3 AhhhMAZING Foundations For Oily Skin

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This one’s for all us oily ones, because we’ll be real: finding the perfect foundation can be a struggle if your skin is oily. You know what we mean, it’s the end of the day and your skin looks greasy and your foundation has moved all over the place! This is where these three foundations come in to save the day (or your foundation). Trust us, we’ve tried a lot of foundations, and these are the ones that actually kept our oily skin (we normally get midday shine come 11 am!) in check!

1. Ciaté Extraordinary Foundation, $34

Source: Ciaté

Finish: Radiant finish
Shades: 22 shades from fair to rich

We have to admit, we were a little skeptical when the Ciaté foundation first landed on our desk. Although we know we can rely on Ciaté for nail polish, foundation is a completely different ball game. But we were seriously impressed; it immediately blurred our pores and covered imperfections (it’s medium to full-coverage) and when we went to touch up later on in the day, we realized we didn’t have to.

The 16-hour wear foundation is dermatologically tested, hypoallergenic, and is non-comedogenic, which means it shouldn’t block your pores. Plus, it’s formulated with hyaluronic acid; a key ingredient for oily skin (find out why here), as well as bamboo extract to reduce oil production. To give your skin a radiant finish it also contains botanical extracts, mimosa and artic rose, which are bursting with antioxidants.

Tip: Use one pump for light to medium coverage and two pumps for full coverage. Set with a dusting of setting powder, particularly on your T-zone, to keep it locked in all day.

2. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, $35

Source: Fenty

Finish: Soft matte
Shades: 50 shades from fair to rich

When does Rihanna not come through? Case in point: her Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. When this foundation first dropped the beauty-world gave RiRi a (virtual) standing ovation and it’s been one of our fave formulas ever since. The foundation is oil-free and is made with climate-adaptive technology that’s resistant to oil, sweat, and humidity, so it’ll stay in place all day long.

It’s medium-to-full coverage but it is buildable, so you can cater the finish to your preference. As it’s also a soft matte finish, it looks really natural on the skin so it’s ideal if you’re going for that no-makeup makeup look. And of course, we can’t forget to mention that it comes in a record-breaking 50 shades.

Tip: For a full-coverage finish, use two to three pumps and stipple the foundation on using a foundation brush, then airbrush the finish by bouncing a damp makeup sponge all over. Set with a little setting powder across your T-zone.

3. Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation, $8

Source: Maybelline

Finish: Natural-matte finish
Shades: 40 shades from fair to rich

This foundation has been a drugstore staple for years, and it’s perfect for oily skin as it contains micro-powders to help control shine so that your foundation stays put! Plus, it’s non-comedogenic so it shouldn’t block your pores, and the added micro-powders work to minimize their appearance.

It offers medium coverage that you can build, and it has a natural-matte finish so it never looks cakey on the skin, which of course, is always the goal! We also love that you can shade match yourself online as Maybelline has a virtual shade matching feature, which is pretty helpful!

Tip: For sheer coverage, apply with your fingers and then bounce a damp makeup sponge across your skin to smooth and perfect the finish. Set all over with setting powder.

Foundation Hacks For Oily Skin

Regardless of how mattifying your foundation is, here are some quick makeup hacks that you need to know:

Set your look: A setting powder is essential for oily skin as it’ll lock in your look and help smooth out your complexion. If you want a dewy finish, apply a light dusting on your T-zone. Although most of the time we’d recommend a light layer of setting powder all over.

Blot away: Blotting paper is an oil-absorbing paper that’ll help banish midday shine and mattify your skin. Most blotting papers also contain oil-controlling ingredients like green tea, tea tree or witch hazel. We’re currently obsessed with the Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens, $10, we literally carry them in our purse 24/7. You can also get blotting papers that have a layer of powder on them, which leaves a flawless matte finish. Check out our fave blotting papers here.

Setting spray: If you’re going for full-glam, finish with a setting spray like our Huda Beauty Resting Boss Face, $34.

If you want a more lightweight option for summer, check out this great alternative.

Disclaimer: Every product we review has been independently selected and tested without bias by our editorial team. We never take payment to review products, however, some brands allow affiliate links, so we may earn a commission if you purchase a product by clicking on one of our links.