How to Make Your Foundation Look Flawless if You Have Oily Skin

Flawless foundation provides even coverage with a smooth skin-like appearance. Getting an exact color match, texture and formula are the best ways to ensure a flawless look, but having oily skin affects all these factors. Foundation often darkens as it settles on oily skin and product slides off easily or sinks into open pores. Choosing the right product helps to combat this and creates a flawless finish. Preparing skin for makeup application is also important. Does this Spark an idea?

Choosing a Foundation

Select oil-free foundation formulas to sample.

Try on foundation before buying, leaving it to settle for at least a few minutes. Some foundations for oily skin oxidize as they dry, making it easy to buy the wrong color. If you want to buy a drug-store foundation, which cannot be tested, contact the brand directly to obtain a sample.

Blend a dab of product over the side of your cheek and jaw, checking that it glides over skin with a smooth texture.

Leave the foundation on your skin for a few minutes to let the color settle before judging if it matches.

Preparation

Cleanse skin to remove excess oil. Use your regular cleanser or one designed to clean oily skin thoroughly, such as an oil cleanser for makeup wearers.

Pat just enough oil-free moisturizer over your face to absorb fully, leaving skin supple and providing a smooth base for makeup.

Smooth on a dab of oil-free foundation primer, without rubbing. This stops oily skin from repelling makeup and also prevents foundation from sinking in to enlarged pores.

Application

Smooth on your chosen foundation, using a brush or sponge but not fingers. Fingertip application can add extra oil to skin and stop foundation adhering.

Build extra cover over blemishes or under the eyes with concealer, dotted on with a brush.

Press translucent loose powder over foundation, to set the base and give a long-lasting natural finish. Apply with a powder-puff, rolled over the skin in a rocking movement. This bonds the powder to makeup without making it look chalky.

Tips

- Exfoliating masks with alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), or salycilic acid, smooth the skin and help to keep oily pores clean. This prevents blemishes, making flawless makeup application easier. Use an exfoliating mask twice a week to maintain a smooth, bright complexion.

- Daylight is the best light for checking a foundation color match.

- Oily skin can still get dehydrated and flaky, which prevents foundation from looking smooth. Use hydrating oil-free skincare and makeup to remedy this.

- For photos, in hot weather or for long days, dot anti-shine gel over makeup as needed. This is available from professional makeup stores and contains micro-particles to soak up excess oil. This maintains the flawless look of foundation without the need to cake on extra layers of powder.

Warning

- Prevent blackheads by removing makeup every evening, using a wash-off cleanser designed for makeup wearers with oily skin. The most efficient of these are usually oil cleansers, which offer a deep clean but do not strip the skin.