College Beauty Awards: The 15 Best Base Makeup Products, from Foundation to Contour
Quality base makeup can be positive and transformative. The reason? Well, complexions are complex, and everyone has such varied needs when it comes to coverage products. If you do find your perfect shade match or concealer consistency, it’s kind of life changing. And no, we’re not just being dramatic. The Her Campus community was very vocal about how one amazing blurring powder or satiny highlighter can make their whole semester better.
Without further ado, we’re here to help you find the golden ratio of foundation, concealer, contour, blush and highlight that is truly sublime. We have inclusive shade ranges, color correctors and expert coverups — and even if you rarely wear makeup, we’ve got something here for you too. Cue all of the selfies.
1. First Light Priming Filter Face Primer
BECCABECCA, sephora.com, $39; shop now
This primer combines so many good things in one: hydration, glow, and a natural-looking finish. It perfectly preps your skin for makeup, but also can be worn on it's own if you're feeling a translucent look.
2. Smooth Sailing 360° Eye Primer
Wander BeautyWander Beauty, sephora.com, $39; shop now
Good morning to this eye primer only. In contrast to other primer formulas, this is thin and liquidy so it easily blends out and sinks into the skin. It's so common to come home from a long day of class and find your makeup smudged and dull, but incorporate this primer into your eye makeup routine and that'll never happen again.
3. Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Fenty BeautyFenty Beauty, sephora.com, $35; shop now
College women can't stop talking about Fenty Beauty, and it's easy to understand why when this foundation completely changed the beauty industry for the better. This full-coverage formula has shades for every skin tone, and you can easily build it on to cover blemishes and scarring as needed.
4. Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation
L'Oréal5. Ultra Repair Tinted Moisturizer
First Aid BeautyFirst Aid Beauty, sephora.com, $35; shop now
No-makeup makeup is all over Instagram right now, especially for daytime looks, and students are loving a natural finish. Opt in for this tinted moisturizer that evens-out your complexion, while retaining that lightweight lotion feel.
6. Born This Way Super Coverage Multi-Use Sculpting Concealer
Too FacedToo Faced, sephora.com, $35; shop now
This formula conceals, contours and highlights — yes, really. Even the darkest under-eye circles don't stand a chance against the full-coverage. We love to go foundation-free and wear this as our only coverage product for the day because it's that good.
7. Dark Circle Treatment Concealer
MaybellineMaybelline, ulta.com, $10; shop now
Multiple Her Campus community members revealed that this was their introduction to the world of concealer, and they've been religiously using it since first application. It's everything you could want to hide dark circles, and the built-in sponge makes application even easier if you're a makeup newbie.
9. Cali Contour Palette
SmashboxSmashbox, sephora.com, $35; shop now
If you take contouring very seriously, this one's for you. It's got highlight, bronzer and blush powders to create warm, glowy looks for days.
10. Stellar Lights Highlighting Palette
MilaniMilani, walmart.com, $11; shop now
This highlight trio helps you achieve any kind of shimmer with a single palette. Wear just one — though we love to wear all three at the same time for a very ~extra~ look.
11. Magic Beauty Balm Stick
Honest BeautyHonest Beauty, target.com, $15; shop now
This balm legit gives the most natural-looking shimmer we have ever seen. Smear it all over your highlight points and eyelids for a dewiness that looks like you came straight from a facial.
12. Rose Powder Blush
MilaniMilani, target.com, $7; shop now
This blush comes in four romantic shades, and we own them all. It has a good amount of pigment without being too potent, so simply use a brush or sponge to blend it in for a rosy finish.
Gina Escandon (Cal Poly ‘17)
Gina Escandon (Cal Poly ‘17)
Gina was formerly the Beauty & Culture Editor at Her Campus, where she oversaw content and strategy for the site's key verticals. She was also the person behind @HerCampusBeauty, and all those other glowy selfies you faved. She got her start in digital media as a Campus Correspondent at HC Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she graduated in 2017 with degrees in English and Theater. Now, Gina is an LA-based writer and editor, and you can regularly find her wearing a face mask in bed and scrolling through TikTok.
