Matte foundations- my top 8

Best matte foundations. 

You know, I’d never thought I’d say this, but I miss having oily skin.

I thought that having oily skin was a nightmare, but that was because I never knew what it was to have dry and flaky skin. Ever since I started the tretinoin treatment, my skin did a complete 180 and I could no longer get away with using some of my all-time favorite foundations, all of which happen to have a matte or semi-matte finish.

As my skin is slowly adjusting to the treatment and coming back to feeling and looking normal again, I thought I’d talk about some of my favorite matte foundations that I’m really excited to start using again soon.

Make Up Forever Mat Velvet + – I already reviewed this gem right here and it’s definitely my number one when it comes to foundation. The finish is semi-matte/natural rather than flat out matte, which means that I can still get away with using it, if I use a rich moisturizer the night before. The coverage is build-able and the color match is just perfect- I use shade #30 and #35 when using a fake tanner. It’s long-lasting, provides great coverage and is very easy to work with- the formula isn’t as fast-drying as with other matte-finish foundations.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 foundation – This is a great drugstore foundation that took place of my other Covergirl favorite- Colorstay. Unlike Colorstay, this comes in a great packaging (gotta love the pump!). This is the type of foundation that will look good on your skin all-day long, even if you’re oily and acne-prone. Since this is a 3 in 1, it’s supposed to work as a foundation, but also replace primer and concealer. It gives a nice coverage and a matte finish- you can find a review I did for this few years a go right here. The only problem with this foundation is that if you have a light skin tone, you might find it difficult to find a shade that matches you nicely. I use shade 805 (Ivory).

Chanel Perfection Lumiere – This is another favorite of mine and a go-to for special occasions. I recently reviewed it right here. It’s a pricey one, but definitely worth the splurge. It has a very smooth almost velvet-like texture and the most gorgeous, natural-looking finish. It’s also yet again a foundation that matches my skin very closely (the shade I use is 20 Beige). This one dries quite quickly so you really need to work fast when blending it in.

Estee Lauder Double Wear – I mean, do I even need to say anything about this foundation? It’s been my Holy Grail for many, many years and I know that I’m not the only one who went crazy for this foundation. When my skin was extremely oily (and when I say extremely, I mean  it would turn oily before I even got a chance to leave the house in the morning after doing my makeup) this was the only foundation that would stay on my skin. You can find my review right here.

Bare Minerals Matte Foundation – I went through a mineral makeup stage a few years when I wouldn’t anything else but Bare Minerals products. If you ever used mineral powders before, then you know that despite the powder formula they can provide quite a nice coverage and they look incredibly natural on the skin. At first, I thought that I’d find this foundation drying, but that wasn’t the case at all. This foundation always stays semi-matte for hours, with minor touch ups here and there. I usually mix shades Light and Medium Beige.

Make Up Forever Pro Finish Powder Foundation – This is another AMAZING foundation from Make Up Foerver. It can be used both wet and dry, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend using it wet- it woks great with oily skin and provides the most beautiful finish. Shade 113 is a great match for me. This foundation is great to use when you’re in a hurry- no need for primers or blending your foundation, just grab a dense, fluffy brush and apply it all over your face. I also love using this for touch-ups and sometimes I use it to set my foundation when going for full-coverage. This is most definitely my favorite powder, ever.

Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation – I hated the original Fit Me foundation formula, but I completely fell in love with the Matte + Poreless version (which you probably know if you read my review). This is probably one of my favorite drugstore foundations. I don’t love the packaging, but I love the matte finish and the staying power of this baby.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid – You guys know how much I love MAC products since I feature them here on Thirteen Thoughts all the time. BUT, I have to tell you that I really don’t like shopping at their stores. Probably 90% of my MAC shopping is done online. Every single time I went to the MAC store it was because I wanted to get a foundation and need to get matched to a shade. I have 4 MAC foundations and none of them match my skin tone. In the past I was matched to NC15 (which is my concealer shade but way too light for foundation) NC20, NW18 and NW20. My last in-person purchase was this Studio Fix Fluid Foundation which I absolutely loved how it looked on my skin, until I got home and looked in the mirror. NW18 just looked way too orange on me I seriously looked like I rubbed cream bronzer all over my skin. I went back and I wanted I exchange the foundation when the makeup artist that was helping me told me that I have to use a darker shade to counteract the redness in my skin. I’m sorry… what? I got so mad I just turned around and left and never went back to a MAC store again. I did try using this foundation a few more times and every single time I loved how it worked with my oily skin, but I just couldn’t walk around town looking like oompa-loompa. I really wish I could finally find my shade because I absolutely love this foundation.