New Foundations for Oily Skin: Elizabeth Arden and Nude by Nature

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How to cite: Wong M. New Foundations for Oily Skin: Elizabeth Arden and Nude by Nature. Lab Muffin Beauty Science. April 26, 2015. Accessed March 28, 2024. https://labmuffin.com/new-foundations-for-oily-skin-elizabeth-arden-and-nude-by-nature/

Foundation is always a bit of a struggle for me – as someone with combination skin, sometimes it’s just easier not to try. I’ve recently had the chance to road-test two foundations tailored for oily skin, and I was pleasantly surprised! Here’s what I thought of them.

Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Satin 24HR Makeup SPF 15 PA++ ($50 for 30 mL) is my new favourite high-coverage foundation. I’ve been wary of high-coverage foundations since wearing MAC Studio Tech clogged my skin, but Perfectly Satin has given me new hope.

elizabeth-arden-flawless-finish

Perfectly Satin is a liquid foundation slated to be good for oily/combination skin. The finish is satin – it’s matte, with a little bit of dimension to keep it looking natural, and surprisingly I didn’t really need a powder on top to keep it from oiling up. There are 7 shades available in Australia, and my NC25 skin matched well with Neutral Bisque.

I’ve found this foundation to be very forgiving – it applies smoothly with brushes, fingers and sponges, and works fine on my bare skin, sunscreen and over a water-based primer. By default it’s medium-to-heavy coverage, but it works well mixed with some moisturiser for lighter coverage, and it’s buildable to concealer-level coverage on blemishes. In fact, I found that I didn’t need concealer while wearing this, and I’ve used it as concealer on “bare skin” days. It’s very blendable. For the heaviness of the coverage, it feels quite light, and stays on for hours (through exercise!) without settling into lines or shifting.

The only drawbacks I can think of are the heaviness of the bottle, and the fact it might not work well for people with dry skin. I also wouldn’t mind higher SPF and PA values, but I never really expect to use foundation as my sole source of sun protection anyway. Otherwise, this foundation is fantastic! It’s Holy Grail status for me.

 

Pros

  • excellent coverage (can be built to concealer level)
  • easy to apply and blend
  • flattering finish
  • great oil control for oily skin (don’t need powder)
  • doesn’t settle or shift
  • hygienic pump packaging

Cons

  • heavy bottle
  • may be too drying for dry skin

Ingredients: Water/Aqua/Eau, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Polymethylsilsequioxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol,
Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Nylon-12, Isododecane, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Mica, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Boron Nitride, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Aluminum Dimyristate, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Citric Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lauroyl Lysine, Lecithin,
Magnesium Sulfate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Saccharide Isomerate, Silica, Sodium Citrate, Sorbitan Stearate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Zinc Glycyrrhetinate, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate. May contain +/-: Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891).

 

nude-by-nature-pressed-mineral-cover-medium

Nude by Nature Pressed Mineral Cover ($39.95 for 10 g) is the first powder foundation I’ve ever tried – to be honest, I should’ve tried ages ago, because what better to suppress shine than something completely dry? Unfortunately there are only 5 shades available – luckily, Medium is a pretty good match for my NC25 skin. The foundation comes in a sleek compact with a mirror and a sponge applicator, and for a limited time on the Nude by Nature website comes with a complimentary double sided pressed powder brush ($24.95) with a buffing end which is great for pressing the powder into the skin for problem areas.

nude-by-nature-brushes

As I expected, it does indeed stay matte for hours. The coverage is buildable and it isn’t very cakey – I did find that it does tend to get patchy and settle around my nose by the end of the day, and it rubs off easily. A setting spray or a good primer might help with this. The foundation does contain some moisturising ingredients (Cehami extract, Vitamin E, Avocado oil, Jojoba oil and Shea butter) and vitamin C (Kakadu plum extract), but I don’t think you’d apply enough to get that many benefits from them. Powder foundations tend to have less ingredients and are less likely to harbour bacteria, so this is a good option for sensitive skin.

 

Pros

  • Feels lightweight
  • Stays matte for hours
  • Buildable coverage that can reach
  • Pressed format is convenient and reduces fallout
  • Sleek, portable packaging

Cons

  • Only comes in 5 shades (will cover most people)
  • Can get patchy
  • Settles into folds

 

Ingredients: Magnesium Stearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Kaolin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Tapioca Starch Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Coco-Caprylate, Jojoba Esters, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Beeswax (Cera Alba), Centipedia Cunninghamii (Cehami) Extract, Terminalia Ferdinandiana (Kakadu Plum) Seed Oil. May contain +/- [Mica, CI 77007 (Ultramarines), CI 77491 (Iron Oxide), CI 77492 (Iron Oxide), CI 77499 (Iron Oxide), CI 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), CI 77947 (Zinc Oxide)].

 

Do you have oily skin? What’s your favourite foundation? Let me know!

These products were provided for editorial consideration, which did not affect my opinion. For more information, see Disclosure Policy.


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5 thoughts on “New Foundations for Oily Skin: Elizabeth Arden and Nude by Nature”

  1. You should try Meow Cosmetics! Their website makes the company look a little childish but the quality and range of their products is insane. They’re the only mineral foundation I wear and it makes my skin look airbrushed. They also have $1 samples of every product (which is necessary because there are over 70 foundation/concealer shades alone) and every so often they have promotions with free shipping even for international orders.

    Reply
    • I’ve been meaning to check them out, but I got scared by their colour selection and forgot. Thanks for reminding me! 🙂

      Reply
      • Yeah it’s intimidating. Just get more samples than you think you need because the monitor distorts the color a little. Also the pampered and perfect formulas are forgiving if you’re a little bit off but the flawless formula isn’t.

        Reply
  2. Estée Lauder Double Wear is my HG foundation for oily/combo skin. The coverage is great and really buildable. The finish is matte but not ‘cakey’ and it really does last all day. I can get through an 11 hour shift at work without needing to touch up or blot or apply powder.

    Reply
  3. Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin works pretty well for me with a light powder over, but for days where I need a matte look, Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Loose Powder works great. I have combination/oily skin that is very sensitive and prone to acne if I wear anything for more than 8 hours (including sunscreen and moisturizers)

    Reply

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