The 10 Best Dewy Foundation for Glowing Skin in 2026

Achieving radiant, glowing, dewy skin isn’t easy. You have to maintain a meticulous skincare routine, and with priorities coming at you from every direction, that can be a bit challenging.

Fortunately, you can still get that lustrous “glowing from within” look simply by having an impeccable dewy foundation in your makeup arsenal. That’s not to say that you no longer have to work hard on getting healthier skin—you should definitely keep doing that—but at least you can look the part while you wait for the fruits of your labor.

We know makeup shopping can be a drag, so we’ve rounded up a selection of glowy, illuminating foundations to help you find the best dewy foundation for your skin.

Features to Consider in Finding the Best Dewy Foundation

When you have so many options to choose from, it can be hard to determine which dewy foundation is best for you. To narrow down your options, compare the products according to the attributes below.

Skin Type

The first thing you need to consider when looking for the best dewy foundation is your skin type. Foundations, whether matte, dewy, or otherwise, aren’t made the same way nor with the same ingredients. They can have different effects depending on your skin type, so it’s important that you get one that’s suitable for your skin.

You’ll typically see what skin type a product is well-suited for on the bottle or tube, so finding one for your skin type shouldn’t be hard at all. If you don’t know your skin type, farther down the article is a section explaining the different types.

Shade

Foundations typically come in a variety of colors, with some products coming in at least 15 shades. Usually, the more shades the better, since it means you’re more likely to find a shade that’ll match your skin color. But when you have over 10 shades to choose from, finding the right one can be tricky and time-consuming. Even if you pick a shade that looks similar to your skin color, it could still end up being the wrong shade.

To avoid picking the wrong shade, you should figure out what skin color and undertone you have. Later in this article, you’ll see a guide to picking the right shade.

Dewiness

Since you’re getting a dewy foundation to get a radiant glowing look, you have to make sure to pick a foundation that will actually give you that intended effect without sacrificing other desirable features.  What you particularly want to avoid is a foundation that makes your face so oily you could almost fry an egg on it. Dewy skin doesn’t equate to oily skin: dewy skin is moist, isn’t too shiny, and looks fresh.

The perfect example is L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Foundation. It has all the great features of a dewy foundation despite being an inexpensive drugstore pick.

Weight

Weight in foundation refers to how it feels on your skin. Ideally, you should get a lightweight foundation that feels as if it’s not there at all. The heavier a foundation is, the more uncomfortable it is—heavy foundation is a nightmare to wear, and you’ll even notice it clogging your pores.

Coverage

What coverage you want depends on whether you have anything you want to conceal, and how much of it. Many dewy foundations offer medium coverage and can conceal things like redness, wrinkles, scars, and other blemishes.

If you want a perfectly flawless look, however, you might want to get a foundation that offers full coverage, like Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation. But if you are blessed with unblemished skin or want your distinctive marks like freckles to come through, pick a foundation that has light coverage.

Longevity

It’s rare for a foundation to last 24 hours even if it says it will, especially when you consider things like skin type, sweat, temperature, humidity, and dirt. But some of the best dewy foundations can last through the day and still look good, like L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation.

Sun Protection

Sun damage is a real threat, which is why the Skin Cancer Foundation advises the public to wear sunscreen every day. If you’re not keen on including a facial sunscreen as part of your daily routine, you might want to pick a foundation with a broad-spectrum formula with an SPF value of at least 15, as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help protect you against the sun.

Now that you know what to look for in a good dewy foundation, it’s time to take a look at our top picks and see why they stand out from the rest.