Best concealers for mature skin: Camouflage blemishes, undereye shadows and redness

30 Nov 2023

Siobhan Grogan

Hide blemishes with the best concealers for mature skin

Finding the best concealer for mature skin is not always easy. Suddenly the trusty brand you’ve turned to for years doesn’t work to tackle the dark circles, wrinkles, and redness that can come with advancing years. Using the right concealer should target all these problems so you can still be happy with your skin, whatever age you are.

Whether you want to swipe on concealer and go, or it’s one small step in a full makeup routine using makeup brushes and sponges, the right product should suit your skin tone and texture, disguise flaws, and last all day. But it’s also important that the concealer doesn’t sink into lines and creases or cause dryness, which is more common with mature skin.

We put several concealers to the test to find the ones that suited mature skin best and covered up undereye circles, blemishes, age spots and more. Read on to find out what you should look for when makeup shopping, including our roundup of the best concealers for mature skin. It’s a fast track to the skin of your dreams!

Best concealers for mature skin: At a glance

Best for mature skin: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Hydrating Concealer | £9.99
Best for dark circles: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat High Cover Concealer | £29
Best for long-lasting: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer | £24

How to choose the best concealer for mature skin

How do I choose the right colour concealer?

Skin tone is everything. Buying a concealer that’s too dark or light for your skin won’t hide anything, and instead will draw attention to any problem areas. To hide imperfections, choose a concealer that matches your skin tone and seems to disappear when you test it on your jawline. Remember, if your skin changes colour with sun exposure, you may need two shades to suit both winter and summer.

Think about your skin’s undertones too. Using the wrong concealer for your natural undertone can make it look chalky or orange. A good way to find your undertones is to look at the veins on your wrist – if they are blue, you’re likely to be cool-toned; if they’re green, you’re warm-toned; and if you see a mix of both, you have a neutral undertone to your skin.

It’s also important to consider the areas you will be using the concealer on – to brighten eyes and conceal dark circles, you’ll need a product one shade lighter than your natural skin tone; to contour and sculpt, go one shade darker.

What other features do I need?

Choose cream or liquid concealers that won’t settle into fine lines, but will still conceal imperfections without caking. And look for the extra ingredients usually found in skincare products to benefit, hydrate, and protect your skin – hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, and peptides all work wonders on older skin.

How much do I need to spend?

Even concealers from the most high-end brands only cost between £20 and £30, so this is one beauty product you can splurge on without the guilt. Brightening concealers for use around the eyes can be worth spending extra on, as they tend to last a little longer and are packed with radiant-giving ingredients. However, there are several excellent concealers available for less than £10, a great option if you wear concealer every day and want to keep costs down.

What is the best way to apply concealer for mature skin?

If you have blemishes you want to blitz, apply foundation to the areas that need it first, then work in thin layers of concealer with a brush or blender until it melts into the skin. Under eyes it’s best to skip foundation as it can settle into fine lines and look unnatural. Instead, gently apply concealer and tap with your ring finger for a seamless look.

How we test concealers for mature skin

We tested each and every concealer featured in our round-up to find the best, alongside others that didn’t make the cut. For each one, we wore the concealer on our problem areas for several days including under our eyes, round our nose and on any blemishes. We used the concealers on a daily basis during an average work day, on nights out and on busy weekends to really test how long-lasting they were in all conditions and weather.

When testing, we noted how easy each concealer was to apply and blend, how well it covered imperfections and if it had caked or settled into fine lines by the end of the day. For every concealer, we also noted if it contained beneficial skincare ingredients, how it felt on the skin and if there were a range of colours to suit all skin tones.

The best concealers for mature skin you can buy in 2023

1. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat High Cover Concealer: Best concealer for dark circles

Price when reviewed: £29 | Check price at LookFantastic

Cheat your way to eight hours of sleep with this radiance-boosting wand designed to cover dark circles and imperfections. While many undereye concealers only highlight fine lines, this one is packed with top-notch ingredients including Vitamin E, caffeine, and soothing Moroccan calendula extract, which helps skin stay hydrated.

The lightweight, creamy consistency goes on like silk from YSL’s iconic clicking pen applicator but still covers really well. We were told we looked especially well-rested when we were wearing it, even when we felt anything but. The concealer is also effective at hiding redness around the nose, offering good coverage without needing a thick layer. Most days, we’d happily skip foundation and just swipe this on instead.

Key details – Pack size: 2.5ml; Shade range: 14; Vegan: No

Check price at LookFantastic

2. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Concealer: Best to hide fine lines

Price when reviewed: £24 | Check price at Cult Beauty

The only thing better than hiding annoying fine lines is making sure they don’t get any worse. Available in an impressive 36 shades, this full coverage concealer’s secret weapon is Vita-Serum Complex, which boosts hydration by activating the natural production of hyaluronic acid and ceramides, so you’ll look better even when you’re not wearing any makeup. Result.

It works to blur any fine lines you already have too. Used on the entire cast of Bridgerton’s second series, the concealer contains Flex Form Matrix pigment technology which forms a breathable, flexible layer that moves with the skin and seems to visibly smooth those annoying lines. It’s applied with a tapered wand and only a tiny amount is needed, but it dries quickly so act fast and blend in for a natural, but improved, look.

Key details – Pack size: 5ml; Shade range: 36; Vegan: No

Check price at Cult Beauty

3. Rimmel London Kind & Free Hydrating Concealer: Best concealer on a budget

Price when reviewed: £8.99 | Check price at Amazon

Proof that the best concealers for mature skin don’t need to come packed with nasties to get the job done, this Rimmel product is 100% vegan and completely free from fragrances, mineral oils, and animal-derived ingredients. Ideal for anyone with sensitive skin, or just those looking for guilt-free coverage, 80% of its ingredients are of natural origin and even the packaging is made with recycled materials.

The miracle-working formulation includes an antioxidant complex of vitamin E, pro-vitamin B5, and aloe vera, and coverage is pleasantly lightweight but can be built for more stubborn imperfections. We found we needed a couple of applications to really cover blemishes, but the dewy finish worked especially well under our eyes. It also didn’t dry out or sink into fine lines as the day went on, making this concealer a good option for drier skin. Just be warned: there are only six shades available, so it may not suit everyone.

Key details – Pack size: 7ml; Shade range: 6; Vegan: Yes

4. Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer: Best long-lasting concealer

Price when reviewed: £24 | Check price at Amazon

Celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury says she worked on this product for five years to try and create the perfect concealer, so we had high hopes when opening the glamorous rose gold tube. It’s certainly full of impressive-sounding ingredients, including Palmitoyal Glycine to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, Persian Silk Tree Bark Extract to minimise crow’s feet, and extract of Wild Indigo, a native Indian plant said to enhance luminosity.

It glides on like a dream, thanks to the teardrop-shaped sponge applicator that makes blending a doddle, especially under the eyes. Coverage is fairly heavy so you won’t need it on good-skin days, but it’s a miracle worker on any imperfections. There’s no need to worry about touch-ups either as our morning application lasted all day, even through a sweaty gym session.

Key details – Pack size: 4ml; Shade range: 20; Vegan: No

5. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Hydrating Concealer: Best concealer for mature skin

Price when reviewed: £9.99 | Check price at Amazon

You don’t always need to blow the budget to find makeup you can rely on as this reasonably-priced hydrating concealer is a game-changer for mature skin prone to dryness. Chock-full of antioxidant-rich Goji Berry Extract to reduce the appearance of dark circles and fine lines, it sadly doesn’t quite turn the clock back, but certainly made us look like we’d had a good night’s sleep.

We also loved how easy it was to slick on, thanks to the antimicrobial cushion tip applicator, and were particularly impressed by the silky-smooth finish. Even after several hours, our near-permanent undereye shadows remained well hidden, yet the concealer didn’t look at all cakey. One of the best concealers for mature skin we tested, it’s a permanent addition to our makeup bag from now on.

Key details – Pack size: 6.8ml; Shade range: 18; Vegan: Yes

6. NYX Professional Makeup Bare With Me Concealer Serum: Best vegan concealer

Price when reviewed: £11 | Check price at AmazonWe’re all for products that save us time in the morning, and this pump concealer takes care of all the dark circles, blemishes, and redness we’d rather not reveal to the world, yet works like a serum to soothe dry patches and ease irritation. Ingredients like tremella mushroom, cica, and green tea are included to lend 24-hour hydration, and, after wearing this concealer all day, our skin still felt moisturised to the point we were able to skip night cream before bed.

It feels lovely on the skin too, with a feather-light texture perfect for anyone who prefers a natural look. Best applied with a blending brush to avoid getting it all over your fingers, it’s the perfect glow-giver in a bottle.

Key details – Pack size: 9.6ml; Shade range: 13; Vegan: Yes