Archived Post

Rant & Rave: Matte Foundation

Tell us what you love and hate about...

Matte Foundation

I think matte foundation can make skin appear really smooth, but it can also make skin look flat and lifeless, so there’s a fine line between matte and smooth and dull and matte! I also tend to prefer less dewy finishes, as foundations usually get a little dewy after they’re worn for a few hours, so I’d rather start more matte and get to slightly dewy by the end of the day then look like I’m melting!

— Christine

22 Comments

Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!

Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).

We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!

Comments on this post are closed.
Nell Avatar

This brings up a good question? Do you get ready for now, or 4 hours from now? If I am preparing makeup for now, I will select a few more satin/dewey items. If I need to look my best 4 hours from now, I will start out with mattes and powders, because the oil in my skin will moisten everything in time. So will the heat and hot lights. Generally, I will go for a long lasting look in a few hours, thus more mattes and powders.
(4 hours is a generalization, it could be 2-12 hours!)

Michele @Binxcat4ever Avatar

I find that my current foundation rotation all seem to hold up well over the course of the day. So where I used to pick a matte foundation, esp. in the Summer, now I tend to go for a satin or slightly luminous product (currently rotating between UD Naked Skin and MJ Genius Gel – for super hot/humid days where I’m not worried about coverage I go for the REN BB). Mattes have their place but can also be unforgiving with skin flaws.

Anne Avatar

I’ve gone from mostly dry to dry to ultra dry. Never, ever could I wear a matte foundation. It made my skin look like plastic, and made me feel like my skin was 5 sizes to small for my face. Even in my mostly dry days, I just used a blotting tissue to touch up my nose. I can’t imagine anyone who has dry skin ever to like the look and feel of a matte foundation. It’s like a product that has clay in it: Run!

Deborah S. Avatar

I am with you, Anne. My face is so dry that even with slathering on moisturizer and then applying my foundation, I still have dry areas. I don’t know that I would like the look of matte foundations even if I could stand to wear them. They seem to really take all of the dimension away and though I know you can bronze, highlight, etc. I still prefer a more dimensional look. My daughter is really oily and always wears a matte foundation but I never like the look of it until later in the day when some of her natural oils make it look better to me. She hates it though. LOL

Fashn Avatar

The whole idea of Matte foundation is fantastic for me because of my super oily skin that tends to eat away at my make up despite the primers and blotting powders I use. I tend to like the flat look, but I do find that some foundations can end up looking too thick, cakey and mask like, so I’ve been trying different brands in my search for a good matte formula.

Lea Avatar

I have normal skin, so while I could likely wear matte, I do prefer luminous. Times and formulas have certainly changed, but I always hated that dry, powdered look from the 80s and I still kind of equate the two. Luminous looks better on me and is more in line with my taste. I don’t ever wear powder, so I think I’m as far away from matte as possible. I tend to use blotting sheets if I get too shiny in the southern humidiity.

Nancy T Avatar

At 57 y.o., my T-zone is still very oily and breakouts are a common occurrence particularly during high humidity. Not 100% certain whether Tarte Amazonian Clay is considered a matte, perse, but it does help keep some of the shine down, without giving my skin a flat-matte, lifeless look either. This is important, because my cheeks, upper and outer parts of my forehead are dry.
Truly flat matte as in MAC Studio Fix or Revlon Colorstay are no good on me, though.

Tammy Avatar

I had to immediately stop when I read your comment about MAC Studio Fix being matte and look it up. I was floored to discover Studio Fix is matte! It doesn’t even look matte when I first put it on, and as the day wears on I have to blot my shiny places every 2-3 hours. It’s one of my favorites, despite the need for blotting. Definitely thought it was a luminous finish, based on the way it wears on my skin.

Lisa Avatar

I never go for completely matte foundations, but rather satin/ velvet. That being said, I feel like matte finishes can be quite polished and professional. I can’t wear it during certain times of the year simply because it does show those pesky flakies around my nose and cheek area.

Sarah Avatar

My saving grace. My face is more of a normal skin type but the oils I due produce break down foundation super quickly, especially in the center of my face. Matte foundations typically hold out longer for me and give me a more skin-like finish rather than a plastic shine! I wore my Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless and it lasted through a serious a Capella rehearsal and three hours of lectures before I had to touch up with powder! Overmattifying products are bothersome but they don’t necessarily bother me enough to not use them. It’s easier than dewy foundations lol. Plus, I like wearing colored highlights (I’m currently mixing Essence Apricotta and NYX Prismatic Mermaid eyeshadows for my cheekbones) compared to a real skin-like color, so I’m definitely more inclined to get as much oil off my face as necessary to make them show!

Terry Douglas Avatar

When I started wearing foundation, I applied my first full coverage foundation and I was obsessed. The darkness on both corners of my mouth was gone. The shadow of a childhood scar on my forehead, it was gone. I felt like, “where have you been all my life”. I spent a year wearing this foundation for every occasion. I wore my regular look to a Super Bowl party, and my niece was over it. She told me it was to much. Maybe if I’m going to a gala it is ok. But she said I looked casket ready. What! I took a good look at myself and realized she was right. It covered everything, but looked like a mask. So for me, a woman of 53 years old, I don’t want an ultra matte finish. I want it to look like skin. I like a glowy/dewy look. I have oily skin, so dewy can go bad on me easily. But I’ve found products that give me the best of both worlds.

Helene Avatar

I need matte foundations. I still need to use quite a few blotting papers during the day. I might get away with satin-y finishes, but I tend to go for the matte. I have really oily T-zone, and my cheeks aren’t dry either. I have tried more luminous finises, but I look like an oil factory immediately. And trus me, that is not a good look for me 🙂

Pearl Avatar

Rant: Matte formulas tend to make my skin overproduce oil, unfortunately. Not all brand’s formulations are the same, either. So one matte finish will look great for my skin, but then oxidize or another one looks great at first and then I’m an oil slick 3 hours into the day.

Rave: When it is done right, I think it’s a very flattering finish. I like that it can (depending on coverage) create a blank slate and I get to add back in the dimension that I want.

Rachel R. Avatar

I have oily skin, so I love matte foundations. I’m not into the dewy look at all, so I’ve spent most of my life trying to get as matte as I can. I think a matte face is really classic and glamorous. I wear blush and intense highlighter, shimmery eyeshadows and lips, and setting spray, so I don’t have any issues with looking flat or powdery.

Lacey Avatar

I have oily skin, so a “dewy” finish is my foundation arch nemesis. Anything that gives me the illusion of having skin that’s not an oil slick is a must. But matte formulas can sometimes be cakey, cling to bad texture, or break down in strange ways when the oil inevitably shows through during the day.

We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!