10 Best Cosmetologist Approved Foundations For Cool Undertones – 2024
Grab these amazing foundations with ultra-nourishing formulas specifically meant for cool undertones.
Georgia Smith is a cosmetologist-turned-cosmetic chemist and has been in the industry for over 13 years as a beauty therapist. She is the founder of Skin Sister and owns a hugely successful, skin focused beauty salon in Sydney, Australia. Georgia is also a qualified Cosmetic Chemist, and she learned about the chemistry behind the skin and the complex science behind skin care ingredients to transform her clients’ skin and fix their skin concerns.
Read full bio of Georgia Smith
Experience: 2 yearsSrijita De is a makeup and fashion enthusiast with a passion for empowering readers through practical tips and tricks to present their best selves with confidence. Armed with a postgraduate degree in English and Literature from the University of Calcutta, she has honed her writing skills and developed an in-depth understanding of the beauty and fashion world.
Read full bio of Srijita De
Experience: 3 yearsSrijani is an associate commerce editor with a master's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal. She is certified in makeup techniques and is also a certified style and image consultant.
Read full bio of Srijani Roy Chowdhury
Image: Shutterstock
Finding the undertone of your skin is fundamental to making the right choice in makeup products, especially if you are considering investing in a foundation. For instance, if you have purple, red, or somewhat blue undertones, you should look for the best foundation for cool undertones. But how do you know if you have warm undertones or cool undertones? It’s actually quite simple; take a look at the veins running on your inner wrists under the morning sunlight. If your veins look purplish or blue, your skin’s undertone is blue. And if they look green, you have a warm undertone.
Note that undertones and skin tones are different. Undertones are tints under your skin that don’t change seasonally, unlike skin tones which might look tanned in summertime or turn pale in winter. Two individuals with a similar complexion can have totally different undertones. So to get the picture perfect makeup for an enhanced beauty, know your undertone. If it is a cool shade, check out this list of the top 10 foundations for cool undertones right now.
In This Article
10 Best-Selling Foundations For Cool Undertones To Try In 2024
1.Best Medium Coverage:L’Oreal Paris True Match Super Blendable Makeup – C9 Deep Cool
This cool skin tone makeup foundation offers supreme blendability that benefits your skin’s coverage needs. If you like your makeup session to be quick and easy, this lightweight foundation will have you ready in minutes! With true-to-skin color payoff and formulated with shade-matching technology, the foundation will match your skin tone as well as your skin’s undertone. Ultra-hydrating and nourishing, the formula also provides skin-caring benefits as it is infused with skin-loving ingredients such as vitamin E and pro-vitamin B5 to maintain a radiant and healthy glow. Several reviewers attest that this medium-coverage foundation leaves a second-skin-like natural finish, making it great for dark skin tone individuals with cool undertones in the summer. You can wear this shade of foundation with deep-colored makeup palettes that have hues of emerald green, black, and brown.
Pros
- Oil-free
- Non-cakey
- Fragrance-free
- Non-comedogenic
- Medium coverage
- Skin-matching formula
- Ideal for oily skin
- Available in 45 true-to-you shades
- Contains titanium dioxide for UV protection
Cons
- Some may find it slightly runny
"This foundation is a good match for my skin tone. It blends easily and feels lightweight on my skin. Moreover, it is easy to wash off and does not feel tacky after hours of wear. I like how it controls oil in my skin."
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
The extensive 18,705 rave reviews on Amazon prove why we are vouching for this product.
2.Best Cruelty-Free Formula:Nyx Professional Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Foundation – 01.5 Fair
Waterproof and summer-friendly, this liquid makeup will keep the sweat, rain, and tears at bay! No doubt it is preferred by many celebrity makeup artists. A full-coverage foundation for cool undertones, the formula is ultra-pigmented and lightweight, which means it will conceal all your imperfections without leaving a cakey or heavy feeling. This cruelty-free foundation has a feather-soft texture that blends effortlessly to provide stunning matte coverage that can stay intact for up to 24 hours! Reviews on online forums vouch for its sheer matte coverage that won’t crease or streak and will stay flawless all day. Suitable for normal, sensitive, oily, and combination skin types, you can also revel in its shine-controlling and all-day mattifying benefits. Also, this drugstore product is arguably the best foundation for fair skin tones with cool undertones. Not to mention, the product is available in a wide range of shades. This shade is Ideal for light skin and pale skin tones and a must-have product for all the beauty enthusiasts out there.
Pros
- Vegan
- Creamy
- Sheer finish
- Non-comedogenic
- Non-transfer formula
- Comfortable wear
- Available in 45 flattering shades
Cons
- May not come off easily with a regular makeup remover
Pro TipWhy We Think It's Worth Buying
The product has more than 12,667 reviews and is a top choice all around the world.
3.Best Pore Minimizing Formula:IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare – Light Cool
The IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare offers medium coverage and helps reduce visible pores and skin imperfections while nourishing your skin. This lightweight, cool-toned formula of this buildable foundation contains aloe vera, hyaluronic acid, and vitamins E and B5, which help you achieve a flawless base. This foundation contains Hepes acid, which gently exfoliates the skin to reduce bumpiness visibly. The product is best recommended for rosy tone and pale skin tone.
Pros
- Medium coverage
- Lightweight
- Buildable formula
- Suitable for all skin types
- Clinically tested
- Available in wide range of shades
Cons
- May feel grainy
"I like this foundation's lightweight feel. It spreads smoothly and glides without giving me a cakey appearance. I like how it caters to my aging skin and covers blemishes. It gives me a perfect color match and a radiant complexion."
| Loreal Paris True Match Super Blendable Makeup – C9 Deep Cool Best Medium Coverage | Nyx Professional Can't Stop Won't Stop Foundation - 01.5 Fair Best Cruelty-Free Formula | IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare – Light Cool Best Pore Minimizing Formula | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skin Type | AllColor | AllColor | - |
| Dimensions | 3.25 x 1.15 x 1.15 inches | 1.21 x 1.21 x 4.6 inches | 1.38 x 1.42 x 5.39 inches |
| Weight | 2.4 Ounces | 3.84 Ounces | 2.05 Ounces. |
| Rating | |||
| Reviews | 18,705 | 12,667 | - |
| Price | $6.99 | $14.99 | $36.5 |
4.Best Lightweight Formula:BareMinerals BarePro Performance Wear Liquid Foundation – Cool Beige 10
The BarePro Performance Wear Liquid Foundation from BareMinerals will comfort your skin with its 24-hour long-wear and stunning full coverage. This makeup essential is formulated with mineral lock technology, the breathable and creamy texture contains lipids and mineral pigments to lock in color and prevent smudging or streaking. And its finish — flawless, soft-focus, and natural-looking matte, due to the infused bamboo stem extract. The dermatologist-tested, water-resistant foundation also has broad-spectrum SPF 20 to provide sun protection. A healthy formula for your skin, the foundation conceals imperfections, blurs pores, and improves skin with papaya enzymes. The weightless foundation can also work as a base product if you wish to do layering and create extravagant looks. This award-winning fragrance-free foundation is free from harmful chemicals such as gluten, talc, paraben, SLS, and tree nuts. It is also not tested on animals, making it an ideal cruelty-free option. The product works best for cool and neutral undertones.
Pros
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- Lightweight
- Fragrance-free
- Non-comedogenic
- Heat and humidity-resistant
- Available in 35 true-to-skin shades
Cons
- May not be suitable for mature skin
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
With over 7,045 Amazon acclaimed reviews, this product is sure to find a place in everyone’s shopping bag.
5.Best Long-Lasting Formula:EVXO Peek-A-Boo Organic Liquid Mineral Foundation – Pearl/Light With Cool Undertones
Certified organic, EVXO’s Peek-A-Boo is no less than a beauty balm. With intensely nourishing ingredients, watch it improve your natural skin tone while leaving a dewy, radiant, and long-lasting finish. Several reviewers recommend this mineral fusion liquid foundation as a must-try for those with lackluster skin. This ultra-nourishing cool skin tone foundation contains extracts of chamomile flower, thyme, oregano leaf, and vitamin E to fight acne, aging signs, free radicals, and soothe and reduce inflammation. The blend of this dewy foundation also contains aloe leaf juice and shea butter for moisturizing and skin-soothing benefits. It helps moisturize intensely and protect the skin’s moisture barrier. Moreover, the infused rosemary, lavender, goldenseal root, and extracts of olive leaf in this foundation with cool tones will comfort and calm rash-prone, acne-prone, and oily skin. It helps reduce breakouts, calm the skin, and reduce acne. The foundation is ideal for daily wear and perfectly complements your soft looks paired with light-colored makeup palettes. Ethically-conscious makeup lovers also opt for this product, as it is free of animal testing.
Pros
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Buildable
- Non-greasy
- Second-skin-like finish
- Light to medium coverage
- Ideal for pale skin tone
- Suitable for normal to dry skin
Cons
- Slightly expensive
Why We Think It's Worth Buying
This product has made it to our top favorite list with more than 688 rave reviews on Amazon.
6.Best For Sensitive Skin:Mirabella Skin Tint Creme Foundation – Cool Undertone
The oil-free Mirabella Skin Tint Creme Foundation minimizes the appearance of skin textures and imparts a dewy glow and a luminous finish. The gel formula hydrates and sits on your skin without feeling cakey. This cool-toned foundation delivers medium coverage with a satin finish that smoothly glides on your skin and requires minimal drying time. Reviews on online forums attest that the long-lasting mineral base keeps your glowy appearance intact all day long without fading or creasing. The product can cater to individuals with cool and neutral tones.
Pros
- Paraben-free
- Gluten-free
- Cruelty-free
- Oil-free
- Lightweight
- Quick drying
- Suitable for sensitive skin
Cons
- Thin consistency
"This Mirabella skin tint gives me great coverage. It is neither too light nor too heavy. It covers redness and blemishes while offering a dewy glow to my skin. I use it sparingly as a little goes a long way."
Pro Tip7.Best Travel-Friendly Foundation:Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup Foundation – 3C2 Pebble
Don’t mind splurging on a foundation? Estee Lauder packs an out-and-out luxe experience! This most adored beauty product by makeup artists is dermatologist-tested and non-acnegenic. The long-wear foundation has SPF 10, and controls shine all day, so you can go about confidently without worrying about touch-ups. True-to-color, waterproof, and resistant to sweat and humidity, the liquid will not crease, streak, turn cakey, or settle in pores and aging lines. This transfer-resistant foundation for cooler undertone skin delivers medium-to-full coverage and is buildable for a flawless and high-performance finish. And as for the formula, it’s safe and free of harsh chemicals such as alcohol, phthalates, gluten, parabens, mineral oils, and animal-derived ingredients.
Pros
- Oil-free formula
- Dermatologist-tested
- Fragrance-free
- 24-hour long-wear
- Transfer-resistant
- Natural matte finish
- Available in over 55 flattering shades
Cons
- Slightly expensive
8.Best Hydrating Formula:No7 Lift & Luminate Triple Action Serum Foundation – Cool Vanilla
Age is just a number, and this foundation with serum-like benefits will prove it to you. The product will seamlessly become a part of your makeup routine. With anti-aging and skin-firming ingredients, the foundation works like nirvana to leave a youthful glow and helps boost your skin’s radiance. You can smile and express confidently as its flexible formula will not crease or settle into fine lines, wrinkles, and pores. In fact, this age-defying formula has light-reflecting and optical blurring particles to conceal the blemishes, aging lines, dark spots and leaves a younger-looking radiance. It doesn’t stop there, the broad-spectrum SPF 15 protects your skin from harmful sun rays, and it contains antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-aging ingredients such as white mulberry, rose mellow, and ginseng root too. This perfect foundation with a cool-toned shade is ideal for dry and mature skin types.
Pros
- Plumps skin
- All-day hydration
- Buildable coverage
- Corrects uneven skin tone
- Suitable for dry, sensitive, and mature skin
Cons
- Contains paraben
9.Best Vegan Formula:100% Pure Fruit Pigmented Full Coverage Water Foundation – Cool 4.0
For a 100% natural experience, try this water-based foundation packed with organic fruits and plant extracts. The liquid contains red wine resveratrol, vitamin E, alpha-lipoic acid, and an antioxidant-rich blend of extracts (peach, apricot, carrot, tomato, pomegranate) to stimulate collagen and alleviate blemishes and dark spots. Besides this, it hydrates and softens skin with organic aloe vera juice, sunflower, pomegranate, and acai oils. The foundation also contains coffee beans, cocoa beans, and bamboo charcoal to boost a youthful glow and pamper your skin. The other ingredients include oregano, thymus, candelilla wax, indigo oil, and rosemary leaf to fight aging signs, eczema, and acne. And it doesn’t stop there! This perfect foundation also protects the skin’s moisture barrier with Japanese honeysuckle, turmeric, green tea, and rice starch too. Ethically-conscious reviewers also recommend this product, as it is not tested on animals. You may use a wet makeup sponge or your fingers to effortlessly apply and blend this foundation and achieve flawless skin in no time.
Pros
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- Gluten-free
- Satin-dewy finish
- Flawless full coverage on deep skin
- Has reddish-pink undertones
Cons
- Slightly expensive
"I like this foundation because it hydrates my skin. It offers even coverage and does not irritate the problematic parts of my skin. It gives me a clean finish and blends out like a dream! I love how it controls oil, especially in the T-zone area. A great purchase indeed!"
10.Best Water-Resistant Option:Dior Backstage Airflash Spray Foundation – Cameo Light
Bringing the runway looks to your vanity corner, Dior’s Backstage Airflash Spray Foundation delivers a flawless airbrushed complexion as though you’ve stepped straight out of a commercial. With light-diffusing pigments and a micro-diffusion system, the foundation illuminates the skin and leaves a soft and velvety finish. The texture is ultra-fine and ultra-fluid to customize the coverage as per your needs. Inspired by runway makeup techniques for a picture-perfect radiant finish, give this stunning foundation from the celebrity-endorsed brand a try if you are a fan of spray make-ups.
Pros
- 12-hour long wear
- Water-resistant
- Stays true to color
- Available in 8 radiant shades
- Suitable to use with a kabuki brush
Cons
- Expensive
"This foundation gives me a natural finish. It even tones my skin and offers a seamless appearance. I like how easy it is to apply and leaves a soft effect on my face. It does not clog my pores or highlight my lines and blemishes."
Stay cool and look flawless with the best foundation, girls! There you go; those were the 10 best foundations for cool undertones. If you need more assistance while shopping for the best foundation, we have some tips for you in the buying guide below.
How To Choose The Best Foundation for Cool Undertones?
Once you have figured out your skin’s undertone, look out for the following features in the product to enjoy maximum benefits:
- Foundation undertone
Beige, shell, or tan shades or foundation with a subtle hint of red or pink undertones are ideal for cool skin tones. Also, foundations for cool undertones are marked C as the liquid may have subtle nuances of cool pink to complement your cool-toned skin. So, ensure your foundation has the best color match to your skin tone before purchasing.
- Know the ingredients
Foundations are no longer skin illuminators and blemish concealers only. They are like beauty balms nurturing the skin inside out. They are infused with skin-loving, healthy ingredients like vitamins, natural oils, flower extracts, glycerin, salicylic acid, etc. These ingredients help soothe and calm and soothe inflamed skin while fighting free radicals, aging signs, and acne too. Some may also have anti-inflammatory properties and calming benefits. If you have sensitive skin, opt for dermatologist-tested or expert-recommended foundations to avoid allergic reactions.
- Ingredients to avoid
Protect your skin from harsh chemicals, especially if the foundation is a part of your daily routine. Pick a formula free from toxic chemicals such as paraben, phthalates, talc, mineral oils, SLS, gluten, paraffin, silicones, petrolatum, and more that may cause more damage to your skin if you are a daily user. These chemicals also trigger breakouts and may rob your skin of its natural luster in the long run.
- Coverage
While looking out for a cool undertone foundation, also look out for the coverage it delivers. A light-to-moderate coverage foundation will illuminate your skin and may conceal uneven skin tone. However, if you have blemishes, dark spots, or scars, choose a full-coverage foundation for a flawless and imperfection-hiding finish.
Infographic: Tips To Choose Foundations For Cool Undertones
Finding your skin’s natural undertone is critical to selecting the right makeup products, especially if you’re thinking about investing in a foundation. The cosmetic world now offers makeup catered to specific skin tones and undertones, and making the right choice is both easy and tricky. The infographic below will assist you with some tips for selecting the best foundations for cool undertones. Let’s take a look!
Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
The Bottom Line
We know that foundation acts as a smooth base for perfect makeup application, enhancing the overall makeup looks. However, an expertly-crafted foundation plays a critical role in making you look dull, bright, or natural based on the skin tone and undertone. A cool undertone looks bluish, red, or light pink under natural lighting, so foundations with red or pink undertones are ideal for this skin undertone. If you are looking for the perfect foundation shade with a natural finish and easy application, the L’Oreal Paris True Match Super Blendable Makeup – C9 Deep Cool is ideal for you. You can also try the BareMinerals BarePro Performance Wear Liquid Foundation – Cool Beige 10 if full-coverage and sun protection are your priorities. For people with sensitive skin, the Mirabella Skin Tint Creme Foundation – Cool Undertone is the perfect match. It is a clean foundation that hydrates the skin and dries off quickly. These transfer-resistant, long-lasting, oil-free foundations that are packed with vitamins and healthy ingredients offer exceptional results and help make your skin effortlessly attractive. Foundations with no buildable coverage that make you appear cakey and are not your shade or undertone are absolute no-nos! Choose products that have garnered positive customer reviews online and remember to conduct a patch test before application to check for skin irritations.
Why Trust Stylecraze
The author of this article, Srijita De, is a makeup fanatic and loves reviewing makeup products. Here, she has prepared a list of the best foundations for cool undertones. She conducted thorough research to shortlist the products as per their undertones. She also checked user reviews and feedback to finalize this list of the top-rated foundations. She considered parameters like coverage, formulation, and affordability before selecting the proucts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pick the right foundation for cool undertones?
You can pick foundation colors like pink or beige to suit the cool undertone. Avoid golden or yellow foundations.
How do I know if I need a warm or cool foundation?
You can know which foundation you should go for by simply checking your wrist’s veins. If your veins look greenish, you have warm undertones and require a warm foundation. If your veins appear blue or purple, you require cool foundations.
What do cool undertones mean in foundations?
Cool undertones mean that your skin has hints of blue or pink as its underlying colors. Makeup enthusiasts choose their foundations as per their undertones. People with cool-toned skin can go for foundations that are compatible with their underlying colors.
What happens if you use the wrong undertone foundation?
If you use the wrong undertone foundation, your skin will appear dull and lifeless. Choosing a wrong undertone foundation can also make your skin appear grayish.
Read full bio of Georgia Smith
Read full bio of Srijita De
Read full bio of Srijani Roy Chowdhury
Community Experiences
Join the conversation and become a part of our empowering community! Share your stories, experiences, and insights to connect with other beauty, lifestyle, and health enthusiasts.