Credo Beauty Clean Makeup Basics: Foundation and Tints, Mascara and Lip (Shades, Sizes, Returns)
If you want to rebuild a simple everyday makeup bag from brands that pass one retailer's screening, Credo Beauty is one of the few US stores built around that idea. It stocks foundations, skin tints, concealers, mascaras and lip products from brands such as Kosas, Saie, Westman Atelier, LYS Beauty, Sweed and Le Rouge Français, all meant to meet the Credo Clean Standard. This guide covers the basics: base, mascara and lip, with the prices, shade counts and sizes the listings give, plus the return rule that matters most for makeup, which is what happens when you have already tried a shade. For the retailer as a whole, see our full Credo Beauty review.
At a glance Checked October 2026
Credo's base products run from about $23 to $69, with shade ranges from 14 to 36 options on the listings we checked. Mascaras are mostly $26 to $30 full size, with travel sizes from about $15, and lip products run $20 to $49.
- Best for: Shoppers replacing foundation, mascara and lip basics with products screened against one retailer's standard, who want shade names with undertone descriptions.
- Typical price: foundations and tints $28 to $69; mascara $26 to $30 (travel $15 to $17); lip $20 to $49.
- Watch out for: Gently used makeup can be returned, but substantially used products cannot, a $5 fee applies, and some shades were out of stock when we checked.
What "clean makeup" means at Credo
Product pages at Credo say an item meets "The Credo Clean Standard." That is the retailer's own set of requirements covering ingredients, safety and contaminant testing, ingredient disclosure, packaging and sourcing. It is not a legal definition of "clean," which does not exist for US cosmetics, and it is not a third-party certification. In practice, it tells you a product passed Credo's screen; it does not tell you how a foundation will match your skin or whether a mascara contains something you react to. The full ingredient list is on each product page, and some shades of the same product can differ, so check the one you plan to buy.
Foundations and skin tints: prices and shade ranges
Credo's foundation collection mixes liquid foundations, tinted moisturizers, sticks and tinted sunscreens. These are the regular prices and the number of shades listed when we checked:
- Kosas Revealer Skin Improving Foundation SPF 25: $45, 36 shades from Very Light Neutral 100 to Rich Deep Neutral 450.
- Tower 28 Swipe Serum Foundation: $36, 36 shades.
- Westman Atelier Suprême Bio-Complex Liquid Foundation: $69, 30 shades.
- LYS Beauty Skin Tint Blurring Foundation Stick: $28, 22 shades from LN3 (Bone Blush) to DPP6 (Espresso); the store data gives a 7 g size.
- Ere Perez Oat Milk Foundation: $44, 16 shades.
- Saie Slip Tint tinted moisturizer with mineral zinc SPF 35: $38, 14 shade options from Shade One (Very Light, Pink) to Shade Ten (Rich, Neutral).
- Other options: Axiology Fungdation ($42), Rituel de Fille 3 Drop Weightless Serum Foundation ($42), RMS Beauty ReEvolve Natural Finish Foundation ($59, or $48 for a refill) and MOB Beauty Blurring Ceramide Cream Foundation (from $23).
Most shade names include an undertone, such as neutral, pink, olive or golden, which helps when you cannot swatch in person. Several base products include SPF in the name; follow the brand's directions on the label for sun protection rather than relying on makeup alone. Credo's FAQ says it stopped offering single-use samples in its stores in 2021, so matching online usually means comparing shade descriptions and photos.
Concealer and mascara
For concealer, the LYS Beauty Bright Start Creamy Buildable Airbrush Concealer is $24 in 26 shades, from LN1 (porcelain) to DPP6 (espresso), and Kosas sells a Mini Revealer concealer at $17 in 10 shades, though most were unavailable when we checked.
Mascara is the easiest category to try in a smaller size:
- Saie Mascara 101: $26 in Black or Brown; a black travel size is $16. The store data lists 10 g for full size and 5 g for travel.
- Kosas Soulgazer Lengthening + Lifting Peptide Mascara: $28 standard size in Hypnotize (black), Allure (dark brown), Enigma (blackened blue) and Bewitch (night violet), or $17 for a travel size in black. Bewitch showed as unavailable.
- Sweed Beauty Lash Lift Mascara: $30 in Black or Dark Brown, with what the brand describes as a skinny brush.
- Others: Minori Mother of Lashes ($26), Iris&Romeo Lash Up Peptide Thickening Mascara (from $15) and Ere Perez Mini Aloe Gel Lash & Brow Mascara ($17).
Several mascara listings describe lash results or suitability for sensitive eyes; those are brand claims. Many of the mascara sets in the collection were sold out, so the single tubes above are the more reliable buys.
Lip: balms, sheer color and liners
- Sahajan Lip Karma: $20, a clear balm in Vanilla, Mint or Chai (only Vanilla was in stock).
- Finding Ferdinand Barely There Sheer Hydrating Marula Oil Lipstick: $28 in three shades: Burgundy, Cantabria Clay and Coraline.
- Le Rouge Français Lampyris Divine Lip Oil: $32 in five shades, each listed with a scent such as rose lychee or green tea.
- Le Rouge Français Lampyris Divine Tinted Lip Balm: $34 in four shades, from 240 Sigrid (iridescent ribbon pink) to 270 Colomba (blackcurrant).
- Westman Atelier Lip Shape Lip Pencil: $34 in eight shades from Je Rêve (blushy nude) to Mink (espresso); three were unavailable.
- Le Rouge Français Rouge Tinctorial Lipstick: $49 in five shades, including nude pinks, a berry pink and two reds.
Tinted balms and sheer lipsticks are the lower-risk choice when buying lip color online, since an exact shade match matters less than it does with an opaque lipstick or liner.
Return rules for makeup you have tried
This is where Credo differs from many beauty stores. According to its FAQ and refund policy:
- Gently used is accepted: "Unused or gently used products are eligible for a full refund or credit." Substantially used products are not, and Credo decides at its discretion.
- Window and fee: 30 days from delivery for online orders, with a $5 return cost deducted from the refund or credit. Returns start in Credo's online return portal with your order number and ZIP code or email.
- Final sale: marked-down merchandise cannot be returned, and Credo's FAQ also lists gifts with purchase and reward redemptions as final sale.
- Shipping: 50 US states only. Free standard shipping per the site banner, with a $35 minimum after discounts in the FAQ; expedited $5, express $24.
So if a foundation shade is wrong after one or two tries, it can usually go back within 30 days, minus $5. Prices above are the regular list prices on the product pages. Any working offers we find are listed on our Credo Beauty coupons page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I return foundation I have already tried?
Yes, if it is unused or gently used and within 30 days of delivery, minus a $5 return fee. Substantially used products and marked-down items cannot be returned.
Is Credo's "clean" label a certification?
No. The Credo Clean Standard is the retailer's own standard for the brands it sells, not a government or third-party certification.
Which Credo mascaras come in a travel size?
Among those we checked, Saie Mascara 101 ($16 travel), Kosas Soulgazer ($17 travel) and Iris&Romeo Lash Up (from $15) list a lower-priced option.
The bottom line
A basic makeup bag from Credo costs roughly $28 to $69 for base, $26 to $30 for mascara and $20 to $49 for lip, with wide shade ranges on Kosas, Tower 28, Westman Atelier and LYS. Read shade names for undertone, start with travel sizes where offered, treat the Credo Clean Standard as the retailer's own screen, and keep the 30-day, gently-used return rule and $5 fee in mind when you order a new shade.
Disclosure: this article contains affiliate links. If you buy through them we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. Prices and policies were checked on the Credo Beauty website at the time of writing and may change.