Finding the best foundations for oily skin used to mean resigning yourself to a flat, ultra-matte finish that made your face look more like a painted wall than actual skin. The good news, according to Los Angeles-based makeup artist Alexandra McCormick, is that modern formulas have moved well beyond that. ‘Extremely mattifying formulas can sometimes make the skin look flat or even encourage the skin to produce more oil throughout the day,’ she says. What works better, in her experience, is ‘a long-wearing liquid foundation with a natural or soft-matte finish’ that controls shine without making it obvious you’re wearing anything at all.
That shift in thinking matters. Oily skin doesn’t automatically call for the heaviest, most pigmented formula on the shelf. McCormick recommends oil-free or oil-controlling, long-wearing formulas with buildable coverage over anything heavy or occlusive. And if you’ve always assumed a luminous finish is off-limits, it isn’t: lightweight formulas that deliver a soft, skin-like glow are a different proposition entirely from the slick, dewy finishes that turn greasy by 10am.
Choosing the Right Foundations for Oily Skin
New Jersey-based makeup artist Lauren D’Amelio Ventre takes a similar view. ‘I don’t believe oily skin automatically dictates one specific type of foundation,’ she says, pointing to natural-matte, soft-matte, and satin finishes as forgiving starting points. What matters more is adhesion and longevity, she argues, combined with enough flexibility that the skin doesn’t look flat or rigid. A highly pigmented formula can also work in your favour here: ample coverage from a very thin layer means fewer coats, which means less opportunity for the formula to separate as oil builds up through the day.
Skin prep, Ventre says, is ‘probably one of the most underestimated parts of long-wearing makeup.’ Use just enough hydration for your complexion, let products fully absorb before reaching for foundation, and target oil control only where you actually need it, such as the forehead, nose, and between the brows, rather than mattifying everywhere. Apply foundation in the thinnest effective layers, set oil-prone zones with finely milled powder, and use a long-wear setting spray to lock everything in. And when shine eventually creeps through? ‘Blot before you powder,’ says Ventre. ‘Adding fresh powder directly over accumulated sebum can eventually create heaviness and emphasise texture, so absorb excess oil first, then press the smallest amount of powder necessary onto the area.’
Double Wear: The Long-Wear Benchmark, Now Reformulated
Any conversation about foundations for oily skin circles back eventually to Estée Lauder’s Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation. The Zoe Report notes that Estée Lauder launched the original Double Wear in 1997, and nearly three decades on, the formula has been overhauled rather than quietly retired. According to Cosmetics Business, the new version promises 36-hour colour-true wear and 72 hours of moisture maintenance, a meaningful upgrade on a foundation that was already considered a benchmark for longevity. Estée Lauder confirms the reformulated foundation now comes in 70 shades, up from the original 57, with glycerin and hyaluronic acid added for moisture and a proprietary AlgaNiacin blend of niacinamide and brown algae extract to rein in excess oil over time.
Ventre reaches for Double Wear when a complexion needs to ‘remain polished for hours without constant maintenance,’ but cautions against over-applying. ‘All you need is a thin layer and then add coverage only where it is actually necessary,’ she says. The formula uses a breathable polymer system that moves with the skin, while colour-treated micro-pigments keep your shade stable even as oil builds up through the day.
The reformulation does require a small recalibration. Allure editor in chief Jessica Cruel found the new formula noticeably more fluid than the original, meaning one or two additional drops are needed to match the original’s coverage. Shade codes have also shifted: Cruel went from 6W1 Sandalwood in the original to testing between 6W2 and 6C1 in the new version, and recommends getting matched in store before committing.
Beyond Double Wear: Other Strong Contenders
Chanel’s Ultra Le Teint ($69) uses soft-focus powders and silicones to blur pores and uneven texture, with glycerin keeping the complexion comfortable through up to 24 hours of wear, according to the brand. Contributing commerce editor Deanna Pai, who describes her skin as a ‘slip ‘n slide’ by nature, found it gave dimension and a hint of dewiness without requiring a single touch-up.
For a full-coverage option, Tarte’s Face Tape Foundation ($42) pairs hyaluronic acid with antioxidant-rich snow mushroom extract to hydrate while covering, without the dry or cakey finish that trips up many waterproof formulas. Los Angeles-based makeup artist Gregory Arlt has noted that ‘this modern formula gives the coverage and long-wear that one would need without looking or feeling like you have a mask on.’
At the drugstore end, the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation ($19) earns McCormick’s recommendation for offering buildable medium-to-full coverage ‘without feeling like a mask,’ with perlite and silica absorbing excess oil and film-forming polymers locking pigment in place across its stated 32-hour wear time. Vitamins C and E and SPF 25 round out the formula.
For powder loyalists, the MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation ($39) leads this list on shade count with 78 options. Aluminium starch, silica, kaolin, and illite clay absorb excess oil, while boron nitride and silicones give the compact a smooth, glide-y feel. McCormick singles it out for its oil control and convenience: the compact makes targeted midday touch-ups straightforward, without disrupting the rest of your base.
