12 best oil-free foundations for the most long-lasting wear and a soft-matte finish
Oil-free foundations are a God-send to many. Listen: as someone with combination skin, I am certainly familiar with the post-lunch foundation slide. You know that horror when you look in the mirror around 2pm at work and see your base has somehow slipped right off and needs all the touch-ups? Well, that’s a thing of the past when you finally find the perfect oil-free formula for you.
With a plethora of benefits (more on those later), oil-free options can really help prolong the life of your entire makeup look, meaning less blotting/powder application and more immaculate vibes. And luckily, the heavy, thick, ultra-matte formulas of yesteryear are out, replaced by lightweight, buildable oil-free foundations with radiant finishes.
Best oil-free foundations at a glance:
- Best oil-free foundation overall: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation
- Best oil-free foundation with a skin-like finish: Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Foundation
- Best affordable oil-free foundation: Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Foundation
- Best oil-free foundation for everyday wear: Everyday Beauty Pie Great Skin Foundation
How do oil-free foundations work?
Oil-free foundations work on many levels. First, they offer a blurred and smooth finish that many others cannot. They are also the heroes of long-wear in the base world; absorbing oil and keeping excess sweat and shine at bay, these foundations have serious longevity, making them great for desk-to-dancefloor moments, or long events and occasions.
This also makes them ideal for oily skin or combination skin, as well as people who may experience the odd blemish or more regular breakouts. The new era of oil-free options is also far more evolved than heavy, super matte bases of years past. These days, you can find longwearing, non cakey, natural matte formulas that still boost radiance and allow skin to still naturally shine through (while still being largely shine-free on the T-zone).
Many of them even come with skin-loving ingredients like hydrating hyaluronic acid to maintain moisture levels without encouraging excess oil production. In short: you can still achieve a (non-greasy) glow with oily skin. A win, win, one might say. Want to find the best foundation fit for purpose? Read on…
Scroll to view our edit of the best oil-free foundations to add to your makeup collection:
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Foundation
Why we love it: Sometimes, particularly with foundations targeted at oily skin, it can be difficult to find a formula that’s not super matte. Charlotte Tilbury’s offering bucks the trend and provides a natural, velvety satin finish that’s part-matte, part glow. Instead of using oil, it harnesses the power of Tilbury’s bestselling Magic Serum, meaning it also boasts skincare benefits, and the shade range is solid. A great all-rounder.Save big when shopping for oil-free foundations using these Cult Beauty discount codes
Maybelline Lumi Matte Foundation
There's a lot to love about this medium coverage foundation, not least the velvety skin-like finish. The formula is laced with amino acids to boost your barrier and it even promises 30 hours of streak-free wear. But the real draw of this base is its ability to make your skin look both luminous and matte – all without depositing too much shine or, conversely, making your features look flat.
Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Foundation
Why we love it: Il Makiage’s iconic foundation not only comes in ample shades (we’re talking 50), it also does what some other brands fail to: offers a detailed online colour matching service. The formula itself doesn’t feel heavy, with a matte finish that still looks natural and streak-free. It has a medium to high coverage, and also features hyaluronic acid and vitamin E on its ingredients list for added skin-boosting properties.See our full Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Foundation review here.
Fenty Beauty PRO FILT'R Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Why we love it: Another foundation with a brilliant shade range (the OG, many would say), Fenty’s PRO FILT’R has been a favourite since Rihanna’s brand first launched. As well as its shade range, the biggest benefit of this one is its staying power; the longwear formula is sweat and shine-resistant, absorbing oil and thus making it brilliant for those with combination to oily skin types. Fenty’s foundation is also widely available, meaning you can even now pick it up on your local Boots run.
Make sure to bookmark these Boots discount codes when shopping for oil-free foundations.
Everyday Beauty Pie Great Skin Foundation
Why we love it: We think the world of Beauty Pie, and its foundation offerings are unsurprisingly top notch. If flawless, healthy, natural-looking skin is the goal, this is the antidote; the formula is infused with high-tech micro-pearls for a natural-matte finish and it has a medium-high coverage formula that’s buildable. While amazing for oily-combination skin types, this really is suitable for all.
Save big when shopping for oil-free foundations using these Beauty Pie discount codes.Too Faced Born This Way Foundation
Why we love it: Born This Way is a long-standing foundation hero, and for good reason. It offers an incredible smoothing effect that leaves the complexion looking truly flawless, and yet still skin-like. Formulated without oil, instead the brand uses coconut water, alpine rose, and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin without encouraging an overproduction of oil. The shade range is good, and a little goes a long way meaning it lasts a while.
Looking to save ££? Check out these LookFantastic discount codes when shopping for oil-free foundations.Shiseido Synchro Skin Self Refreshing Foundation
Why we love it: Shiseido’s foundation has a unique property that ensures it stays put all day. Its ‘self refreshing’ benefits hail from ‘ActiveForce’ technology, which promises to resist oil, heat and humidity and thus stay on skin for as long as possible. As well as being oil-free, it’s also waterproof and has a SPF 30, meaning it’s a great buy for holidays in warmer climates.
Save big when shopping for oil-free foundations using these LookFantastic discount codes.NARS Cosmetics Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
Why we love it: NARS is another makeup brand known for its flawless bases, and its oil-free Natural Radiant Longwear formula is a favourite. If you’re concerned about oil-free foundations being heavy or ultra-matte, you needn’t with this one. It has a buildable medium to high coverage finish, and is natural-matte but still lets skin peek through for a hint of dewy radiance.
Enjoy savings when shopping for oil-free foundations using these Cult Beauty discount codes.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid SPF15 Foundation
Why we love it: With an incredible 67 shades, Mac’s Studio Fix offers a match for a wide range of skin tones. It’s also incredibly longwearing, staving off oil, shine and sweat throughout the day; for this reason, it’s a great option for long days in the office followed by nights out at the pub and dancing the evening away. The formula feels light and comfortable on skin, and the finish is mattifying.
Save big when shopping for oil-free foundations using these Amazon discount codes.ILIA Super Serum Skin Tint Foundation
Why we love it: Skin tint-style foundations are having a moment, and many of them are also oil-free. Take ILIA’s for example, which is a bit of an all-rounder. It’s weightless but offers good coverage and wear, has a SPF 30, is oil and fragrance-free and comes in 30 shades. The handy pipette also allows for ease of application, and means it can even be mixed with moisturiser for a lighter coverage.
Check out these Sephora discount codes when shopping for oil-free foundations.Maybelline Fit Me! Matte and Poreless Foundation
Why we love it: Maybelline’s Fit Me foundation is a high street favourite – and guess what? It’s also oil-free! This little tube offers a medium coverage (a little less than many others on this list, if you prefer this) and dries down to a matte finish that still looks natural and undetectable. It’s one of the few drugstore foundations with a fairly good shade range, and also comes with accompanying concealers and powders if you do find your perfect hue.
Save big when shopping for oil-free foundations using these LookFantastic discount codes.Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation
Why we love it: Another brilliant affordable buy, Revlon’s offering (that will still give you change from a ten pound note) has all the key credentials for oily/combination skin: it’s oil-free, has impressive buildable coverage, boasts a matte finish, and lasts all day. It comes in 43 shades (great for drugstore offerings, which often tend to be frustratingly small in range) and also has a SPF 15. Don’t get us wrong, you’ll need to apply a higher broad spectrum SPF beforehand, but this gives a nice little added hint of protection on top.
Save big when shopping for oil-free foundations using these Boots discount codes.
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