My earliest memories of shopping for foundation and concealer were largely shaped by what I saw in the pages of teen magazines and YouTube beauty guru tutorials. I remember words like “cover,” “mask,” and “hide” being used to describe what complexion products were supposed to do. At the time, it resonated deeply: I had severe acne across most of my face, and I was specifically looking for a product that would hide as much of my skin as possible and temporarily give me the smooth, even complexion I was chasing.

That was more than a decade ago, and a lot has changed: My adult breakouts are much more manageable, and my makeup collection is bursting at the seams with a product that barely existed in the 2010s: skin tints.

These lightweight, skincare-meets-makeup formulas impart a sheer veil of coverage — essentially the opposite of what I was looking for during those early days of wandering drugstore aisles. But I can’t help but wonder if I’m not alone in feeling like my makeup sensibility has evolved, too. Which brings me to the question: What does that mean for full-coverage foundation?

In a world enamored with blurred-but-not-completely-covered complexions, the full-coverage face beat can feel like a relic of another era. But that doesn’t necessarily mean we’re ready to abandon coverage altogether. “I definitely think people are wanting their skin to look and feel more like skin — [and] for me, that’s always been the goal,” celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips tells Refinery29. “My clients want their complexion to feel perfected, but they still want to see their real skin coming through.” 

So is full coverage actually on its way out? I asked several makeup artists what’s replacing it — and whether less really is more. 

DashDividers_1_500x100 Which products are replacing full-coverage foundation?

It’s not just lightweight skin tints and sheer foundations. Buildable, medium-to-full-coverage formulas have gotten remarkably good, too, with finishes that are increasingly undetectable and skin-like.

“I’ve always believed beautiful complexion isn’t about covering everything or making the skin look perfect; it’s about putting product where you need it and letting the rest of the skin come through,” says Phillips. “That’s exactly what I wanted when creating m.ph Le Skin Foundation, something weightless and skin-like that you can apply in a thin layer, but still build where you want more coverage.”

Other editor-beloved options include Drunk Elephant’s new Kamo Drops, which can be mixed into moisturizer or worn alone for customizable coverage, and e.l.f. Cosmetics’ Soft Glam Foundation, which retails for $8 and creates a demi-matte, blurred finish that lends an airbrushed effect while still allowing my natural texture and tone to peek through.

“There’s also something very modern about being able to see real skin,” says makeup artist and Ciele founder Nikki DeRoest. “A little texture or a freckle coming through makes makeup feel alive and personal rather than overly perfected.”

In other words, you don’t necessarily have to choose between a bare-faced look and a traditional full beat. Today’s complexion products make it easier to land somewhere in between — or change your mind halfway through getting ready.

DashDividers_1_500x100 What techniques are worth trying?

Brushes, sponges, clean fingers…there’s no shortage of debate over the superior tool for base makeup application. But when it comes to making fuller coverage look as undetectable as possible, technique can be just as important as the formula.

One trick I swear by is “priming” your brush (a technique made popular by makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes): Dot your foundation onto the back of your hand, then work it into the bristles before applying it to your face. This helps distribute the product more evenly and prevents you from depositing a concentrated layer of foundation in one spot.

Phillips agrees that a lighter hand can make all the difference. “It’s less about covering everything and more about being really intentional with where you’re placing product and how much you’re using,” she explains. “I always start with thin layers and build only where I need it. You can always add more, but you don’t necessarily need the same amount of coverage everywhere.”

Another option: Pair your favorite skin tint with concealer to create a complexion that looks more covered without requiring a full layer of foundation. “I like to start with a thin layer of Enhancing Tint to even out the complexion and create that beautiful, seamless base,” explains makeup artist Lisa Eldridge. “Then I’ll add [concealer] coverage only where I need it. My Pinpoint Concealer is fantastic for this because you can be incredibly precise, rather than covering the entire face.”

The takeaway? If you love a full-coverage foundation, you don’t have to give it up — just start using it a different way, like concentrating it where you actually want more coverage, and leaving other areas lighter or even bare. The result can still be a perfected complexion — just one with a little more dimension.

DashDividers_1_500x100 What’s the future of full coverage makeup?

Eldridge agrees: “I think our idea of ‘flawless’ skin has definitely changed,” says Eldridge. “I don’t think it has to mean completely poreless, completely matte, or completely uniform anymore: Beautiful skin has dimension. It has texture, freckles, little variations in color and all of those things that make it look real.”

In other words, think of skin as not just one step with one product; “What I think has changed is the idea that coverage has to be all or nothing,” says DeRoest. “We’re becoming much more comfortable customizing it: sheer here, medium there, concealer exactly where it’s needed. The modern complexion is really about having control over your coverage and letting your skin still feel like your skin.”

And perhaps that’s the real answer to whether full-coverage foundation is “dead.” Not exactly. The bigger shift is that we’re no longer treating coverage as an all-or-nothing proposition. You can want to cover a breakout, even out discoloration, blur texture, or simply wear a full beat because you like the way it looks — and none of those choices necessarily have to mean covering every inch of your face.

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