25 Makeup Brands With Inclusive Foundation Shade Ranges For Dark Skin
(Photo: Courtesy of Estée Lauder)
When Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017—debuting the now-cult Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in a whopping 40 shades out of the gate and later increasing the range to 50—other brands took note. Since then, there’s been a much-needed uptick in the number of foundation lines with extensive shade ranges hitting the market.
While there's a lot more work to be done to ensure that the beauty industry caters to the needs of people of colour—especially when it comes to its Black customers—there are now great options available at every price point. Here, we’ve rounded up makeup brands that offer inclusive foundation shade ranges to suit every skin tone—including one that’s just $7.
NYX Cosmetics Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation
This drugstore foundation comes in an impressive 45 shades and is ideal for all skin types, from sensitive to oily. It's a great pick for sweaty summer days, thanks to a waterproof formula that boasts a velvety matte finish and up to 24 hours of wear.
$18, nyxcosmetics.ca.
Bite Beauty Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation
Canadian brand Bite Beauty took a cue from skincare to formulate its first ever liquid foundation, packing it with antioxidant-rich maqui berry and an innovative micellar technology that mimics skin to provide a smooth, flawless finish. It's available in 32 shades, with options for cool, warm and neutral undertones.
$52, sephora.com.
Maybelline New York Fit Me Foundation
A drugstore favourite, this matte, oil-free liquid foundation is a must-try for acne-prone skin types. The buildable formula offers comfortable medium coverage in 40 shades, ranging from fair to deep.
$11, shoppersdrugmart.ca.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Rihanna shook up the makeup industry when she launched Fenty Beauty in 2017, setting a new standard for inclusivity. Nearly three years after its debut, the brand's Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation is still a crowd favourite, offering long-lasting coverage in a whopping 50 shades that suit a vast range of skin tones.
$45, sephora.com.
BareMinerals Original Foundation
Available in 30 shades, this luminous mineral powder foundation buffs away redness and evens out skin with just a swirl of your brush—and it doesn't leave a chalky residue behind.
$38, sephora.com.
Beauty Bakerie InstaBake Aqua Glass Foundation
Lightweight and dewy, this full-coverage formula by Black-owned brand Beauty Bakerie lets you achieve the coveted K-beauty glass skin look—a flawless, poreless complexion that reflects light like a shard of glass. The range is available in 30 shades that cater to a wide array of skin tones and undertones.
$45, beautybakerie.com.
CoverGirl TruBlend Matte Made Foundation
At just $13, CoverGirl's TruBlend Matte foundation—which is available in 40 shades—is a steal. It's made with oil-absorbing powders for a soft matte finish that lasts up to 12 hours.
$13, shoppersdrugmart.ca.
Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation
Having recently expended its shade range with 10 new offerings for a total of 40 shades, Armani Beauty's cult Luminous Silk foundation—a favourite of Meghan Markle—is a solid pick for fair and dark skin tones alike. It delivers buildable coverage and a lit-from-within glow.
$80, sephora.com.
Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation
Estée Lauder's bestselling foundation is a classic for a reason. Best suited for combination and oily skin types, this formula doesn't budge once applied. The range has expanded over the year and now counts 56 shades, including deep hues that won't leave an ashy cast on dark skin tones.
$52, sephora.com.
Colourpop Pretty Fresh Hyaluronic Hydrating Foundation
Infused with hyaluronic acid and coconut water, this gel-like liquid foundation—which comes in 42 shades—packs a serious hit of hydration and doesn't leave skin looking cakey.
$21, colourpop.com.
L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation
Over a decade of research went into creating a foundation that matches different skin tones and undertones so perfectly that it could be custom-made just for you. Available in 45 ultra-blendable shades, this drugstore pick has an undeniable luxury feel.
$20, shoppersdrugmart.ca.
IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare
To create its brand new 40-shade foundation range, IT Cosmetics developed a clear base instead of the typical white base that's commonly used in foundation. This allows dark pigments to shine through and prevents darker shades from turning ashy. Bonus: The formula is packed with skincare ingredients, like moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid and soothing aloe vera, as well as micro-fine pearl powder to instantly amp up your glow.
$52, itcosmetics.ca.
The Ordinary Coverage Foundation
While its 21-shade range is not as extensive as our other picks, this Ordinary foundation deserves a spot on this list due to its incredibly affordable price tag. At just $7, this lightweight, high-coverage formula gets you the most bang for your buck.
$7, deciem.com.
M.A.C Studio Fix Fluid
M.A.C’s bestselling, shine-busting foundation provides a matte finish and a flawless, buildable coverage that makes it a hit year after year. With 60 shades available—from the fairest beige to the darkest espresso—you're sure to find your match.
$36, maccosmetics.ca.
Tarte Face Tape Foundation
Tarte's bestselling Face Tape foundation contains nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and snow mushroom extract, plus a proprietary technology that helps blur the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles. It comes in 50 shades, with five undertones to choose from: beige (pink), sand (yellow), neutral, honey (peach) and golden.
$51, tartecosmetics.com.
E.l.f Cosmetics Flawless Finish Foundation
This lightweight foundation—which comes in 40 shades—gives the skin a natural finish and leaves it feeling bright and hydrated after application.
$8, elfcosmetics.com.
Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfect Foundation
Makeup artist Pat McGrath knows a thing or two about foundation, so it's not surprising that her own delivers 36 flawless shades with an array of undertones that includes peach, pink, yellow, golden, red, olive and neutral. The luxe formula contains two notable ingredients: a vita-serum complex that moisturizes and helps fight the appearance of wrinkles and diamond core powder technology that enhances skin’s texture, blurring pores.
$90, sephora.com.
Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Hydrating Foundation
This weightless, oil-free formula claims an impressive 15 hours of wear and is packed with hyaluronic acid for all-day hydration. It's available in 40 shades, ranging from very fair to very deep.
$48, sephora.com.
Milani Screen Queen Foundation
This budget-friendly option boasts 45 shades that cater to a range of undertones. It's formulated with a proprietary technology that's designed to help fight the potential effects of blue light exposure from screens, such as dullness and hyperpigmentation. While the jury's still out on whether or not screen exposure can result in skin damage, this foundation's dewy finish is enough to convince us to add it to our makeup bag.
$19, milanicosmetics.com.
Pacifica Beauty Alight Clean Foundation
Available in 30 shades, this silky formula is packed with hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin as you wear it.
$21, pacificabeauty.com.
The Lip Bar Skin Serum Foundation
The Skin Serum foundation by Black-owned business The Lip Bar is a blendable, buildable formula specifically designed to give skin a dewy skin glow. Its 26 shades were carefully curated to suit fair, medium, tan and deep complexions.
$37, thelipbar.com.
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation
Lancôme's Teint Idole Ultra Wear foundation comes in 45 shades and contains SPF 15, as well as special pigments that control skin's pH level for a flawless finish that lasts all day long.
$60, sephora.com.
Tom Ford Traceless Soft Matte Foundation
Tom Ford’s new foundation is infused with hydrating hyaluronic acid and soft-focus microsphere powders that instantly improve the look and texture of the skin. It comes in 40 medium-to-full coverage shade options.
$110, sephora.com.
Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation
This ultra-fluid foundation—available in 40 hues—can be used on the face and the body for a flawless look that's sweat-resistant and comfortable to wear.
$50, sephora.com.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation
Blurring silica powders and hyaluronic spheres keep this medium coverage foundation looking fresh, no matter what the day throws your way. It creates a second-skin effect on 50 skin tones.
$55, sephora.com.
GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!
Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.