Is your foundation slipping, sliding and separating due to excess oil? Discover how to help foundation stay all day with my guide to foundation for oily and combination skin.
14 minute read
Darlings, when you are applying foundation for oily skin it’s so important to choose a formula that will work for your oily skin type. Foundation for oily skin will always look better when you are using formulas and techniques that work for skin that produces excess oil. In this makeup guide, I’m sharing tips and tricks on foundation for oily and combination skin to help your complexion look its best! Think smooth, flawless-looking skin that lasts all day without creasing, separating, and unwanted shine!
Oily and combination skin types produce excess oil which can give skin a sweaty, shiny, or even greasy appearance. Excess oils are secreted from facial pores and can cause problems when applying foundation; they tend to seep through throughout the day which in turn creates unwanted shine on top of your foundation. Too much oil on the skin can alter the appearance of your foundation – especially in more porous areas of the face like the T-zone and around the nose – and so this is something to bear in mind when choosing a foundation for oily skin.
By nature, excess oil creates a slippery barrier between your skin and your foundation which can result in the product sliding around on the face and struggling to set down. When foundation application is disrupted by oils, this can cause your makeup base to look patchy and uneven rather than smooth and flawless.
Oils look shiny on the skin and have a heavy, back-from-the-gym appearance as opposed to the soft, healthy-looking glow that you get from skincare. Shine can look unflattering; emphasise the appearance of pores and skin texture; and can alter the appearance of your foundations to look heavy and less natural.
Excess oil can cause foundation to breakdown on the face which can impede its longevity. The oils produced by our skin can melt and dissolve even some long-wearing foundations which results in separating and patchiness on the face; a shorter wear time; and more time spent touching up your makeup.
Combination skin can experience both oily and dry patches which can cause difficulty when applying foundation. If you are reaching for a matte-finish foundation to combat excess oil, this can be at odds with any dryness on the face and may accentuate the appearance of dry patches if the formula is not hydrating enough.
Much like oily skin, combination skin is prone to excess oil and unwanted shine. Combination skin often produces excess oil in the T-zone – the centre of the forehead, on the nose, and around the mouth – which can lead to these areas looking shiny and accentuating the appearance of pores.
As combination skin is prone to different parts of the face experiencing different skin concerns, it can be tricky to get an even foundation application. Some foundations are perfect for helping to remedy skin dryness but don’t hold up on oily skin and vice versa. As a result, foundation may wear differently in some parts of the face.
Even oily skin types need hydration! Dehydration can occur on all skin types including oily and combination skin, so it’s important to choose a hydrating foundation formula that adds moisture back to the skin and won’t emphasise the look of dry patches or produce signs of dehydration like dehydration lines or skin dullness.
A good way to minimise the amount of oil on your face is to choose skincare and makeup products that are oil-free. An oil-free foundation won’t add extra oil to an oily complexion which helps to avoid compounding more oils on top of the ones that oily and combination skin naturally produces an excess of.
While glowy finishes can look beautiful on oily and combination skin, a matte foundation will be the better choice if you are concerned about applying foundation for oily skin. Matte finishes generally have less slip and set down to secure greater longevity on oil-prone skin. They also help to mattify the appearance of shine caused by excess oil while helping skin to look smooth, blurred, and poreless. I recommend a hydrating, natural-matte foundation like AIRbrush Flawless Foundation that hydrates and mattifies without looking heavy or drying.
If you want foundation to last all day on oily skin, be sure to choose a long-lasting foundation that will wear effortlessly without breaking down or separating. Excess oils can break down foundation and cause it to melt and slide around the face, so longevity is key when applying foundation for oily skin. Longwear foundations and self-setting foundations like AIRbrush Flawless Foundation are perfect for oily and combination skin that needs reassurance that foundation will stay all day and look flawless despite excess oil.
It’s a misconception that oily skin types can’t wear light-coverage foundations – the secret is to choose a buildable formula that layers nicely with powder and allows you to create a custom skin finish that fits your skin wish. Applying less foundation can help oily skin to look its best as there is less product for oils to disrupt! Focus a lightweight, buildable foundation like Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick in areas where you require coverage, then layer longwearing concealer and makeup setting powder to make foundation last longer and look flawless.
Always check whether the foundation you are using is oil-based, darlings. Oil-based foundation on oily skin is oil + oil! Adding more oil onto your complexion with foundation will increase the amount of oily residue on your skin and can create an even shinier, oilier skin finish. There are plenty of water-based foundations on the market that bypass this extra oil – I recommend Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation for a super-smooth, natural-looking finish, or AIRbrush Flawless Foundation for a natural-matte, full-coverage effect!
Dewy-finish foundations can look gorgeous on oily and combination skin and when paired with long-lasting complexion makeup like setting powder and setting spray they can have an impressive wear time too. However, the nature of a dewy foundation is to look almost wet on the skin which can create an oil slick look on oily skin. They also have more slip than matte foundation which can make them more inclined to slip and slide around an oily complexion. To get a dewy look on oily skin, I recommend a natural-looking, light-coverage dewy foundation like Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick that’s powdered down with AIRbrush Flawless Finish and set in place with AIRbrush Flawless Setting Spray.
Powder is a must-have for oily and combination skin types! Your foundation will always look smoother and last longer when you have set it into place with face powder, especially if you are prone to excess oil. Powder is a beauty trick for minimising unwanted shine; blurring the look of pores; and setting makeup into place – just tap a light veil of AIRbrush Flawless Finish onto your face with my Powder & Sculpt Brush to help secure a flawless foundation look for oily and combination skin.
Tilbury Tip: If you want certain areas of your face to look more dewy, try focusing powder only in the areas where you feel you need it such as under the eyes, around the mouth, and in the T-zone.
