How To Get a Dewy Makeup Look When You Have Oily Skin

It’s a common misconception that dewy makeup is only suited for those with drier skin types. While hydrating, dewy-finish makeup products can certainly be great for dry skin, the reality is that anybody can rock a dewy makeup look—even those with oily skin. That being said, if you’re prone to oiliness, it’s important to approach dewy makeup carefully, as too much shine can make your skin look greasy rather than glowy. Combining the right makeup products with the proper application techniques can help anyone score a coveted, fresh-faced glow sans the grease. From hydrating skincare prep to the final touches of highlighter, here’s how to get dewy-looking makeup that shines in all the right places.

How To Get a Dewy Makeup Look

Step 1: Prep with a water-based moisturizer

Ensure your skin looks fresh and radiant for your dewy makeup look by prepping it with a water-based moisturizer. Because these formulas are made with water instead of oil, they can help hydrate your skin without leaving it looking (or feeling) greasy. 

We recommend cleansing your skin with a gentle face wash, then smoothing on the L’Oréal Paris RevitaLift Derm Intensives Micro Hyaluronic Acid + Ceramides Line-Plumping Water Cream. This water-based cream with micro hyaluronic acid and ceramides helps deeply hydrate skin and visibly re-plump fine lines for a smoother-looking appearance.

Step 2: Apply makeup primer

After moisturizing, reach for a primer. Aside from helping your dewy makeup last longer, primers can help create a smooth, more even base for your makeup products to adhere to. This way, light can better bounce off your skin and amplify its dewy glow.

If you have large pores—a common concern for those with oily skin—we suggest reaching for the L’Oréal Paris Prime Lab Up to 24H Pore Minimizer. It’s specifically formulated for shiny skin and helps blur pores to leave the skin looking smoother. Plus, it helps extend makeup wear for up to 24 hours—which is why it’s one of our favorite base makeup products for oily skin. 

Step 3: Apply a tinted dewy foundation

Foundations for oily skin typically have a soft matte or full matte finish. While we’ll always love matte makeup, it’s not what you want to reach for if you’re after a natural, dewy makeup look. Instead, you’ll want to reach for lightweight formulas that provide coverage and leave the skin with a radiant, hydrated-looking finish. Both tinted moisturizers and tinted serums fit the bill perfectly (and, bonus, both can help hydrate your skin). 

For a subtle dewy makeup look, reach for the L’Oréal Paris True Match Nude Hyaluronic Tinted Serum. The formula, which contains luminous mineral pigments and hyaluronic acid, provides sheer, lightweight coverage and gives skin a hydrated feel. Plus, its non-greasy finish solidifies its standing as one of our best dewy foundations for oily skin. If you’d prefer a more glowy look, consider using the L’Oréal Paris Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer to add a hint of radiant, healthy-looking color to your skin. (Psst: One of our favorite dewy skin hacks is mixing Lumi Glotion with a hyaluronic acid cream for a smooth and supple luminescence). Or, mix a few drops of the tinted moisturizer into the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 32 Hour Fresh Wear Foundation for medium-to-full coverage with a hint of luminosity. 

Whichever option you choose, be sure to use a light hand to create your dewy foundation look so that your skin looks blurred but not fully covered. Start with a pea-sized amount for a sheer, skin-like finish, then layer on more product if needed. 

Step 4: Spot-correct with concealer

Whether you have dark circles or pesky blemishes, you can achieve a more even-looking skin tone with a few swipes of L’Oréal Paris True Match Radiant Serum Concealer. True to its name, this hyaluronic acid-infused concealer offers buildable, medium coverage and boasts a radiant finish that is ideal for complementing all of your dewy makeup looks. 

Step 5: Swipe on liquid blush

A fresh-faced flush almost always comes to mind when we think of dewy finish makeup. And while there are tons of great blushes out there, we suggest choosing a cream or liquid-based blush to complement the satiny finish of your skin. 

Our L’Oréal Paris Lumi Le Liquid Blush comes in three dewy finishes (Dewy Worth It, Dewy Bright Pink, and Dewy Rich Coral) to give skin a radiant pop of color with a weightless feel. Using it is simple, too: Remove excess product from the doe-foot applicator, place up to three dots of color onto your cheek, and gently pat the formula into your skin with your fingertips or a makeup sponge. Alternatively, opt for one of the three glowy shades for a slightly more glam effect. 

Editor’s Tip: If you’re a liquid blush newbie, head to our article, How to Apply Liquid Blush for a Natural-Looking Flush, for more expert application tricks.

Step 6: Highlight your features

No dewy makeup look is truly complete without a bit of highlighter. Our aforementioned Lumi Glotion and Radiant Serum Concealer are both great for this purpose. To use them as highlighters, snag a color up two shades lighter than your base and tap it onto the high points of your face (the tops of your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, below your eyebrows, and over your Cupid’s bow). Then, blend well for a soft, lit-from-within glow. 

Step 7: Sweep on mascara

Play up your eyes with a few coats of black or brown mascara. Black is ideal for a more dramatic finish, while brown is best for those leaning into a no-makeup makeup effect. We love L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Washable Bold Eye Mascara (which comes in black-brown and three intensities of black) to quickly thicken and build lashes for a full and bold look.

Step 8: Gloss your lips

Rocking dewy makeup with chapped lips is a lot like trying to mix oil and water—it just won’t work. Complete your look by smoothing on a tinted lip gloss, such as our L’Oréal Paris Glow Paradise Lip Balm-in-Gloss with Pomegranate Extract. The lightweight formula is available in 12 dewy shades to help give your pout a gorgeously glossy finish.

Step 9: Finish with setting spray

Once you’re satisfied with your look, you’ll want to do what you can to ensure it lasts. That’s where the L’Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Mist With Microfine, up to 36H Wear comes in. This microfine mist helps extend makeup wear by up to 36 hours, gives skin a natural-looking glow, and keeps makeup from cracking, flaking, or caking. Just spray it in circular motions on your face for 3-4 seconds for easy, even application. 

Editor’s Tip: You may notice that powder—often considered an oily skin staple—was left out of this dewy makeup tutorial. That’s on purpose: Powder mattifies, which can detract from your dewy makeup look. If you find some areas of your face look shinier than you’d like, we suggest using blotting sheets to help soak up excess oil without disrupting the finish of your makeup. 

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