“You’re both going to love Mary Phillips’s new foundation,” I exclaimed, walking into the Cosmo office after previewing the brand’s newest launch, Le Skin Weightless Serum Foundation. Each of our editors—Lauren Balsamo, beauty director, Jasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editor, and I, beauty editor—has very different preferences when it comes to foundation (and, let’s be real, makeup in general). Lauren is pro lightweight coverage and anti-matte. Jasmine prefers a skin tint on the days she actually wears anything. And I need to cover up my acne without looking greasy at the end of the day. But somehow, amidst all of our opposing goals, this one foundation is a favorite amongst us all.
Phillips became known for how she made her supermodel clients—Hailey Bieber, Kaia Gerber, and Kendall Jenner, to name a few—look flawless yet natural. So when she launched her brand, M.ph Beauty, last fall, her first product was the Underpainting Palette, a nod to Phillips’s viral technique wherein she recommends contouring and highlighting before applying foundation for a seamless sculpt. When I met with the brand then, my first question was “What kind of foundation do you put over the contour that doesn’t just wipe it away?” I was met with a few vague replies, and now I know why: The brand had this accompanying serum foundation up its sleeve.
Le Skin Weightless Serum Foundation—a sheer, weightless feel with buildable coverage and a natural finish—was developed to work in tandem with the Underpainting Palette. In 35 shades, the formula is breathable and meant to mimic the way skincare feels on your skin, not heavy foundation. It’s formulated with a mix of niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, two hydration MVPs you’ve likely found in your moisturizer or face serum before. Wanna hear us all wax poetic about how much we love it? Keep reading.
Cosmo editors’ reviews:
Beth Gillette, beauty editor
The way this foundation melts into my skin is nothing short of magnificent. I pump out a dollop on the back of my hand and pick some product up on the M.ph Beauty Foundation Brush (a fluffy brush that gives your skin a soft focus finish while keeping coverage airy). The consistency quickly evens out my skin, effectively hiding acne and dark spots (see above, I’m truly shocked). With such a lightweight texture, I’m used to streaking. But picking up product on the brush, then gently swirling it over my face, gives me an even look.
The finish is fresh, even slightly dewy—something I generally stay away from having oily skin, but in this, it just appears natural. I powder my T-zone to keep it from going greasy, but otherwise, I love how the finish looks. I’m convinced this is the closest I’ll ever get to skin that resembles Hailey Bieber.
I called this foundation in before I went for a spray tan, so I was extremely nervous that I’d made a grave error in my shade choice. But to my surprise, the foundation’s sheer texture makes it blend and adapt to a few different skin tones. So if you were gawking at the “35 shades” in a Fenty economy, don’t—the range itself is strong, with a huge mix of very-fair and very-deep hues.
Lauren Balsamo, beauty director
“This foundation is so lightweight—it feels more like a skin tint than a foundation—but somehow covers my redness and breakouts flawlessly,” Lauren shares. “It’s super easy to blend out too, and if you need to build it up for more coverage, it layers easily without getting cakey or chalky.”
Jasmine Hyman, assistant beauty editor
“My acne-prone and overly dry skin just can’t get on board with lathering on a thick layer of foundation every day, so I’m super particular when it comes to my base products,” says Jasmine. “I warily tried this foundation since I trust Lauren and Beth with any recommendation, and I was super impressed with the lightness and level of hydration in the formula. It smoothed over my inflamed chin acne with ease and didn’t flake up on my dry skin amid a 10-degree winter week in NYC full of commuting and walking outside. This is officially one of the only acceptable foundations in my makeup arsenal.”
Final thoughts:
I’ve never seen such unanimous love from our beauty team on any product, no less a foundation. It’s proof this formula could work for a variety of preferences, from those who only wear the sheerest coverage to someone who wants to cover up acne, dark spots, uneven skin tone, and more. Mary Phillips is one of Hollywood’s most famed makeup artists for a reason; it’s really not that big of a surprise she’d give us the best foundation of 2026 so far.
Why trust Cosmopolitan?
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan with more than seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing makeup stories. But she also taps her other Cosmo beauty editors from time to time (like for this story), and they have a combined 20+ years in the industry.
Yeah, so we test *a lot* of foundations…
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you “have to try.” Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content as an Editor at The Everygirl for four years. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hair ‘do every few months.
