foundation shades are designated Yellow (Y), Neutral (N) and Pink (P) for a flattering finish.
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Lancôme
Lancôme has 10 foundations with 185 shades in total. That equals a lot of natural-looking options for everyone. With 40 different shades, the Teint Idole Ultra 24H Long Wear Foundation ($47) has the most colors. Also worth noting is the Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick ($42), which is available in 27 shades. Those looking for a proper custom match, can get a made-to-measure Le Teint Particulier Foundation ($80) at Nordstrom. A Lancôme Color Expert scans skin to "measure" a person's exact shade. Then the color is mixed from 72,000 possibilities.
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Estée Lauder
There are plenty of foundation color options from Estée Lauder. Choose from 38 shades in the Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup ($42) and 25 in the Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup ($42). Concerned about the foundation changing color? Don't be. Estée Lauder promises the colors won't change, so the one you see in the morning should be the same one you see at the end of the day.
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BareMinerals
The bareMinerals Made-2-Fit Foundation iPhone app guides you through a scanning process to precisely analyze your skin tone. It then custom-blends a bespoke foundation and ships it to you — complete with your name on the bottle. The hydrating, weightless $49 formula is packed with good-for-skin ingredients like peptides, ceramides and green tea extract and comes with a 100 percent shade-match guarantee with free returns within 30 days of delivery. You can reorder the same shade or do a new scan as the seasons (and your skin tone) change for no extra charge.
