It may be easy to perfect the complexion with makeup; the hard part is to keep it looking just as nice during the day! If you’re unhappy with how your foundation performs, maybe it’s time to change it for a longwear foundation. When you go for a product with this claim, you can keep your expectations up. They’re made to last! It’s all about recognizing the claims that are useful to spot your new longwear foundation in the wild. We’re here to let you know what to look for and present you with the best longwear foundations as well as tips to make them last even longer!
The 9 best longwear foundations
Before diving into our favorite products in the category of longwear foundation, let us share the keywords to recognize one longwear foundation when you see it. Longwearing foundations come with claims, you just have to look for clues in the bottles! The most obvious claim is when you find an impressive number like “16-hour” or “24-hour wear”, as well as the words “longwear” or “long-wearing”; instead, you may read the promise of “long-lasting”, “waterproof”, “smudge-proof”, “sweat-proof” or even “non-transferable”, “transfer-resistant” or “transfer-proof”—and when you find these claims, you found yourself a longwear foundation. Explore the best longwear foundations and find your next favorite here!
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF10
24-hour wear, no touch-ups needed
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF10
Here we have the one and only, the iconic double wear foundation by Estée Lauder. This foundation is well known precisely for its lasting power, a true long-wearing foundation regardless of the application techniques or products you use it with. Resistant to sweat and humidity, water, and transfer-proof, the foundation stays in place just as promised.
Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation 16h
16-hour of flawless coverage
Vichy Dermablend Fluid Corrective Foundation 16h
Loved by professional makeup artists and makeup gurus, this true full-coverage foundation features 30% of pigments that effortlessly conceal your skin. Suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin, this foundation provides us with up to 16 hours of beautiful skin. Hydrating and comfortable, this fluid formula offers a natural result while concealing imperfections and discoloration for as long as you need!
Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation
24-hours of sweat, transfer and waterproof coverage
Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation
Coat your skin with velvet coverage that stays put for up to 24 hours. The formula is sweat, transfer, and waterproof, combining the pigments in a lightweight texture. It’s easy to blend and works beautifully on all skin types, creating an impeccable base for your makeup looks. Infused with skincare, it cares for the skin in the long run while creating an immediate change!
essence Stay All Day 16h Long-Lasting Foundation
Long-lasting coverage that’s transfer and waterproof
essence Stay All Day 16h Long-Lasting Foundation
This foundation leaves no space for doubt, including the keywords all day, long-lasting as well as transfer, and waterproof, with the indication of 16 hours of wear. A cult product by essence, this foundation walks the talk! It leaves the skin looking the perfect amount of matte, with a pleasant texture that excludes silicone, alcohol, and oils. Here’s a good way to have lovely makeup on a budget!
L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24h 2-In-1 Powder Foundation
Powder lasting coverage for 24 hour wear
L’Oréal Paris Infallible 24h 2-In-1 Powder Foundation
Powders are known to be long-lasting, but this powder longwear foundation from L’Oréal Paris is on a whole new level. It’s matte and offers instant full coverage, in a formula that never looks cakey and applies in seconds. Perfect to apply on the go, it’s compact and travel-friendly. But its most remarkable feature is the staying power: you can count on 24 hours of fresh-matte skin that looks just as pretty as you imagine!
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation SPF30
Freshly applied foundation, all day long
Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Foundation SPF30
Here’s Shiseido doing what it does best, using innovation and technology to provide beauty enthusiasts with ingenious formulas. Featuring exclusive ActiveForce TM Technology together with Smart Correcting Powder technology and Responsive Sensory Technology, this foundation perfects skin texture while illuminating and setting everything on the skin for the day. Resistant to humidity, sweat, oil, and facial movement, the foundation looks freshly applied all day!
NYX Pro Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation
Life-proof foudation in a matte and full-coverage formula
NYX Pro Makeup Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation
Here’s beauty available in (almost) endless shades! Be your own professional makeup artist with this exciting formula that stays with you, wherever you go. Granting buildable full coverage with waterproof resistance, this formula is what you need as a base for any makeup look. It keeps the skin looking impeccable for up to 24 hours, providing shine control for a flawless complexion all day long.
Maybelline Super Stay Active Wear 30h Foundation
30 hours of transfer, sweat, and water-resistant beauty
Maybelline Super Stay Active Wear 30h Foundation
Here you have a record breaker, that promises to stay up to 30 hours on your skin. Even if you don’t plan to wear makeup for that long (we hope not, at least not on a regular basis), it’s great to know that a foundation is committed to staying with you, with no plans for an early departure. Transfer, sweat, and water-resistant, this foundation overcomes any obstacles you put in its way!
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Foundation
Natural looking coverage that lasts 24-hours
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Foundation
Here’s another foundation willing to stick with you for a whole day! This foundation provides you with a natural, naked-skin result that lasts all day. Waterproof and perspiration-resistant, this foundation won’t leave until you go in with a makeup remover. Thanks to Oxigen Technology, all these benefits come with a light texture that feels incredibly refreshing!
How can I make my foundation last (even) longer?
If you’re up to doing everything in your power to set the foundation to its best performance possible, there’s something more you can do besides choosing a longwear foundation. In order to do that, you’ll need to combine the foundation with products that boost its performance to the next level! You may have heard of them: skincare, makeup primer, setting powder, and setting spray. Let’s see, one by one, how these products can help!
Skincare
Skincare is key when looking for ways to make a foundation last longer. Makeup makes no miracles, and it would take one to make foundation last and look good without prepping the skin with suitable skincare products. A hydrating serum and moisturizer are always a good idea!
Makeup primer
A hybrid between skincare and makeup, primers are unique products created specifically to make makeup look good and last longer. You’ll find face primers to even out discoloration, hydrate, mattify, and even blur skin texture. The trick here is to find the primer that better suits your needs and apply it between skincare and foundation.
Setting powder
Well known to set everything into place, face powders are an easy way to lock foundation into place for longer. The powder instantly eliminates excess shine, mattifying the skin and keeping oils under control throughout the day. Whether you go for a compact or loose powder, a translucent or tinted one, they are a great assistance in extending foundation longevity!
Setting spray
Last but not least, we have the setting spray! This is by far the easiest and quickest step to make the foundation last longer. You just need to spritz it when the makeup is done, and it sets everything in seconds. It even comes with the bonus of being extremely refreshing!
For more longwear options, take a look at our website and see our extensive list of foundations. We’re sure that you’ll find your favorite brands!
