Best Drugstore Foundation for Dark Skin: Affordable Makeup for Black Women

If you have dark skin, you know how challenging it can be to find a foundation that blends nicely to match your skin color.  And, finding one that is a good match at a reasonable price is an even bigger issue.  The best drugstore makeup for dark skin is out there; you just need to know where to look!  We’ve done the research for you and put together a list of some top options to help you select the best drugstore foundation for dark skin.

Best Drugstore Foundation for Dark Skin

1. L’Oreal Paris Makeup True Match Super-Blendable Liquid Foundation
2. Maybelline New York Fit Me! Pressed Powder
3. Revlon ColorStay Foundation
4. e.l.f, Flawless Finish Foundation
5. Black Opal Total Coverage Concealing Foundation Beautiful Bronze
6. Black Radiance True Complexion Creme Contour Palette
7. NYX Mineral Foundation Stick

Editor’s Pick

L’Oreal Paris Makeup True Match Super-Blendable Liquid Foundation

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Foundation Highlights

• Medium coverage foundation
• Natural, blendable finish
• Oil- and fragrance-free
• SPF 17 protection
• Multiple deep shades available

About this Foundation

Which is the best foundation for dark skin?

If you’re looking for the best drugstore foundation for black skin, you’ll definitely want to consider L’Oreal’s True Match Foundation.  With numerous deep shades available for African American skin and a medium coverage, blendable formula, this is our top pick for the best foundation for dark skin; we think you’ll love it!

L’Oreal’s True Match Foundation is our top choice for the best drugstore foundation for black skin.  This foundation comes in multiple deep tones including chocolate, espresso, coffee, hot chocolate, and deep golden.  This is a medium-coverage foundation that is very blendable to allow individuals to create a seamless look with their natural skin.  The foundation is oil- and fragrance-free and offers SPF 17 protection against the sun and harmful UV rays.

Dark Skin Foundation Reviews

Users who have tried L’Oreal’s True Match foundation are overwhelmingly impressed with the results they have seen.  They share that the foundation offers exceptional coverage, is lightweight and comfortable.  African American individuals say that they were able to find a better match for their skin tone that with other foundations they’ve tried.  While most people like this foundation, some individuals have shared that it was too drying for their skin or that they weren’t able to find the right tone to match their face.

Best Powder Foundation for Dark Skin

Maybelline New York Fit Me! Pressed Powder

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Foundation Highlights

• Powder foundation
• Able to blend with skin tone for an even look
• Natural finish
• Breathable

About this Foundation

This Fit Me! pressed powder foundation from Maybelline New York is a shade-true powder.  It is available in 12 different shades, including three that could be suitable for those looking for the best powder foundation for black skin.  The powder is designed to provide an even match with a user’s skin tone for a seamless look.  This foundation is breathable to ensure lasting comfort.

Dark Skin Foundation Reviews

Many individuals looking for the best cheap makeup for dark skin absolutely love this powder.  They have shared that it provides good coverage without being too heavy and uncomfortable to wear.  Users also have shared that this Maybelline powder foundation for dark skin is easy to blend with their skin tone for a natural finished look.  Some users, however, don’t feel like this is the best foundation for their skin.  They have shared that they can’t seem to find the right shade out of the available options.

Best Drugstore Makeup for Brown Skin

Revlon ColorStay Foundation

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Foundation Highlights

• Lightweight
• Oil-free
• 24-hour coverage
• SPF 20 protection
• Medium to buildable coverage
• Numerous shades for darker skin tones

About this Foundation

Looking for the best drugstore makeup for dark skin?  You may want to consider Revlon’s ColorStay Foundation.  This foundation comes in 24 different shades including five or six that are ideal for black skin.  The foundation is lightweight, oil-free, and suitable for use with normal and dry skin.  It offers medium to buildable coverage that can last for up to 24 hours.  Revlon’s ColorStay Foundation also offers SPF 20 protection against the sun.

Foundation Reviews

Users of this foundation love how long the coverage lasts.  They have also shared that foundation doesn’t rub off on their clothing or other items, unlike some other products they’ve tried.  Individuals are also impressed with how the foundation doesn’t irritate their skin.  Some users feel that the liquid is too watery and don’t like the way it applies to their face.

Best Cheap Foundation for Dark Skin

e.l.f, Flawless Finish Foundation

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Foundation Highlights

• Suitable for all skin types
• Oil-free and lightweight formula
• Semi-matte finish
• Blendable
• Evens skin tone and texture
• Vegan and cruelty-free

About this Foundation

This cheap foundation for dark skin from e.l.f. is an oil-free and lightweight liquid foundation that blends nicely with an individual’s skin tone to deliver an even-toned and textured finish.  The foundation offers a semi-matte finish.  There are numerous color options including over six for darker skin tones.  The Flawless Finish Foundation from e.l.f. does not contain any parabens, phthalates, nonylphenol, or other harmful chemicals.  It is also 100% vegan and certified cruelty-free.

Dark Skin Foundation Reviews

Many users would tell you that this is the best drugstore foundation for African American skin.  They have shared how impressed they are with the coverage it provides for its low price.  However, a few users have shared that they find the foundation to be too thin or don’t think the color is right for their skin.

Best Foundation for Dark Skin with Yellow Undertones

Black Opal Total Coverage Concealing Foundation Beautiful Bronze

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Foundation Highlights

• Medium- to full-coverage
• Hypoallergenic
• Works as concealer and foundation
• Infused with minerals to protect the skin

About this Foundation

Black Opal’s Total Coverage foundation is a great option for those with yellow undertones.  It has a bronze color, which is good for skin with yellow undertones because of the hint of yellow in the foundation.  This drugstore makeup for black women is a medium- to full-coverage foundation that was developed by a dermatologist.  It is hypoallergenic, doubles as a concealer, and is infused with minerals to protect the skin.

Dark Skin Foundation Reviews

African Americans who have tried this foundation are happy with the coverage the Black Opal foundation provides.  Some users shared that it worked wonders on their hyperpigmentation or concealing scars and other imperfections.  A few users feel that the foundation dries too quickly for proper application.

Best Foundation for Dark Skin with Red Undertones

Black Radiance True Complexion Creme Contour Palette

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Foundation Highlights

• 3-color pallete for highlighting, shaping, and sculpting
• Blendable shades to match skin tone
• Oil-free

About this Foundation

This contour pallete from Black Radiance is perfect for individuals with medium to dark skin tones.  The pallete includes three different colors that can be blended together to create the ideal shade.  The three color options also are perfect for highlighting or sculpting to accentuate facial features.  Each color is creamy for optimal results and is oil-free.

Dark Skin Foundation Reviews

Many users feel that this is the best drugstore makeup for black skin.  They love how well the Black Radiance palette blends and are very happy with their finished results.  Some users, however, said that they had trouble getting the colors to blend correctly for their skin.

Best Mineral Makeup for Black Skin

NYX Mineral Foundation Stick

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Foundation Highlights

• Buildable coverage
• Easily portable design
• Blendable
• Can be used on entire face or to cover up imperfections

About this Foundation

This NYX Mineral Foundation Stick is a top choice if you’re looking for the best drugstore makeup for African American skin.  It has a gorgeous caramel color to match many dark skin tones..  The foundation is easily blendable and offers buildable coverage.  It can be used on the entire face or to touch up or conceal certain areas.  Unlike many other foundations, this choice is also more easily portable and perfect for on-the-go touch ups.

Dark Skin Foundation Reviews

People who have tried the Nyx foundation love the color and the coverage it provides.  They also really like the portable design and find that it is perfect for tossing in their bag to have when they are out.  Some users were not happy with how long the coverage lasted or the foundation’s texture.

Dark Skin Foundation FAQs

How do I find the right foundation for dark skin?

There are a few steps to take to choose the right foundation for dark skin.  Start by determining your undertone.  Some individuals have an undertone with a warm hue (gold or yellow), others have an undertone with a cool hue (blue, pink, or red), and still others have an undertone with a neutral hue (olive).  To find your undertone, you can try standing in front of an all-white background and looking for which colors look most visible on your skin.  Other methods call for looking at the color of the veins on the wrist.  Green-looking veins indicate a golden or yellow undertone, while blue veins can indicate a red, pink, or blue undertone.

Next, you can try testing different foundation choices against your chest to find the right match for your face.  Darker shades from different manufacturers will look differently against your skin depending on your undertone.  Finally, when shopping for affordable makeup for black women, be sure to keep your skin type in mind and choose a foundation that won’t make your skin look too dry or oily.

Is it better for your foundation to be lighter or darker?

When choosing the best foundation for chocolate skin, many people wonder if it is better to choose a foundation that is a bit on the lighter side or the darker side when there isn’t a perfect match available.  If your skin color is between two foundation shades, there are a few things you may want to try.  They include:

• Try face powder to either darken or lighten the foundation a bit for a better match.
• Blend the foundation you choose down to your neck past your jawline to prevent clearly visible lines.
• Mixing and matching shades to create the right look for your skin.
• If you have to choose just one cheap dark foundation, opt for the lighter foundation over the darker one.  You’ll find that it is easier to make a lighter foundation a bit darker than it is to make a darker foundation lighter.

Finding the Best Foundation for Dark Skin

Finding the best drugstore foundation for black women can be quite challenging.  We hope our recommendations above for some of the best cheap makeup for black skin options have helped you find a foundation that you’d like to try!

Looking for some other related articles that can help with African American skin and hair care?  Check out these other articles on our blog:

• Best Moisturizer for African American Skin
• Oil for Low Porosity Hair
• Best Blow Dryer for Natural Hair