Foundation comes in all shapes, sizes, shades, and packaging! Most of the foundations that we see today are liquid foundations, but we shouldn’t forget about the world of powder. Powder foundations can be an awesome way to achieve a smooth, even complexion with a natural or matte finish. Powder is also a great way to control oil visibility! We’re going to walk you through the best powder foundation for oily skin.
What Is Powder Foundation?
Powder foundation is a dry foundation formula. It usually comes in a compact with a hinged lid, and it sometimes comes with an application sponge or brush. It serves the same purpose as a liquid foundation, it’s just in a different form!
Powder foundations are made of finely ground pigments. They are sold in pressed form meaning the powder is in a block, and you have to rub it with your brush or sponge to loosen and pick up the product. This is an important detail as there are some pigmented powders on the market that are loose in their container. These are most likely tinted setting powder that does NOT do the same thing as a powder foundation.
The goal of powder foundation is to provide a range of coverage to even skin tone and mask imperfections!
How Do I Know If I Have Oily Skin?
There are varying levels of oily skin, but all people with oily skin experience an overproduction of sebum. Throughout the day, people with oily skin will notice visible oil or a sheen on their faces. Oily skin is a normal and very common skin type, and it doesn’t always cause issues. If you are unsure about what is causing your oiliness, check out this list.
Sometimes people with extremely oily skin can experience acne and clogged pores, but that isn’t always the case. It isn’t all bad either! People with oily skin are reported to get fine lines and show signs of aging at a slower rate than people with other types of skin. I call that a win!
To test and see if you have oily skin, go about your day as you usually would. Then, in the afternoon or evening, look in the mirror and look at your skin. If there is a sheen or glow, you might have oily skin.
Oil gets produced during the day, so if you are wearing makeup it could start to move because of the oil coming from underneath. This could be a problem, but luckily oily skin is so common that thousands of makeup products are developed JUST to prevent this!
11 Best Powder Foundations for Oily Skin
We are going to list the 11 best foundations for oily skin. We’ve broken them up into price categories, so you can find a product that works on any budget!
Best Budget Powder Foundations for Oily Skin (Under $20)
L’Oreal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Foundation in a Powder
You might remember this from our list of best drugstore foundations! While it’s suitable for all skin types, Infallible Fresh Wear is supercharged with mattifying powers just for oily skin. This is one of the few full-coverage powder foundations that fight against cakiness.
It is lightweight and comes in 20, natural matte shades. Because it is waterproof, heatproof, AND sweatproof, it can control that late-in-the-day shine that oily skin has. With Infallible Fresh Wear, you can have up to 24 hrs of shine-free skin perfection!
BLK/OPL TRUE COLOR Pore Perfections Crème Powder Foundation
This super unique formula comes in a compact, applies like a cream, and dries down to a natural powdery finish! Because it comes as a cream, BLK/OPL was able to sneak in some super hydrating ingredients like aloe, vitamin e, and vitamin c.
It is also formulated to be hypoallergenic, so it’s great for my oily-skinned people that struggle with acne or other inflammatory conditions. There are 8 shades, most of which cater to those with darker complexions.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Camo Powder Foundation
Coming in 16 shades, e.l.f.’s Camo Powder is sure to have a shade match for you. If the name sounds familiar, you might remember seeing the brand’s Camo Concealer on our list of the best drugstore concealers. The unique thing about this powder foundation is that it provides a natural finish while still keeping oil under control!
As a plus, this powder is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog pores; however, according to users, you will still get that flawless, “airbrushed” finish.
Milani Conceal + Perfect Shine-Proof Powder
Milani Conceal + Perfect is one of our favorite drugstore product lines, so it’s no surprise that the powder foundation made it on this list! This vegan, medium-coverage powder is specially formulated with bamboo powder which absorbs oil instead of just covering it.
Available in 9 shades, this powder foundation allows for buildable coverage without the heaviness! As a bonus, this can serve as your one and only skin makeup product as it combines foundation, concealer, and setting powder. Talk about a deal!
Best Mid-Priced Powder Foundations for Oily Skin (Under $40)
MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
This product is sure to ring some bells for my ‘90s babies! MAC Studio Fix has been an industry staple for decades and for good reason. Studio Fix is hard to beat with is 48 shades of ultra-matte finish that lasts up to 12 hrs. While controlling that oily shine, this powder foundation also resists humidity and sweat.
It’s an acne-friendly choice with years and years (and years) worth of positive reviews. This might just be our favorite on the whole list (Shhh! Don’t tell the rest)!
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Powder Foundation
Rihanna is known for her skin tone inclusivity, but ever we’re shocked by the number of shades available! Pro Filt’r comes in 50 (yes, you read that correctly. FIFTY!) shades ranging from the lightest of lights to the darkest of darks. Along with being oil, sweat, and humidity resistant, Fenty’s powder foundation is crease resistant making it ideal for all-day wear.
This is also one of the few powder foundations that is light coverage at its core. You can build it to be full coverage or anywhere in between. If you aren’t sold yet, it’s also vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free.
Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation
Stay-Matte is oil-free and oil-absorbing, so it’s perfect for even the oiliest of skin. As with most Clinique products, this powder foundation has been tested by dermatologists and confirmed to be both hypoallergenic and non-acnegenic. This means it doesn’t cause acne!
There are 10 available shades, and if you purchase it through Ulta’s Reward Program they might just throw in a free sample product with it!
ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Turn Up the Base Versatile Powder Foundation
ONE/SIZE is a relatively new brand compared to others on this list, but the beauty industry has spoken and agreed that it’s a winner! This powder foundation gives the skin a soft-matte blurring finish to conceal any imperfections and keep that unwanted shine at bay.
All 33 shades of Turn Up the Base are formulated with ingredients like silk rice, microspheres, and triple-milled micronized pigments to give all skin types 12 full hours of medium-coverage wear.
Best Luxury Powder Foundations for Oily Skin ($40 and above)
Gucci Matte Beauty Powder
You can’t mention luxury without Gucci coming up, and — luckily for us — their powder foundation is actually great! They offer 11 shades of lightweight, buildable coverage and boast their product’s ability to smooth texture and control oil.
It contains micro-reflecting lamellar powders which give the skin a glow like you wouldn’t believe! The price tag may be a bit much for some, but if you’re able to splurge we highly recommend doing so on this powder foundation.
Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Foundation Powder
Laura Mercier really put the power in the hands of the consumer with this powder foundation! It is a customizable powder, meaning that users can choose whether they want anywhere from sheer to full coverage, a matte to radiant finish, or a wet or dry application. That’s a lot of choices!
Smooth Finish comes in 20 shades with a formula that moves with your skin giving it an air-like feel. There are no oils or fragrances, so it’s especially for sensitive skin.
Dior Diorskin Forever Perfect Matte Powder Foundation
Promising an “extreme” matte finish with medium to full coverage, Dior’s powder foundation is a heavy hitter. This extra thin powder absorbs oil throughout the day. You can put this on as your skin makeup in the morning or use it as touch-up powder during the day.
With only 8 shades on the lighter end of the spectrum, this powder foundation is not for everyone. For those who can find their shade, you are sure to find smoothed complexion and a stark reduction in oil visibility.
Final Words on Powder Foundations for Oily Skin
Powder foundation is an easy way to get the coverage you want without having to worry about skin oiliness showing through! There are tons of products available, but these are the best of the best when it comes to shine control. Remember that oily skin is normal and oh-so-common, so there will always be products made specifically for you.
A word of advice when using powder foundation: try and limit the amount of skin makeup you put on top of the powder as cakiness is a concern. Stay away from liquid concealer on top of the product!
We hope this list is helpful and hope you find a great powder foundation that lets you feel comfortable in your skin all day and night!
Simone is a graduate of Georgetown University and a skincare enthusiast. Her favorite skincare product is currently COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. In addition to her passion for cosmetics, Simone loves to spend time outdoors.