I have oily skin and I’ve just tested the 8 best matte foundations for great coverage and longevity—without the shine

As a teenager of the early noughties, I’m no stranger to a matte foundation. And while it’s fair to say that we now seem to have a collective obsession with glowing skin, my younger years were spent wedded to my setting powder as I attempted to dial down even the slightest hint of shine on my spot-prone skin. In fact, I would pretty much only buy a product for my face if it declared itself to be mattifying or claimed to control oil levels. However, if the last few years are anything to go by, matte skin has well and truly taken a back seat while dewy, glazed doughnut-esque complexions have reigned supreme. Even myself, a beauty editor with naturally oily skin, has discarded my mattifying formulations in recent years and embraced the world of luminous skin tints and more glow-boosting formulas in my quest to find the best foundation. But guess what? Like all beauty trends, we’re about to see matte skin making a huge comeback—and that means it’s time for the best matte foundations to come out of retirement.

“Beauty trends are cyclical and after numerous years of dewy and high-shine finishes, matte is back,” declares make-up artist Ruby Hammer MBE, founder of Ruby Hammer Beauty and beauty expert. “The velvety, low-maintenance finish is reminiscent of the original Hollywood stars and really favours coverage over shine.” Of course, a lot of people who used to be loyal to a matte foundation, might remember that they did have a bit of a reputation for being drying, cakey and clinging to dry patches. But modern matte foundations have come on quite a long way in terms of both formula and finish. There is one key factor to making the most of them all and that’s to prep your skin properly first.

“Matte foundations really can be worn by anyone, as long as you prep the skin first,” says Ruby. “The prep depends on your skin type, but generally you always need to hydrate the skin first and if you are particularly dry then using a hydrating primer first will keep your skin quenched before applying your base on top.”

The 8 best matte foundations for every skin type

1. NARS Soft Matte Foundation

This is always the matte foundation that make-up artists recommend to me and it’s so good that even staunch glowy skin advocates are likely to be converted. It has none of the chalkiness or dryness typically associated with matte foundations, and it actually looks impressively natural on the skin. If you’re oily, like me, then it contains a oil absorbing powers to soak up excess levels of sebum without totally eliminating your skin’s natural radiance—it more so just dials down that oil slick finish across the T-zone and chin while leaving the rest of your complexion even in tone and velvety in texture. Plus, it has a really good level of coverage without looking too much.

2. NYX Professional Makeup Can't Stop Won't Stop Full Coverage Foundation

Finding a decent matte foundation on the high-street can be a challenge, but this one from NYX offers that velvety matte finish with a lightweight, longwear texture to rival its more expensive counterparts. I will say that this is probably best suited to those with oilier complexions than anyone very dry, as it is slightly more matte in texture than some others on the list, but if you want a foundation that will keep shine at bay and offer really good coverage then you really can’t go wrong for the price. Plus, it’s non-comedogenic so it won’t clog pores and waterproof so makes a great option for the summer too.

3. iT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Natural Matte with SPF 40

Despite not technically being a foundation, I’m including it here because it has all of the coverage of a classic foundation but with all of the benefits of a moisturiser—and the soft, whipped texture makes it a great option for drier complexions. Just like the original It Cosmetics CC Cream, it takes a skincare-first approach to make-up but this time it’s infused with oil-absorbing clay and charcoal and antibacterial tea tree oil. This means alongside covering up blemishes, redness and uneven skin tone, it actually helps to treat any existing breakouts. Despite this, though, it isn’t drying at all. It almost melts into the skin, providing coverage, hydration and a beautiful soft matte finish.

4. Maybelline Super Stay Lumi-Matte Foundation

If you’re totally new to using a matte foundation or you’ve been married to a glowier finish for a long time then think of this as your gateway formula. Described as a “lumi-matte” finish, it has all of the coverage and longevity of a traditional matte foundation, but with an added hint of radiance. Enriched with amino acids, it has an almost serum-like texture that blends seamlessly into your skin to blur over uneven texture and deliver a diffused, velvety finish. And while it claims to offer up to 30 hours of wear time (I have no idea who would need a foundation to last this long) it definitely holds up for a full day of wear thanks to its ability to resist sweat, shine and oil.

5. Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation

You only need to glance at the hundreds of five-star reviews about this foundation to realise that this matte formula has almost reached cult status in the make-up world. Of course, the 50 shade offering is brilliant—we’d expect nothing less from Rihanna’s beauty line—but the foundation itself offers a really modern take on a matte finish. Rather mattifying the skin entirely, it focuses on diffusing pores and reducing shine and contains climate-adaptive technology that gives the foundation its staying power. Even better, it’s oil-free so there’s no risk of it clogging pores if you’re prone to spots, and the texture is so lightweight and airy that you won’t even feel like you’re wearing make-up at all.

6. Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Wear Foundation

Despite everyone raving about glowy skin, it’s this full-coverage, matte formula that is the best-selling foundation at Lancôme. And, to be fair, it’s pretty impressive. The formula was overhauled to improve its wearability for all skin types and is now made with 81% skincare ingredients including hyaluronic acid, vitamin E and moringa. This means that there isn’t even the slightest hint of dryness or dehydration when wearing this and it also helps to lend the matte finish a more natural, hydrated appearance. As well as the skincare aspect, the coverage is something to behold—it’s full coverage, and truly covers everything from dark circles to blemishes, yet somehow does so with the finest veil of product.

7. BareMinerals Original Matte Loose Mineral Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15

I’ve used this foundation on and off for years, and whenever I apply it I always wonder why I use any other product because it leaves my skin looking so incredibly good. I’ll admit that I held unsubstantiated preconceptions about this product for a long time before I first tried it—I’ve never liked powder foundations and I didn’t believe that it would offer either coverage or a healthy-looking finish. I was wrong on both counts. Somehow, this little pot of powder transforms skin into something bright, fresh and even. You just swirl it on for either a sheer wash of coverage or a full-on foundation look, and it minimises pores, covers over blemishes, and generally makes skin look incredibly good. Plus, because it’s made with only seven ingredients it really looks after your skin too.

8. Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup

There’s no denying that compared to more dewy formulations, matte foundations are brilliant if you don’t want to have to touch up your base throughout the day—and Estee Lauder’s iconic Double Wear foundation doesn’t disappoint when it comes to longevity. I can apply this product first thing in the morning and it will still be firmly in place at the end of day. Through school drop offs, tube commutes, work meetings and even dinner with friends, this stuff does not budge. And the smallest amount offers an incredible amount of coverage. This was my foundation of choice for a long time in my 20s when I was dealing with quite severe acne that I was self-conscious about and it did a great job at covering it all up. While coverage is less high on my agenda these days, it really is a great foundation for concealing everything from redness to acne scars without fading away by lunchtime.