Do a Google search for “best oily skin foundation” and you’ll get a list of dozens of beauty magazines all rounding up all of their favorites. But which foundation is the one all-around best pick that 5 major beauty editors can agree on? Find out below!
I’m naturally curious when it comes to rounding up the best products in the category, and wonder if any of these beauty editors can agree on their pick for the best foundation for Oily Skin types.
Turns out, there is one clear winner.
Best Overall Foundation for Oily Skin
Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Elle, The Cut, and Marie Claire all included Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation in their roundup of the best foundation for Oily Skin.
Benefits of this foundation included:
- Cosmopolitan liked that it was lightweight
- The Cut named it its Best Overall foundation for Oily Skin
- Elle liked that it leaves you with full coverage and ultra matte skin
- Bonus: it’s also the #1 Best Selling Foundation for Oily Skin on Sephora’s website
Best Drugstore Foundation
Three of the websites on Google’s front page results gave the best Drugstore Foundation for Oily Skin to L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Liquid Longwear Foundation Makeup.
Beauty editors from Elle, Good Housekeeping, and The Cut agree this is a lightweight, creamy foundation that offers full coverage, doesn’t budge, and won’t break the bank.
Honorable Mentions
Covergirl and Maybelline also have options if you’re looking for a wallet-friendly foundation.
Covergirl’s Outlast All-Day Stay Fabulous Foundation is a triple-duty primer/concearler/foundation in one. It’s a liquid foundation that comes in 13 shades and offers medium coverage.
If staying power is more important to you than a multi-purpose product, try Covergirl’s Clean Matte Liquid Foundation.
Maybelline’s Fit Me! Matte + Poreless foundation comes in 40 shades and provides extra benefit of blurring out pores and offering a matte, shine-free finish.
If a stick foundation is more your jam, consider the Fit Me! Shine-free and Balance which has a anti-shine powder core in the middle. This would be great to take for touch-up’s on the go.
Best Foundation for Acne-Prone Concerns
Although Oily Skin does not necessarily mean Acne-Prone Skin like we learned in this post the frequency that Oily Skin type people experience breakouts tend to be higher than other skin types.
Clinique’s Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup includes salicylic acid, which helps to dissolve oil and dead skin cells that could clog your pores. This means it double-duties as a makeup and acne treatment in one product
Other ingredients in this foundation that’s Oily Skin friendly include hyaluronic acid, which helps to hydrate the skin and keep the skin from producing excess oil. It also helps the foundation apply more smoothly.
Best Long-Lasting Foundations for Oily Skin
3 out of 5 of the beauty editors agreed that Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation is a winner if you’re looking for makeup to last 15 hours – that’s all day and possibly into the night!
Marie Claire likes that it is full coverage but can be lightened up when mixed with some moisturizer.
Elle was impressed that its lasting power works even in heat and humidity. Those of you in humid, warmer areas take note!
Bonus: Estee Lauder Double Wear is also the #3 Best Selling Foundation for Oily Skin on Sephora.
Honorable Mention
MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof Foundation got mentioned in 2 of the 5 editors’ lists. It’s a little more budget friendly compared to Estee Lauder but you also get 5ml less product. (Always pay attention to product size when price comparing!)
Elle was impressed that even though this tube seems small, a little actually goes a long way.
Best Loose Powder Mineral Foundation
If liquid foundation is not your preference, try a lightweight breathable loose powder foundation.
2 out of the 5 editors agree that bareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation with SPF 15 is best for natural looking coverage.
Good Housekeeping touts bare Minerals as setting the standard for best powder in the Good Housekeeping Beauty Lab Test. It’s a buildable, sheer to full coverage that comes in 30 shades so you’re likely to find one that suits your needs.
Honorable Mention
Cosmopolitan cites Sephora’s own private-label Sephora Collection Matte Perfection Powder Foundation as a “no-brainer if you have oily skin.”
At $20, it’s also a bit cheaper than bare Minerals option at $32.
Best Luxury Foundations
Lightweight, full coverage and hydrating
Cosmopolitan was impressed by the secret ingredient of this Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Youthful Foundation: snow mushrooms.
Long-lasting and photogenic
Although they didn’t agree on the same Laura Mercier foundation, editors from The Cut and Cosmopolitan both agreed that the brand offered a good option for Oily Skin types.
Cosmopolitan’s pick: Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation (go for this one if lasting power is more important)
The Cut’s pick: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Oil Free Foundation (go for this one if coverage is more important)
Helps absorb oil throughout the day
Editors from both Cosmopolitan and Elle both love the Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder foundation.
It’s a liquid that drys to a smooth, powder finish, mattifying, and oil free. One of the pricier options of the list at $56, but I know from experience that Hourglass products provide excellent coverage and quality.
For airbrushed-like skin
Elle editors recommend Huda Beauty’s #FauxFilter Foundation, which also happens to be the #2 Best Selling foundation for Oily Skin on Sephora’s list.
Available in 30 shades and gives a full, natural coverage.
Bonus: It also has Argan Oil and Centella Asiatica, both skin-benefitting ingredients known for hydration and calming effects.
Weightless and convenient
Bobbi Brown’s formulas are known to be long-lasting and versatile.
If a natural, no makeup look is what you’re going for, try Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation. It’s a sheer, lighter coverage formula.
Another one of the editors favorites include the ultra-convenient Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation which is formulated with a hydrating shea butter base and oil-absorbing minerals and powders.
Best Clean Formula Foundation
Ilia True Skin Serum Foundation made it to both Cosmopolitan and The Cut’s list for best clean and natural formula.
This is a plant-based formula with a light serum-like texture that won’t feel heavy or greasy.
Best Vegan Formula Foundation
Editors at The Cut noticed that there are 14,000+ and counting reviews of KVD’s Vegan Beauty Lock-It Foundation.
Reviewers love that it stays matte for hours without touch-ups. It’s a vegan formula, cruelty free and comes in 30 shades. A Sephora exclusive, it’s a full coverage liquid foundation.
Cheat Sheet to pin for later
