For those with red or rosy undertones, the quest to find a foundation that offers a flawless finish without exacerbating the natural redness can be challenging. Whether you're dealing with a ruddy complexion, rosacea, or just a natural flush, the right foundation can provide a balanced canvas that enhances your natural beauty.

In our latest entry on the Budget Beauty Blog, we're diving into the world of foundations to uncover the best picks for those with red undertones.

From the perfect shade matches to the ideal formulas, we'll guide you through our top selections that promise to deliver a harmonious, even-toned complexion.

What is the best foundation for skin with red undertones?

For skin with red undertones, the best foundation is one that neutralizes and balances the complexion. Look for foundations with a yellow or golden base to counteract the redness. It's important to match the foundation not only to the undertone but also to the skin's shade. Opt for a formula that offers the coverage you desire, whether it's sheer, medium, or full, and consider your skin type—matte finishes for oily skin and hydrating formulas for dry skin. Always test the foundation in natural light to ensure a perfect match. Brands like MAC, Make Up For Ever, and NARS offer extensive shade ranges suitable for red undertones.

Top Foundation for Red Undertones 2024

MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation

The ultimate foundation for a no-makeup makeup look. You’d be guaranteed to find the right shade amongst the over 50 shades they offer, and it will definitely even out your skin tone and cover your red spots. The coverage is medium, and it melts into your skin like butter and leaves a natural and healthy glow to your skin without setting into wrinkles or fine lines.

It’s also formulated with sericite and silica powders that smooth out your skin and blur imperfections, making you feel extremely lightweight. As a result, you can totally wear it all day long without heaviness. Yes, it does last all day!

Things we liked

• Natural finish
• Blends easily
• Various shade options
• Blurs imperfections
• Long-wearing

Things we didn't like

• Quite expensive
• Can get a bit oily throughout the day

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

This cult classic has been the go-to foundation for makeup geeks for over a decade now. L’Oreal updates their formula and colors on a basis to truly achieve “True Match” colors for every skin tone and complexion. It’s also buildable, so it’s up to you to choose a natural skin-like look or full coverage because it can do both!

SPF 17 will also protect your face from sun damage and other substances from the air, and the oil-free formula with natural ingredients will be a blast with those with oily skin. It can create dry patches, however, for girls with dry and normal skin. I’m not a fan of the packaging either.

Things we liked

• Great shades for red undertones
• Buildable
• SPF and organic ingredients
• Affordable

Things we didn't like

• Dry and feels a bit powdery
• No pump

Max Factor Colour Adapt Foundation

It’s specifically designed to be a skin tone adapting foundation, so it will seamlessly blend in and match your skin color during application. Therefore, it provides you with medium coverage so that your skin won’t look fake and chalky. Your imperfections and discoloration will be evened out with only a few applications, using either your fingers or a sponge.

The liquid is a bit oily, so you probably need to set the foundation with some powder or reapply every few hours. Also, if you apply more for a matte look, it can feel quite heavy and thick.

Things we liked

• Matches all skin tones
• Natural finish
• Evens out complexion and hides imperfections
• Easy to apply

Things we didn't like

• Can get oily
• Thick formula
• Weak packaging

Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Normal/Dry Skin SPF 20, Longwear Liquid Foundation

For girls with red tones, the 24-shade range of this foundation is like music to our ears. The coverage is buildable, so if a layer isn’t good enough to hide your redness, you can totally apply more for a full matte look. Its oil-free formula is targeted for dry and sensitive skin.

The packaging is amazing. The pump is very convenient for adjusting the amount of liquid you want, and it’s suitable for any type of applicator, whether it’s a beauty sponge or a big brush. Also, don’t worry about sun damage with this one, the SPF does its job perfectly. By the way, did you know that it can last up to 10 hours without flaking or fading?

Things we liked

• Various shades suitable for red undertones
• Buildable formula
• The convenient pump
• Long-lasting
• Sun-protection

Things we didn't like

• Dries fast
• Sometimes clings onto fine lines

Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation

This extremely matte formula will surely give you the full-coverage and flawlessly matte base, suitable for a night out in a party or an event. With only a pump of product, it can cover the biggest discoloration and redness on your skin and give you the desirable consistent complexion.

The foundation is also cruelty-free and vegan, which means it’s free of parabens and phthalates that harm your skin and clog your pores. You should know that it’s made for oily and combination skin, so if you have dry skin it may dehydrate a little.

Things we liked

• Full matte finish
• A little product is enough
• Evens out complexion
• Cruelty-free and vegan

Things we didn't like

• Can crack after several hours
• Quite expensive

Quick Comparison Table

Product Name	MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation	L'Oreal Paris Makeup True Match Super-Blendable Liquid Foundation	Max Factor Colour Adapt Foundation	Revlon ColorStay Makeup Longwear Liquid Foundation	Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation
Image
Finish	5	4	4.5	4.5	4.6
Long-lasting	A++	A+	A	A+	B+
Shades suitable for red undertones	4.6	4.6	4.5	4.5	4.5
Easy to use	4.5	4.1	4.1	4.4	4.4

What color foundation cancels out redness?

Green is the go-to color foundation to help cancel out redness. Green counteracts red and works to neutralize any pinkish, red or ruddy hues. Green bases are perfect for covering any redness on your skin without making you look as if you’ve caked it on or given yourself greenish tint.

When it comes to redness, you need to make sure that you use a foundation color that is two shades lighter than your skin tone. The shade of green that you’re looking for should be more like a yellow-green or a mint green. Any foundation with a yellow base will also help to cancel out the redness on your face.

Another great foundation shade to neutralize redness is yellow. If you have a warm skin tone, then a yellow-based foundation is the perfect choice for you. If you go for a yellow foundation, be sure to apply only a thin layer to your face, as too much yellow foundation can leave your skin looking a bit too yellow.

The key to finding a foundation that helps minimize the redness in your skin and is the right shade for your complexion is to experiment with different colors. Get some sample sizes and patch test them on different parts of your skin to find the perfect match. A colour-correcting foundation palette is also an excellent tool to help you find the right shade to even out your complexion.

Makeup Tips for Red Undertones

If you have red undertones, your skin is typically cool-toned and in need of cool-toned or neutral makeup products. Since red-toned skin can blush and burn easily under the sun or under the outer impact, you’ll have to pay more attention to color correcting.

Choosing The Right Foundation

Since the purpose of makeup is to hide flaws and enhance your facial features, but not changing its tone and color, you should pick the best foundation for red undertones: the one with cool undertones, most likely pink. However, don’t choose rich-pink products, or your skin will either look extremely blushed or sunburnt.

Go with light pink or rosy shades instead of a natural and healthy appearance. Light beige or neutral colors of specific brands can sometimes do the trick, as that shade will melt into your skin and imitate skin color without adding redness to your face.

Color correcting concealer

Red undertones tend to be most visible when your skin is irritated or exhausted, and the color shows the most on your under-eyes, your cheeks, and your nose. Sometimes, applying foundation isn’t enough to even out your skin, and you need some green concealers to counteract and cover your red spots.

Apply a small and sufficient amount only, don’t overdo it and definitely don’t forget to top it with a normal cool-toned concealer.

Pink blushes

Adding red to skin with red undertones may sound a bit weird, but you should know that staying monochromic can sometimes really pay off. Since the foundation has covered most of your discoloration, putting on a very subtle pink might actually add warmth to your cheekbones and your lips.

Bronzers

Bronzers typically have reddish undertones, so if you’re not careful with this one, it will only add more redness to your cheeks and create a mess, as they will either look too intense or too red. That’s why it’s best if you choose something light-colored and buildable so you can adjust the amount of product for the most natural look.

Cool-toned bronzers are obviously the best answer here, but there are not too many of them out in the market.

Cool eyeshadows

Some jewel-toned or cool-toned eyeshadows will compliment your pinkish complexion. It also depends on your eye colors, but goes with blueish and greenish colors, with some hints of purple if you want to go big on party night. Plum or light brown would be suitable for more casual looks. A dark eyeliner, however, should always be in your purse, as they really pop up on your skin.

Best Foundation for Red Undertones: FAQs

Final Thoughts - Foundation for Red Undertones

All in all, I believe that the 5 products listed here are all suitable for you if you have red undertones, but if it were up to me, I’d pick MAKE UP FOR EVER Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation. Why, because it matches the skin tone perfectly and gives me a flawless matte look all day long.

What about you? Let me know what you think is the best foundation for red undertones in the comment section. Don’t forget to like and share this article.

Let us know what you think about our review about best foundation for red undertones in the comments below!

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