Best Foundations to Use if You Have Combination Skin

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Dealing with combination skin can be tricky — especially when it comes to foundation. It is important to keep your oily areas clear and shiny while keeping the drier areas smooth and not cakey. The T-zone, which includes the forehead, nose, and chin, is the oilier area. They may also be more porous, which can mean you’ll be able to see them more there than on the cheeks. You may be wondering if you’ll need to use two foundations on different parts of the face, but when you find the right one, you don’t have to go through all of that extra work!

What Foundations are Best for Combination Skin?

An oil-free foundation is what you should look for. There’s no use in adding more oil to your skin when you’re aiming to control it. This makes sense, right! There are other ways to keep your skin properly moisturized. Us to our next important point — hydration. There are many matte finishes foundations that can still deliver moisture. This is great for both oily and dry parts of the skin. These details were important to us when selecting the best foundations for combination skin. We also included other features that make each one different. Find your perfect match below!

11 Amazing Foundations that Work for Combination Skin

NARS Soft Matte Complete Foundation

Even though it is a matte foundation it will still leave your skin looking and feeling natural. It also lasts incredibly long, so you don’t have to worry about constant touch-ups that leave you packing on more product — which may start looking cake-y.

Pros 

• Long-lasting
• Velvet, natural matte finish
• Oil control
• Amazing shade range

Cons 

Available at: Sephora

IT Cosmetics Bye-Bye Foundation Oil Free Matte Full Coverage Moisturizer

This product works more as a moisturizer than foundation. This is great for combination skin! It is also oil-free and matte, which makes your skin look flawless.

Pros 

• Feel lightweight
• Moisturizing formula
• SPF 50
• Sale

Cons 

Available at: Ulta

MILK MAKEUP Blur Liquid Matte Foundation

Shoppers report that they are constantly complimented when they wear this foundation. Along with the matte finish, it’s designed to blur out imperfections, leaving you with skin that’s radiant and captivating.

Pros 

• Blurring of the skin
• Full coverage

Cons 

• More expensive
• It can be difficult to match shades

Available at: Sephora

CLINIQUE Stay-Matte Oil-Free Makeup Foundation

This foundation has been tested against humidity and it holds up well to heat! It is oil-resistant, sweat-resistant, and provides medium coverage that can be built up if desired.

Pros 

• Resistant to heat and sweat
• Oil-free
• Shine control

Cons 

Available at: Sephora. Ulta. Amazon. Nordstrom

Bite Beauty Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation

Though it’s not a matte foundation, shoppers say that it works beautifully for combination skin! If you’re not a fan of the matte aesthetic, this is an excellent foundation option that will leave you with a natural, second-skin finish.

Pros 

• Natural finish
• Amazing shade range
• Light coverage
• Sale

Cons 

• This product may not be suitable for oily skin

Available at: Sephora 

e.l.f. Flawless Finish Foundation

This foundation is a great choice for those looking for a more affordable foundation. It’s lightweight and delivers hydration to your skin without using oil in the formula. It has a semimatte finish that is perfect if you want the benefits and not too matte.

Pros 

• Affordable
• Amazing shade range
• Medium buildable coverage

Cons 

• Shade matching can be difficult

Available at: Amazon. Ulta. Target

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Foundation Makeup

This foundation is specifically made for combination skin. It’s oil-free, has a matte finish and controls shininess all day! You can wear it for up to 24 hours, and the coverage is buildable so you receive the ideal level you’re aiming for.

Pros 

• Oil control
• 43 shades available
• Affordable price
• SPF 15

Cons 

• It can be difficult to match colors

Available at: Amazon. Ulta. Target

Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation

This drugstore buy has nearly 100,000 reviews on Amazon — that’s how popular it is! The matte finish of this foundation also helps to shrink pores, which is great news for the T zone. There are more than 40 shades to choose, which is always great!

Pros 

• There are tons of shades
• Affordable price
• Pore-refining

Cons 

• Some shoppers were not covered by the coverage they needed

Available at: Amazon. Ulta. Target

Bobbi Brown Skin SPF 15 Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15

If you have an important event coming up, you will want to use this full coverage foundation to make sure you look flawless. It lasts for hours, reduces oil and shine thanks to the matte finish, and also delivers hydration!

Pros 

• Long-lasting
• Medium-to-full coverage
• SPF 15

Cons 

Available at: Ulta. Nordstrom. Sephora

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Liquid Foundation

This foundation is a soft matte finish that looks natural while still controlling oil shine. It’s one of the bestselling foundations on the market thanks to the staying power, pore-refining properties and groundbreaking shade range. There are 50 colors available!

Pros 

• Extremely vast shade range
• Long-lasting
• Great oil control

Cons 

• Etwas more expensive
• Some shoppers don’t love the scent

Available at: Sephora and Ulta

bareMinerals Original Loose-Powder Foundation

Normally, we wouldn’t recommend a power product for combination skin — but this one reportedly works differently. The product is ultra-lightweight and buildable, plus the minerals it’s made from are designed to blend into the skin — instead of just sitting on top of it.

Pros 

• Doesn’t clog pores
• Buildable coverage
• Pore minimizing
• Amazing shade range

Cons 

Available at: Sephora, Ulta, Target, Nordstrom, Walmart

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