I just can't find the right type of make up for me.I would like to achieve a soft natural (adult) pin up look.The problem is I have oily skin and I chase after a three year old all day so I sweat most of the makeup off by the end of the day.I would greatly love your input of what works best on a budget.
Have you tried HD brand from Sephora? Thats what all the media people who are on HDTV are using now. A makeup artist used it on me and it looked great and wasn't to heavy.
I have oily / combination skin too, so I've learned a few tricks on the way. MAC has great products, although they can be pricey. Their skin prep + prime is amazing. I use it as a base for every shoot before I put on my makeup, and it evens out any imperfections and helps keep my skin looking soft. It's about $20 a bottle, but it lasts forever because you don't need that much of it!
Also, I set my foundation (I use age rewind) with loose powder instead of pressed. Loose powder helps absorb extra oils and leaves a soft, matte look.
There are products out there too for general skin care. I use a gentle exfoliant and follow up with a seaweed pore tightening mask by Kiss My Face, and then a moisturizer and eye cream. Regardless of the fact that you have oily skin, you still need moisturizer. If your skin becomes too dry, it's only going to produce more oil -- which is the exact opposite of what you want! Whatever products you go with, you can't go wrong with all natural. Stay away from astringents / lotions / cleansers with alcohols, oils, or perfumes. My rule of thumb is if I can't pronounce it, it probably doesn't belong on my skin!
I hope that helps a little!