How to build a matte and long-lasting base for oily skin (or humid weather)

I know summer is technically over for a lot of people, but for those of us with oily or very oily skin, keeping our skin matte is a year-long ordeal that only gets more difficult with hotter and more humid weather. 

This overview of my hero products for long-lasting, mattifying, and oil-controlling makeup has been tried and tested over months and years. While it’s certainly not an exhaustive list of oil-control product, it’s what I find performs best for me for various purposes. 

Although my skin veers more into the combination-oily territory these days, I remember the days when my skin was so oily that even a combination of mattifying products would last 2 hours on me, at best. Any hint of glowy products meant that within a couple hours, it would feel like I had oil pooling on my face. 

These days I appreciate a glowy and radiant look some days, but there’s a lot of trial and error to keep my face looking naturally glowy and not greasy. But during the summer, I tend to opt towards a more matte look with very select points of highlighting to add some glow if I want it.

It’s a fine balance to achieve a matte look without looking dry or flat. The key is not to suck any bit of moisture or shine from my face, but it’s to keep any extra oils from making my face veer into the sweaty and greasy side of glowy. 

My usual preference is to maintain some of my natural glow so that my skin still looks skin like and healthy, but there are occasions when I want a full velvet matte look. There are different categories of matte finishes to me:

• Natural matte – where you’re matte only on the most oily points, like the t-zone area or nose, but leave the natural dew on areas like your cheeks. For very oily skin types (which I used to have) – this look didn’t work for me as I ended up looking oily wherever I didn’t set down to a matte finish
• Soft matte or satin matte – A light matte finish all over, but not so much that any hint of shine is taken away. Some natural radiance still exists, but any glistening slickness or greasiness is taken away. This is my preferred finish most days. 
• Velvet matte – the finish you might think of when you think matte. Any shine on the face is set down. Without any other defining products like contour or blush, this can tend to look flat, so I opt for this finish with more dramatic looks sometimes.

To achieve my non-greasy oil-controlling makeup looks, 4 steps out of my makeup routine ensure that my face stays matte and fresh all day, with a bonus 5th step:

1. SPF
2. Makeup Primer
3. Foundation
4. Powder
5. Optional: setting spray

After this base routine, I have a whole other set of strategies and products to keep my blush from fading or my eyeshadow from creasing, but I’m just focusing on base products today.

Sunscreen

While my makeup routine really starts with skincare, I find that the SPF step is the most important skincare step to set up a long lasting, no-greasy makeup routine. I find it kind of difficult to find a sunscreen that has a matte finish without a white cast, but that also doesn’t feel heavy on my skin. These are some that I’ve tried that I really like:

• Anessa Perfect UV Milk SPF 50 – I’ve worn this spf for years, and love the powdery matte finish of this chemical sunscreen.. It is extremely cosmetically elegant, meaning it glides on easily and smoothly due to its light milky texture, and sits very well under makeup. Since its a chemical formula, it doesn’t leave a white cast. Available on Amazon, or Asian beauty retailers like Stylvana and Yesstyle
• Naturium UV Reflect Antioxidant SPF 50 – The newest SPF in this list that I’ve tried, and this is a great option that you can easily find in the US. It has a milky serum texture and also glides on extra smoothly on to the skin. It leaves a soft matte finish that still leaves some radiance, but to the touch, my skin feels slightly powdery and not slick. It also helps to keep oil at bay throughout the day.. I love that this is available at Target, too.
• Shiseido Urban Environment SPF 42 – This has a similar milky feel, texture, and powdery matte finish to the Anessa Perfect UV Milk, but is just a touch heavier. However, it still feels light enough to wear on the most humid days, and also has some light oil control properties throughout the day.
• Ultra Violette Lean Screen Mineral Mattifying SPF 50 – The most matte spf I’ve ever tried. It feels slightly heavy when you first start to blend it, but it spreads out extremely well for how thick the formula looks. When I first tried it it seemed like it would be pasty, but Ultra Violette did something special with this formula to make it extremely blendable. Even though it’s a mineral SPF, there’s no hint of white cast on me. It leaves a powdery matte finish and is very effective at oil control throughout the day. The only downside is that it’s very hard to get ahold of if you’re in the US. It’s available through Harrods, but there are high shipping costs to the US.

Primer

Primer is absolutely essential to help make my makeup last longer and help control oil. With the right SPF base (like any of the SPFs listed above), I might skip primer some days, but if I’m wearing a slightly more radiant sunscreen, or I want an extra level of lasting power, primer is a must. Many of the primers I used to wear and swear by are discontinued (RIP Becca Ever Matte Primer), but these 2 are equally good:

• Glow Recipe Strawberry BHA Pore-Smooth Blur Drops – this is advertised as a serum/primer but I like to use this mostly as a primer. It does have a thinner serum consistency, but spreads really well as a primer. It doesn’t leave a super matte finish, but but tapioca starch, a great oil absorbing ingredient, is the second ingredient. I really notice a difference in how long my makeup stays matte when I use this primer, and even though it has salicylic serum, it’s gentle for me to use every day. It’s also silicone-free, if that’s something that irritates your skin. When compared to the Smashbox primer below, it makes my makeup look just a tiny bit more blurred, but the difference isn’t that noticeable.
• Smashbox Photo Finish Control Mattifying Face Primer – For those who want a more traditional primer feel that has a bit of a silicone-y slip, this Smashbox option has the same oil controlling effects throughout the day. I wore each primer on one half of my face for several days in a row and couldn’t tell a difference in how much shine had broken through by the end of the day.

Foundation 

There are so many oily-skin friendly and long-lasting foundation options on the market, and like all makeup, what works for me might not work for you. These are my tried and true foundations that I reach for consistently. The only one not mentioned specifically on this list that I’ve tried and liked on first impression is the Fenty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Foundation. I’e found it very effective during the times I’ve tried it; however it hasn’t been tried and tested thoroughly since I haven’t the right shade match.

I’ve also talked about many of these base products on my blog already. I have an in-depth review of the Chanel Water Fresh Tint, and I already did a special base roundup of where I provided mini reviews of some of these products.

Listed in order of lightest coverage to fullest coverage:

• Chanel Water Fresh Tint – This is not a matte product at all; it is a glowy tinted moisturizer with very minimal coverage, but it’s one of my all-time favorite base products because it makes your skin look radiant and healthy. And because it has a watery gel formula, it doesn’t add any extra oil to your face. It also keeps that healthy glow lasting all day for me without my skin ever veering into greasy territory. It’s also one of the most versatile products in my collection because I can wear it on its own for minimal makeup days, but it also mixes remarkably well into any of the following foundations to lighten the coverage and add just a touch of moisture. I currently wear shade Medium Plus for the summer, but year-round, Medium is usually my best match.  also available at Ulta.
• Fenty Eaze Erop – One of my favorite light coverage skin tints that has a very blurring natural matte finish. It still leaves some of my natural glow, but there’s no added glow and it doesn’t feel dewy to the touch. It also lasts a good 10 hours – so most of the day – without a noticeable amount of extra oil.  Shade 7 is my best match, though I also have shade 10 for when I have a tan.
• Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder – This is the newest base product in my collection, and I see why so many people love it. It glides on super creamy and smooth but is very light, and it is very blurring on the skin. It also leaves a natural matte finish that really stays that way all day since it’s formulated to be oil controlling.  I have shade 4, which matches me with a tan, but 3.5 is probably better for the rest of the year
• Surratt Dew Drop Foundation – One of the most incredible foundations I’ve used – it makes my skin look so healthy and the finish is remarkably skin-like. It’s more of a natural matte foundation as it does have some radiance to it, but only in the way you skin glows when it’s really moisturized and healthy..It really maintains a natural look that is longwearing and maintains my skin’s natural t glow without adding more oil or dew throughout the day. I wear shade 8.
• Kjaer Weis Cream Foundation – This cream foundation is practically made for oily skin, and it is such a versatile product. It has a drier cream formula that I like to apply in light strokes with a synthetic flat brush (their accompanying foundation brush is great for this) rather than using fingers to apply product to my face. This way I can get light to medium coverage that gives a soft matte finish and really lasts the whole day. It can be easily built up to full coverage but I like it applied more sheerly. Illusion is a near spot on match; although unfortunately the shade range is quite limited.
• Basma Foundation Stick – An incredible stick foundation that works across multiple skin types. This has natural matte coverage and also applies very skin-like. It also keeps that finish throughout the day without getting more oily on my skin. I wear shade 27, and it’s great match with neutral-olive undertones.
• Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation – One of my favorite medium-full coverage foundations. It has a satin matte finish and it wears incredibly well throughout the day. I rarely wear this on its own as I prefer light coverage for day to day wear, but it’s one of my favorite foundations to mix with the Chanel Water Fresh Tint.  I wear shade 7.5N, and it’s one of my best matches.
• Nars Soft Matte Complete Foundation – This is the most matte and full coverage foundation I own, with a velvet matte finish. Stay far away from this foundation unless you have oily or very oily skin! It’s almost too matte for me to wear on its, except in the summer when my skin is much oilier. I’ve used this on its own when I really need all day matte coverage because this stuff will keep your skin matte all day pretty much on its own, but I also like to mix this with the Chanel Water Fresh Tint to add just a little bit of moisture back into it. I wear shade Stromboli, which is a touch too warm for me but still blends in well.

Powder

Setting power is a must for me in almost every situation. I can get away without it on certain days, but when its very hot and humid I still need a powder on top of all the other mattifying products. I actually haven’t tried a ton of powders because I stick to a couple at a time, but I really love this selection.

• By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Matte Powder – One of my all-time favorite powders. It’s super light, practically weightless, and no matter how much I use, it never looks like I’ve actually applied any powder. It just tamps down the shine on my face a little bit and blurs my skin a little, but doesn’t take away any of my natural glow. This is great for more combination skin types because while it does have a natural matte finish, the hyaluronic acid in the powder can help prevent skin from getting dry, so if you have any drier spots on your face, this won’t accentuate that. I’ve used both the translucent and tinted versions and find no difference between them. In the tinted version I wear 200 Natural. They are available at Skinstore or Violet Grey.
• Chantecaille Perfect Blur Finishing Powder – This does exactly what it says it does – it blurs my skin and gives it a soft matte finish while still maintaining that barely there look. It’s more blurring than the By Terry powder and can really blur away the look of obvious pores really quickly. Since this is a pressed powder, I tend to travel with this more and bring it with me for touch-ups. 
• Colourpop Pretty Fresh powder  – A more affordable option, and this Colourpop powder also has light coverage. This is the most blurring powder I own. Anywhere I apply this, there’s a visible blurring effect that leaves a velvety matte finish. I use this more as a touch up powder than a setting powder because the extra bit of coverage can help blur any spots where my makeup might have faded. I wear shade Light 8. (and I have an affiliate code with Colourpop – code BEAUTYUNHYPED gets you $5 off your $25 order)
• Fenty Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder – Fenty Beauty really makes the best product for oily skin, and this setting and blotting powder is another oily-skin god send. It’s a pretty typical blotting powder, but it instantly mattifies your skin. I use this most as a blotting powder to touch up any shine that has broken through partway through the day. 
• Thrive Causemetics Filtered Effects Soft Focus HD Setting Powder – A powder that does what it says it does – it’s a satin matte translucent setting powder that has a slight blurring effect. This has a more matte finish than the By Terry powder and is a touch heavier, but is not by any means a heavy feeling powder. 

Setting Spray

I’ll admit that I don’t always use this step unless I need my makeup to last all day or all night without any transferring or fading. Most days, I skip this step out of pure laziness though I know it’s an essential step for many people. For this, I’ve tried a few setting sprays that all work fine, but nothing has worked as well as the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. This makes my makeup stay on as long as I need it to, and is sweat proof and transfer proof. I’ve worn this to events like weddings as well as extra long days when I need my makeup to last and it never fails me.

By layering all of these steps, I can make my makeup last on the hottest and most humid days without my base makeup completely falling apart and melting off my face. Since my skin is more combination these days, I tend to switch out some products in the winter for more hydrating primers or hydrating sunscreens. But in the summer, having these products on hand can really ensure that my makeup makes it through the day without breaking down from the oily on my face.

What are your favorite oil control products to get you through the day? 

As always, thank you for reading!