If you’ve spent hundreds of hours (and dollars) trying to make your foundation look like skin—just without pesky sun spots, blemishes, and bouts of redness—you’re not alone. It’s an expensive and defeating task to try one foundation after another only to be met with more formulas that feel like acrylic paint. But as the beauty industry continues to evolve, brands are getting smarter about their products—fusing skincare with pigment to create good-for-you formulas that not only make your makeup look flawless, but also improve your skin along the way. While these hybrids can be found in the form of tinted peptide balms, SPF blushes, and skincare-infused concealers, the most popular are serum foundations: the makeup gods’ (ahem, your favorite brands and chemists) answer to the dry, crackly, over-pigmented foundations of yesteryear.

“Serum foundations definitely fit in with my broader complexion philosophy of ‘less is more,'” says celebrity makeup artist, creative director, and brand founder Lisa Eldridge. The multi-hyphenate describes these formulas as fluid, lightweight, and skincare-packed, with “a second-skin finish” over heavy coverage. “[They] should allow the beauty of your natural skin to shine through,” she adds. Celebrity makeup artist Kelly Zhang agrees, saying these wunderkind formulas should offer the “best of both worlds—feeling like skincare but performing like makeup.”