My 56-Year-Old Mom and I Compared Favorite Foundations—These 11 Tick Every Box

Our skin care needs evolve as we do; the featherlight mattifying cream you slathered on as an acne-prone teen just won’t cut it as your natural oil production declines with age. The same logic applies to your makeup staples—especially if you’re starting to see signs of aging (which tends to happen around your 40s). While you might have used foundation to cover up breakouts and mattify shine in the past, now the name of the game becomes addressing loss of elasticity (aka sagging), fine lines, and hyperpigmentation (aka sunspots or dark spots).

So which foundations are best suited for aging skin? I’ve outlined them all for you below with the help of some trusted experts: celebrity makeup artists Jamie Greenberg and Jeanine Lobell, plus my very own mother (hi, Mom)! Ahead, find the star formulas to meet each preference, makeup goal, and skin concern.

The Best Foundations for Mature Skin, At a Glance

• Best Overall: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation
• Best Glowy Finish: It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum With SPF 40
• Best for Dry Skin: Jones Road Beauty What The Foundation Tinted Moisture Balm
• Best Lightweight: Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation SPF 30
• Best Liquid: Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation

The 11 Best Foundations for Mature Skin, Tried and Tested

Best Overall: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Oil-Free Foundation

Best Glowy Finish: It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum With SPF 40

Best for Dry Skin: Jones Road Beauty What The Foundation Tinted Moisture Balm

Best Matte: Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation

Best Splurge: Chanel N°1 De Chanel Revitalizing Foundation

Best for Dark Spots: Ciele Tint & Protect Medium Coverage Serum Foundation

Best Stick: Ilia Skin Rewind Blurring Foundation and Concealer Complexion Stick

Best Liquid: Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation

Best Lightweight: Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation SPF 30

Best Balm: Monika Blunder Blunder Cover All in One Foundation

Best Sheer: Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30

What to Look for in a Foundation for Mature Skin

Overwhelmed by all the options out there? You’re not alone. Everyone has different preferences and priorities when it comes to base makeup, so here, Lobell and Greenberg share a few things to consider.

• Form: “Personally, I prefer a liquid foundation since it gives a more hydrated look to the skin. Sticks can be a little too dense or ‘grabby’ for overall application, but can be great if you are just focusing on using it ‘spotted’ on hyperpigmented areas. Cream foundation can look a bit heavy on the skin, so I generally avoid those,” says Lobell.
• Coverage: Do you prefer high-coverage foundations or more of a sheer tint? Pigment options abound, so consider how much payoff you’d like for the final look.
• Finish: Also consider the finish of your foundation product. If you have mature skin, both Greenberg and Lobell recommend sticking to dewy or radiant finishes over matte. “Dewy foundations do a great job of softly blurring fine lines without settling into them. I find that matte sometimes does the opposite, so I would steer clear of any products that do not add extra hydration and glow to your skin,” says Greenberg. That’s not to say you can’t opt for matte formulas at all; you’ll just want to make sure they’re extra hydrating.
• Ingredients: “Ingredients like hyaluronic acid or peptides are great because they add moisture, giving the skin a smoother, more natural finish,” says Greenberg. You can also look for glycerin, niacinamide, and nourishing botanical oils. Anything oil-absorbing (like kaolin clay or silica) might not be the best choice here, since those with mature skin likely want to focus on maintaining hydration.

How to Apply Foundation on Mature Skin

As a general rule: Less is more! “I prefer a thinner formula with a lot of pigment, meaning coverage from the color, not the texture of the product. This way you use less and get the coverage without the unflattering thickness,” explains Lobell. See below for a step-by-step tutorial.

• Prep the skin: “Start with a hydrating moisturizer that suits your skin type that will leave your skin plump and glowing,” says Greenberg. “Follow that up with a primer that fits your skin needs: pore-blurring, glowing, or extra hydration. This is key for having your foundation lay properly on the skin!” Lobell personally prefers the Sali-C primer from Spatch Skin. “Don’t let the acne fighting benefits deter you if this is not your issue… it still works like a charm,” she says.
• Let your skin dry: “Applying your foundation right after using these products can be tricky, as it tends to slide around too much, not grabbing the skin properly. So apply all those base products, do your eyes, lips, hair, whatever, before applying foundation,” Instructs Lobell.
• Apply your product: Greenberg recommends pumping foundation on the back of your hand as opposed to applying directly on a brush or sponge. “This warms up the formula,” she notes. Then swirl a foundation brush—she loves Anisa Beauty’s Pinnacle Skin Foundation Brush—on your hand to grab the product before buffing it into your skin. “This helps the foundation blend into your skin seamlessly, creating a natural looking base,” Greenberg adds. This technique also ensures you don’t glob on too much product and result in a cakey appearance.
• Let it set: “A good trick is to let it sit before you powder or mattify so you can see what areas might need some more product,” adds Lobell. Give it a few beats before you reapply, making sure to use a light hand around any fine lines.
• Mattify, if needed: Finally, Lobell says you can use a smaller brush to apply pressed powder in targeted areas that tend to crease, like underneath the eyes or around the nose.

How We Chose

When it comes to our testing process at Who What Wear, personal recommendations always come first. I first selected the hydrating foundations I love and use regularly, then cross-checked with my 56-year-old mom for her thoughts on the best formulas for mature skin. Customer reviews are also important to keep in mind, especially when it comes to cult favorite formulations, so I pored over the review sections of my favorite retailers, making sure to filter for shoppers aged 40 and up.

I also enlisted the help of two trusted makeup artists, Greenberg and Lobell, who offered their all-time favorite foundations for mature skin and provided tips on what to look for. Armed with this info, I was able to further whittle down options and wind up with a curated list of eleven.