Glistening, glowing, dewy, luminous—they’re all positive adjectives when it comes to skin, until they go just a little too far into oily territory. While oily skin comes with some major complexion benefits, the annoyances of keeping your makeup in place and ditching shine can definitely wear on a gal. To help guide us on the path towards perfect skin we chatted with professional makeup artist, Virginia Linzee for her take on oily skin fixes that will make your life easier.

1. Mattify

“Most importantly, before applying foundation I start with a light, moisturizing mattifying lotion, which absorbs the excess oil your skin produces to help keep you matte. They work great under foundation and keep too much oil mixing with your foundation, which breaks it down. Make sure you choose a lotion that’s lightweight, absorbs into the skin instead of just sitting on top of the skin,” Linzee suggests.

2. Reach for a Sponge  

“The Beauty Blender is great for oily skin because it blends and presses the product into the skin, but also dilutes the product with water, adding hydration and wiping any excess oil away. If I get oily during the day, and my makeup starts to disintegrate, I just use a damp beauty blender to smooth everything back together. It's so refreshing and looks great. I find I rarely need to add more makeup afterwards,” Linzee says.

3. Blot and Powder

“To take away shine and to mask shine are two different things. I like to take away shine first and then mask it so that you use less product (and there is less oil to mix with it). Blot first with blotting papers to absorb excess oil. Then mask the shine with a blotting powder. Use a puff to press it onto the spots where you get the most oil, such as the T-zone. Oily cheekbones are fine. They glow beautifully,” Linzee says.

4. Prep Perfectly

If your eyelids tend to get greasy and crease your eyeshadow, Linzee suggests you “start with a dry eye primer or powder the lids before you apply eyeshadow.” This will give you a dry canvas to work with, and also keep your color in place all day (or night).

5. Stay Hydrated  

Linzee last tip might surprise you. “If you dehydrate your skin it produces more oil. Contrary to thought, make sure you stay hydrated and moisturized with a lightweight moisturizer so you produce less oil,” she says. And, “remember, though oily skin may be more high maintenance, it doesn't wrinkle, so be glad you've got it!”

Have any oily skin tips of your own? Share ‘em below with a comment!

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