I'm sure everyone and their mother has asked this before, but I'm here to ask again. I'll start by saying I am very familiar with makeup trends and techniques, I've tried every little trick under the sun in an attempt to make subpar foundations work with my greasy spoon skin, and I maintain a skincare routine to keep things as under control as they'll ever be. This has been a years-long journey so trust when I say I'm fully aware of the breadth of my options.

In the past I stuck to drugstore foundations, as I wore a full face every day and couldn't afford to repurchase something "expensive" multiple times a year. I also could not afford to try a large array of drugstore, so once I found something that worked well enough, I didn't keep going. After a 2-year break from wearing/buying ANY foundation, I'm looking for something new to wear exclusively for cosplay, meaning I'll generally be photographed and wear it for expended periods.

Skin description: Oily, oily, oily all over; clean face will soak a blotting paper ~30 minutes after washing with foaming cleanser. Absolutely no dryness. No concerns about pores, fine lines, etc; I'm lucky to be super smooth. Also not sensitive or majorly acne-prone. Just OILY!!

Qualities I'm looking for

• Completely matte (or at least matte with powder, you know what I mean)
• Medium-to-full coverage in one layer
• Absolutely no SPF, sparkle, anything that flashes back in photos
• Under $100 or so
• Readily available in the US
• STAYING POWER- no transferring, no separating, etc. I want this to last more than 2 hours before blotting. That sounds like a low standard but my skin is crazy.

Foundations I've tried (that I remember), ranked by staying power

1. Loreal Infallible Pro-Matte OG formula: looks AMAZING on me; used this for years until it got reformulated and I got a bigger paycheck; this is the BEST I HAVE, with blotting powder every 2 hours and full separation at the 8 hour mark
2. Revlon Colorstay OG formula: fine but emphasizes what little texture I have
3. CG Outlast 3-in-1: nope (SPF)
4. MAC Matchmaster: nope (SPF), very comparable to CG 3in1
5. KVD Lock-It: very cakey
6. The Ordinary Coverage Foundation: just weird, tried it with their primer and it got worse
7. Almay Clear Complexion: baby's first foundation
8. Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr: no way, super dewy AND has SPF
9. Loreal Infallible Pro-Glow: same as Rimmel LF, didn't buy for myself but I gave it a test run
10. Loreal Infallible Total Cover: dimethicone masquerading as foundation
11. Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse: same as above
12. Hard Candy Glamoflauge Foundation: hideous all around

These were all worn both with and without primer, but ALWAYS with setting powder. Various powders but I generally use Airspun for cosplay purposes.

I'm also willing to have a discussion if yall need more information, it's been a major struggle all this time because I feel like I can't convey to people how oily I am. I've had 3 doctors notice it and ask if I wanted to go on Accutane, but it's not an option thanks to other complications.

Thank you to anyone who responds!! ❤