Ask and you Shall Receive: Foundation for Oily Skin

Beaut.ie reader Rachelle contacted us with this query:

I have just stumbled upon the website & i am delighted that i did!
Whats the best foundation for oily skin?

Hi Rachelle!

Well, fear not, for there are good products out there for oily skin. I'll help you to wade through the myriad of products out there and work out what would suit you best. To start off with, these are the types of foundation available, so it's no wonder it's confusing: oil-free and matte liquid foundations, ultra-matte foundations, water-based and standard liquid foundations, oil-based foundations, pressed powder–based foundation, cream-to-powder foundations, liquid-to-powder foundations, stick foundations, sheer foundations and tinted moisturisers and foundations with shine. Phew! And I've probably missed a couple too.

We can immediately rule out anything like water based products as the emollients in them will promote shine on oily skin. Oil based foundations are out too as they're really only suitable for those with extremely dry or wrinkled skin. If you have very oily skin a pressed power formulation isn't going to work too well either - as the day goes on, oils from the skin can resurface through the makeup and sort of pool on your face. Not such a hot look.

Cream to powder formulations don't work well for someone with oily skin because the cream ingredients in them can make your skin look even more oily. Foundations with shine will make your face look greasy, not glowing, and sheer foundations and tinted moisturisers aren't suitable for those with oily or spot prone skin.

A note on stick foundations - this means the evil panstick! If you want a shiny, sticky, mask-like look, then this is the one to go for. I'm guessing you don't though!

So what can you use? Well the good news is that Oil-free and matte liquid foundations are the type you should go for. This sort of product will give you a nice smooth look without shine. They should last for a good few hours as they are formulated with your skin-type in mind, but their longevity does depend on how much oil you have in your skin, so touch-ups might be necessary. So who makes such a fabulous product?

If you have slight to medium oily skin, a brand like Clinique's Stay-True Makeup Oil-Free Formula or Estee Lauder Equalizer Smart Makeup for Combination Skin SPF 10 or Almay's Clear Complexion Liquid Makeup would be a good bet. You can buy these in a good chemist, one of the larger Boots branches or any good department store. You'd probably expect to pay in and around €30 for the first two, and maybe slightly less for the Almay version - it's hard for me to know precisely I'm afraid, because Boots in their 'wisdom' don't provide Euro prices on their website.

For very oily skins, MAC Studio Fix is the product for you. This is a powder and foundation in one product. It maintains a matte finish on the skin by absorbing oils on your face, and it's really long-wearing. Bobbi Brown Oil-free Even Finish Foundation would also be a really good product to check out - and you can buy either of these products in Brown Thomas stores.

I recommend you shop around a bit first and ask at beauty counters (if possible) for a sample of the product to try before you commit to buy it. Once you have selected your chosen product, fix your foundation with a bit of translucent loose powder and carry blotting sheets with you every day - Clean & Clear Clear Touch Oil-Absorbing Sheets are meant to be good.

Oh - and let us know how you get on!

Acknowledgements: huge help was gleaned from the Paula's Choice website in the creation of this article!