Very oily skin and acne scarring - creams or foundations

[WorryDoll]

Hi ladies,

I'm 36 years old, the palest person in the entire world and my skin is really, horrible oily. I have lots of "ice pick" type acne scars (not darker or anything, just holes in my face) as well. I have 2 questions.

Are there any creams, lotions or whatever that'll help with the greasiness?

Does anyone know of a makeup that won't a) gather in all the holes making me look like I have orange freckles everywhere b) will actually cover up spots/dark circles etc. and c) won't just slide off my face after an hour.

I should also add that I am on a very limited budget (practically nothing), I'm just sick of looking a greasy mess. I look sweaty even when I'm not and it's getting me down. I've had a hard time recently, haven't really been feeling very good about myself and I keep being told by friends to do some little things to perk myself up.

There is a rubbish quality phone pic of me in my profile but for some reason I don't look as pale, greasy or scarred as I am at all.

I would be really grateful for any help!

I'm 37, and have very oily skin too. Salicylic acid is great for helping to control oilyness and unclog pores.

I do a home peel every few days or every week. Have a look at Bravura for salicylic acid or glycolic acid. It's quite inexpensive. There was a massive thread on here, which might be worth a read. In between, I use La Roche Posay Effaclar astrigent lotion as a toner. That's got salicylic acid in too. It's about £11, but great. There's probably a cheaper alternative.

Foundation is a nightmare if you have oily skin isn't it? Ive tried so many, and most just slide off my face. A decent primer really helps. Although the one that really helps keep my make up on is MAC spf 50 prep and prime which is about £20. Lanacane anti-chafing gel ( believe it or not ) is supposed to be good as a budget option. I use blotting papers a few times a day too. You can buy them from Boots, or kleenex do a version. Quite cheap.

Estee Lauder double wear is great, but not cheap. Revlon colorstay has pretty good staying power, as does Rimmel 25 hour, and that's only a few quid. I was pretty impressed with that for the price. Still need to blot though, but that's just a fact of life.

You actually need to wear less make up. I wear tinted moisturiser, concealer and powder but a fine milled one that won't look talcy

Touch up the powder during the day

ALSO ooh just remembered Avon Skin Perfector is AMAZING, Matt primer that stops any shine all day, minimises pores and is SPF 20

I use Maybelline concealer from their long stay range, can't remember name but by jingo it doesn't come off until I want it too

Lily Lolo mineral make-up will give you a soft-focus look. It's perfect for your skin - mine is oily (I'd never had a foundation not disintegrate off my face by lunchtime) but mineral make-up is the Holy Grail for me. Bare Minerals is the same concept, just twice the twice and has fillers in it.

I have the curse of oily skin too, I use Clinique stay matte oil free makeup, It is amazing and not heavy or cakey. I finish this with a powder sometimes.
If you have deep acne scars (pock marks) you should prime first.

To cover dark circles you need a concealer, best one out there imo is MAC pro longwear. A little goes a long way and it lasts ages.

Lily Lolo mineral foundation. It's just lovely and the only brand that has a shade -porcelain- that's pale enough for me. I'm an oil slick in liquid foundations and also have some scarring, so do understand your needs.

I biught recently following MN recommendations This I have oily skin with spot / enlarged pore marks and it was fab, wore it for a wedding and it lasted all day, in summer, and looked pretty god n the official photos where they show up any flaws!! Would def recommend, but go to a clarins counter where they will pick the right shade and apply some, i asked if I could have some applied and walk round town for a while to see how it settled on my face, hth's