Best Light Coverage Foundations for Dry Skin

Hey friends, today I’m bringing you a roundup of the best light coverage foundations for dry skin. Everything is cruelty-free, of course! Most of these light coverage foundations for dry skin are vegan, too. I definitely prefer light to medium coverage foundations instead of full coverage, which is why I wanted to share these with you today.

Dry Skin Tips

Now, if you have dry skin like me, you need to prep your skin before you apply makeup. It’s critical! You need to make sure your skin is hydrated and that you do not have any dry patches. I do this by using a chemical exfoliant at night twice a week. I use Pixi Overnight Glow Serum. I also make sure to use a hydrating primer. My favorite is the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer! It works with all my favorite foundations to give me 12+ hours of wear.

Do you have dry skin like me? Check out my Winter Skincare Routine! Need help putting together a skincare routine on a budget? Check out my guide to the Ordinary Skincare.

PR + Purchased by me.

Best Light Coverage Foundations for Dry Skin

1. Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick
Milk Makeup is my new favorite makeup brand, as I’m sure you know! The Milk Makeup Flex Foundation Stick is my favorite daily wear foundation. It’s $36 for .35 oz and it comes in 36 different shades. I love foundation sticks because they give you customizable coverage, so you can make this as light as you like. Flex Foundation Stick is silicone-free and fragrance-free. I wear the shade Porcelain in this stick foundation. See my entire skincare and makeup brand review for Milk Makeup. (vegan)

2. Cozzette Beauty Essential Finish Pressed Powder
The Cozzette Beauty Essential Finish Pressed Powder has been a staple in my makeup collection for the past two years. It’s $25 and comes in 14 shades including a pressed and loose universal shade. It’s a wonder powder that I use for everything. I use it to set my eyeshadow primer, to set my foundation, to blend out imperfections in my eyeshadow application, to tone down blush, I could go on and on. (vegan)

3. Urban Decay Stay Naked The Fix Powder Foundation
UD’s new Stay Naked The Fix Powder Foundation is one of the few powder foundations my dry skin will tolerate. It’s $39 for .21 oz and comes in 24 shades. I wear shade 10NN. I love how silky and finely milled it is. The finish it gives is gorgeous and you can build it up to medium coverage. I like to use it to set my other foundations, but it also is pretty on its own. See my all vegan foundation routine with UD. (vegan)

4. Milani Conceal + Perfect Foundation Stick
I love the Milani Conceal + Perfect Foundation Stick. It’s $9.99 and comes in 20 different shades. I wear the shade 200 Porcelain. I love foundation sticks because they give you customizable coverage. I prefer to apply this with a dense foundation brush and buff it into my face. See why this is my pick for the best cruelty-free drugstore foundation under $10! (vegan)

5. CoverGirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation
The new CoverGirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation is a lovely light coverage liquid foundation. It’s $11.99 for 1 oz and comes in 14 shades. I can wear two shades in the line – Porcelain and Fair. Porcelain is the right depth for me but a bit pinker than I like, while Fair is darker than my skintone but closer to the correct undertone for me since it leans yellow. While I feel like Clean Beauty itself is a marketing gimmick I really like CoverGirl’s new foundation. See me wearing it in this Danessa Myricks Colorfix. (vegan)

6. Nyx Professional Makeup Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil
Nyx’s Bare With Me Tinted Skin Veil is perfect for the no makeup makeup look. It’s $13 for .9 oz and comes in 12 shades. I wear the shade Pale Light, which pulls pink on me. I wish there was a shade that was more yellow toned at the same depth. I still love the way this looks on me despite the color not being 100% perfect. See my complexion routine with Bare With Me.  (vegan)

7. ColourPop Pretty Fresh Tinted Moisturizer
ColourPop’s Pretty Fresh Tinted Moisturizer is a new, lightweight liquid foundation. It’s $14 for 1.46 oz. I have not tried this one but I am guessing I would be shade Fair 1N. 24 shades are available. This hydrating light coverage foundation is oil free BUT it does contain coconut water. I know many people who were thrilled this was oil-free but then sad that it contained coconut. (vegan)

8. Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint
The Glossier Perfecting Skin is a very lightweight, soft-focus liquid foundation. It’s $26 for 1 oz. I wear shade G12. 12 shades are available. Glossier says the diamond powder blurs while glycerin helps retain moisture. If you favor very light, diffused coverage, Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint is for you. (vegan)

9. Nudestix Nudies Tinted Blur Stick
Nudestix Nudies Tinted Blur Stick has been out for a while but is another nice light coverage foundation option. It’s $30 for .216 oz, which makes it very pricey in my opinion. It comes in 14 shades. Light 1 is about the right depth for my complexion but it is pinker than I like. I prefer neutral to cool yellow undertone. I love how this looks on my skin but because it’s not a perfect shade match and the pitiful amount of product that you get for the price, I stopped repurchasing it after the 3rd time. See my Nudestix Nudies Tinted Blur Stick Review. (vegan)

10. Nyx Professional Makeup High Glass Face Primer
You might be like, say what? But Nyx High Glass Face Primer is something I consider a very light coverage foundation for dry skin. It’s $17 for 1 oz and comes in 3 shades. I like the blurring effect and slight tint it gives my skin. I wear Moonbeam. See me wearing Moonbeam in a high glass foundation look here.

11. Milani Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer
Along the same veins as the Nyx High Glass, the Milani Soft Focus Glow Complexion Enhancer gives you very light coverage and blurs imperfections. It’s $10.99 for 1.59 and comes in three shades. I wear Nude Glow.  I’m wearing it in my Brandless Makeup Tutorial. And yes, I’ll even occasionally wear it on its own as a light coverage foundation. (vegan)

12. Danessa Myricks Prism FX Hydrating Lotion
You KNOW I am in LOVE with the Danessa Myricks Prism FX Hydrating Lotion! It’s $28 for .53 oz, which makes it pricey but I feel it’s worth repurchasing. Prism FX comes in 2 colors. It’s meant to be worn as a primer, but it has a prismatic glow that gives light coverage and diffuses imperfections. I feel comfortable wearing it by itself outside the home. I also love using Prism FX Hydrating Lotion to thin out more full coverage foundation products to make them lighter coverage and more glowy. See me wearing it here. (vegan)

What are your picks for the best light coverage foundations? What sort of coverage do you prefer? See more of my foundation features!