5 Simple Tips To Make Foundation Last All Day & Look Natural On Oily Skin

Skin that looks naturally perfect and radiant will never go out of style, but making this makeup look last past noon is a real challenge for those with oily skin. Foundations that control oil well tend to create an obviously made-up look, while light, natural-finish foundations slide right off the skin and turn it into an oil slick - we can never win, or can we?

Keep reading to check out five simple tips to make foundation last all day and look natural if you have oily skin! 

#1 Use an oil-control primer

Primer is an essential step that's often skipped in favour of a matte foundation that looks great at first but crackles and flakes as the day goes by. An oil control primer is the real key in making your foundation look bomb all day long.

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Primers give makeup a base to stick to, making it apply smoothly and last longer. It can even keep shine at bay if you pick the oil-controlling variety like the Sofina Primavista Ange Long Keep Base UV ($17).

Formulated specifically for oily skin, this non-comedogenic primer makes the skin feel wonderfully silky smooth. Besides allowing seamless makeup application that lasts longer, the formula also solidifies sebum to prevent shine. It also has sun protection and hydrates the skin with hyaluronic acid. The unique pink hue blends in and adjusts to every skin tone, creating a lit-from-within look.

#2 Pick a lightweight & hydrating foundation for oily skin

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Many long-wearing foundations for oily skin can be too drying and make the skin look cakey. Thankfully, foundation formulas have improved and there are some on the market that offer both worlds of oil control and hydration like the Sofina Primavista Ange Liquid Foundation ($22).

This lightweight foundation is a dream to blend and creates a long-lasting shine-free finish. At the same time, it also hydrates the skin and gives it a natural look. When worn together, the Sofina primer and foundation gave my skin a poreless look and soft-focus finish that lasted until night time without any streaking. It also brightened my complexion, giving it a subtle radiance without any white cast.

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The foundation comes in four shades including three yellow-based shades that will suit those with warm undertones. Ochre 01 is a perfect fit for fair skin tones, Ochre 02 for fair to medium and Ochre 03 for medium to deep. It also comes in a red-toned shade, Pink Ochre 03, which will suit those with cool undertones.

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#3 Apply a thin layer starting on areas that need it most

Most of us think our skin needs way more foundation than it actually does. Applying it heavy-handedly all over the face creates a high coverage finish, but it can look thick and not at all like the no-makeup aesthetic.

To get a more natural look without sacrificing on coverage, apply a very thin layer starting on areas with more discolouration and blemishes, then blend it into areas with less imperfections. If you need more coverage, repeat and add more thin layers gradually.

#4 Use foundation for spot coverage

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To get a natural look, you can replace your concealer with foundation. Use a concealer brush to apply it precisely on any blemishes and build up light layers. Use a clean eyeliner brush to spot conceal small imperfections.

#5 Press, and not brush, on loose powder

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Setting powder works wonders to lock in makeup, control shine and give the skin a refined texture and soft look. But the powder type and application technique can make or break the look. Avoid mineral and pressed powders as those are meant to be used alone as a powder foundation. Layering it on top of liquid foundation will make the skin look cakey. Go for an ultra-fine loose powder instead!

The right way to apply loose powder is to press it onto the skin. Avoid brushing it on as that could remove some of the foundation or cause streaks. Right after applying foundation, use the powder puff to press on the Sofina Primavista Ange Loose Powder ($20) lightly just on areas prone to shine like the T-zone. Skip the powder for the less oily parts of your face.

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This loose powder is ultra fine and was completely imperceivable on the skin. It's also fragrance free and suitable for sensitive skin like the primer and foundation in this range.

Having an oily T-zone, I tested these three Sofina products for eight hours to see if they could keep my skin shine-free yet natural looking. At the end of the day, my skin still looked fresh with just a hint of a sheen. That's a great improvement from my usual oily skin that usually drenches not one but two blotting sheets.

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Formulated and made in Japan, Sofina's Primavista Ange base makeup products are well-loved for their mattifying and lightweight effect. This range is only available in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, and good thing too as we need makeup that can stand up to this humid weather on top of oily skin.

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If you have oily skin or T-zone and want a long-lasting, shine-free and natural look, these Sofina Primavista Ange products might be your new holy grail. You can shop Sofina products online on their official Shopee Mall store and follow them on Instagram @sofina_sg.

This post is brought to you by Sofina.

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Text by: GirlStyle SG