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Too Faced
Style > Beauty

The Best Foundations For Oily Skin

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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UCSB chapter.

If you’re anything like me, then you turn into an oil slick on the best of days. While I do love my oil for keeping my skin looking younger for longer, it does make wearing makeup extremely difficult. Like many, the dawn of the Youtube beauty guru back in 2016 is what got me invested in the world of cosmetics, and it took some extensive trial-and-error from then up until recently for me to find my holy grail foundations. So, with that introduction, allow me to unveil my all-time favorites.

*It should be noted that I will always set with powder and utilize a matte primer, so every precaution to getting oily is taken.

5.) IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40

Okay, I have to admit that I borrowed (stole) this one from my mom. I specifically remember wearing this a lot during my senior year of high school and getting a good amount of complexion compliments. Still, I always ended up oily half-way through the day and having to blot with tissue multiple times. It did having some amazing coverage for a CC cream, but had a tendency to look heavy when not used with an extremely light hand. Its shade range also leaves something to be desired.

4.) L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Longwear Foundation

A high school favorite of mine, this foundation has a serious nostalgia factor for me. Aside from that though, Infallible Pro-Matte has some extreme staying power. I wore this foundation throughout multiple show choir competitions, complete with extremely hot stage lights and rigorous choreography. The foundation held up pretty well throughout these shows for the first five hours, but around the six hour mark is when things got a little sketchy. It should be noted that I would always set with powder and utilize a matte primer, so every precaution was taken. Despite its inability to stay completely matte throughout the night, it does look beautiful on the skin, is pretty affordable, and comes in 22 shades. Pretty good for the drug store!

3.) NYX Born To Glow Medium Coverage Naturally Radiant Foundation

This one is definitely a hear-me-out. Yes, the foundation is technically a dewy foundation, but it managed to hold up amazing throughout the day on me! Even without powder this foundation deals with oil amazingly. Definetly the lightest in coverage on this list, its water-like consistency actually helps keep it from looking heavy as well. A great drug store value, the foundation also comes in 44 shades.

2.) Dr.Jart+ BB Dis-A-Pore Broad Spectrum SPF 50+ Sunscreen

As a K-beauty lover, I was super excited to get my hands on this little wonder. Don’t be fooled by the title of BB cream on this one, though. It has some pretty full coverage and basically deletes all pores while remianing matte throughout the whole day. Sadly though, this BB cream only comes in two shades. If you’re going to expand into the global market, have a global shade range.

1.) NARS Soft Matte Long-Lasting Foundation

If I could marry a formula, I would marry this one. This foundation I so unbelievably matte, that I have to make sure to moisturize well before application. It also eliminates the need for powder, which makes application faster and eliminates the risk of looking caked. It wears beautifully throughout the day, and also comes in 34 shades with a great variety of undertones.

Of course, ultimately, makeup has no set rules. Anyone can make use of these products regardless of skin type. These are just some of my favorite discoveries on the road to the perfect full-face. Just remember to have fun playing with products and to enjoy yourself!

Senior at UC Santa Barbara. Avid fan of Taylor Swift. Dog mom.