Should I go with products for oily skin or better stick with the ones for the dry?
The struggle with combination skin can be very irritating and very real. It acts like a spoiled child, demanding and confusing, and sometimes it feels like it’s impossible to make it happy.
There are those dry parts, always ready to complain, get patchy or worse. And then there is the rest of the face, like the chin, nose, forehead: happy to shine, with occasional breakouts.
Finding the right cosmetic care routine for such skin is already challenging. Picking out the best foundation for combination skin can be a nightmare for both your nerves and your wallet.
As the struggle is real as well-known to some of us, we offer a bit of help. Here comes the list of ten best foundations that can cover some, of all, your needs.
After all, even if it’s like a spoiled brat… it’s ours and we love it.
10 Best Foundations for Combination Skin
1. Pro Filt’ r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation by Fenty-Beauty
Pro Filt’ r Soft Matte long-wear foundation is the 2018 Allure Best of Beauty Breakthrough Award Winner. This long-wearing, very lightweight foundation gives skin an instantly-smooth, pore-diffused, shine-free finish. The oil-free formula features a climate-adaptive technology, resistant to sweat and humidity. Wherever you are, it’s going to work for your skin. Also, it’s non-comedogenic and won’t clog pores.
This foundation gives skin a silky look with a flawless, matte-ish finish that you can quickly build to medium or even full coverage. On top of all, the Pro Filt’ r Soft Matte long-wear foundation comes in a boundary-breaking range of 50 shades.
The shine-free finish makes this formula one of the best foundations for combination skin—suitable for normal and oily types, too. Its liquid texture easily spreads to allow for even distribution, eliminating the risk of cakey feel or pilling.
This product is free of phthalates and parabens and also cruelty-free.
2. Stay Tuned Balancing Foundation by Origins
Stay tuned to watch oil-blotting, skin-balancing Vegepol, from algae, and smoothing Silicone work side-by-side to create real, seamless harmony all day. This foundation is stuffed with optical diffusers able to scatter light away from fine lines and flaws to flatter oily and combination skin.
The Stay Tuned is the foundation suitable even for strikingly different skin types, from normal to oily and combination. The color and coverage it provides end up in a balanced, long-lasting relationship with no dry-outs, streaks, or shine-throughs.
Your skin looks naturally gorgeous, never greasy, cakey, or glum. Vitamin E featured in the formula protects your complexion against environmental damage. At the same time, soothing and gentle Chamomile has a calming effect on your skin while the mix of Geranium, Bergamot, and Spearmint refresh and rejuvenate.
3. Lock-It Foundation by Kat Von D
The Lock-It foundation gives you all the coverage you need for a flawless, matte beauty canvas that stays waterproof, fade-proof, and transfer-resistant for up to 24-hours. Once you’re done, you’re done; there are no touch-ups necessary.
Kat Von D’s best foundation for oily skin is available in 30 shades to cover a range of skin tones and undertones. This unique recipe delivers flexible full coverage. You decide how much you want and adjust the amount of foundation accordingly. The liquid formula spreads evenly, quickly, and easily, letting you achieve your perfect finish in no time.
Lock-It Liquid foundation is now available in a range of 44 shades, developed with different needs of different skin tones and undertones in mind.
Dispense a small amount of Lock-It liquid foundation on the back of your hand. For the best results, pick it up with the Lock-It edge foundation brush. Start from the center of your face and blend outward. Alternatively, you can bounce a damp makeup sponge over skin for a more natural finish.
The Lock-It liquid foundation is suitable for all skin types, matte, long-wearing, vegan-friendly, and cruelty-free. It contains no alcohol, mineral oil, parabens, or phthalates.
4. Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Full Coverage Foundation by Tarte
This vegan, oil-free, matte liquid foundation from Tarte is favored by many beauty communities, and for a good reason. It will breathe some life back into your skin while hiding everything you wish to be hidden.
Amazonian Clay Foundation from Tarte delivers instant full coverage, even, comfortable, without pilling or cakey look. It features matte finish and oil control properties, which makes it one of the best foundations for combination skin. If your complexion is mixed and prone to breakouts, the Amazonian Clay foundation might be just the right choice.
The coverage of this formula is long-lasting and stable; you don’t have to worry about it creasing or settling inside the fine lines. Amazonian Clay foundation is also formulated without parabens, mineral oil, phthalates, triclosan, sodium lauryl sulfate, and gluten.
Start with a dime-size amount and gradually build it up to the desired coverage level. You will achieve it easier than you think.
5. Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation by Smashbox
This comfortable, natural-matte, long-wearing, liquid foundation from Smashbox covers and hydrates, and won’t settle into pores and fine lines or oxidize. It’s stable and transfer-resistant for up to 24 hours and now comes in even more new shades.
It’s suitable for all types, including normal and dry, but it really excels with combination and oily skin.
This oil-free foundation won’t oxidize or cause breakouts easily. Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear is powered by flexible, breathable polymers that move together with your skin, providing a comfortable look that lasts all day. It’s infused with nourishing antioxidants like Vitamin E and hydrating agents like Hyaluronic Acid.
Studio Skin foundation is a liquid formula that provides medium coverage with a natural finish, free of parabens, phthalates, and fragrance. It is also vegan-friendly and cruelty-free.
6. Future Skin Oil Free Gel Foundation by Chantecaille
This innovative, oil-free gel foundation formula comes in an ultra-lightweight, refreshing texture. The buildable coverage is adjustable coverage, while light-reflecting pigments create an optical illusion that improves imperfections’ appearance. It delivers a natural, flawless finish.
The Future Skin gel foundation is made in Japan, and typically for Asian formulas, it is overflowing with herbal extracts. Algae Extract, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Rice Bran Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract—to mention just a few. This foundation will truly take care of your skin.
The oil-free, watery, gel formula contains 60% charged water and seaweed. It’s suitable for all skin types and the best foundation for combination skin, with its refreshing, lightweight texture.
Chantecaille Future Skin foundation contains no parabens. It’s also paraben-free, fragrance-free, phthalate-free, and cruelty-free. It comes with SPF10 protection.
7. Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation by Chanel
Vitalumiere Aqua Ultra-Light Skin Perfecting formula from Chanel comes with a soft, water-light texture and delivers light-to-medium coverage. It’s enough to use a few drops of this hybrid fluid foundation to create a natural, luminous complexion.
As comfortable and lightweight as a second skin, this formula gives the look of silky, energized complexion by creating a healthy glow effect. Your skin will look refined and feel refreshed, with a flawless makeup canvas, free of mess.
Chanel’s proprietary High Definition Light technology creates highly reflective pigments that ensure a radiant, luminous, and even complexion. Reflecting the light away from the imperfections creates an optical impression of perfect skin, even if it’s oily or mixed.
This formula features a Hyaluronic Acid derivative, which contributes to long-lasting, hydrating comfort. Lotus water and a seaweed derivative enhance this effect by adding to the toned and vibrant complexion’s look.
Vitalumiere Aqua comes with SPF 15 UV sunscreen to shield your skin from environmental stress.
8. Born This Way Foundation by Too Faced
This cult-favorite foundation by Too Faced justifies its name, giving you the naturally perfect “I woke up like this'” look. You can discover a whole new level of flawlessness with the iconic Born This Way Foundation.
The coverage this foundation provides is medium-to-full, undetectable, with a very natural finish. Inside this oil-free formula, there are some goodies like coconut water, brightening alpine rose extract, and hydrating Hyaluronic Acid. It will hide your imperfections and, at the same time, nourish and hydrate your skin while creating a seamless finish.
Coconut water works to replenish your skin’s moisture levels without overburdening it. Hyaluronic Acid supports that effect, bunding the water, and ensuring long-lasting hydration for a more youthful appearance. At the same time, alpine rose brightens, nourishes, and promotes elasticity of your skin.
The luscious liquid formula of Born This Way comes in 35 versatile shades from Porcelain to Cocoa, to choose between.
9. HD Liquid Coverage Foundation by Catrice
This lightweight foundation provides high coverage and a natural-looking finish. It hides all imperfections and mattifies the skin, creating a smooth and even complexion for up to 24 hours.
The liquid, serum-like formula comes in a glass bottle, featuring a unique dropper applicator for clean and easy delivery.
Catrice HD Foundation is available in 23 shades to suit all skin tones and undertones, from fair to deep. It feels and looks like a second skin, and is often referred to as a dupe for higher-end foundations.
Due to its mattifying and blurring properties, this is the best foundation for combination skin. However, it is also very suitable for all normal to oily skin types.
The formula is vegan, oil-free, alcohol-free, and paraben-free. Catrice Cosmetics is certified and acknowledged by PETA as a cruelty-free brand.
For best results, apply a few drops of foundation and blend with a brush or sponge. You need to use 2-3 drops for high coverage, for sheer coverage use as little as one drop.
10. Even Better Makeup SPF 15 Foundation by Clinique
Even Better Makeup foundation from Clinique with broad-spectrum SPF 15 is a dermatologist-developed foundation with medium to full coverage. Its unique properties make it instantly perfect your skin, keeping it actively improving further with every wear.
This creamy formula hydrates and smoothes while covering imperfections, giving skin a natural finish. It contains minerals and stay-true pigments that don’t change color on your skin.
It’s ideal for dry-combination and combination to oily, mixed skin types. The Even Better foundation helps you create a brighter skin tone thanks to the Vitamin C content. After 12 weeks of daily wear, dark spots from age, acne, and sun damage are getting reduced. At the same time, broad-spectrum SPF protects the skin against future discoloration.
Even Better Makeup foundation formula is sweat and humidity-resistant. It is also free of parabens, phthalates, fragrances, synthetic colors, gluten, denatured alcohol, SLS, SLES, oil, and talc.
Expert’s Answers For Readers’ Questions
Is powder or liquid foundation better for combination skin?
The liquid foundation is good for all skin types. Oil-free formulas with moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid will not aggravate your oily parts while providing additional hydration to the dry ones. While the powder foundation is excellent in controlling excess oil, it often offers only light to medium coverage. Depending on the level of imperfections, some may find such coverage insufficient.
Related: Best Powder Foundation for Dry Skin
Which is the best foundation for combination skin?
The best foundation for combination skin is the one that suits all its needs. If your mixed complexion is more on the dry side, you want a formula enriched with moisturizers and hydrators. If you are very prone to oiliness and breakouts, look for gel formulas that will not feel heavy on your pores.
Related: Best Cruelty-Free Moisturizers
Never Forget to Prevent
Finding a perfect foundation can be an exhausting task. However, you should always keep in mind that prevention is the way to less covering. Establish an adequate AM/PM routine, hydrate a lot, avoid aggressive components that make your sebaceous glands angry.
Take good care of your skin, and it will show you its gratitude sooner or later. For perfecting those results, pick the best foundation for combination skin from our list that is tailored just for you. Go out and shine. In a good way.
Still searching a perfect foundation for you? Check also:
- Best Cruelty-Free Foundations
- Best Foundations for Sensitive Skin
- Best Dewy Foundations
- Best Cushion Foundations
Joan S. Wilson is a lifelong makeup and skincare enthusiast. She used to work as a makeup artist for 5 years. Joan is always curious and wants to learn more when it comes to makeup and skincare. She tries her best to make other people’s skin health better. This is why Joan is so passionate about writing articles on beauty topics. She always looks for products that are high-quality, dermatologist-tested, and does that it says on the label. In every article, she shares her knowledge to make your life healthier and happier!