Full Coverage Drugstore Foundations for Oily Skin

I am always searching for a matte full coverage foundation that works for my combination/oily skin, so I thought I would try some budget-friendly full coverage drugstore foundations for oily skin and see how they performed.

A few years ago, I may have been able to get away with a tinted moisturizer or BB cream, but as I’ve gotten older my skin is starting to show hyperpigmentation from all those years spent in the sun without adequate SPF protection.

I could kick myself for not paying attention to my face sooner, but the past is the past. Now I never leave the house without SPF.

The full-face heavy makeup look is not my favorite, so I set the bar high for full coverage foundations. I recently found a great high-end one that I discuss in this post.

Unfortunately, it’s expensive, so I thought I’d see if the drugstore has any less expensive options that are not only full coverage but also oil-controlling matte coverage. I tried eight in total and thought most of them were great.

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A QUICK SIDE NOTE:

I’m not sure if you ever encountered this problem, but I seem to always have a difficult time finding the correct foundation color match for my skin.

I usually end up giving up way too soon on some foundations because I’m not sure I love them enough to test out a few to get the correct color.

Lately, if I purchase the wrong color, I usually have enough lighter or darker foundations on hand to mix foundations together to get to a color that works on my skin, as you’ll read about below.

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Foundation & NYX Total Drop Foundation

NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Foundation comes in a huge 45 color shade range and claims to offer 24-hour matte coverage.

I’m not sure how many people are wearing their makeup for a full 24 hours, but the makeup is noncomedogenic and made to minimize shine throughout the day. The makeup is suitable for normal, oily, combination and even sensitive skin.

Unfortunately, I did not purchase the correct color for my skin, so I thought I’d try a different/lighter NYX foundation and mix the two together. The other NYX foundation that I tried was Total Control Drop Foundation.

This is a velvety matte formula that is dispensed with a dropper and is a thinner liquid that the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop foundation.

I added a few drops to the Can’t Stop Won’t Stop foundation and I found that it blended smoothly and toned the color down just enough.

The mixture of the two wore really well even on hot days. I look forward to trying both on their own once I determine the best colors for me.

Total Control Drop Foundation can be built from sheer to full coverage depending on how many drops you use.

They recommend applying it with their Total Control Drop Foundation Brush, but I found using My IT Cosmetics No. 6 Heavenly Luxe Flat Top Buffing Foundation Brush worked well.

Maybelline New York Super Stay Full Coverage Liquid Foundation Makeup

Maybelline New York Super Stay Full Coverage Liquid Foundation Makeup is an oil-free foundation that claims to provide 24-hour wear in a full-coverage base with a range of 24 colors to choose from.

I was really interested in trying this foundation since I read that it’s one of the best selling drugstore foundations. After I tried it I understand why.

Once applied to your skin and blended with a makeup sponge or brush, it melts into your skin and provides a second-skin-like appearance.

This surprised me since I didn’t think it’s liquid formula would provide much coverage. But it’s buildable and really does last all day.

I tested this in the summer, so it’s especially nice for hot weather when you don’t want a thick foundation on your face. I really think that it’s the lightest full coverage makeup that I’ve ever tried. This one was a winner.

CoverGirl TruBlend Matte Made Liquid Foundation

CoverGirl TruBlend Matte Made Liquid Foundation is the TruBlend formula made matte – my dream!

This formula is formulated for 12 hours of wear and has flexi-hold technology to create a flexible film on top of your skin for durability and comfort.

It also contains magnifying powders to keep oily skin at bay and for minimizing your pores.

I purchased the same color that I wear in TruBlend (Buff Beige) and luckily that color carried over to this foundation.

Isn’t it frustrating when the SAME brand labels a different product the SAME color and the colors are nothing alike?

CoverGirl offers this foundation in 40 shades so you should be able to find a color close to your skin tone. This foundation wore well and I was very pleased with the results.

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation is an oil-free lightweight mousse foundation for controlling oil all day.

It is formulated to match 99% of US skin tones although it only comes in 24 shades. Don’t get me wrong, 24 is more than 5, but also 24 is not 45 like NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Foundation.

This foundation appears to have the closest texture and coverage to my favorite discontinued foundation: Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup.

It felt the heaviest of the bunch but provided good coverage without any oily build-up throughout the day. Overall, I thought the foundation was a little too heavy and sat on top of my pores.

Revlon ColorStay Full Cover Foundation

Revlon ColorStay Full Cover Foundation is a full coverage matte foundation formulated to be lightweight and long-lasting. It comes in 16 colors.

I used to wear Revlon ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup that came in a clunky glass jar. I was devoted to it and bought one jar after another. Then it started to get hard to find. Then it was gone. Discontinued!

I was very sad so I went on a quest to find a replacement. After many months I saw Revlon ColorStay Full Cover Foundation in my local CVS. Since I’ve had such great success with Revlon products in the past I thought I’d give it a try.

It reminded me of my beloved ColorStay Whipped Makeup and I really liked the coverage. I later read that it was the same product repackaged in more eco-friendly packaging.

It was actually reformulated, and while the colors are named the same, I find that the new product color is not the quite same as the old product of the same color name.

I really liked this foundation for many months but in the cold months, it started to feel a little too dry on my skin. This foundation could be great for oily complexions, but I found this a little drying.

Related: Drugstore Beauty Must-Haves

Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin SPF 15

Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin SPF 15 is formulated for up to 24 hours of wear. It is matte and oil-free for combination/oily skin.

After Revlon discontinued ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup, I moved on to this foundation. I still love it. It has great coverage, a color that matches my skin tone is mattifying and lasts like it claims it does.

As a bonus, it contains mineral sunscreen in the form 7.3% Titanium Dioxide.

This is a really great foundation for my skin. I will always have this a bottle of this foundation on hand.

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation Makeup

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation Makeup is formulated to provide a demi-matte finish with a light-as-air texture. It is supposed to last up to 24 hours and comes in 22 shades.

I originally purchased L’Oréal Paris Infallible Total Cover Full Coverage Foundation for this full-coverage foundation post but found that I liked L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation Makeup much better.

While Infallible Total Cover does cover better than Pro-Matte, Infallible Total Cover felt too heavy for my skin. It also contains salicylic acid, which irritates my skin.

Total Cover has the same mousse-like texture of Rimmel Stay Matte and Revlon ColorStay Whipped Makeup, and it sat on top of my pores. Overall, it didn’t wear well on my skin.

While L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation Makeup had lighter coverage, it was buildable and looked more natural on my skin than Infallible Total Cover.

It definitely soaked up the oil but was not the best matte coverage I’ve tried.

The Bottom Line

Drugstore brands have really stepped up their game when it comes to full coverage mattifying foundations. The biggest challenge as always is finding the best color match.

I really liked the lightweight but full coverage of Maybelline Super Stay Full Coverage Liquid Foundation. I also really liked the NYX Can’t Stop Won’t Stop/Total Cover Drop Foundation duo.

And then there are my Revlon and CoverGirl standbys. I can always grab them in a pinch and know that they’ll work for my skin. I found that the mousse foundations were too heavy for my skin and accentuated my pores.

Oil, hyperpigmentation, and acne be gone! I now have a slew of great drugstore full coverage foundations to blur and hide imperfections.

Even better, they provide a natural-looking, matte and oil-free finish.

Thanks for reading!