Robert Welsh has reviewed more than 40 foundations, approving just over half, giving a handful mixed takes, and skipping about a third. That works out to a 56% approval rate, which tells you he is not easily won over. When something does earn his stamp of approval, it is usually because it behaves well on skin that has texture, oiliness, or both.
What does Robert Welsh recommend in foundation?
The common thread through his approved takes is formulas that actually sink into the skin rather than sit on top of it. He praised the Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation for being 'really hydrating, really glowy' without needing to be diluted. He loved the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream for the way it 'completely evened out, smoothed out' any texture. The L'Oreal Infallible 32H Fresh Wear Foundation impressed him by sitting 'really nicely in my problem areas' where he usually sees texture. His outright winners are the Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream and the L'Oreal True Match Super Blendable Foundation.
Robert Welsh's foundation picks, in his words
"If you haven't tried the brand already, everything released from Lisa Eldridge brand is perfect, absolute perfection. It's kind of expected coming from a makeup artist but there are some brands out there from professional makeup artists where everything isn't like the best. With Lisa Eldridge as a brand, everything seems maybe a little bit gimmicky or like they've tried to release something and be on trend with current releases."
"I love [...] this BB cream, I think it's beautiful. [...] The one in the red tube is one of my absolute favorites because I just love the way it sits on the skin. It looks so natural, any kind of texture on the skin is just completely evened out, smoothed out. It wears nicely, it wears well. [...] I do think the red one has quite a bit more coverage. [...] My oily people, if you do want one of the Missha BB creams, go for the red one."
"True Match, the serum, because it is just beautiful. I've got a really good match. [...] I love the bounce on this. You [...] can go over one area multiple times and there's no added texture or anything like that. That looks really nice. It blends so naturally."
"I love the skin tint when I don't want to use foundation because usually even when I'm using foundation I kind of dilute it, I always mix it with my peptide glazing fluid, but I find with a skin tint because of how light it is I don't need to do that. I love that it's really hydrating, really glowy, the perfect thing for summertime skin."
"The milk one is stunning. The one from Milk is so beautiful and it's truly a skin tint. Like it's not crazy crazy coverage, you know? It really does just tints the skin."
"I think drugstores are doing some really, really good foundations recently. It's very rarely I use one that I absolutely despise. [...] I think L'Oreal have done a really good job recently with their products. [...] It's meant to be up to 32 hours long wear with Vitamin C. No fading, no shifting, and it's a full coverage. First impressions are good. It's sitting quite well on my skin. Usually in this area here I get a lot of texture, but this is sitting really nicely in my problem areas."
How many foundations has Robert Welsh reviewed?
Robert Welsh has reviewed 43 foundations, for an approval rate of 56%. 24 approved, 5 mixed, and 14 skipped.
What has Robert Welsh skipped in foundation?
The foundations he skipped came down to formulas that gripped texture in the wrong way or simply refused to blend. The Jones Road What the Foundation frustrated him because it 'really gripped to the texture on my skin' and left him looking 'awful', even after he tried several ways to apply it. He found the Clarins Double Serum Foundation would not blend in, and it sat so firmly on top of the skin that he could drag a fingernail through it. The Kosas BB Burst Tinted Moisturizer Gel Cream lost him right away on texture, calling it 'a big not for me', even as he praised other products from the same brand. The NARS Natural Matte Longwear Foundation he declined to discuss at all, which is a verdict of its own.
"I like some Nars products, I like a lot of Nars products, but the foundation... let's not judge the foundation, let's not talk about it, let's ignore that product."
"The texture is the killer for me. This wet cream, it was really strange. It's just a big not for me. I do know a lot of people like this and I do want to say I do like Kosa products. Their Cloud set is one of my absolute favorite powders, for example, and I also like their sunscreens as well and their concealer and their other foundation and their bronzers I like a lot from this brand. However, this was a miss."
"The only way I know how to describe this foundation is it's kind of one you had to tiptoe around when it comes to application method, right? So I was trying to tap with fingers very delicately. I was trying to think, you know, it's a makeup artist brand, what would a makeup artist do to make this work. Then I was using brushes, and I was using all this other stuff. A few things didn't work in this right. The finish, in general, really gripped to the texture on my skin."
"And no, foundation shouldn't do that. You should be blending your foundation so much that it's just pushed into the skin. [...] Initially when I put it on, I really really like the formula. I love the finish. It feels really kind of like weightless on the skin. And I was actually kind of surprised at the coverage you get from it. I think it's a really beautiful coverage. I really do. And it looks better when you put it on versus literally about 20 seconds later."
What should you take from Robert Welsh's picks?
Robert Welsh's record on foundations is a practical guide for anyone who struggles with texture or oiliness. His approvals keep coming back to formulas that blend into the skin and stay there. His skips are almost always formulas that gripped, sat on top, or turned greasy. If a foundation is hard to apply or looks wrong within seconds, he says so plainly. That honesty is exactly what makes his 56% approval rate genuinely useful.
Watch Robert Welsh say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Missha M Perfect Cover BB CreamNamed a winnerWatch at 6:28
- NARS Natural Matte Longwear FoundationSkipped itWatch at 6:23
- Kosas BB Burst Tinted Moisturizer Gel CreamSkipped itWatch at 3:08
- Jones Road What the FoundationSkipped itWatch at 6:35
- Clarins Double Serum FoundationSkipped itWatch at 7:41
- Youthforia Date Night Skin Tint Serum FoundationSkipped itWatch at 6:07
- Huda Beauty Faux Filter Luminous Matte FoundationSkipped itWatch at 1:44
- Tarte Shape Tape FoundationSkipped itWatch at 20:02
- KVD Good Apple FoundationSkipped itWatch at 14:51
- Beautyblender Bounce FoundationSkipped itWatch at 13:37
- Revlon PhotoReady Lift & Fill Skin TintSkipped itWatch at 7:31
- Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear FoundationSkipped itWatch at 3:01
- Dior Forever Skin PerfectSkipped itWatch at 4:31
- IL Makiage Woke Up Like This Flawless Base FoundationSkipped itWatch at 12:44
- NARS Natural Radiant Longwear FoundationSkipped itWatch at 10:38
- Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin FoundationRated itWatch at 8:53
- L'Oreal True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum FoundationRated itWatch at 6:03
- Hourglass Veil Hydrating Skin Tint FoundationRated itWatch at 8:22
- Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel TintRated itWatch at 13:05
- L'Oreal Infallible 24-Hour Fresh Wear FoundationRated itWatch at 4:46
- e.l.f. Halo Glow Skin TintRated itWatch at 10:40
- Maybelline SuperStay Lumi Matte 30-Hour FoundationRated itWatch at 17:30
- Tirtir Mask Fit All Cover Cushion FoundationRated itWatch at 2:58
- e.l.f. FoundationRated itWatch at 6:26
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Robert Welsh said across his videos about 43 products in foundation, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.