The foundation category has gotten a makeover. Once associated with heavy coverage and full beats, brands have evolved their offerings to adapt to customers’ proclivity for natural, glowy looks. Skin tints, serum hybrids, sticks, and more formats and formulas have stretched the definition of what foundations are — raising expectations for the once-standard makeup product.

“More than 10 years ago, foundation was a paint job to cover up, but now, it’s about a fusion with skincare,” says Peter Philips, Dior Makeup’s creative and image director of 12 years. “Consumers know more about formulations because of social media, and trends in foundation are always changing — one moment, everyone wants matte skin, then luminous or glass. Right now, it’s all about glowy skin — another word for natural skin — it’s a glorification of your skin after a healthy treatment.”

Despite changing consumer behaviors, foundation is currently the fastest-growing category under facial makeup (foundation, concealers, blush), according to Euromonitor, and is on track to grow 4.5% to $20 billion by 2027. Plus, it’s a money-maker, if done right: according to a McKinsey report, consumers are more likely to splurge on foundation as a product considered to have meaningful differentiation in performance across price points.

Unlike trending color cosmetics, from lip tints to blush, foundation also creates a loyal consumer base that will regularly return to purchase the same item, brands say. That’s why legacy brands have been reluctant to change the formulas in their products until now, says Claudia Soare, president and creative director of Anastasia Beverly Hills. But they can no longer rest on their laurels: in response to shifting demand, legacy brands are rethinking classic formulas, as challenger brands are exploring new base makeup innovations to capture market share.

But still, foundations are not an easy sell in today’s beauty landscape, says Angharad Bate, buying manager at beauty retailer Lookfantastic. “Declining reliance on foundation is a key challenge for retailers and brands,” she says. “Foundation is becoming more occasional as opposed to previously viewed as necessary.”

Brands must figure out how to toe the line, minding makeup trends while releasing foundations that can become go-to hero products for years to come. “The shift is cultural as much as it is cosmetic. Consumers are informed about skin health, treatments, injectables, active ingredients, and formulations. They want to enhance their skin that they’ve spent time and money perfecting,” says Lauren Winslade, founder and CEO of PR and strategy firm Aisle 8.

The new look

Foundation today is marketed around natural skin, with brands relaunching their foundations to make products less heavy or pore-clogging. At the same time, skin tints that are so light and sheer that they don’t last particularly long have fallen out of favor. The solution is more product formulas that are buildable, letting consumers choose how much coverage they want.

Refy’s Skin Base Skin Tint, which launched in March 2026, uses Inclusium, an active ingredient derived from an alfalfa plant that improves hydration and stretches with the face as it moves, instead of clinging to fine lines and wrinkles. “We’re filling the gap that’s in the middle of really heavy-coverage products and ones that are so light that they disappear within the first few hours,” says Mo White, interim CEO at Refy.

“My approach to foundation has always been skin-first,” says celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips, whose clients include Zoë Kravitz, Hailey Bieber, and Kendall Jenner. “I’m not trying to cover the skin, I’m trying to enhance it. I focus on really understanding the skin underneath first — its texture, tone and natural dimension, and then I build in very thin, intentional layers. I’ll also add coverage only where it’s needed, while allowing other areas of the skin to remain more transparent.”

Phillips launched her brand, M.ph Beauty, in August 2025 around the ethos of enhancing natural skin. Her foundation, Le Skin Weightless Serum Foundation, touts buildable, breathable coverage and a hydrating formula that’s still long lasting — striking the balance between barely-there serums and full faces. According to the brand, the foundation has been a top performer at Sephora since it launched. “Consumers haven’t fallen out of love with coverage, they’ve fallen out of love with looking like they’re wearing it. There’s been a broader cultural shift toward transparency in skincare, wellness, and how we present ourselves. Social media and high-definition content have made heavy, mask-like makeup feel dated,” says Hannah Beals, the brand’s CEO.

At Elf Cosmetics, the brand is putting more investment behind buildable beauty. The brand launched its Soft Glam Foundation in June 2024, a medium-buildable, satin-finish formula that sits between full coverage and barely there, and its Halo Glow Liquid Filter foundation has been used as a highlighter, contour and body glow, becoming a $200 million franchise for the brand. “We sit at the intersection of how people want to use makeup and skincare, and it really is all about taking a hybrid approach. We’re bringing skincare-meets-makeup, multi-use products, and real performance into accessible pricing,” says Laurie Lam, chief brand officer at Elf Beauty.

A change in formulas

Today, makeup can no longer be just makeup — especially when it comes to foundation, which layers over skincare products and acts as the base layer for the rest of the look. Consumers are looking for products that are scientifically backed with active ingredients or advanced technology.

This year, Estée Lauder relaunched its famous Double Wear foundation after 29 years; Armani Beauty gave its Luminous Silk foundation a makeover after 25 years; Hermès Beauty introduced its first foundation with Plein Air; and Dior Beauty reformulated its Dior Forever foundation line after 18 years — all incorporating active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to help oil regulation, pore appearance, and hydration, as well as lasting all day.

When Estée Lauder relaunched its flagship foundation from 1997, a lot changed. The brand replaced old silicones with new ones, removed water thickeners in favor of hydrating ingredients, and used a polymer mesh matrix technology that allows makeup to move with the skin for up to 36 hours.

Armani Beauty relaunched its Luminous Silk foundation in December, with 18 additional shades, bringing the full range to 44. The foundation now has a less perfumed scent and is non-comedogenic (making it suitable for acne-prone or oily skin), with new ingredients such as glycerin, niacinamide, Mediterranean lily, and white lupine extract to reduce inflammation, hyperpigmentation, and redness. “You need to evolve with the times and innovation. You cannot stay static — things are changing, the world is moving,” says Richard Pinabel, global president at Armani Beauty. He was aware that the brand could be faced with backlash if the reformulation went wrong. “We’ve always said we need to do it the same, but better, which is difficult.”

At Lookfantastic, sales for foundation products have grown by 8.5% since January, largely driven by product rebrands and trending formats by way of skin tints and balms. “Foundation is one of our fastest-growing product types this year,” says Angharad Bate, buying manager at the beauty retailer, adding that Estée Lauder, Armani, and Nars are among its bestsellers.

According to Cult Beauty, the foundation category is experiencing double-digit growth driven by different formats: balms, sticks, and liquids. “Marketing campaigns call out the skincare benefits and the testing involved as much as they call out the finish of the foundation now,” says cosmetic buyer Lindsey Whiteford.

New product names also reflect formulation changes. According to Spate, the term “skin tint” has seen 50.6% growth year-on-year since April 2025, while tinted moisturiser has increased by 35.6% and foundation by 9.5%, for the same period, respectively. It’s one of the reasons why viral beauty brand Wonderskin named its foundation Hyper Bond All-Day Stay Serum Foundation. “It’s meant to notify people that there are skincare ingredients in it, because ‘hyper bond’ means it bonds and flexes to your skin, then ‘serum’ is the part that nourishes the skin,” says Marina Kalenchyts, Wonderskin’s co-founder and brand director.

The challenges ahead

One of the main obstacles in recent years is staying ahead of regulatory changes, especially with the European Union, where the parameters of what cosmetic brands are allowed to use is getting stricter. In May 2024, the EU announced it is introducing guidelines in June 2027 that will restrict brands to a 0.1% concentration of D5 and D6 silicones in products. D5 is used to give products a lightweight and non-greasy feel, while D6 helps products feel soft and improves spreadability.

Estée Lauder, Dior Beauty, Chanel Beauty and Armani Beauty have already removed D5 and D6 silicones in the reformulation of their foundations. “[Regulations] are so frequent these days. It’s dizzying, with the EU leading the pace. It’s hard to maintain one global SKU for a foundation with constant changes,” says Soare. “One way we are preparing is by considering different product offerings by territory.”

Fickle consumer trends and passing fads also mean brands must prepare for changing tastes and invest in broader ranges. “Foundation is no longer the hero step in a routine, and with the rise of advanced skincare, consumers are starting from a much better baseline,” says Beals. “There’s a disconnect between how products are designed and how people actually wear makeup today. The full-face, one-shade approach doesn’t reflect reality anymore. People are underpainting, spot-concealing, layering, color correcting, and customizing — but most formulas aren’t built with that in mind.”

The new normal for foundation franchises will be continuous tinkering to make sure products are performing their best. Philips says Dior Beauty is constantly responding to innovations such as a patented oil formula that diffuses light on the skin. The makeup artist put it to the test during Dior’s runway shows, where 60 to 90 models are under hot spotlights backstage. The brand makes tweaks every three years to stay ahead of trends and regulations.

Looking ahead, it’s likely that the next stage of foundation innovation is in the nuances of the production and the sensorial experience. “The sensorial experience is an underdeveloped opportunity such as texture, sheen, and how a foundation wears across a full day — these are stories that drive word-of-mouth and creator content, but most brands leave them underarticulated,” says Chelsea Mtada, senior strategist at Seen Group.