We’ve spent months testing almost a hundred foundations to finally discover the best foundation for mature skin
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Best foundation for mature skin
Foundation for mature skin: FAQs
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.
Few foundations are marketed exclusively for older 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 many, many foundations 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.
These foundations should suit all mature skin, whether you’re in your late 20s or 60s however we have also listed the best foundations for mature skin over 50 if you’re at the upper end of this spectrum.
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
Below are the top foundations for mature skin in the UK as of 2024. We’ll update this page as we test more 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
£10.99 | BUY NOW
Revolution Makeup Revolution recently launched its first-ever serum foundation called the Skin Silk Serum Foundation.
It costs just £10.99 and offers light to medium coverage with a satin finish.
You can buy it in 20 shades, ranging from F0.5 for very fair skin with pink undertones to F20 for deep skin with a warm undertone and, as you’d expect from a serum foundation, it contains a host of skincare ingredients that make it great for mature skin.
These ingredients include hyaluronic acid, which helps to hydrate the skin, reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and make the skin look more plump.
It also contains peptides, which are amino acids that help repair the skin and improve its elasticity.
The addition of the skincare ingredients does make this foundation a little on the runny side but this makes it easy to blend. Plus it’s super lightweight on the skin.
Our only concern is that we had to top up the coverage throughout the day as our oiliness broke through and the redness on our cheeks became more visible.
This is common with budget foundations at the best of times, let alone serum foundations so it’s worth bearing in mind.
Either be prepared to top it up, or invest in a good setting spray to keep it in place.
@victoria_woolly_web Back on my foundation skin test vibe ♀️ TikTok got a bit ✨toxic✨ for me for a while with some mean ass comments but I’m backkkkk. This is the relatively new Skin Silk foundation from @Makeup Revolution and it MELTS into the skin. The shade (F6) is a pretty good match for me and the luminosity. I’m in love (not an ad. Not gifted) #revolution #makeuprevolution #skinsilkfoundation #foundationskintests #foundationswatches ♬ Austin – Dasha
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£18 | Buy now
Watch the full TikTok video here
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 older 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.
Read more in our full MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation review
What the MAC Studio Fix Fluid reviews say:
“Gives you full coverage, doesn’t leave your face looking cakey. Love this product.” – Natalie
“I really like this MAC foundation, it covers well with an even skin tone and feels long-lasting. As I’ve got older, I’ve tried to change up what I use that better suits my skin and also invest a little more money. I would really recommend this. It doesn’t cake and very importantly, it includes an SPF. I won’t use a foundation without this now.” – Amy
“I’ve brought MAC foundation for 10 years and it’s the best foundation, full coverage and is the best colour for my skin shade. I always get compliments on my make up and it’s down to this foundation.” – Rachel
Buy now from MAC
£9.99 | Buy now
View the full TikTok video here
mamabella | mamabella Why we love it: L’Oreal True Match is a fantastic budget 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 48 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.
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%.
What the L’Oreal True Match reviews say:
“Lightweight and buildable foundation. Blends well. Nice colour – normally foundation is too dark for me as I’m pale. Doesn’t look cakey or too heavy. Barely there, but covers well.. can be applied with brush or sponge. Little runny consistency but I prefer it. Very happy and at a great price!” – Emily Bellingham
“I bought this foundation for work due to the good value and good reviews but I’ve actually started wearing it all the time, the colour is a perfect match for my skin, you can barely see it on my face. Its such a lightweight foundation and it leaves a lovely smooth finish.” – Lucy Woodward
Buy now from Boots
£36 | Buy now
View the full TikTok video here
mamabella | mamabella Why we love it: We recently put the best Charlotte Tilbury foundations to the test and the Beautiful Skin foundation scored very highly.
Charlotte Tilbury’s Beautiful Skin is a rare foundation because it’s water-based – as opposed to silicone- or oil-based.
This means it’s super hydrating which makes it the best Charlotte Tilbury foundation for mature 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 older 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 tend 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.
Read more in our full Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin foundation review here
Buy now from Charlotte Tilbury
Price: £48 | Buy now
View the full TikTok video here
mamabella | mamabella One of the things that happens to skin as we get older is it loses its glow. Around menopause in particular, skin can become dull and almost grey.
There are several ways to counter this but one of the quickest and most effective is using a foundation with a radiant finish.
The best dewy foundation for mature skin we’ve used is the Dior Forever Skin Glow. It’s another expensive option (sorry!) but in our experience, it’s worth the money for the radiant glow it offers.
Not to mention the coverage, skincare ingredients, and SPF protection it provides.
It’s almost entirely skincare-based with 86% of its formula bringing tangible skincare benefits. This includes the use of wild pansy for hydration, hibiscus and nasturtium for radiance, and iris for its antioxidant and protective properties.
Such a high concentration of skincare ingredients means the foundation not only improves skin over time, but it feels lightweight on the skin and doesn’t settle into the skin.
A little also goes a long way, and because it improves the skin over time, you may find you need less makeup which means it will go even further.
This is why the Dior Forever Skin Glow gets our award for the best dewy foundation for mature skin – and for skin of all ages for that matter.
Separately, the brand recently launched a stick version of its Forever Skin foundation called Forever Skin Perfect. It promises buildable coverage, a natural, blurred finish and 24h wear and hydration. Dior calls it “true skincare in a stick” and it’s been designed to “melt into the skin, blending seamlessly without any effort for a barely-there feel and 24h of comfort.”
It’s only available in 15 shades though and costs £48. We’ve ordered the stick and will update this list to see if it’s another one of the best foundations for mature skin, or if it’s not worth the money.
Read more in our full Dior Forever Skin Glow foundation review
Buy now from Boots
Price: £39 | Buy now
View the full TikTok video here
mamabella | mamabella Why we love it: For months, our best foundation for dry mature skin was the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder foundation but sadly it’s been discontinued, so we’ve had to opt for our second-place choice – the NARS Light Reflecting foundation.
It’s a great NARS foundation for older skin because it offers a medium, buildable coverage with a natural finish.
Its oil base is then great for dry skin because it doesn’t feel too heavy or cakey and it doesn’t settle into fine lines or wrinkles as much as more drying, or matte foundations.
This makes it particularly great for anyone perimenopausal too, as perimenopause can cause the skin to get much drier and more dull than it was before. The NARS Light Reflecting foundation helps nourish as well as brighten the skin, without making it look shiny or greasy.
This performance largely comes from the fact it contains skincare ingredients that help to protect the skin and repair the skin’s barrier.
This also makes it great for anyone with sensitive skin, or skin prone to redness.
Another thing going in NARS’ favour is the fact it offers 36 shades. It’s not the highest shade-range foundation for mature skin, but it’s a good amount that covers a wide range of skin tones.
Sadly it doesn’t come cheap but it really is worth the investment, if you can afford it.
Read our full NARS Light Reflecting Foundation review here
Buy now
Price: £6.49 | Buy now
View the full TikTok video here
mamabella | mamabella Why we love it: If you’re of a certain age – and judging by the fact you’re on the best foundation for mature skin, you most definitely are – you’ll remember Collection being a staple of the high street.
Back when makeup counters were tiny and the choices were limited.
The brand recently rebranded and relaunched its entire range and we’re yet to find a product we don’t love.
This is why we weren’t surprised when the Collection Lasting Perfection Matte scored so highly in our best foundation group test.
Despite the fact it’s a matte, full-coverage foundation, it doesn’t feel heavy or cakey.
This makes it the best foundation for oily mature skin because it reduces shine without drying it out, it helps cover breakouts, dark spots and capillaries, and it’s super affordable.
In our orange and strawberry tests, this foundation performed as we’d expect for a full-coverage product because it evenly and effectively balanced the complexion.
It released hardly any oil on the blotting paper, yet it only reduced hydration by a relatively minimal 1.3 percentage points.
Again, as we’d expect from a matte-finish foundation.
A little goes a long way with this foundation and it doesn’t dry too quickly, meaning it blends well. What’s more, it contains SPF 30.
It doesn’t offer a huge number of shades, but with 20 to choose from it’s not a bad selection for such a cheap foundation.
Buy now from Boots
£20 | Buy now
View the full TikTok video here
mamabella | mamabella 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.
This makes it a particularly good foundation for mature skin over 40 which may be showing the early signs of peri-menopause and changes from one day to the next. You can read more about this in our What happens to skin and hair during menopause? guide.
In our hydration test, this skin tint did drop the hydration levels of our skin by 3.9 points (12.5%). Not a huge drop, but noticeable if you have dry, older skin and ideal if you have oily skin.
This also suggests that to get the full hydration benefits of this skin tint, you use your fingers (rather than a beauty blender) due to its thin, easily absorbable consistency.
Elsewhere, the Perfecting Skin Tint is 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.
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£44.50 | Buy now
View the full TikTok video here
mamabella | mamabella The Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation is one of the best foundations for older skin that we’ve ever tried.
It stands out due to its ability to provide a radiant, yet silky finish and even medium coverage.
Most luminous or radiant foundations tend to give a sheer and shiny appearance, which doesn’t suit oily skin types or older, more mature skin.
While foundations that smooth and mattify the skin usually result in a flat complexion that can be drying for skin over 50, due to its tendency to err on the dry side.
Somehow, the Luminous Silk foundation manages to achieve both, giving a natural-looking and healthy finish while also making the skin look youthful.
This is coupled with the foundation’s lightweight formula which means it won’t settle into wrinkles or fine lines.
In fact, the subtle luminosity brightens the eye area while lifting other shadows across the face, creating a more youthful and refreshed appearance.
If you prefer or need fuller coverage, this foundation can be layered to give coverage where it’s needed most.
The only downside is that it doesn’t come cheap, but a little goes a long way so at least it’s good value.
mamabella | mamabella The Luminous Silk foundation gives medium coverage and a natural finish
What’s more, you can buy a travel-sized version for £27 if you want to give this foundation makeup a go without buying a full-sized, £45 bottle.
You can read our full Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation review here.
Buy now from Boots
£28.50 | Buy now
Why we love it: Clinique’s Redness Solutions Makeup is the ideal option for mature skin over 60 particularly if it’s prone to redness and irritation.
This is because its oil-free formula works to colour-correct discolouration, dark spots and redness while providing a lightweight, natural-looking 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 which boosts the skin’s natural skin barrier, providing hydration without a shiny finish.
This is particularly great for older skin because as we age, our skin barrier becomes weakened and this makes it prone to irritation and redness.
You can read more in our Everything you need to know about your skin barrier guide and our pick of the best makeup for over 60s and people with mature skin
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£37 | BUY NOW
IT Cosmetics The IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ is a favorite among people with mature skin, including us, because it’s much more than just a foundation.
It cleverly combines the coverage you’d expect from a foundation with the hydrating benefits of skincare.
Plus the protective qualities of a high SPF sunscreen.
It’s particularly popular due to its ability to moisturise the skin, thanks to the addition of hyaluronic acid.
This also helps make fine lines less visible.
Ingredients like niacinamide improve the skin’s overall appearance by making it smoother and firmer, while peptides and collagen support the skin’s elasticity, making it look younger.
Unlike other foundations that tend to settle into lines or pores, the IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream has a lightweight texture that blends into the skin, giving a natural and radiant finish without feeling heavy.
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In addition to the best foundations for mature skin list above, which only includes foundations that we’ve tried and tested, we also wanted to flag some new releases. We haven’t had the chance to try these foundations yet (and will update this list if they make the cut) but in case you’re interested in trying them before we get to them, the details are below.
Fenty Beauty The Soft’lit Naturally Luminous Longwear Foundation from Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty has effectively replaced the hydrating version of its Pro Filt’r foundation.
It’s hydrating, controls hine and oil, and brightens skin tone.
It offers medium coverage with a luminous finish that doesn’t leave the skin looking greasy. Not to mention the fact it’s available in 50 shades to accommodate a wide range of skin tones.
Ingredient-wise, and the reason why we think it’s a good entry for our best foundation for mature skin list, is because it’s lightweight and contains antioxidants that help improve skin tone over time. It also contains Cyperus Papyrus Leaf Cell Extract for hydration.
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Sisley This is another pricey foundation but it promises to improve your skin over time, thanks to hydrating ingredients that smooth and illuminate the skin. This includes Cucumber extract to plump and hydrate the skin, green lentil extract to help minimise pores, antioxidant buckwheat extract which protects and calms the skin, plus peach blossom extract to tone.
The brand claims that after 4 weeks of continue use, the Sisley Phyto-Teint Perfection boost radiance and smoothes the complextion. 82% of women. The foundation is designed to give a matte finish with medium to full coverage, which might make a bit heavy as a foundation for older skin but we won’t know until we’ve tested it properly. We’ll update this page once we have.
Available in 29 shades.
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Morphe The Morphe Lightform Foundation – also known as the Lightform Extended Hydration Foundation – is a good contender for our foundation for mature skin list because it offers a natural finish, has a lightweight formula and is full of skincare ingredients.
In particular, it contains hyaluronic acid to plump the skin and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also contains natural moisturising sugars and mild exfoliants to keep the skin looking radiant and dewy while clearing away dead skin cells.
We’ve ordered the foundation and we’ll let you know how we get on, and whether it lives up to these claims.
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Huda Beauty The Easy Blur Foundation by Huda Beauty is a liquid foundation designed to give your skin a real-life filtered finish.
It gives medium, buildable coverage and promises a seamless, airbrushed look which actually helps improve your skin.
This is thanks to the inclusion of 1.5% niacinamide. It’s also fragrance-free and non-comedogenic, making it suitable for all skin types but particularly mature skin.
It comes in 29 shades, is blendable, comfortable, and long-lasting and in clinical tests, 95% of users said it gave their skin a flawless, blurred appearance.
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Below we answer your questions about choosing a foundation for mature skin.
When searching for the best foundation for mature skin in the UK, we judge them based on:
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.
Older 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.
FURTHER READING: The best natural menopause treatments and skincare for menopausal skin
Shutterstock As we age, applying makeup 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
Foundation and BB cream are both designed to improve the appearance of your skin, but they serve different purposes and offer different benefits, especially for mature skin.
The main purpose of foundation is to create an even, uniform skin tone. It can help cover blemishes, smooth texture and balance redness.
It comes in various finishes, from matte to dewy, and coverage levels, from sheer to full and is sold as liquids, powders, creams, foundation sticks or even in mousse form.
Due to its high level of pigmentation, you have to be more precise with foundation than you do with BB or CC creams.
By comparison, BB creams are multi-tasking products that combines the benefits of a lightweight/sheer foundation with those of moisturisers, and sometimes sunscreen.
They’re designed to enhance your skin but rarely give the same coverage or range of finish as foundation. Historically, BB creams would more often include skin care ingredients such as antioxidants, anti-ageing ingredients, and hydrating components.
However there’s been a rise in recent months of skincare and serum foundations that bring these benefits, without you having to sacrifice coverage.
Generally, BB creams have a lighter texture than foundations and offer more hydration, making them ideal for daily wear or for people with dry skin. They can also be applied with less precision, often just with your fingers, without the need for brushes or sponges. This makes them a popular choice among people who want quick coverage.
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
