The BEST Foundations For Oily Skin This Summer! All Budgets & Coverage.

It’s HOT people! We are in the midst of a heatwave right now here in the UK and our best budge-proof, sweat proof and longwear makeup is a must. I wanted to share with you some of the BEST foundations for oily skin, acne-prone skin or just of you want some great foundations and bases that wear well in the heat.

I have an oily-combination skin and have had this all my life, so I have been through a fair few (thousands) of foundations over my time. Now I prefer a light-medium and slightly glowy finish and don’t mind a bit of powder throughout the day if needed…I don’t *hate* the shine on my skin. So that’s where I stand with my personal preference but here I am covering a few different finishes, levels of coverage and BUDGET to suit all my fellow oily skin peeps.

GREAT BASES FOR OILY SKIN & HUMID CONDITIONS.

Catrice Cosmetics HD Liquid Coverage Foundation.

Full coverage. Satin-matte finish. £6.95. 20 shades.

Ok I cannot talk about this without explaining how I came across it and purchased it for just £1.95 (INCLUDING P&P!) over on a Just My Look Tik Tok live! Such a bargain and honestly, I love these Tik Tok lives as it’s a great place to pick up some absolutely bargains!

This is a lightweight foundation that delivers a full-coverage matte finish that doesn’t smudge, budge or transfer. Creating an airbrush-like effect, this long-lasting foundation acts as a second skin to produce a flawless complexion. It’s really brilliant and one of the best budget full coverage foundations out there at the moment.

IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream SPF50.

Medium-full coverage. Natural finish. 14 shades. £33

PSsssst you can get this for 20% over on Look Fantastic if you click HERE and use my code LAURA_LF – happy days!

One of my holy grail bases. This is a perfect balance of SPF, skincare, coverage and GLOW. I love it and it’s one of those bases I can always rely on to do ‘the thing’. It is an anti-ageing, skincare-infused formula that helps skin to have an airbrushed appearance, promoting a flawless look that resists creasing and cracking. it contains hydrolysed collagen, hyaluronic acid, niacin, peptides, vitamins and antioxidants, meaning it’s brimming with skin-loving goodness.

They do an oil-free version if you prefer a more matte finish, but I really love the glow and finish of the original formula.

NARS Cosmetics Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser SPF30.

Light-medium coverage. Radiant finish. 16 shades. £34

You can get this for 20% over on Look Fantastic if you click HERE and use my code LAURA_LF – and on most of NARS Cosmetics!

This advanced, oil-free formula provides a translucent veil of colour and sun protection while helping to reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation and dark spots in just four weeks. It contains vitamin C, mineral-rich seawater, antioxidants and French Polynesian Kopara to protect, hydrate and brighten the skin.

This is a really lovely tinted moisturiser that gives a natural, second-skin-like finish.

FENTY Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation.

Medium-full coverage. Satin finish. 50 goddamn shades. £30.

The most extensive shade range comes from Fenty. This foundation is still a brilliant go-to for all skin types, but veering off to the with normal-oily. It gives skin an instantly smooth, pore-diffused, shine-free finish that easily builds to medium to full coverage. This oil-free soft matte foundation is made with climate-adaptive technology that’s resistant to sweat and humidity, and won’t clog pores so that wherever you are.

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation.

Medium-full coverage. Natural finish. 35 shades. £32

You can get this for 20% off over on Look Fantastic if you click HERE and use my code LAURA_LF !

On of those foundation that I find always delivers, I have a soft spot for the Too Faced BTW foundation! It’s an oil-free formula that delivers medium-to-full coverage with a flawless finish. It is formulated with Coconut Water to help replenish moisture levels without over-hydrating, and resilient Alpine Rose, which works to brighten the look of skin and support elasticity. The foundation also boasts the moisturising properties of Hyaluronic Acid to promote a smooth, hydrated finish.

Erborian BB Cream.

Light coverage. Natural finish. 4 shades. £39.50

You can get this for 20% off over on Look Fantastic if you click HERE and use my code LAURA_LF !

The OG BB cream before the mass markets took over and it all went a li’ crazy!

This is lightweight coverage and it works to even out and mattify the base, refining tone and texture.It has a velvet lie finish as opposed to dewy/glowy that we associate with BB’s/CC’s and tinted moisturisers – that’s what makes it a bit different and why I recommend this as a light base for oily skins.

It is enriched with a blend of traditional Asian herbs, the cream offers intense hydration, moisturising and plumping the skin to visibly improve its appearance. Also formulated with Ginger, this cream invigorates and revitalises skin, while Licorice Extract targets pigmentation marks and combats dark spots. They need to bring out more shades : BB’s do stretch across tones more because of the low pigmentation but let’s have more shades.

Be + Radiance Cucumber Water Matifying Foundation.

Medium-full coverage. Matte finish. 33 shades. £26

This is a firm favourite for me at the moment. Here’s why I’m loving it ; it’s a lightweight fluid formula, almost a bit runny so it feels weightless on the skin. It gives a really nice coverage AND it is a matte finish which I don’t usually like but this some how works for me. It stays nice and fresh looking (and feeling…thanks cucumber) on the skin and it lasts really well even in these more humid conditions. Probably the least well known brand but one to definitely look into!

Silicone free, Mineral Oil Free, Fragrance free and 85% from natural ingredients.

Chantecaille Future Skin. 

Medium coverage. Dewy, natural finish. 12 shades. £75

The most expensive of my picks but not to be overlooked or sniffed at. THIS FOUNDATION IS ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITES. It’s incredible, it works on so many different skin-types and it’s a makeup artists’ secret weapon I promise :  when you want skin to look flawless, glowing, natural and have that staying power then this ticks all those boxes. One that I would use a lot of brides and red carpet! It’s a pretty special foundation.

Oil-free and packed with great skincare, this has an ultra-lightweight with a refreshing gel texture. It enhances the skin without masking, the vegan foundation features a water based-formula, enriched with hydrating aloe leaf and camellia extract. Light-reflecting pigments impart a natural-looking luminosity.

I have a super in-depth review of this foundation coming very soon with more info, before and after’s and why I love it SO very much so keep your eye peeled for that!

What is the best base for oily skin?

Honestly there are SO many to choose from nowadays and the list is endless! It also very much depends on personal preference of how you like the foundation to look, feel, what coverage you like and of course….budget! People also react so differently to ingredients and what can work for one oily skin person may not resonate with another. It can be a bit of trial and error but my advice is to swot up on reviews and try and get a sample if it is possible to do so.

How to make foundation last longer on an oily skin.

Prepping the skin is key and a good skincare routine is paramount to makeup staying on and looking it’s best. If you have dry patches, your skin is off-balance in terms of hydration and oil, slapping makeup on will probably result in problems such as patchy makeup, foundation clinging to certain areas, foundation vanishing from certain (oily) areas within hours and it seeping into pores. All these issues are very normal but can be helped with good skincare prep.

Ensure your skin is well cleansed, not stripped, well exfoliated (get those acids in your routine oily skin peeps!) and of course, well hydrated and balanced. Do not deprive your skin of hydration if you are oily, it really will make it worse.

Sometimes a good primer can really help if you are oily and have problem areas : try a mattifying one or a smoothing one if your pores become very visible : again it’s about trial and error and what primer works best with what foundation + your skin! It’s different for everyone. I am often ok without a primer (I am oily-combination and open-pored) if I have been looking after my skin.

You will need to touch up! If you are oily-combination and anything in between, don’t be fooled, we need to tweak that makeup in the day, particularly if you are going for a fuller coverage and want it to stay flawless looking. Set your makeup with a decent translucent setting powder straight after application and sling a pressed powder in your bag, maybe a concealer to touch up your base and keep it fresh-looking for longer.

Oil-free foundation for oily skin?

Not necessarily! Again, as I keep saying, it’s about preference and what formula works for you. Some of my favourites still contain oil. However, in general a water-based foundation may be of preference for an oily skin. They also tend to feel fresher on which is a big think for oily skin : it can feel quite greasy and icky quickly, especially on warmer days – if ya know ya know!

If you have acne, oil-free could definitely be a good option. Also, try and keep bases a light as you are comfortable with to let skin have breathing space : concentrate on that skincare! A mineral foundation is another good option.

So I hope you found this round-up of the best foundations for oily skin helpful! Particular in these warmer days and summer heat, we need those options to keep our skin looking gorgeous, staying flawless and of course, how we feel comfortable! Do let me know any of your favourites and any tips for makeup and oily skin : I’ll be writing more posts soon about this as there is just so much to chat about.

*This post contains press samples and affiliate links.