Older skin calls for a fresh take on foundation. You might have been battling breakouts and oily t-zones in your 20s, but as you get older you're more likely to be dealing with dark spots and fine lines. The golden rules when it comes to finding the best foundation for mature skin? Avoid ultra-matte or full-coverage formulas which can flatten the skin and highlight fine lines. Instead, think fresh and hydrating with light-reflective properties - this will help give a plump and radiant look. What's more, there are so many options that come with the same age-defying ingredients that you'll find in anti-ageing serums and moisturisers. Look for ones that contain things like Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C - to improve skin texture and tone while providing glow-giving coverage.
How we choose the best foundations for mature skin
To find the best bases for older skin, we look for formulas that are lightweight, plumping and hydrating with added skincare benefits, so you know that these will give a dewy and youthful look. It’s important that the foundation doesn’t sit in fine lines, so mattifying formulas are off the table. Your feedback counts too, when a foundation earns all those five star reviews, we pay attention.
Luminous Silk Foundation
Loved by Kim K, Meghan Markle and every MUA going, you’re in good company with Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Expect a dewy, lit-from-within glow that looks like your skin on a *really* good day. Great for older skin, the exclusive Micro-fil technology helps to sculpt and brighten your complexion, improving texture and blurring imperfections.
Even Better Glow Light Reflecting Makeup SPF15
As skin gets older, it tends to lose its natural radiance. Clinique's silky fluid is your go-to for a foolproof glow-up. With added Vitamin C in the mix, bare skin will have a lit-from-within luminosity with continued wear. This one looks great, even when applied with your fingertips - simply apply a little to the centre of your face and blend out for a natural-looking finish.
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation SPF10
A matte foundation, but not as you know it. Estée Lauder's 'life-proof' base stands up to everything - it's sweat-, humidity- and water-resistant. Blurring and reducing the look of pores, it grants a photo-ready finish without feeling super heavy on skin, and that's no easy feat. With a light to medium coverage, it'll seamlessly conceal dark spots and pigmentation.
Sheer Glow Foundation
This base ticks a lot of boxes. Silky, buildable texture, radiant finish, impressive shade range and a little superfood surprise: added Turmeric helps create a brighter, smoother complexion over time. The clue's in the name - offering a sheer finish, this one's ideal if you're a bit of a foundation-phobe as it gives a subtle veil of coverage over your skin. It'll just look like your skin on a *really* good day.
Lumière Foundation
A great pick for mature skin thanks to its impressive skincare benefits. Starring Mushroom Extract, a moisturising powerhouse, skin feels super hydrated for up to 15 hours and fine lines look smoother too. What's more, Vitamin C jolts sluggish skin cells into action and imbues your complexion with an enviable glow. Flexible polymers melt into skin to create a long-wearing comfortable second skin and colour-true pigments resist oxidation. Clever, right?
Loose Mineral Foundation
With one sold every two minutes, you better believe the hype. While mature skin types might swerve powder foundations fearing that they will highlight fine lines and uneven texture, this mineral foundation is incredibly lightweight and buildable, so it never goes cakey. Be sure to use the swirl, tap, buff technique to nail your barely-there base.
Invisible Illumination Instant Glow Fresh Skin Tint
Lending skin a subtle whisper of healthy-looking colour, this is ideal if you lean towards less-is-more makeup. With a fresh, gel-like texture, it's great for quenching mature skin that leans on the drier side. Bursting with plenty of moisturising ingredients like Arctic Spring Water and Nordic Algae, it's the instant pick-me-up you never knew you needed.