Skin Type · 1 min read
Bridal Makeup for Oily Skin: Shine Control That Lasts All Day
By Bridal Makeup Artist · Updated
Oily skin keeps its glow, but on a 12-hour wedding day that glow can turn into shine and break foundation down by the speeches. The fix is a combination of oil-control layers and a blotting plan, not caking on more powder.
Prep without stripping
- Use a gentle cleanser. Harsh, stripping products make skin produce more oil.
- Use a light, oil-free moisturiser. Skipping moisturiser altogether also triggers oil.
- Use a clay mask once or twice a week in the run-up to the wedding, but not the night before.
The oily-skin bridal base
- Apply a mattifying or oil-control primer on the T-zone, plus pore-filling primer pressed into pores.
- Use an oil-free, long-wear foundation in thin layers.
- Use a thicker, long-wear concealer only where you need it.
- Press finely milled powder into the T-zone with a velour puff. Pressed powder outlasts powder dusted on with a brush.
- Use powder blush and bronzer rather than creams. Creams slide on very oily skin.
- Finish with a mattifying or long-wear setting spray.
The blotting plan
Pack blotting papers in your touch-up kit and blot first, then powder. Powder pressed on top of oil turns cakey. Blot before the ceremony, after photos and after dinner.
Deeper skin tones reflect more light and can look shiny without being oily. Judge by touch and blotting papers, not just by looks.
Frequently asked questions
What foundation is best for oily skin on a wedding day?
An oil-free, long-wear liquid with a soft-matte finish, applied thinly over a mattifying primer.
How do I stop my face getting shiny in wedding photos?
Mattify the T-zone, press powder in with a puff, and blot with papers before each round of photos.
