Oily skin girls, we see your midday shine pain. You spent all morning on that gorgeous makeup look hoping it would take you through from your morning presentation to your after-work drinks – and now it’s 12pm and your forehead is brighter than the noon sun.
Life with oily skin feels like a constant battle. You’re constantly aware of it, always packing your powder and blotting tissue sin your bag wherever you go, constantly checking shop windows as you pass to see to see if you need to top up, constantly on the hunt for a foundation that is hydrating, but non-greasy and won’t cause even more breakouts.
The struggle is far too real and as an oily-skin sufferer myself, I know it well. The worst part of the whole things is that you could spend hours applying your makeup, whether it’s for day time or a night out, but regardless, it’s half dripping off your face an hour later.
It’s not because of your moisturiser, which is a common misconception, although oily skin does flourish with certain types of moisturiser and not others – it’s likely because of the foundation type you’re using.
Prepping your base is of course key, but what you then put over that base will set the tone for how your makeup goes on over it. Start off with a cleanser with salicylic acid, as that will chemically and gently exfoliate the skin, meaning you’re clearing off the excess sebum and dead skin cells. Then be sure to source a moisturiser that hydrates your deeply, without sitting on top of the skin contributing to excess sebum. I like the Avéne range’s gel moisturisers for this.
And finally, foundation – how can we make sure it blends with our skin but also stays put throughout the day? We don’t want to pack on powder and look dried out, but sometime sit can seem like there’s no other solution. But just because you have oily skin doesn’t mean you should compromise on glow and a natural look from your foundation – it’s all about using the right ones.
If you’re dealing with very intense oily breakouts and find that even the above methods of chemical exfoliation and lightweight moisturisers aren’t making a difference, powder or mineral foundation could be the answer to your problems. It cuts the liquid element out of your makeup routine entirely and is really great for those looking for a matte skin-like effect.
The Clarins Everlasting Compact Foundation is my favourite for when I’m going through a major oily phase and comes in loads of colours that keep your skin matte, but natural-looking for hours. Don’t let the small compact fool you – it lasts for ages and is super lightweight, meaning no cakeiness.
Most people with oily skin will be looking for a foundation with a lot of coverage and a long-wearing formula. When searching for something that won’t oxidise into little shiny patches all over your skin, I always end up recommending either the Max Factor Facefinity All Day Flawless 3in1 Liquid Foundation which is my current fave, or if you have a little extra cash to splash, the Fenty Beauty PRO FILT'R Soft Matte Longwear Foundation. Rihanna’s FENTY range is specifically designed with oily-skinned girls in mind as the singer also has naturally oily skin.
The PRO FILTR is known for it’s buildable but fairly thick coverage and I’d definitely advise moisturising before applying this one to ensure it spreads evenly and coats the skin well.
The Max Factor one I’d actually advise giving your skin 10 or 15 minutes to absorb moisturiser before using it, as it can turn a little sheer if you’re combining a thicker moisturiser with this product. It gives a gorgeous natural glow to the face which is unusual to find in a foundation designed for oily skin, but that’s probably the built in primer and concealer that gives a super flawless look to the skin. It’s an oil-free formula too, so you’ll kept matte all day long.
