Makeup and oily skin are two things that don’t easily play well together. There’s the struggle of keeping your makeup in place and the endless worrying of triggering skin breakouts. With these problems, it can be quite tempting to just forego the makeup and go bare faced.
Unfortunately, having oily skin also means not having the most flawless skin. Apart from large pores, there’s grease and shine you have to deal with.
If you are feeling frustrated with all of these things- don’t fret. These 7 makeup tips can help you achieve great looking results while keeping your face shine-free.
1. Prep your skin
For oily skin, prepping the skin prior to makeup application is a must. It will help balance out your skin’s oiliness, especially with the right products.
To begin with, you’ll need a good toner after cleansing your face. It will absorb the excess oil on your skin without leaving it dry and dehydrated.
After your toner, be sure to moisturize.
A lot of people ditch moisturizers in fear of making their skin oilier. The truth, however, is that dehydrated skin tends to produce more oil and that can trigger more issues.
A moisturizer with hyaluronic acid is your best bet if you’re going to apply makeup on top of it. This ingredient can plump up and hydrate your skin without making you look like a grease ball a few hours after.
2. Invest in a good primer
Apply a primer. It’s not only great for keeping your makeup long lasting, but it can also create a layer between your skin and your makeup so that your pores won’t get clogged.
Apart from that, primers also work to create a more even base for your makeup, giving you a more flawless result.
Select a primer that isn’t silicone-based as that can be irritating to oily skin. Instead, pick a primer that contains salicylic acid which is great for preventing breakouts.
It’s good if you have existing acne, too.
Primers are best applied using your fingertips, but you can always choose to use a brush for proper makeup hygiene. Using your fingers will allow you to really work the product into your skin.
It can also stimulate better blood flow which translates to healthier looking skin.
3. Pick the right foundation
This is the trickiest part. When you have oily skin, most foundations can melt off quickly. You’ll end up constantly retouching throughout the day.
For this reason, your best bet are powder foundations. They can absorb grease and minimize shine without feeling too heavy on your skin.
If you’re not into powders and you prefer liquid foundations, pick one that’s water-based. Foundations that contain silica are great for your skin type, too.
Be careful in reading labels. To make sure that you don’t break out, look for foundations that have non comedogenic and non-acnegenic formulas.
4. Set your makeup
When it comes to sealing your makeup, the best powder for oily skin is loose powder. It soaks up more oil than pressed powder.
One technique you can use is baking. It’s basically just applying translucent powder on the areas of your face that tend to oil up more, like your T-zone area and chin.
Once applied, leave it there for about 10 minutes. You can use this time to do the rest of your makeup.
After such time, you can dust off the powder using a brush. It’s supposed to help you get a creaseless, shine-free and flawless result.
Baking doesn’t just work well with foundations. You can also use it with other makeup bases.
However, although effective for most makeup bases, you still need to find the right products for your skin type. Take, for example, BB creams.
Despite providing wonderful benefits, baking won’t still be able to control your oil if you’re using a bb cream that’s formulated for those with dry skin. To get the best results, use the best BB cream for oily skin with this technique.
Aside from powder, you can also use a makeup setting spray. Just make sure that you pick one that has a mattifying property.
Pro-tip: Avoid using powders with shimmers.
5. Blot away
For oily skin, blotting papers can be your best friend. They can absorb excess oil without ruining or disturbing your makeup.
To use blotting papers, you need to press one sheet firmly against the skin. You need to pay close attention to your oilier areas.
Avoid dragging the sheet over your skin. Remember, you only need to press the sheet- or else you’ll wear off your makeup.
Wait for a few seconds before lifting the sheet and moving on to the next area. You need to allow the blotting paper to fully absorb the excess oil.
You’ll see the sheet working if it turns transparent. Once it’s loaded with oil, use another sheet.
6. Choose a matte blush
Since your skin is already oily, skip the shimmers as they can only make you look shinier. A matte blush will give you that healthy glow without leaving you like a grease ball.
Choose powder blush for your skin type as it can last longer on your skin. As a powder, it can also help reduce excess shine.
But, if you really want a cream blush, make sure to set it properly by dusting some translucent powder over your cheeks. The powder will mattify the cream blush and prevent it from moving around.
7. Use minimal layers of makeup
Because it’s greasy and shiny, oily skin doesn’t really serve as a great makeup base so try to use as minimal layers of makeup as possible.
If you pack on too much foundation and powder, it will only make your skin look cakey or, worse, your makeup can just melt off. These are two things you wouldn’t want to happen to you if you’re attending a very important event or you’re out on a special date.
“Hannah Do is the founder of Thank Your Skin, a beauty blog dedicated to provide honest skin care advice and information. She aspires to help her readers achieve their most beautiful skin by sharing personal tips learned through both years of experience and thorough research. Check out ThankYourSkin.com to learn more about her work. You can find her on Twitter, Pinterest and Face