Makeup tips for oily skin

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Nobody’s skin is flawless. We run a vast range of makeup courses, and our makeup artists work with every skin type imaginable. Whether you have dry skin, acne, pigmentation, or a combination of all of them; each skin type has its own individual needs when it comes to makeup artistry – and for many, it can be a real struggle.

However, for people with oily skin, the battle can be especially difficult. Oily or greasy skin is a real confidence killer for both sexes, with men and women alike constantly worried their face is shining with more than just radiance. For this reason, maintaining makeup can be a real struggle for oily skinned people, but that’s not to say it is impossible. 

Today, our makeup school teaches people with oily skin how to stay looking – and feeling – great, by giving you a few tips on what you can do minimise the appearance of oil.

Prepare

Before applying makeup to any skin type, you should always ensure that your face is prepared for it. Start with a blank and freshly-cleaned canvas. The first step to preparing your skin is to wash your face; use a cleanser that includes zinc, a proven ingredient to help regulate your skin’s oil production. After rinsing the cleanser from your face, splash some cold water on your skin to close your pores.

Prime

As an extra preparation method, it is always best to prime your skin before applying any type of makeup or foundation. This will help to keep your makeup looking great throughout the day, even if you do suffer from a build-up of oil. If you are in a rush in the morning, make sure that at the very least, you apply a primer to the most oil-prone areas of your face; for most people, these areas will be predominantly the nose and forehead.

Do this after you have washed your face and moisturised.

Don’t over-powder

Many people with oily skin believe that applying a lot of powder to their face is the logical thing to do, helping to soak up oil and prevent a greasy complexion. However, this is actually the worst way to use powder; overdoing it means that your pores will just excrete more oil than usual.

Instead, the best method is to just powder areas that are shiny, in particular, your nose, forehead and chin. It’s also best to wait for your foundation to dry before applying powdered products, making it easier to blend the products together.

Do moisturise, morning and night

Don’t let oily skin make you believe that you shouldn’t be moisturising; this is an essential part of skincare for all skin types, especially for makeup wearers. If you don’t give your skin the moisture it needs, it will just produce more oil in an attempt to stay hydrated.

It is best to apply a water-based moisturiser straight after washing your face each morning and evening. (Naturally, you should be avoiding oily moisturisers and creams if you have oily skin.) Let your skin absorb the moisturiser for about 10 minutes before putting on your makeup so you aren’t applying makeup to moist skin.

Blot

It doesn’t matter how well you prepare your face in the morning, or how flawlessly your face looks once your makeup has been applied; people with oily skin will inevitably notice a shine later on in the day.

For this reason, it’s always a good idea to carry some blotting sheets to remove oil. These are purchasable in handy packs that can be carried around in your purse, and won’t smudge your makeup. The correct method is to blot the paper on the oily areas of your skin and roll it off; wiping them across your face will just move the oil around, and probably mess up your makeup in the process.

There are various types of blotting papers available for your skin. While some simply help to remove the oil from your skin, others contain a small amount of powder to help soak up the oil and restore your shine-free complexion.

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