I'm in the same boat as you, learning a little late in life (29) how important it is to actually take care of my skin.
My face has always been extremely dry except for certain "oil-zones" where I tend to break-out (still!). So the first thing I did was invest in a decent moisterizer. Aveeno Positively Radient daily moisturizer is what I randomly picked...actually I got the Walmart knock-off version for half the price...and it's worked really nicely. It seems to give my face a bit of a glow and some very subtle color (which I need), though that last part might be my imagination.
Also, my mom (who looks at least a decade younger than her 63 years) highly suggested I start using Oil of Olay Regenerist now for wrinkle prevention. I don't really have any wrinkles yet, but the extremely fine lines I used to have around my eyes have since disappeared.
So every night I start by washing my face with an Aveeno exfoliating scrub. Then I towel dry and apply the Olay Regenerist on my face and let it absorb for a minute or two before going back over and applying the moisturizer on my face and neck. This makes my skin feel absolutely dreamy the next day.
For my oily spots (mainly my chin), I use those individual packets of alcohol swabs they have in doctor's offices (I get them dirt-cheap at Costco) and simply swipe the area maybe twice a day. The alcohol cleans it nicely and keeps the oil from building up. And since that area naturally oily, the alcohol never overdries it. It's not something you'd want to do all over your face, but for very focused areas it actually works great.
But the one thing that has really made the biggest change for me (hands down) has been Bare Minerals make-up. I have psoriasis, so my skin is incredibly sensitive as well. I also have fairly blotchy skin due to some acne scarring, freckles, etc. The traditional liquid foundation I used to apply would make my dry skin look dryer and my oily skin...oilier. I had to buy an extremely light shade to prevent any visible lines of demarkation so I ended up looking like a pale, unhealthy ghost most of the time.
When a friend gave me a makeover and used Bare Minerals, I thought I'd never looked so healthy and beautiful. I was hooked. The starting kit I bought was $60 (ouch) but that was several months ago and I still have a LOT of product left. I doubt I'll need to purchase more until Christmas time, at the earliest. Plus, the brushes that came with the kit will always be good to use, so all I'll need to refill is the actual make-up.
It's hard to explain what this stuff is like (I'm sure you can find an info-mercial for it on their site, or youtube at the very least) but trust me when I say that it goes on quick and easy and feels amazingly light. You'll look like yourself, only with healthy, glowing, EVEN skin.
Also, since I've started using it I haven't had one single break-out. What I thought was adult-acne was (sadly) just the dirty, bacteria filled make-up I was using before.
So...wow, that was a lot but I wanted to share my recent discoveries. I feel like such a grown up now that I'm doing all this stuff, lol. Of course, I'm telling you all of this from my heart and do not personally sell Bare Minerals make-up. I bought mine from the local Ulta but you might get a good deal online if you look around.
Best of luck to you, Sweetie!