After testing it for years, we’ve used this foundation in many different ways. You can use a lighter or darker shade to highlight and contour, wear it underneath another base as a primer, or even treat it like a powder. As the day goes on, the formula adjusts its oil absorption to match your skin’s needs, so it will keep you looking fresh without over-drying.
- Key ingredients: squalane, magnesium oxide, carbon dioxide
- Finish: semi-matte
- Shades 14
Best Foundation Stick: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick
Westman Atelier
Vital Skin Foundation Stick
Why it’s worth it: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick, a 2022 and 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner, has a second-skin-like finish well-suited for mature skin, plus it’s loaded with nourishing ingredients like squalane for moisture and phytosphingosine, a naturally occurring lipid found in the skin, to soothe. This cream formula melts into the skin, whether you apply it straight to your face or use a brush. “For radiance and a second-skin finish that doesn’t settle into fine lines, I love this formula for mature skin,” Aharon says. Due to calming ingredients, Aharon says this fragrance-free foundation is suitable for sensitive skin, regardless of age.
- Key ingredients: vegetable-derived squalane, berryflux vita extract, camellia seed oil, coconut oil
- Finish: natural
- Shades: 21
Best Drugstore: L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Foundation
L’Oréal Paris
True Match Super Blendable Foundation
Why it’s worth it: D’Amelio Ventre not only loves the shade range of this drugstore foundation (we’re talkin’ 47 shades!), but the formula helps lock in moisture and has a finish that looks like skin, but promotes a glowy and even complexion.” It’s so creamy, she says it’s extremely easy to blend, and it can easily be layered for a more full-coverage look. It doesn’t have skin-care ingredients like the other foundations on this list, but it still has that smooth, buttery feel we love. We noticed this formula can look a bit cakey around drier areas like the mouth and nose, but as long as you moisturize beforehand, it wears smoothly.
- Key ingredients: N/A
- Finish: natural
- Shades: 47
Frequently Asked Questions
What to consider when looking for a foundation for mature skin
As you age, your complexion gains texture and leans on the drier side. New York City-based, board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, previously told Allure that this is because your skin produces less collagen and fewer natural lipids, such as ceramides and fatty acids, which leads to dehydrated skin and a weaker moisture barrier. When it comes to base makeup, “Fine or not-so-fine lines and larger pores can make foundation look mask-like at best and incredibly unflattering at worst,” explains Los Angeles-based makeup artist Fiona Stiles. That’s why finding a hydrating foundation is paramount for looking fresh. Tulve recommends choosing liquid foundations as they “act more like a second skin.” Overall, finding a buildable-coverage formula with skin-plumping, fine-line-minimizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane is the key to a flawless, crease-free base.
How to prep mature skin for foundation
Before you touch your makeup brushes, prepping your skin is essential for creating the smoothest finish possible. “Moisture is key, so always make sure you start with a moisturizer that’s hydrating but won’t turn greasy and interrupt your foundation texture,” Barose previously told Allure. Gucci Westman, the Los Angeles-based makeup artist and founder of Westman Atelier, also emphasized being vigilant about moisturizing your whole face, especially the area around your eyes.
SkinCeuticals
A.G.E. Interrupter Advanced
Dermalogica
Phyto Nature Lifting Eye Cream
Primer is always an important step before applying makeup of any kind, but not all of them provide the same smoothing effects you’d like. According to Barose, you’ll want to ditch mattifying formulas and swap them for formulas with blurring finishes. He also gives balm-like formulations (like Danessa Myrick’s Yummy Skin Moisture Repair Balm Serum) kudos for conditioning your skin while locking makeup in place. “You also don’t need to wear it all over the face,” he explains. “Focus on lines or [other areas] of your face [you want to] blur.”
Milk Makeup
Hydro Grip Primer
Smashbox
Photo Finish Primerizer+ Hydrating Primer
How to apply foundation on mature skin
Tulve leans into the “less is more” philosophy when applying foundation to mature skin. Denser, full-coverage formulations may end up accentuating fine lines, so use a buildable formula you can layer to your desired finish for a seamless, second-skin-like result. “I apply foundation on the larger areas of the face first, like the cheeks and forehead, then I go in and tweak around the nose and the chin area,” makeup artist Sandy Linter previously told Allure. “Lastly, I’ll apply concealer, plus a touch of foundation under the eye area.”
