As beauty writers and editors, our standards are high (sometimes unrealistically so) when it comes to our products. But that doesn’t mean they have to be pricey, because the best drugstore foundations seamlessly lay the groundwork for all of our other makeup products.

As much as we love a good no-makeup day, sometimes we want the extra coverage to even out our complexions and to act as a base for the rest of our cosmetics routines. But not all foundations can get the job done without creasing, caking, or flaking — the marker of a great foundation is one you can’t really tell is there, after all. And while it’d be great if we could bathe ourselves in luxurious formulations with $50+ price tags, our wallets aren’t always as big of fans as we are. 

You might be of the mentality that you get what you pay for with makeup, but that’s definitely not true — at least, not anymore, thanks to these picks from Allure Best of Beauty-winning brands like Blk/Opl and CoverGirl. Throw away your preconceived notions about drugstore base makeup, because we’re here to give them the hype they deserve. 

Allow us to introduce tried-and-true (and expert-vetted) favorites. Cheers to a shopping guide that won’t break the bank. Below are the 17 best drugstore foundations, according to makeup artists and beauty editors.