Our Fave Liquid Foundations Under $30
Jo is a former Adore Beauty staffer and qualified dermal therapist with over decade of experience in the beauty industry.
She co-hosted our award-winning podcast Beauty IQ Uncensored for 4 years, interviewing names like Caroline Hirons, Katie Jane Hughes and Chris Appleton to name a few.
Adore Beauty's BeautyIQ calls out three budget liquid foundations under $30 that actually perform: Designer Brands Hydrating Luminous ($19.99) for a dewy, hydrating look; L'Oreal Paris True Match for its 40-shade range; and Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless for oilier skin needing shine control. The article explains which skin types suit each, their coverage and finishes to help you decide.
Fast Facts You Need to Know
- Pick Designer Brands Hydrating Luminous ($19.99) for dewy, light to medium hydration.
- Choose L'Oreal True Match for the best shade range, available in 40 shades.
- Pick Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless for oily skin, micropowders blur pores and it lasts up to 6 hours.
If you've listened to our podcast, you'd know by now that I'm a self-proclaimed bougie b*tch. I love my expensive skincare and my $110 crystal water bottle, but I'm also a sucker for a bargain foundation.
Affordable brands are improving their formulas day by day, so the image of me orange-faced with cakey foundation on at my Year 10 formal is no longer necessarily synonymous with a $20 foundation (although if that Dream Matte Mousse still exists, I'm triggered).
In fact, when I discovered the Designer Brands Hydrating Luminous Foundation, it quickly became a staple in my foundation rotation (I made that concept up). It closely mimics the finish of my favourite luxe foundation, and the light to medium coverage is exactly what I look for in a foundation.
But how do you pick a winner on a budget? I've picked out my top recommendations below.
Designer Brands Hydrating Luminous Foundation
As I said, I bloody love this foundation, especially given it's $19.99 price tag. It's got a reasonably versatile shade range, and just creates the most beautifully dewy, radiant complexion. I'd recommend it for normal to dry skin types, it's probably too dewy for oilier skins - and it has a light to medium coverage with hydrating ingredients. Oh, and it's curelty-free and vegan-friendly.
L'Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation
40 shades! This cult classic has been around since I can remember, and now comes in an extensive variety of shades from very fair to deep skin tones. This super-blendable liquid foundation has been designed to adjust to different skin textures, hiding imperfections with its fine, creamy texture. It's also oil-free and non-comedogenic.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation
Another one with a great shade range, but this one is particularly for oilier skin types. The liquid formula features micropowders to control shine and blur the appreance of enlarged pores. It offers medium to full coverage, with a mattifying finish that'll last up to 6 hours without shine. It's also non-comedogenic and oil-free which is a bonus for blemish-prone skin types.
