The best foundation for mature skin
Give your skin the helping hand it needs for a perfect complexion with these brilliant foundations, starting at £19
There’s no doubt that our skin changes over time, and this is why choosing the best foundation for mature skin can be difficult. That’s because maturing skin is less about a numerical age than it is about elasticity and hyperpigmentation.
When your skin becomes mature can depend on a variety of factors, such as how exposed to the sun you’ve been, and as we age the needs of our skin change. As you get older, you need to alter the type of moisturiser you use, and you should also adjust the foundation you use to match.
For most people with mature skin the problem is dryness, so it’s important your foundation for mature skin has a moisturising element to it. That’s just one element, however, so to help you choose the right one for you, we’ve put together a handy buying guide to find the right foundation for you. If you already know what you’re looking for, then skip straight on to our recommendations and you’ll find a variety of options at a range of prices.
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Best foundations for mature skin: At a glance
- Best for coverage: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation | £43
- Best for long lasting: Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid Foundation | £35
- Best for glowing skin: Pai The Impossible Glow | £19
How to choose the best foundation for mature skin
What kind of foundation should I use?
Mature skin demands a little more thought and care than younger skin. If your foundation is too thick you could end up with caked-up cracks where your laughter lines are. Too thin and any redness and irritation could show through.
A foundation that’s specifically tailored to mature skin should have all your bases covered, and as long as you go for a light to medium formula you should be able to avoid any issues. A light dewy foundation will bring a glow back to your skin and will help to conceal wrinkles and lines.
Don’t fall into the trap of applying a thick foundation to your mature skin. Mature skin needs moisture as it’s more prone to dryness, so a light moisturising coverage is ideal.
How much should I spend?
Your foundation is the base that your entire makeup look is built on, plus it’s directly interacting with your skin. So, while you can buy some cheap foundations that are pretty good, they aren’t going to give your mature skin everything it needs.
Yes, there are some exceptions, but on the whole spending a little more is a good investment in your look. A good foundation for mature skin will routinely cost upwards of £20, while a foundation with active ingredients, such as natural fruit and seed extracts that work to hydrate and moisturise your skin, will set you back around £40.
How should I apply my foundation?
Those pesky fine lines that come with mature skin are a nuisance: your old method of applying foundation liberally with your fingers just won’t work the way it used to.
Instead, it’s important to apply with a brush and then blend with a beauty blender. Mature skin may have some loss of elasticity and the surface will be more uneven than when you were younger.
Blend well into all areas of your face, paying attention to around the nose and under your eyes where the skin is the thinnest. But the most important thing to remember is to moisturise before you apply your foundation. This is your best defence against dryness, so keep hydrated and your foundation should give you a lovely light covering.
READ NEXT: Our pick of the best moisturisers available
The best foundation for mature skin to buy in 2023
1. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation: Best for coverage
Price: £43 (30ml) | Buy now from John Lewis
This foundation isn’t called silk for nothing. It glides over your face and gives luminous light coverage that evens out tones and covers blemishes and red areas. You only need a small pump of this foundation to give you a light coverage that creates a sheer and natural look, but if you want more coverage you can pump a little more and keep blending until you get the look that’s right for you.
The patented Micro-fill technology of this foundation is what gives it such good coverage. It absorbs into your skin while maintaining visible cover, without ever feeling dry or cakey. It smooths away fine lines and it really does feel like silk, even around those tricky areas such as the eye and nose.
2. Pai The Impossible Glow Hyaluronic Acid & Sea Kelp Bronzing Drops: Best for glowing skin
Price: £19 (10ml) | Buy now from John Lewis
The really great thing about this product is how versatile it is. You can put a few drops directly onto your skin, you can mix it with a moisturiser or an SPF, or you can use it as a highlighter at the end of your make-up routine.
But however you use it, you’ll glow. It comes in three shades: Champagne, Rose Gold and Bronze. Each of them has a golden glow that instantly lifts your appearance, making you look and feel brighter. As a foundation it works perfectly for a sheer or no makeup look. You can apply it with your fingertips directly onto your face, and it brings an instant radiance to your complexion.
3. Trinny London BFF De-Stress Tinted Serum: Best for moisturising
Price: £39 | Buy now from Trinny London
When Trinny Woodall set out to make a true hybrid foundation and serum, no-one could have predicted how popular it would be. But this really is a serum that’s also a foundation, and who doesn’t want that?
The extra moisturising component makes it perfect for mature skin, as it hydrates while giving even coverage. It doesn’t sit in wrinkles and instead behaves like a serum and blends in. Made to protect your skin from life’s daily stresses, it has a long-lasting formula that should see you through the day and into the evening. Stress shows on our face, so to have a product that fights it head-on is invaluable for mature skin.
4. Clarins Everlasting Youth Fluid Foundation: Best for long-lasting coverage
Price: £36 (30ml) | Buy now from John Lewis
Boasting natural ingredients such as chicory and red jania extract, this foundation prides itself on being gentle on the skin and even contains an anti-pollution complex. The “fluid” aspect of the product refers to how easy it is to apply. There’s no dryness with this foundation and, as it’s been specially formulated for mature skin, it deals very well with coverage over wrinkles and discolouration.
The really great thing about this foundation, though, is how long-lasting it is. You’ll have at least six hours of solid coverage before you need to even think about topping it up. And when you do, it’s buildable so it won’t cake or clog. Instead, it will blend beautifully.
5. Ringana Fresh Tinted Moisturiser: Best for natural ingredients
Price: £37 (30ml) | Buy now from Ringana
Ringana’s approach to skincare is that it’s important to take care of the inside as well as the outside. And when the company calls its products “fresh”, it means it. This tinted moisturiser is made from natural ingredients such as plant extracts and seed oils, and is totally organic. The natural sugars are said to be responsible for its hydrating effects, while the tutuma butter strengthens the skin barrier.
You can use a few drops of this tinted moisturiser throughout the day and it will conceal any sun spots, red areas or blemishes. It only comes in two shades, light and tan, but it ingeniously adapts to match your natural skin tone. Bear in mind that this tinted moisturiser is made using fresh products and has a shorter shelf life than other foundations.
6. Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Skincaring Foundation: Best for choice of shades
Price: £33 | Buy now from Boots
A solid dependable brand like Elizabeth Arden is always going to come up trumps, and it’s no different with their foundation for mature skin. The Flawless Finish Skincaring Foundation has added vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, giving it skin care qualities beyond other foundations.
It blends beautifully and stays in place all day. It’s good at disguising age spots and fine lines and it feels light on your face, never oily or too dry. But the really stand out thing about this foundation is the choice in colours. This foundation comes in a whopping 40 different shades, meaning no matter what your skin tone is, there’s one for you.
