Makeup for oily skin: The best non toxic products

Please tell me that I’m not the only one who feels like options are limited when it comes to non toxic makeup for oily skin!

I read a lot of product descriptions and reviews, and many just don’t work for me. That’s why I’m so excited to share with you ones that do work for oily skin!

Start with clean, moisturized skin

The key to a great makeup application is starting with great skin. This doesn’t mean you need a long, complicated skincare routine; it just means you need to use the right products.

In the morning, I wash with charcoal soap then spritz with toner. While my skin is still damp from the toner, I apply an antioxidant serum followed by a moisturizer containing beeswax. (Read all about my simple skincare routine here.) Then I should apply an SPF, but I haven’t been as good about it lately. Eeek…bad Karen!

And don’t forget to exfoliate a couple of times a week. I like to use this scrub by Acure, but if you’re more of a mask person, I recommend this Dead Sea mud mask.

Your skincare routine provides the right foundation for your foundation.

My favorite non toxic makeup for oily skin

A lot of foundation in the clean beauty world is not really made for oily skin. Many of them provide a dewy finish, which is not at all what I want when I’m oily already.

My skin tends to be very oily on my T-zone (forehead, nose and chin), and a little drier on my cheeks.

I also don’t wear a ton of makeup, mostly because I’m not very good at applying it and it takes me forever! But I’m getting better as I practice more.

Foundation

NU Evolution Complete Coverage Foundation

I love NU Evolution’s Complete Coverage Foundation! It goes on ultra matte, and I consider it medium coverage. It’s also incredibly lightweight so I don’t feel like I’m wearing any foundation at all. I avoided liquid foundations for a long time because they always seemed so heavy on my skin. It works great as an eyelid primer, too!

Because my T-zone is so oily, I find that I do still get oily in my T-zone as the day goes on but not nearly as much with other products that I’ve tried. (Read this post for my tips on how to control oily skin.)

I am currently shade 106 because I’ve gotten a little sun on my face recently, but am probably shade 100 during the winter months. The shade numbers do not go in order, so make sure you read the descriptions carefully. I recommend purchasing samples first, which you can do on the company website.

I’ve found that I have the best application with a damp makeup brush. I use Luxie Beauty’s 532 Round Top Blender Brush from the Luxie Face Essentials Set. I also apply to one part of my face and blend it in before moving on to the next part. This keeps it from “drying” too quickly and ending up looking cakey.

At $30 for 1 oz., this is also one of the more affordable foundations in clean beauty. One pump is plenty to cover my whole face.

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Concealer

I don’t currently use a separate concealer. I apply the NU Evolution foundation to my eyelids and under eyes. I still have a sample left in a lighter color (Shade 100), so I use it under my eyes. Non toxic concealers are hard because the ones I’ve tried have been super oily and greasy.

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Finishing powder

Lily Lolo Flawless Matte Finishing Powder

I currently use Lily Lolo’s Flawless Matte Finishing Powder, but I’ve also used and recommend RMS Beauty’s Un Powder in Translucent. I’ve also heard great things about 100% Pure’s Bamboo Blur Powder.

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Cheeks (Blush and Bronzer)

Fitglow Beauty Cheek Palette

Fitglow Beauty’s Sunny Days Palette adds some natural color to my cheeks and face. These colors are highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way! (Believe me… I’ve applied way too much before and looked like a clown.)

I mostly use the Rosé color on my cheeks as blush then apply either of the other two colors as bronzer on the top of my forehead, my nose, and chin. Occasionally I put a very light application on my eyelids as eyeshadow.

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Eyeliner

Antonym Eye Pencil

Antonym’s Eye Pencil is amazing if you have oily eyelids like me. I apply my Nu Evolution foundation as a primer, set with my Lily Lolo Finishing Powder, then apply this eyeliner. It stays all day, even in the heat. (Because it’s still 90 degrees in Southern California in the middle of October.)

I’ve tried other eyeliners while searching for makeup for oily skin that basically disappeared by the end of the day. There was barely anything left on my eyelids!

EYESHADOW

Fitglow Beauty Makeup Palettes with eyeshadow

I don’t currently wear eyeshadow. It takes me forever to apply because I don’t do a very good job. #truth

But if I was going to purchase some eyeshadow, I’d probably pick up one of the Fitglow Beauty makeup palettes with eyeshadow. I sometimes use the blush or bronzer from Fitglow’s Sunny Days palette on my eyelids, and it stays all day. And make sure you apply the NU Evolution foundation to your eyelids as a primer!

Mascara

Fitglow Beauty Good Lash Mascara

Fitglow Beauty wins again with its Good Lash Mascara! It doesn’t smudge, flake, or leave me with racoon eyes. (And as a bonus, I find it really easy to wash off!) This mascara amplifies lash volume and length while nourishing lashes with powerful botanical extracts and plant protein to promote lash health and growth.

This is not an inexpensive mascara, so I recommend purchasing Fitglow Beauty’s mascara and lip color serum duo. You receive a tube of mascara, a lip color serum in the color Buff, and a vegan makeup clutch for only $49 (value $100).

I’ve also heard good things about Erin’s Faces Matcha Mascara and Honest Beauty’s Extreme Length Mascara, but I haven’t tried either one.

Eyebrows

W3LL PEOPLE Natural Expressionist Brow Gel

I have a couple recommendations for your eyebrows!

I feel like well-defined eyebrows make the biggest difference on your face. But it takes me forever to apply eyebrow pencils or wax, which is why I love W3LL PEOPLE’s Natural Expressionist Brow Gel because it gives me a very natural look and is the fastest to apply.

I still have to fill in a few spots thanks to over-waxing and over-plucking as a teenager, so I take a little gel off the wand with an eyebrow brush to complete the look.

I love Plume’s brow pencil, but I went through it very quickly. If I’m going to purchase it again, I’ll grab the pomade instead. (Note: You can buy the pomade on Plume’s website without the brush.) Plume’s products are great because they contain active ingredients that promote the growth of your brows.

Another eyebrow wax worth trying is Eco Brow’s Eyebrow Defining Wax.

BONUS: LIP GLOSS

Fitglow Beauty Lip Serum

I love Fitglow Beauty’s lip serum! I have it in the color Buff because it’s what came in a kit I purchased with the mascara, But there are so many beautiful shades to try, and you can even buy duos to save a little money.

BONUS: MAKEUP BRUSHES

Luxie Rose Gold Essential Brush Set

You can’t go wrong with any makeup brushes by Luxie Beauty. I currently use the Luxie Rose Gold Essential Brush Set.

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments!