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If your skin type is oily, you will want to find a foundation that works with excess oil. It is very typical for brands to make foundations that serve many skin types but the ones listed below have been highly recommended for people with oily skin. Using a foundation that is formulated for oily skin, you’ll be able to keep your skin looking less greasy and more matte throughout the day. In the new year, consider you may have oily skin you may want to change up your makeup routine to include a foundation that will be perfect for you.
How Do You Tell If You Have Oily Skin?
There are a few different ways you can tell if you have oily skin. Firstly, if your skin appears shiny mid-day you may have oily skin. You also may be acne prone skin and have blackheads and blockages in your pores, especially around your nose. Your hair may also be oily which is another indicator.
However, make sure you’re drinking enough water because sometimes people don’t really have oily skin but they are dehydrated. The skin then starts producing more oily and hence you could have oily skin for this reason. Also, ensure that you are using the proper skincare for oily skin. One of my top recommendations is the Ole Henrikson “Balance it all” line. You can click here to shop my product selection or stay tuned for another post where I’ll talk about skincare for oily skin.
This is a list of the 10 best foundations for oily skin. My favourite is the Estee Lauder Double Wear weightless foundation. I love this foundation because it isn’t too thick but the weight is perfect to last all day without my skin feeling heavy or cake-y. Plus, in the oily areas that I do have on my skin it doesn’t sludge off like some foundations do.
Even though the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation is my favourite, there are still 9 other foundations for oily skin that I highly recommend.
The 10 Best Foundations for Oily Skin
01. Maybelline New York Fit Me Poreless Matte Foundation – $15.99
The Maybelline Fit Me Foundation is one of my favourites. It is really light and easy to apply with a beauty blender. I find this foundation perfect for oily skin because of the mattifying effect. It really ensures you don’t get a shine especially in the hard to reach areas such as around your nose. Also, I find that this lasts pretty much all day and is a good formula for building up your blush and bronzer.
02. Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation – $50
You can read my review of the Estee Lauder Doublewear here. You’ll know that this is one of my favourite foundations ever. The Estee Lauder Doublewear Stay In Place makeup is a soft matte longwear finish but it is also a little thicker than most foundations. It is considered a medium to full coverage and I think that it is more of an elegant finish.
03. URBAN DECAY Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation – $49
The Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition is perfect for oily skin because it is very lightweight and blendable. If you have oily skin it is better to look for a foundation that isn’t too heavy because it is better to let skin breathe. You can still get the dewy look with this foundation but it won’t cause your face to slick up with oil.
04. Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer – $37
Clinique is known for its skincare focus and the Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer is perfect for oily skin types. This is a foundation and concealer in one meaning that it is more concentrated than a regular foundation. Since it is an oil-free foundation, it means that it won’t clog pores. This foundation will also last up to 24 hours and is lightweight and moisturizing. Honestly, this is the perfect foundation for oily skin if you don’t want to use a concealer as well.
05. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation – $60
A bit on the pricier side of things, the NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation will give you that healthy glow in an oil-free foundation. There is also an added benefit to this NARS foundation because it contains something called: Scarlet Spiderling Root Extract which Reduces discoloration over time to create a brighter, more even skin tone, while also diminishing the appearance of future dark spots. I’ve always been happy with foundations from NARS Makeup, read up on my review of the Longwear Foundation here.
06. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation – $72
If you have oily skin and still want the dewy look, I recommend the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Giorgio Armani is known for their foundation and this one offers a hydrating glow but won’t leave you too shiny or greasy. It is a very light weight foundation and makes your skin look like silk as per the name!
07. Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation – $52
The Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation has been used by a lot of YouTube Influencers. Available in 30 shades, combined with ultra-refined pigments, you’ll love the way that the #FauxFilter foundation blends on the skin. It also helps to diminish the visibility of acne and acne related scars. On Sephora.com you’ll see that it got a lot of mixed reviews but a lot of people say that specifically for oily skin, this foundation was a holy grail for them.
08. Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation – $50 CAD
The Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation is new on the makeup scene. It is a foundation with a natural matte finish, medium coverage yet it is still waterproof and sweat resistant. The Backstage Foundation works really great in humid environments which makes it perfect for oily skin because you can have the confidence that it will not budge. The look is also supposed to be really natural for this foundation, even though it is technically a medium coverage. The reviews on Sephora say that this foundation is not cake-y at all. This means you’ll get coverage for your oily skin but you won’t feel a huge buildup of foundation. If you have acne, this is also a great pick because it won’t clog your pores but give you a perfect airbrush finish.
09. Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick
If you’re looking for a creamier dewy look and have oily skin, you may want to look at the Hourglass Vanish Seamless Finish Foundation Stick. I love this foundation stick for oily skin because you can still get a creamy and dewy look in a stick formula that won’t make your skin oilier. The Foundation Stick from Hourglass is easy to apply and blend out with a beauty sponge. This is also a longwear formula that is supposed to last for up to 12 hours. Also, it contains double the amount of pigment to allow your skin and body temperature to adjust to the colour based on your PH levels. You can even pick up some darker shades for highlighting and contouring because the stick will help you put the foundation in the correct places of the face where you’re looking for some contrast.
10. BAREMINERALS BAREPRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation – $37
This foundation from BareMinerals is a pressed powder foundation and comes in a compact with a mirror. The great thing about the BareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation for oily skin is that it contains SPF and silica which helps absorb excess oil and and gives skin a soft matte finish. Also, it is free of mineral oil and other harmful parabens that can be found in foundation. BareMinerals often focuses on skin first and makeup second so this foundation is non-comedogenic, meaning it is less likely to cause acne than other foundations.
Other Makeup Tips for Oily Skin
Now that you have a list of the foundations that are best for oily skin, you may be wondering what kind of other makeup is for you. For oily skin you should stay away from cream blushes or liquid makeup. Cream blushes and bronzers can get greasy and slide off your face especially in warmer months.
I would pick powder blushes and powder bronzer to add to your makeup routine. If you have oily eyelids, make sure you use an eyeshadow primer. I wrote a blog post on the best eyeshadow primers so be sure to read all about it here.
As for lipsticks and other lip products, you’re probably good with anything that you pick so I won’t go into detail here.
I hope you enjoyed this list for the best foundations for oily skin. Of course, there are more foundations out there but these are the top 10 that I recommend. I will also be updating this list to include more foundations for oily skin that continue to get released throughout 2019.
Elyssa Sugar
Beauty Reviews Canada
