Makeup for oily skin

July 7, 2005 4:07 PM

Can anyone recommend a good foundation with SPF for oily skin?

I don't really wear makeup very often, but have been thinking about getting a good foundation with SPF to wear in the summertime because the sun makes my skin blotchy instead of tan, and I don't like the way it looks. I don't want to wear anything too oily or pore-clogging because I have oily skin in the T-zone area (shiny by midday), and break out occasionally. This thread had a lot of helpful suggestions in it, but not specifically addressing the oily skin issue, which is a big one for me. Also, do you put powder on over foundation to cover up spots that get oily during the day?

posted by matildaben to clothing, beauty, & fashion (10 comments total)

Its mentioned in that thread, but Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals really is a great product. (disclaimer: previous employee here)

My sister is an oily-faced teenager living in humid Central Florida and loves the stuff - her face really does look much better (less oil) now that she uses it. She uses their entire product line, from the foundation to the concealer stuff, but she really loves their mineral veil, which seems to be her biggest defense against the shine.

Now she's just angry that she actually has to pay full price for the stuff now . . .
posted by Boydrop at 4:39 PM on July 7, 2005

Oh yeah, just saw your last question at the end there . . .

From what I remember from our "how to" DVDs we sent out with the full makeup kits, you are supposed to put the mineral veil on after the foundation. I'm sure you can put more on throughout the day because there isn't much (if any) color in it.

Wow. I learned more than I realized working there . . .
posted by Boydrop at 4:47 PM on July 7, 2005

What works for me is to first put on a non-oily SPF (Clarins UV Plus SPF 40 Day Screen), let it dry, and then over it use a foundation without SPF. I find the foundations with SPF in them to be inherently oily. Throughout the day I also use a pressed powder to dry up any shine that appears.
posted by xo at 4:51 PM on July 7, 2005

Depending on how much coverage you want, I would look at Prescriptives' Virtual Skin or Traceless, both have SPF (10 and 8 respectively). I too wear a moisturizer with SPF 15 or 30 everyday. I don't think that I wear enough foundation to really provide sun protection.
posted by picklebird at 5:21 PM on July 7, 2005

I second the Bare Escentuals/Bare Minerals suggestion with SPF 15 (and I'm not a former employee). Yes, it has its own infomercial, but it's totally legit and I get lots of compliments on my skin. If you want to test drive some stuff before investing, both Sephora and Ulta sell it and have samples out.

Oh, and Origins sells some good mattifying products that aren't foundations, but keep you from looking oily. They're good in the summer if you want to skip foundation entirely on hot days and just put it on over an SPF moisturizer.
posted by awegz at 5:31 PM on July 7, 2005

What is a "mattifying product"?
posted by matildaben at 5:39 PM on July 7, 2005

Why don't you try Colorscience powdered sunscreen for SPF?

As for oily skin, Kiehls Blue Herbal Moisturizer is incredible for oily skin and works really well under foundation. Another great product for oily skin is Smashbox Anti-Shine, it comes in tinted and clear. Finally, my absolute favorite foundation is Youngblood mineral powder foundation (it is loose powder). I like it better than Bare Minerals because Bare Minerals has micah or some sort of glittery material in it and for some reason that ends up making my skin look much shinier.

I'm not aware of any (liquid) foundations that work well on oily skin or do a great job of oil control.
posted by necessitas at 6:56 PM on July 7, 2005

Which Foundation Type is Best For You?
Makeup Application Step-by-Step

Both links go to the website of Paula Begoun, author of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, which I also highly recommend.
posted by invisible ink at 7:03 PM on July 7, 2005

Mattifying product: basically anything that's sole purpose is to make your face look less oily/shiny. It's a general term that could refer to a gel, liquid, lotion, etc.

I use Origins Zero Oil, which is pretty liquid-y, but it looks like they have lotions that do the same thing.
posted by awegz at 8:32 PM on July 7, 2005

I find the Body Shop Mineral Based Sunscreens good. It doesn't make me break out like regular sunscreen, it's chemical free and you can put in on over your moisturiser as it doesn't need to bond to your skin. Because it has some kind of finely ground mineral in it it seems to absorb sweat and almost acts as full face concealer: I like it!
posted by fshgrl at 2:00 AM on July 8, 2005