Foundations for Sensitive and Combination/Oily Skin

I would love to have tested all the foundations for this post but that’s not going to happen. I’ve narrowed it down to one’s that don’t irritate or cause any breakouts. There’s a couple that can make my skin feel oily if my skin’s unbalanced. So, if you’re really oily I’d be weary of them. I’ll give a full description below. Overall though, I’ve found them all to be brilliant for my sensitive skin. By sensitive I mean: has red patches, breaks out easily, large pores (on my nose) and easily irritated. Otherwise my skin is oily around the t-zone and normal/sensitive elsewhere, mainly. Unless I’m hormonal, *sigh*.

Okay, so here they are. I’ll start with the ones that really suit my oily/combination skin and still currently one of my favourite foundations: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup SPF 10, it’s such a good base for oily skins. This is a medium-full coverage foundation which can look heavy if not applied right. For a lighter and more natural application I really like the Beauty Blender. Initially I wasn’t buying into the whole hype with the Beauty Blender, I mean, how different can it be to a normal sponge? Well, it’s a lot different. It gives such a flawless finish, perfect for heavier foundations  I haven’t tried it though but I reckon it might be perfect for the warmer months. Double Wear is oil-free, dermatologist-tested, non-acnegenic and fragrance free. Due to its longevity I recommend giving a thorough cleanse. This doesn’t break me out, cause irritation or anything else nasty. It’s extremely long-wearing and doesn’t oxygenate on my skin. I really rate this foundation.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 is another foundation I’ve found that works brilliantly with combination/oily. This might be a bit controversial as many people find that MAC breaks them out, but I haven’t found this to be the case. It is a long-wearing foundation so again a good cleanse is needed, maybe this is where the breakout happens? I dunno. Anyway, this isn’t as thick as Double Wear but it’s still a good medium to full coverage. Although, personally I don’t think it’s as full as Double Wear. MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 doesn’t cause any extra oiliness around my t-zone and I find this comfortable to wear. I know that lots of folk have an issue with the colour so due to that and the possible irritation I really recommend getting a decent size sample of this. But personally I don’t have any issues with this, so it’s a yes from me. (This is oil-free)

I’m starting to move into an area that might not suit the really oily among us but I’ve found these foundations to be brilliant for sensitivity. Firstly Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. This can cause a bit of oiliness around my t-zone but it’s such a lovely finish and has good wear-time that I’m going to include it. Oily-skins beware though, I’m not sure how it’d fair on your skin. I find it brilliant for sensitive skin though. If I’m having a bit of a flare-up and don’t want to go bare-skinned I always choose this or Nars. Silk Creme doesn’t block my pores or cause irritation but it does a brilliant job at covering redness and evening skin tone. It’s non-comedogen, oil and fragrance-free.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, like Laura Mercier, doesn’t cause my skin irritation and doesn’t break me out. There’s also a Sheer Matte version for really oily-skin. I went for Sheer Glow because I just didn’t want a too matte finish. Surprisingly this doesn’t really bother my t-zone. I do need to powder every now and then. But it stays in place and feels comfortable. So, if you’re not too oily Sheer Glow might be perfect otherwise Sheer Matte is worth a try. Both are fragrance-free and non-comedogenic.

Oily-skins should tread carefully hereafter. I’m including these last two because I’ve not found them to cause irritation or spots on my skin. However, these don’t last too well on my skin and need a good bit of setting and prep if you want longevity. YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation gives the most beautiful natural finish. It’s light-reflective and all glowy. I don’t think oily-skins will be able to handle this though, unless a really good mattifying primer is used. This does contain fragrance so sensitive skins should also be wary. I haven’t had any problems with this though, again I really recommend a sample of this.

Finally, Liz Earle Signature Foundation. Described as being suitable for all skin types. In my humble opinion it’s not suited for oily skins. Even on mine, which can play nice sometimes, it doesn’t last. This probably due to the oils it contains. It has vitamin e, soya bean oil and synthetic beeswax which makes for a very slippy base. The reason I’m including it is because I’ve found it to be quite good for sensitivity. I’d step wisely with this though. Liz Earle are pretty good at samples so definitely do get one before purchase.

Phew, I really appreciate it if you’ve made it this far! I wanted to give a good overview of what I’ve found works best for my sensitive and oily/combination skin. I hope this is helpful to you in some way.

Thanks to @amanda_J_hewson for the inspiration for this post!

Have you got any recommendations for me?