Best of Beauty 2020

The Best Base Makeup of 2020

Every foundation, concealer, blush, and bronzer that our editors deemed worthy of a top spot on the Best of Beauty: Base Makeup list this year. Whether you're looking for a high-coverage foundation formula or a sheer and shimmery highlighting serum, you're bound to meet your new favorite right here.
The Best Foundation Concealer and Highlighter of 2020

We know the "perfect makeup look" doesn't exist, but for every beauty look (whether done at the hands of a professional or amateur), the road to perfection starts with a solid base — the products that make up our complexion.

We know it's hard to choose the best foundation when there are different formulas for every skin type. It's even harder to choose concealer when there are those that are better at covering blemishes versus those that best at hiding dark circles. And, oh, don't even get us started on rifling through bronzers and blushes.

All that goes without even mentioning that this year has been a weird one for those of us who love a fully beat base. Though all of these products might not be a part of our daily routine the way they used to be, highlighters, setting powders, and the like are still an integral part of our beauty regimens (especially when used as a midday pick-me-up between Zoom meetings.)

That's why we spent the last six months testing hundreds of complexion products (from the safety of our own homes) to bring you the base winners for the 2020 Allure Best of Beauty Awards. We hope you find a favorite new primer, foundation, setting spray, and so much more. —Angela Trakoshis

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

  • a bottle of Hourglass Veil Soft Focus Effect Setting Spray on salmon background
    Courtesy of brand
    1/26

    Setting Spray (Dewy): Hourglass Veil Soft Focus Effect Setting Spray

    The Hourglass Veil Soft Focus Effect Setting Spray disperses into such a fine and imperceptible mist that it's easy to think you've missed your mark. Don't fret: Your luminous skin will convince you otherwise. Add some to your brush before sweeping on highlighter for the most twinkling of glows.

    $48
  • Courtesy of brand
    2/26

    Multiuse Stick: Live Tinted Huestick

    The genius of the Live Tinted Huestick lies in its moist, buildable texture. Rubbed on cheeks, lids, and lips, the smooth, matte formula gives subtle definition and a cool, uniform effect. It can also serve as a brilliant color corrector. One tester now reaches for Rise, an earthy, orange hue, when she wants to cancel out her dark circles.... and then enhance her lids.

    $24
  • Courtesy of brand
    3/26

    Primer: Neutrogena Shine Control Matte Primer + Serum

    The rice protein in the Neutrogena Shine Control Matte Primer + Serum weightlessly absorbs oil and obscures pores. Tap a couple of drops onto your T-zone to ensure your skin only glows where you really want it to, while keeping your foundation locked into place for the day.

    $15
  • Courtesy of brand
    7/26

    Foundation (Medium Coverage): Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation

    Once more for the people in the back: the Uoma Beauty Say What?! Foundation gives superlative matte coverage that hovers over fine lines — and comes in 51 shades. Unlike lots of matte foundations, Uoma Beauty's shine-free formula doesn't suck the moisture out of your skin.

    $39
  • Courtesy of brand
    8/26

    Foundation (Full Coverage): Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick

    Someone read our mind (or unsolicited memos): One of our favorite foundations now lives in a creamy bullet. The Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick zeroes in on blotchiness, breakouts, and redness with a sleek, buildable tint. Available in 30 shades, you can also contour and highlight with ones a couple of levels lighter and darker than your base selection.

    $43
  • Courtesy of brand
    9/26

    Concealer: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Concealer

    The caffeine in the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Concealer deflates puffy undereyes, but this formula really works anywhere: around nostrils, below tear ducts, and on top of dark spots. The radiant formula also nourishes and soothes skin, no matter where it ends up. Seamlessly blend it in with another 2020 Best of Beauty Award winner: the Sigma F79 Concealer Blend Kabuki Brush.

    $38
  • Courtesy of brand
    10/26

    Concealer (For Blemishes): Sephora Collection Clear and Cover Acne Treatment Cream Concealer with 2% Salicylic Acid

    The Sephora Collection Clear and Cover Acne Treatment Cream Concealer with 2% Salicylic Acid has a clingy consistency to camouflage zits. Its potent percentage of blemish-busting salicylic acid diminishes — and finishes — them too. Although it has a doe-foot applicator, dab it on with a clean finger or brush to keep your tube as sterile as you can.

    $14
  • Courtesy of brand
    11/26

    Blush (Powder): Clarins Joli Blush

    Enriched with a drizzle of hazelnut oil, the Clarins Joli Blush blooms on your apples, yielding a healthy and wholesome flush. Swirl on one of the eight shades. We particularly love the Cheeky Peach, a rich, well, peach shade, that looks amazing on just about everyone.

    $32
  • Courtesy of brand
    12/26

    Blush (Cream): Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush

    With the softness of a cream and the sheerness of a gel, Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel-Cream Blush melts into cheeks like gelato, so there's no telling where the color ends and your skin begins. And it's virtually impossible to overdo it and end up looking like you're going to an '80s prom party. No matter how much you dab on, you'll have a natural-looking flush.

    $6 at Amazon
  • Courtesy of brand
    13/26

    Highlighter (Stick): CoverGirl Clean Fresh Cooling Glow Stick

    This is the coolest thing ever: CoverGirl Clean Fresh Cooling Glow Stick imparts subtle shimmer and a brisk sensation, so skin looks and feels refreshed. We love all three tinted, vegan formulas: Opal Dreams (pink-toned champagne), So Gilty (soft gold), and Pink Thrill (rich, rose gold). If you want more of a low-key, wet shine, try the transparent variety.

    $11
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    14/26

    Highlighter (Cream): Stila Heaven's Hue Highlighter

    The primary ingredients in Stila Heaven's Hue Highlighter are stardust and cherub feathers. Okay, we made that up. But the chiffon formula is so weightless and luminous that it certainly feels true. With five colors on its roster, you're sure to find a shade that fits your complexion and vibe. However, if you need a suggestion, Transcendence is the dreamiest opalescent pink that brightens complexions of all tones.

    $32
  • Courtesy of brand
    15/26

    Highlighter (Liquid): Becca Cosmetics Ignite Liquified Light Highlighter

    Too many dewy formulas slide right off, but the Becca Cosmetics Ignite Liquified Light Highlighter deposits a moisture-rich sheen that stays put until you wash it away. Bounce it onto the high points of your face with a beauty sponge for the most flawless glow. Sunflower oil and vitamin E make sure your skin stays hydrated while it sticks around for the long haul.

    $38
  • Courtesy of brand
    16/26

    Highlighter (Powder): Milani Baked Highlighter

    There's a very good reason the Milani Baked Highlighter is cooked on hot terra-cotta tiles... and one day we'll find out what it is. Right now, we're too distracted by our glowy cheekbones to register anything else. Swirl on the pearlescent shades with a small, fluffy brush, like 2020 Best of Beauty Award-winning Real Techniques Setting Brush, for the most mirror-like finish.

    $11
  • Courtesy of brand
    17/26

    Highlighter (Palette): Beauty Bakerie Milk & Honey Highlighting Palette

    Inching from clover pink to pale amber, the quad of powders in Beauty Bakerie Milk & Honey Highlighting Palette is so soft and gossamer-fine, you could almost layer them without a mirror and still not mess up. Dip your brush into as many pans as your heart desires to create your own custom complexion-flattering glow or tailor the shade to your look for the day.

    $38
  • Courtesy of brand
    18/26

    Bronzer (Matte): Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer

    The shimmer-free finish of the beloved Benefit Hoola Matte Bronzer drapes bone structure in a natural-looking warmth, creating a beachy, just-back-from-Maui effect. The square compact comes with its own brush, but try sweeping the powder on with something fluffier, like another 2020 Best of Beauty Award-winner: the Huda Beauty Bake & Blend Brush.

    $30
  • Courtesy of brand
    19/26

    Bronzer (Dewy): Nudestix Nudies Bronze

    With a pigment-rich balm on one end and a compact brush on the other, the Nudestix Nudies Bronze deposits a wash of concentrated color that blends into a warm haze. Makeup artist Mary Phillips picks it up whenever she wants to add definition to a dewy, dolphin skin look. She buffs Sunkissed (a coral-toned bronze) into the hollows of the cheeks and "anywhere the sun would naturally hit," she previously told Allure.

    $32
  • Courtesy of brand
    20/26

    Contour Kit: The Lip Bar Fresh Glow 2in1 Bronzer + Blush Duos

    The Lip Bar Fresh Glow 2in1 Bronzer + Blush Duos have distilled shape-shifting down to a science. The stacked compact houses one bronzer and a coordinating, shimmery blush for seamless sculpting and just-right highlighting. Its five colorways cover the complexion spectrum, including a rich ebony bronzer and burgundy blush called Staycation that works best on deeper skin tones.

    $22
  • Courtesy of brand
    21/26

    Powder (Pressed): CoverGirl Clean Fresh Pressed Powder

    The silky tapioca particles in CoverGirl Clean Fresh Pressed Powder take away shine, while aloe vera replenishes moisture. Sweep it on with a small, fluffy brush only in the areas where you truly need to fight greasiness (like the middle of the forehead and chin) to maintain the gorgeous dimensions of your face.

    $12
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  • Courtesy of brand
    22/26

    Powder (Loose): Fenty Beauty By Rihanna Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder

    Have you ever looked at a picture of yourself and thought, Huh, I don't remember being struck by lightning? That's what makes the Fenty Beauty By Rihanna Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Setting Powder a legit flash of genius. The whopping eight ultrafine shades blur imperfections, but won't reflect the camera's glare.

    $32
  • Courtesy of brand
    23/26

    Facial Self-Tanner: St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist

    The St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist deposits a veil of transparent moisture that develops into a golden wash of color. No rinsing is needed, so you can spritz it on whenever the desire strikes. Give it four to eight hours until it makes a grand appearance and you won't have to pick up the bottle again for up to five days.

    $30
  • Courtesy of brand
    24/26

    Setting Spray (Matte): Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray

    The Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray won this title by the no's: It locks makeup in place with no creasing, no shine, no sliding, no fading, and no settling — no matter how long (and where) you put it to the test. Even the oiliest of skin doesn't stand a chance with this aloe-spiked, mattifying elixir.

    $33
  • Courtesy of brand
    25/26

    Setting Spray (Multiuse): L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Shake & Glow Dew Mist

    For the most versatile finish, L'Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Shake & Glow Dew Mist delivers nonstop hydration and a radiant sheen, whether you apply it on bare skin or on top of makeup. Reach for it whenever you feel the need to freshen up and the mist will instantly revive the state of your face.

    $12
  • Photographed by Camila Falquez
    26/26

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KeywordsBest of BeautyFoundationbronzerbasehighlightercontoursetting spraymakeup setting spraysconcealer for eyesconcealer paletteself-tannerstannerspowder foundationpressed powderface primerAllure Best of BeautyBest of Beauty 2020repackage