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If you’re new to the make-up world, you need to know about foundation. It is a cosmetic product applied on the face to get a flawless and uniform complexion. Plus, the foundation base will let you do your make-up noticeably better, depending on your skin type.
You will see foundations available in different skin tone colors to match exactly with your skin tone. Compared to concealer, which is specially applied on specific areas of the face, you can apply foundation on your entire face and neck area for great coverage. If you want to buy the top foundations for oily skin in 2024, you can have a look at the following products that will have you looking great.
Our Picks of the Top Foundations for Oily Skin in 2024
Meifen Foundation — Best Overall
Key Features
- It will hide tattoos, redness, or anything else on your face
- Helps you reduce any imperfections, like uneven skin tone and eye circles
- Contains moisturizing repair composition to protect skin for a great look
To hide the uneven blemishes on your skin, you should try out this soft matte long-wear foundation. It blends easily with all skin types, so you’ll get a flawless look that will last all day and night.
Most importantly, it is waterproof and will stay on your face throughout the day, no matter what your daily activities are. It will provide an oil-free look due to its oil-controlling feature, but it won’t weigh down your face, as it is lightweight and blends well.
COVERGIRL BB Cream — Best Lightweight Option
Key Features
- A lightweight matte that hides blemishes and provides an even skin tone
- The water-based cream is easy to apply and blends well on your skin
- Available in different shades
- No clogging of pores
Show off your beautiful and shine-free skin with this Matte BB cream foundation. Its lightweight and water-based formula will easily blend well on your skin and allow your skin to breathe.
You will get the best coverage for an even skin tone, as it hides all the blemishes and provides you with a shine-free look all day long. More importantly, the formula is non-comedogenic and oil-free.
Revlon Foundation — Longest-Lasting Option
Key Features
- Will last for about 24 hours with proper coverage
- You can wear it with your mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and lipstick for a great look
- Available in 43 different shades
- The liquid foundation is waterproof, sweat-, and humidity-resistant
This foundation provides you with long-lasting shine control for an even and flawless finish. It is oil-free and has a lightweight formula for combination or oily skin types, preventing any oil absorption and shine.
It has a mess-free application and also provides SPF protection. In addition, you get full coverage, as the foundation blends perfectly on your skin.
Maybelline Foundation — Best Shade Options
Key Features
- Ingredients are meant to tackle oil and acne-prone skin
- You will get a completely matte look that will last longer
- It will refine the pores, providing a more natural look
- Lightweight
This poreless liquid foundation will match well with the skin tone and texture of any individual. Great for those with oily or normal skin types, this foundation has medium coverage and is lightweight as well.
It is made with clay and micro powder that blur pores and stop shine for the rest of the day. You can get it in thirty-seven different shades, with each shade being non-comedogenic, dermatological, and allergy-tested.
Urban Decay Foundation — Best Buy
Key Features
- The waterproof formula hides blemishes on your skin for a perfect look
- Absorbs the oil on your skin, reducing any shine
- Perfect shades in a wide variety to match with different skin tones
- The foundation is vegan, paraben, and cruelty-free
This oil-free foundation will provide you with complete coverage thanks to its modern matte finish that brings out your best look. It lasts well into the night, giving you a mesmerizing look.
The formula contains an increased amount of pigment, three times more than the competition, which means longer-lasting results. Most importantly, you don't have to apply multiple layers for your face to look great.
Buyer's Guide to Finding the Top Foundations for Oily Skin
Skin type varies from person to person! It can be oily, dry, combination, sensitive, and much more! When buying a cosmetic product, the skin type plays a vital role in selecting the right product. With that in mind, foundation is essential and its selection should be made based on your skin type.
Do you have oily skin? If so, the buyer's guide below will explain all the important information one should know to buy the perfect foundation for their everyday use.
What Various Skin Types Do People Have?
Before selecting a foundation, you should know about various skin types in order to pick the proper foundation for the best results. Each foundation you will buy will have different coverage, and its compatibility will depend on the skin type:
Normal
It means that skin is not oil or dry. This skin type has a small pore size, smooth texture, and good elasticity, making it compatible with most cosmetic products.
Dry
It refers to dehydrated skin. Such skins will lack elasticity and will provide a tight feeling. Due to the absence of moisture, the tiny pores will be more visible. You should buy moisture-enhancing cosmetic products if you have dry skin.
Oily
These people have an overproduction of oil on their skin. The oil will lock the moisture and make your skin prone to acne, blackheads, building dead cells, and blemishes. On oily skin, the large pores are very prominent. In this case, you should buy cosmetic products that are made for oily skin.
Sensitive
People with sensitive skin are prone to allergic reactions to ingredients that might be harmless to other skin types.
Combination
It is a mixture of dry and oily skin. The skin in the T-zone is oily while being dry in areas like the eyes and cheeks. You have to be careful when applying cosmetics to combination skin. Do your research and use trial and error to find out what products work well with your skin type if you have combination skin.
What Different Types of Foundations Can You Buy?
Now we will look at the different forms of foundation that will be compatible with your different types of skin:
Liquid
You will get very sheer to heavy coverage. This type will offer you a silky and smooth finish while still providing a natural feel and look.
It will not feel too heavy and thick on your face. Plus, you will get good coverage and it is ideal for every skin type.
Cream
It is effortless to apply due to its smooth texture. The texture is thick and very pigmented, making it convenient to build coverage with minimal cream.
Cream foundation is the right pick for you to get moderate to heavy coverage! This foundation will last longer and comes with moisturizing properties, making it suitable for normal and dry skin types.
Compact
With a mixture of cream and powder foundation, you get the qualities of two products in one package. You can apply with great ease and it offers sheer to heavy coverage based on how you apply.
When you apply it using a dry powder sponge, it produces sheer and light coverage. For a matte finish with heavy coverage, use a damp powder sponge. This is ideal for combination, normal, and oily skin types.
Matte
Matte is suitable for moderate to heavy coverage over an extended time period. It is very thick due to the concentrated texture, making it ideal for combination, oily, and normal skin types.
Illuminating
It will provide you with a natural glow due to its formulation, as it contains reflective properties. The ingredients included are pearls and crushed minerals. It offers moderate to heavy coverage and a subtle shimmer to your skin. It is great for dry, combination, and standard skin types.
Mineral
Mineral is perfect for sensitive skin types because it is made with skin-friendly ingredients. It comes in a powder form, which is best for use with a kabuki brush. Plus, you’ll get flawless coverage without covering your pores or forming wrinkles.
Stick
It has a thick texture that gives moderate to heavy coverage. Convenient to use due to its portability, it is highly pigmented and has a concealer feature as well inside its formula. It is ideal for combination and standard skin types.
What Are Things to Remember When Purchasing a Foundation for Oily Skin?
You should keep the following things in mind when buying a foundation for your oily skin:
Type of foundation
For oily skin, we recommend picking either compact, liquid, mineral, or matte foundation. Also, consider how you will apply your foundation and if you’ll need to use your foundation while on the go.
Go for a skin-friendly formulation
Pick a formula that will be best for your oily skin. Read the label to figure out if the formulation is oil-free. We’d like to note that oil-free means that the foundation contains no mineral or synthetic oil and plants.
Type of coverage
Different products by various brands will provide coverage starting from ultra-sheer to heavy or full coverage. You should know the intent of your use. If it is for regular use, the foundation should provide coverage ranging from light to moderate.
Look for bonus features
Buy foundations that provide you with additional features, such as SPF protection. Some also double as concealers, giving you properties of two products in one. In addition, some also offer anti-aging features to target fine lines, age spots, and wrinkles.
Try the tester
Check the tester available in the store. Apply it on your jawline instead of applying it in your hand. Always check it below the natural light. You will be able to tell if you have the perfect shade if that foundation disappears by thoroughly blending it into your skin.
How Much Does a Foundation for Oily Skin Cost?
A foundation for oily skin has a price point between $2 to $40. The variation in the price is due to the quantity of the product, packaging (in the form of a stick vs. another form), brand, and the features you get.
Some foundations have SPF content, anti-aging properties, and work as a concealer as well. Such foundations will cost you a lot more than the standard ones. As it is your face, you should always prefer buying quality products from reputable brands to avoid skin problems.