This $11 Drugstore Foundation Gives Every High-End Formula a Run for Its Money

Welcome to Deep Reviews—your one-stop destination to discover the absolute best products and brands the beauty industry has to offer. Every month, the Who What Wear staffers you already know and trust will research, test, and review the market’s most sought-after and buzzed-about products to see which formulas (of the hundreds up for consideration) are truly worth your hard-earned money and attention. You can expect honest, completely uncensored feedback and no-BS recommendations our hard-to-please testers endorse without reservations. To put it simply, stick with us, and buyer’s remorse will be a thing of the past.

The majority of our Deep Reviews will feature our editors’ honest, ultra-hot takes on entire product categories or multiple products from a particular beauty brand, but every so often, we’ll sprinkle in a special single-product format called Honestly, I Love It. As the name suggests, these reviews will hone in on one standout beauty formula our editors quite literally can’t shut up about. Up Next? L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation ($11).

When you’ve dealt with things like acne, hyperpigmentation, and uneven tone like I have, you know it can take a lot to really love a foundation. To be perfectly honest, most formulas that claim to offer medium and buildable coverage just don’t make the cut. I’ve tried plenty of foundations like this that still don’t offer the finish and amount of coverage I’m looking for even when I use a *very* generous amount. Enter the L’Oréal Paris True Match Foundation, an $11 drugstore formula that celebrity makeup artists swear up and down is one of the best on the market. It offers high-end quality at such an incredible budget-friendly price.

I’ve tried a plethora of impressive drugstore makeup over the years from blushes and highlights to lipsticks, but nothing hits quite like this creamy, highly blendable foundation. My curiosity about this particular product was piqued upon having a conversation with celebrity makeup artist Brittany Whitfield. She told me it’s a staple in her kit because of how reliable it is and how well it works on Black and Brown skin tones. Funnily enough, and due to the nature of my job, I started hearing similar sentiments from other MUAs in the business and knew I had to try it for myself.

I’m usually more inclined to be skeptical about any product recommendation now simply due to the nature of modern advertising and influencer marketing. We’re constantly bombarded on social media with paid partnerships and ads, and it can be difficult to discern what people actually and truly love. Makeup-artist recommendations, however, are more of a safe bet for me. They’re constantly in the trenches using these formulas, so I was excited to get my hands on this one and give it a test for myself. After wearing it out and about for a few weeks, I can confidently say it’s a breathable, hydrating formula that leaves a really nice, natural-looking finish on the skin. Keep scrolling for the benefits this foundation offers, expert application tips, and what makes it unique to anything else on the market.

The history of the formula: True Match has been around for over 20 years. It first hit drugstore shelves back in 1994 and has been a hit for L’Oréal ever since. L’Oréal’s AVP of scientific communications, Balanda Atis, breaks it down, saying, “This foundation has stood the test of time because of the continuous research we’ve done to understand our consumer needs. In developing the formula, our team of scientists worked to make sure the texture and performance of the formula is relevant for our consumers today. We also have studied skin tones for many years to understand the tones that are appropriate for skin around the world.”

What makes this formula unique: True Match is now formulated with up to six different pigments including white, yellow, red, red, black, ultramarine blue, and cobalt green to help you find your most precise skin match. Using these pigments, it’s able to adapt to any skin color and texture. Atis also says, “True Match is unique because we utilized science to create a formula that our consumers can rely on to deliver superior performance and a match that fits their skin. Our moisturizing formula now has hyaluronic acid, which enhances the skin’s own ability to retain moisture for long-lasting hydration.”

Why makeup artists love it: Celebrity makeup artist Lisa Aharon also shares a love for True Match. “First and foremost, they really executed the color range beautifully,” she says. “The product itself is fantastic for its variable coverage, natural finish, and long-lasting formula. I think the versatility and shade range plays a major factor in its popularity among artists.”

Expert application tips: Aharon says, “When speaking to application, I most often express that your comfortability with a tool is most important. You can press foundation in with your fingertips, stipple a wet blender into the skin, or pat it on with a foundation brush. Whatever feels easiest for you—they all work!”

The star ingredient in this drugstore formula is hyaluronic acid—a powerhouse moisturizing ingredient used widely in skincare that helps the skin attract and retain moisture. In addition to that, the new and improved True Match formula is vegan and noncomedogenic, and some shades are made with certain color undertones for an even more precise match. Atis says, “In this renovated version of True Match, we have achieved a lightweight, medium-coverage [foundation] that’s buildable to help you achieve your ideal amount of coverage. Through our continued research, we’ve expanded our knowledge on more skin tones to understand further the benefit of ultramarine blue on fair and deeper skins. We have also included chromium oxide green for the first time to address olive skins.”

I also think the shade range is impressive with 47 different offerings, and it’s totally oil- and alcohol-free. When you have acne-prone skin like I do, these types of formulas are absolutely key. I never put a new foundation on my skin now without checking it for pore-clogging ingredients. You definitely don’t have to throw your foundation out if it has one or two potentially comedogenic ingredients, but it’s something to think about if you use the formula regularly and are noticing a lot of breakouts. True Match passes the comedogenic test—it contains no potential acne-triggering ingredients, so you can feel a bit more confident trying it out.

My skin concerns include hyperpigmentation, a few blemishes, redness, and a bit of uneven texture. My skin has also been a bit dehydrated lately (thank you, dry winter air), so it’s important that I use a formula that’s hydrating and won’t dry me out throughout the day. My skin can also be extremely sensitive and has not reacted well to some foundations in the past. I felt better trying this particular one out though because it has nothing comedogenic in it.

Since I do deal with things like acne scars and blemishes, I like a lot of coverage. Applying full coverage can be a slippery slope though when you have sensitive, acne-prone skin. On the one hand, I like being able to create a smooth, even-toned looking canvas, but I also don’t like applying super-heavy makeup that isn’t very breathable. I think this foundation offers the best of both worlds in a way. It does leave a skin-like finish so it doesn’t look unnatural but still provides a good amount of coverage so that you don’t have to use a ton of product.

I always start with my Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer ($36) because it creates the perfect, slightly tacky base for any foundation and never breaks me out. I usually only apply one layer of this foundation and just buff a tad more into the areas I’d like more coverage. It’s also so light on the skin that you don’t even feel like you’re wearing makeup. I’m always impressed by how easily it camouflages acne scars with just one swipe. I mix two shades together actually because my skin has a few different undertones, and I feel like that actually helped provide even more of a seamless finish so that scars don’t peek out underneath. As you can see above, it does a pretty good job of concealing them without looking cakey or too full coverage. It just looks like natural skin and doesn’t mattify, which I also appreciate. It also passes the all-day-wear test. I don’t usually feel dry at the end of the day thanks to the hyaluronic acid in the formula.

Honestly, if you’re looking for a good drugstore foundation that blends really well, doesn’t break the bank, and offers seamless, second-skin coverage, then you may have just found it. I sure did, and I’m never going back. Foundation is so personal, and everyone’s skin is different, but I think this formula gives its more expensive counterparts a serious run for their money. At just $11, it’s definitely worth giving a try for yourself.