We’ve spent months testing almost a hundred foundations to finally discover the best foundation for mature skin and older skin – over 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond – in the UK
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What makes a good foundation for mature skin?
Best foundation for mature skin
With so many products these days touting a multitude of anti-ageing benefits, it can be difficult to cut through the noise, particularly when looking for the best foundation for mature skin.
Very few foundations are marketed exclusively for mature skin. This is, in part, because the skin is classed as “mature” as young as 25. This is when collagen and elastin production begins to slow down. It’s also because there are many, many foundations that will work as well for teenagers as they would for the over 50s or 60s. You can read more in our guide on how to prevent wrinkles.
This means that while it is true foundations aren’t reserved for young, or mature skin, if you’re over a certain age you’ll need different ingredients, and are likely after different coverage.
To help add a bit of objectivity to this hunt for a great mature skin foundation, we recently started a long-running series on TikTok in which we’re testing as many foundations in the UK as we can. To date, we’ve tested almost 100 and we feel we’re now in a good place to be able to finally recommend which foundations are best for different skin types, from dry to oily and mature.
We explain more about how we’re testing the foundations here (which includes buying a lot of oranges, and strawberries and updating an ever-growing spreadsheet…)
FURTHER READING: How we test foundations | How to find your perfect foundation match | MUA explains how to get flawless makeup | How to use concealer on mature skin | How old does your skin REALLY look? | We’ve reviewed and ranked the best Charlotte Tilbury foundations, the best MAC foundations, and the best No7 foundations
WANT TO KNOW MORE? Best concealer | Best makeup brush | Best foundation brush | Best eyeshadow palette | Best foundation | Best foundation for dark skin | Best foundation for oily skin | Best foundation for dry skin | Best contour kit | Best lip gloss | Best lip liner | Best mascara| Best primer| Best anti-ageing cream | Best neck cream | Best eye cream
£18 | Buy now
mamabella | mamabella Why we love it: In our hunt for the best foundation for mature skin, MAC has consistently performed well and the best of the bunch, according to the spreadsheet, is the Studio Fix Fluid.
For an albeit pricey £29, you get the choice of 67 shades – the highest of any foundation we’ve tested – and SPF 15.
It exceeded expectations on the orange, performed as expected on the strawberry and let out almost an indeterminate amount of oil from the blotting paper. This makes it particularly great for oily skin.
That’s not to say people with dry skin shouldn’t wear it; the consistency makes it great for blending without sticking to flakes, you just need to make sure your face is well-prepped. This foundation does also have a noticeable, perfumed smell which isn’t unpleasant but it could irritate sensitive skin.
It’s a firm favourite for many and this is likely because it offers a medium consistency, with a medium, soft-matte finish. All with a small amount of dewiness, and with the ability to build the coverage as and when you should need to.
This makes it perfect for mature skin because it fills in the fine lines and wrinkles, covers the red and dark spots, and dark circles, but you can control how much you need so it doesn’t fell cakey or heavy on the skin.
In our hydration test, this foundation did drop the hydration of the skin by a high 23% and we’d put this down to the fact it’s a matte foundation.
MAC claims this foundation will last 24 hours but our oily nose did peek through by mid-afternoon. It’s not as bad as others we’ve tested, though, and a small amount of powder sorts it right out for the rest of the day.
mamabella
Our biggest complaint (and granted it’s actually a minor one) is that the bottle doesn’t come with a pump. You either have to shake it out – which is difficult and caused us to regularly waste foundation by pouring too much – or you can buy the pump separately. Adding on an extra fiver to an already high price.
You can read more in our full MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation review.
Buy now from MAC
@victoria_woolly_web Another foundation without a pump 😏 but is very popular #fyp #fypシ #mamabella #foundationtest #makeuptiktok #mac #maccosmetics #studiofixfluid #foundations #FilmTeyvatIslands #SuperShow @maccosmetics ♬ Sunroof – Nicky Youre & dazy
£9.99 | Buy now
L'Oreal Why we love it: L’Oreal True Match is a fantastic foundation for mature skin, and ticks a lot of boxes in the hunt for the best foundation for older skin.
Not only is it affordable, but it comes in 40 shades making it much more inclusive than other foundations we’ve tested.
It offers buildable sheer to medium coverage, which is not too dissimilar in consistency and coverage to Charlotte Tilbury’s Light Wonder. All with the added benefit of SPF.
In our mega foundation group test, this foundation exceeded our expectations in the orange and strawberry tests and released an average amount of oil and humectants.
Thus providing it with a very impressive overall score, and coming top in our hunt for the best foundation for mature skin.
mamabella | mamabella The reason it didn’t take out Editor’s Pick overall, however, is because there are some downsides and sacrifices you need to make for its cheaper price.
In our hydration test, this foundation dropped levels by 19% which is slightly above the average of 17%. The brand is also not vegan or cruelty-free so if that’s important to you, we recommend you give this foundation a miss.
Buy now from Boots@victoria_woolly_web Day 20: L’Oreal Paris True Match #fyp #foryoupage #tiktok #foundations #foundationreview #beautyblogger #foruyou #viral #stitch #mua #truematch #fypシ #4up #makeuptok #makeuptiktok #makeup ♬ Sunroof – Nicky Youre & dazy
£36 | Buy now
Charlotte Tilbury Why we love it: Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin is a rare foundation because it’s water-based – as opposed to silicone- or oil-based.
This means that it’s super hydrating, making it great for mature and older skin. In fact, the water in this foundation comes from apples – a part of the Pyrus Malus fruit family – which are loaded with proteins, vitamins and sugars.
These sugars, which include fructose, glucose, and sucrose, are great for moisturising and smoothing the skin while the acids (malic and gallic acid) is a mild exfoliant that helps brighten the skin. Its hydrating qualities were proven in our mega foundation group test when this foundation caused hydration levels to drop by just 1.5%. By comparison, the average drop for foundations we have tested sits around the 17% mark.
However, having a water base also means that you have to pair it with a suitable water-based primer.
There have been some complaints about this foundation causing texture and yet we’ve never had this problem when we’ve used either the water-based primer or skipped the primer stage and made sure our skin was super hydrated with serums and moisturisers instead. Due to the addition of skincare benefits in this foundation, you can also get away with not using primer at all.
mamabella | mamabella Over time, the skincare benefits of this foundation can also help reduce the appearance of pigmentation and dark spots. This is ideal for mature skin because it gives lightweight medium coverage of such imperfections in the short term while helping to reduce them in the long term.
That said, this foundation does have a tendency to slide off during the day on oily/combination skin. This means you’ll need to use a setting spray or similar to keep it in place. It lasts much better on dry skin, helping to hydrate and plump up the skin while also relieving dryness.
Performance-wise, this foundation blends well and a little goes a long way. It does oxidise a little, meaning it dries down darker than it goes on. With this in mind, we recommend you opt for a slightly lighter shade than you think you need.
Buy now from Charlotte Tilbury@victoria_woolly_web This foundation DIVIDED my TikTok. Let’s see what the orange is saying 🍊#foryoupage #PerfectPartner #tiktok #fyp #foundationreview #foundations #charlottetilburymakeup #beautifulskin @Charlotte Tilbury ♬ Sunroof – Nicky Youre & dazy
Price: £34 | Buy now
Charlotte Tilbury Why we love it: We recently put all of the best Charlotte Tilbury foundations to the test and the Light Wonder came out on top.
It goes on and blends easily whether you’re using a beauty blender, a brush, or your fingers. It creates a natural-looking, skin-like finish by balancing skin tone without making it look flat or dull.
The consistency is lightweight, which makes it an ideal candidate for the best foundation for mature skin and, as a result, it doesn’t settle in the fine lines around your eyes or mouth.
This foundation provides sheer-to-medium coverage so it may not suit all skin types and preferences, but it is buildable. The main reason it didn’t take our Luxury Buy crown is because it doesn’t bring the same skincare benefits as Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin, and the coverage may not be enough for most people.
mamabella | mamabella Buy this foundation if: You prefer natural-looking coverage without compromising on staying power or creasing.
Buy now from Charlotte Tilbury
£20 | Buy now
Why we love it: Another cult favourite, and for good reason; Glossier’s Perfecting Skin Tint is the perfect wash of colour that won’t sink into fine lines and doesn’t look or feel like a mask.
It is formulated with Diamond Powder that delivers a soft-focus finish, blurring any appearance of enlarged pores or fine lines.
Whilst we don’t recommend this product for those looking to flawlessly cover dark spots or redness, it is the perfect moisturising and breathable foundation for all-day natural wear.
The Perfecting Skin Tint is also vegan, cruelty-free, and comes in an impressive shade range, which makes it all the more loveable!
You can read more about why we’re such big fans of Glossier in our Brand Spotlight, where you can also discover the best Glossier products.
Buy this foundation for mature skin if: You want a lightweight wash of coverage that won’t exaggerate imperfections
Buy now from Glossier
£28.50 | Buy now
Why we love it: Clinique’s Redness Solutions Makeup is the ideal option for oilier skin, or for those hot summer days when makeup doesn’t want to stick around.
Its oil-free formula works to colour correct discolouration or redness, providing a medium coverage finish.
And it wouldn’t be Clinique without some impressive skincare benefits; not only does it contain SPF 15, but it also has probiotic technology.
This boosts the skin’s natural moisture barrier, providing hydration without a shiny finish. You can read more about the skin’s protective barrier in our guide to the best CeraVe products.
Buy this foundation for mature skin if: You want medium coverage and have oily skin with redness or discolouration
Buy now from Clinique
When searching for the best foundation for mature skin in the UK, we judge them based on how well they conceal imperfections, like dark spots and pigmentation, and which skincare ingredients they contain that improve the natural appearance of your skin throughout the day.
Due to an increased number of fine lines, wrinkles and texture as we get older, lightweight foundations that create dewy and natural-looking finishes are better suited to older skin. That’s not to say you can’t use thick, full-coverage matte foundations, but unless applied with a light touch it could make you look older, not younger.
Mature skin also benefits from SPF – although all skin needs SPF so this isn’t a standalone category when looking for the best foundation for mature skin. We also recommend incorporating a face sunscreen of SPF 50+ into your morning skincare routine – regardless of your age – to ensure maximum protection from harmful UVA and UVB rays.
As we age, applying makeup in order to get flawless foundation on mature skin can change from the techniques used in your 20s, 30s or even 40s.
Damp beauty blenders can help gently blend both foundation and concealer into textured and mature skin, without leaving it looking cakey. When applying makeup to older skin, you can also use your fingers.
The heat from your fingers can help make the application both easier, and more natural-looking. You can also be more precise and only place makeup where you think you need it.
If you’re going to use a foundation brush on mature skin, be aware that it can cause the product to sit in enlarged pores or fine lines. What’s more, overly aggressive brush strokes – if you’re applying in a hurry for example – can pull at the skin, emphasising any signs of ageing.
You can read more in our How your skin changes in each decade of your life – and what to do about it
Victoria is founder and editor-in-chief of mamabella, freelance journalist and Mum. She has a passion for empowering people to feel beautiful whatever their age, size, skin type and budget
