The 19 Best Foundations for Mature Skin of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Why We Love It: The Dior Backstage Foundation left us completely creaseless, greaseless, and speechless. One single swoop across the face was all it took to look as though we’d been professionally touched up in Photoshop. Adult acne, uneven complexion, and patches on the cheeks were quickly covered in an even layer. We can’t express how delighted we were to discover the redness under the nose and chin to be completely hidden. Using a sponge or our fingertips (a brush took slightly longer to fully blend), the foundation glided smoothly across our skin, and even covered the dark circles under our eyes despite not using any concealer!

Who It’s For: A little product goes a long way with this pick, covering all blemishes and discoloration in a single layer. Once on, it felt incredibly smooth and invisible. It did not leave a greasy or heavy feeling on the skin, but rather a lightweight and airy one—a surprise to us, considering the full-coverage look it created. When we dabbed our skin with some blotting paper, it revealed how the foundation matted down our oily complexion to create a beautiful and healthy glow instead. The overall effect? Looking naturally younger rather than caked up. We love this foundation so much that we wish it came with more shade options for darker skin tones.

Coverage: Full | Shades: 43 |  Size: 1 oz

Eli, tester: “This was in all honesty I think the best foundation I have used in my life. It immediately made an impressive change on my face. I am not a makeup artist and lack the skills on how to contour and apply makeup like a TikTok star, but all I had to do was one layer of this product—my face looked as if I had it done professionally.”

Why We Love It: Tried and true, we can always rely on L’Oréal to deliver quality products in an inclusive color range. When we tried this Radiant Serum Foundation (which, by the way, comes with an additional SPF 50 sunblock), we learned it held a medium coverage fit for blurring over our complexion in a single sweep. If we wanted a little extra coverage, as we did for our red cheeks, we were easily able to build over it with additional applications. We’re happy to report that the extra layering didn’t weigh down the formula or begin to feel cakey.

Who It’s For: This formula’s built-in SPF makes it perfect for multitaskers. In order to create this “radiant” look that the foundation is named after, it does have a bit of a wet appearance to it. That doesn’t mean it’s runny, simply a little oily. We would want to set this up with a primer or finish it with a setting powder for a more matte finish. After about half an hour, it also began settling into the creases around our eyes, particularly if we had built on a few layers. A single layer kept the overall look pretty smooth. We think this would be a great summer foundation, considering the inclusive color range, medium coverage, and added SPF.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 30 |  Size: 1 oz

Jill, tester: “This foundation blended in very nicely. At first I thought it was about half a shade too light, but after a bit it settled in and matched much better. I didn’t see any hard edges when I was blending it out, and didn’t feel it sitting on top of my skin.”

Why We Love It: You don’t need much else once you’ve covered your face in this Chanel foundation. The luxuriously soft formula glided smoothly over the skin, requiring minimal effort to blend over the whole face. It had a matte, full-coverage finish without feeling caked on, patchy, or bumpy over our wrinkles and acne. Truly, we got great, natural-looking coverage with minimal product.

Who It’s For: Despite its fabulous coverage, the formula felt light and creamy on our faces—not necessarily hydrating, but not drying and heavy either, making it especially great for combination skin. It settled in quickly without creasing, and it maintained its soft and silky look throughout the day. We were happy to find something that gives a pore-refining finish, eliminating blemishes and dark spots without combining three different products. The Chanel Foundation did it all in one go.

Coverage: Medium to full | Shades: 35 |  Size: 1 oz

Kimberly, tester: “I was able to blend this foundation pretty seamlessly into my skin with minimal effort.”

Why We Love It: If you want something to aid your skin in looking its best naturally, then you want a light coverage foundation. This best-selling option from Giorgio Armani created a beautiful silky finish, veiling any imperfections and reducing redness. It’s pretty sheer, but we could build on it without ever feeling cakey on areas that needed a little more coverage. That being said, you’re definitely going to want to go in with a concealer to cover any hyperpigmented areas (like old scars and dark under-eye circles).

Who It’s For: The hydrating formula felt like a real treat on the skin, especially for drier skin types. It’s almost cooling and soft, providing a watery and silky touch. It comes out in a delicately soft, almost serum-like consistency that simply glides over the face with little effort. It was neither patchy nor did it cling to any area. Even when we exaggerated our expressions, it did not crease into our fine lines. The dewy look was beautiful, particularly in the summer. When we wanted a little more coverage, we patted it down with a powder.

Coverage: Low | Shades: 40 |  Size: 1 oz

Maria, tester: “This foundation was very lightweight and not cakey or thick. It seemed to provide a blurring, smoothing, filter-like effect, allowing my skin to show but with some less redness and imperfections. It looked very natural and like I was not wearing anything.”

Why We Love It: The Nars concealer is a famed favorite, so we were excited to test it and see whether their foundation lived up to the hype. To no one’s surprise, we instantly fell in love with this silky, full-coverage foundation. To start, it’s very liquidy, so it only required one pump of the perfectly opaque foundation to cover the full face. Despite it being so rich with color, it didn’t look cakey or obviously made-up on the skin. It simply looked like our skin, but much better, as if it merged with our complexion to look well blended and uniform.

Who It’s For: On top of how great it looks, it also feels invisible. It’s featherlight, so it doesn’t weigh down or feel sticky, making it a fit for those who prefer lighter products. It creates a dreamy natural finish that doesn’t require a powder afterward (unless you like a really matte look). It’s formulated without mineral oil, silicone, or parabens, so we can feel good knowing we’re doing good as well. Thanks to its fresh feel and moisturizing capabilities, we believe it would make for a great summer foundation.

Coverage: Medium to full | Shades: 36 |  Size: 1 oz

Trisha, tester: “This foundation felt very liquidy, cooling, and soft. It seemed hydrating, lightweight, and with a serum consistency. I did not feel ‘wet’ and it dried very rapidly.”

Why We Love It: Foundations with built-in SPF are just chef’s kiss for extra protection. With SPF 20, it’s a nice amount of extra coverage to build on your sunscreen (The American Academy of Dermatology recommends SPF 30 or higher). We loved how smoothly and evenly this foundation glided on. There were a couple of dark spots that still required some touch-ups with a concealer, but overall, it did a great job of blurring away any inconsistencies.

Who It’s For: This formula does a wonderful job of blurring out any inconsistencies while feeling lightweight. We recommend using a brush over a Beautyblender when applying this foundation. The brush did a much better job at evenly spreading the formula, requiring fewer pumps to cover the entire face (two, to be exact). Once on, the medium coverage foundation had a slightly drying effect, so we suggest layering some moisturizer underneath first. The formula feels lightweight with a satiny, almost powdery finish, so there’s no need to layer on a pressed powder afterward. Do note it transfers onto clothing if not properly dried.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 30 | Size: 1 oz

Julie, tester: “This foundation has a clear blurring effect on the skin, but I’d also say it gives it a smooth-looking tone to it. Overall, it was very natural looking and had absolutely no caking.”

Why We Love It: For nearly 30 years, BLK/OPL has been offering affordable makeup to darker skin tones, and in these three decades, they have perfected the Pore Perfecting Liquid Foundation. It only took one pump of this full-coverage foundation to cover the hyperpigmentation on our face, creating an evened-out appearance without looking heavily made up. The foundation blended seamlessly into our skin, drying pretty quickly into a smooth finish. It felt like our own skin, but better, thanks to its lightweight nature. It also achieved a smooth finish with minimal manipulation, even covering creases on our foreheads and around the eyes effortlessly.

Who It’s For: No matter how much time had passed, our fine lines remained hidden under this foundation. We even noticed how our pores around the nose and cheeks were no longer as noticeable as before. The more it dried, the more natural it looked, and we felt confident and radiant over our complexion. That being said, it’s not particularly hydrating, so we do recommend layering some moisturizer underneath first.

Coverage: Full | Shades: 12 |  Size: 1 oz

Nikki, tester: “This foundation had a slight blurring and smoothing effect on my skin. I felt like my larger pores on my nose and cheek area were not as noticeable as they were before applying this product. The foundation looks very natural and smooth. The more it dried, the more pleased I was with the finish and the appearance of my skin.”

Why We Love It: One thing Fenty Beauty is going to have is an extensive color range, so rest assured you’ll find the perfect hue-match here. For our best over 40 foundation, we picked this medium to full-coverage option that conceals without caking. The formula is lightweight but highly pigmented, so it felt and looked good on. We used less than two pumps to achieve our desired look: A soft matte complexion with all our dark spots perfectly covered. Anything that needed additional coverage was easy to build on, as the foundation dried quickly, and the second layer blended on naturally.

Who It’s For: All of our forehead lines, creases around our eyes, and nasolabial folds were expertly blurred over with this pick without looking obviously caked up, making it great for those who normally struggle with this issue. Because it matted down so quickly (not to be mistaken with looking dry), there was practically zero transfer onto our fingers or clothes. Our skin looked normal and not tacky, hydrated yet not wet. It also stayed put throughout the whole day without getting runny or falling into the bumps on our skin. Do note that it may feel a bit matte for those with drier skin.

Coverage: Medium to full | Shades: 50 |  Size: 1.08 oz

Nikki, tester: “I definitely could see a bit of blurring and smoothing with this foundation. I would describe it as my skin but slightly better. The pores on my nose and surrounding cheek area where my pores are larger did not appear as large after application.”

Why We Love It: This foundation fuses skin care and makeup into one formula, providing skin health benefits on top of a smoothed-out, beautiful complexion. Wearing this medium-coverage foundation made us look and feel healthy, natural, and glowy. The formula features hyaluronic acid, aloe vera extract, vitamins E and B5, and hepes acid, which hydrates and heals sun-damaged skin and improves elasticity. It didn’t sink deep into the skin, nor did it sit afloat on the surface—it felt like the perfect balance of not being intrusive, yet covering our imbalanced skin.

Who It’s For: Skin care ingredients help to soothe and heal old scars for those that have them. We preferred using a sponge over a brush to blend this foundation out, as it helped cover up some of the acne-scarring a little better this way. It would occasionally clump around the scars without proper blending, so we spent a little more time stretching the foundation over those areas. Once applied, it created a dewy finish with a beautiful glow. Thanks to its fast-drying qualities, it didn’t transfer onto fingers or clothing either. Overall, we were very happy with all that this foundation provided.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 40 |  Size: 1 oz

Mandy, tester: “There was a dewy finish with this foundation, and my skin looked healthy.”

Why We Love It: Some mornings, it’s tough to be bothered to use multiple complexion products—which is where this foundation stick from Merit comes in handy. Designed as a foundation and concealer in one, the lightweight (yet buildable) pigment blurs imperfections while providing an even base for the rest of your makeup. The fatty acid-infused formula (which happens to be Martha Stewart’s favorite foundation) ensures that this product will not settle into wrinkles or fine lines, while the sea daffodil extract reduces pesky dark spots. Apply with your fingers for a sheerer look, or a brush for more concentrated coverage. Bonus tip—get a deeper shade as well for an easy contouring option.

Who It’s For: Anyone who regularly hits snooze on their alarm most mornings will appreciate this easy-to-apply multitasker. What’s more, this product can adapt to any level of coverage you are looking for, making it a great option for both casual outings and special occasions.

Coverage: Light to medium | Shades: 30 | Size: Unlisted

Jill, tester: “As someone with skin that’s over 35 years old, like the rest of me, I fall into the mature skin type. But my skin doesn’t look a day over 35, thanks in part to an impeccably followed skincare routine, consistent use of SPF over the years, and this Merit Perfection Complexion Stick, which I use daily. I’ll apply a deep V under my eyes and blend into my cheeks which tend to get a little rosy. I also love to apply at the tips of my nostrils and blend all the way up. This technique hides any blood vessels that appear. I love that when I wear this, my skin still shows through, because as a fan of skinimalism, I don’t want to look like I’m wearing foundation.”

Why We Love It: Pat McGrath’s Sublime Perfection foundation has an array of winning points. The first is that the lightweight formula is buildable, so we were able to customize our look from little coverage to full coverage, and we did so without getting a heavy or stuffy feeling on the skin. The second is that the formula glided right over our forehead creases, nasolabial folds, and bumpy chin, concealing any unevenness. Even after several hours of wear, the foundation never settled into those fine lines. Lastly, it’s oil-free, so our pores felt clog-free, and it gave us a clean feeling throughout the day.

Who It’s For: This formula doesn’t settle into fine lines, even after hours of wear for those always on the go. We would still require a concealer to go over some dark spots if we wanted to stick to a single or double layer. In other words, the foundation isn’t a one-stop shop for perfect coverage. But we didn’t mind since a concealer is already part of our everyday makeup routine. The final look is a satiny finish, which looked radiant and beautiful on its own. However, it could use powder for a more settled look. Considering the wide range of shades Pat McGrath offers, the lightweight feel, and the ability to cover fine lines the whole day, we think this would make a fantastic everyday foundation for women over 50.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 36 |  Size: 1.18 oz

Nikki, tester: “The foundation did not sit on my skin or feel heavy at all. The lightweight liquid formula is literally weightless. After the first couple of passes you could not detect that I was wearing foundation.”

Why We Love It: Dark spots can be tedious to cover, and their shades can range from deep to light. We recommend this buildable and well-pigmented foundation to even out your look and hide any discrepancies. Although it applies quite light at first, it settles and dries very nicely. It’s not oily and almost absorbs moisture instead, so we recommend this for people with oily and combination skin types. Once on, it feels soft, gentle, and breathable, covering up any redness around the cheeks and darkness under the eyes. Despite feeling weightless, its opaque coloring leveled out inconsistencies and brightened our complexion. Did we mention it comes with a mineral sunscreen of SPF 25 protection? A true win.

Who It’s For: The mineral SPF included in the foundation makes it a great pick for sensitive skin. We also loved how it didn’t settle into any fine lines or wrinkles. The product almost moves along with our facial expressions, without sinking into our pores. And while we love the dewy finish of it on its own, a nice setting powder might be the cherry on the cake for a perfect look.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 36 |  Size: 1 oz

Stephanie, tester: “My skin absorbed the foundation and it dried quite quickly, which is a major perk. It sits on my skin without settling into it. The SPF coverage also makes me feel protected since I could feel the foundation sitting ever-so-slightly on my face.”

Why We Love It: Thanks to its hydrating ingredients, this option left our skin supple, smooth, and hydrated, even after removing the foundation. With the help of ginseng, camellia japonica, and mondo grass, this foundation created a visibly softened and moisturized look well after it was wiped off the skin.

Who It’s For: Overall, the coverage was light yet buildable on this pick that makes skin look and feel soft and hydrated. We needed one layer to even out skin texture and remove redness and a second layer to cover up dark spots and darkness under the eyes. With two layers, we had the perfect coverage that created a radiant and smooth glow. Even with two layers, the formula never felt heavy or cloggy. Instead, it felt lightweight, almost watery, and held a pleasant scent, thanks to the skincare ingredients, making the application process feel luxurious. If only it included SPF, then this would be the perfect foundation.

Coverage: Medium to full | Shades: 24 |  Size: 1.01 oz

Maria, tester: “This product did not settle into any fine lines or wrinkles and moved along with my skin when I moved my face.”

Why We Love It: Those with oily skin often seek out a matte finish for their foundation. The Tom Ford Foundation takes mattifying a step further by drying down our oily complexion and minimizing excess moisture. We preferred using a sponge to pat down this formula, as it created an airbrushed effect for us. It covered the whole face and settled in quickly, leaving zero residue or transfer onto clothes and fingers. As for the coverage, it did a great job at blurring over most of our sun spots and redness. For any darker blemishes, we touched them up with some concealer.

Who It’s For: Almost instantly, the foundation dried down to a powdery and lightweight feel on our skin. It created a great neutral base to layer on any additional products, particularly if we wanted to add some of that targeted illumination on the cheekbones. As for additional powder, we’d advise against it as the two powdery consistencies might create creasing.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 40 |  Size: 1 oz

Julie, tester: “I would not say that this foundation melted in the skin, but it didn’t feel heavy and sit on the surface either. It overall looked very natural and just blended in very nicely.”

Why We Love It: Westman Atelier’s Vital Skin formula works both as a foundation and a concealer. It can achieve a minimalist look or be built upon for maximal coverage. Add on the fact that it travels well, and you’ve really got a one-stop shop for most of your base makeup needs. We were impressed with just how creamy and easily we could sweep this magical stick across our skin.

Who It’s For: The consistency allowed us to cover blemishes, redness, and the hollows around the eyes to create an evened-out and enhanced look. We found using our fingers the best to spread the creamy formula. For more targeted areas (like under our eyes), we dabbed the sponge around and used the stick as a concealer. Overall, the formula blended well around the face, and we were able to achieve the look we desired, which was a natural, skin-like finish. Don’t worry; It did not look patchy, nor did it cling onto the dry areas of the skin—we didn’t even notice any creasing on our foreheads. It almost melted into the skin to create a very natural yet bright look. We will say though, it may be beneficial to add on a contouring stick or a bronzer to fully round out the overall look, as this serves more as a light base.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 21 |  Size: 1 oz

Sunita, tester: “I did not notice more texture on my face after applying this foundation. I liked the coverage it gave me and I’m aware that I could build it further.”

Why We Love It: We have to give it to Gucci here; they truly did not hold back on creating one of the most impressive and luxurious foundations on the market. Though, this is a full-coverage foundation, which may not be to everyone’s liking. Still, we only needed one pump to cover all our imperfections, concealing our darker shadows, uneven skin tone, and bumpy textures to create a smooth surface. While it’s noticeable that we are wearing makeup, it’s not cakey or overly dewy either. The opaque formula dries down almost instantly to reveal a matte, natural-looking layer over the surface. All it took was one pump and one sweep and we looked as though we were touched up by a professional makeup artist.

Who It’s For: Despite its matte finish and full coverage, it’s neither heavy nor drying, making it a great fit for those who want an elated look. As a matter of fact, it’s impossible to detect any kind of feel on the skin other than a comfortable, breathable sensation. It was easy, therefore, to go about our day without the foundation beginning to run, melt, or dry up. It remained perfectly intact, hiding our pores and creases expertly without requiring touch-ups. We do recommend applying this with either your hands or a brush, however, as we found a sponge would absorb too much of the product.

Coverage: Full | Shades: 40 |  Size: 1 oz

Stephanie, tester: “The foundation melted into my skin. The product dried quickly and absorbed into my skin and moved with my skin as I went through my day.”

Why We Love It: We’ve been having some rosacea around our cheeks for some time now, and it’s been a little tedious trying to cover it up. Finding the best foundation for redness took a little more effort, but this Intensive Serum Foundation from Bobbi Brown made no hassle out of blending right over our hyperpigmentation. If one layer wasn’t enough, we could easily build on top of it without feeling heavy. It also never settled into fine lines, no matter how much we layered as time passed.

Who It’s For: Bobbi Brown has an excellent color selection, so it was easy to find a shade match for our skin tones and cover any ruddiness. The finished result had a dewy glow without looking too oily or wet. As a matter of fact, it felt more drying than anything, so we still recommend setting the skin up with some moisturizer firsthand. Thanks to its dry nature, however, it doesn’t transfer onto clothing that easily and stays on the whole day impressively.

Coverage: Medium to full | Shades: 23 |  Size: 1 oz

Mandy, tester: “There was a dewy glow and a healthy finish with this foundation.”

Why We Love It: We tested this foundation on our post-menopausal skin, which features fine lines and wrinkles throughout. It passed with flying colors! Since heavy foundation tends to settle into creases, this lightweight formula was just perfect. It evened the redness around our nose and between our eyebrows, covering some of the hyperpigmentation on our cheeks. Not once did it create a patchy look or cling onto any bumps. Instead, it smoothed over the surface in a single luxurious pump, blurring imperfections and camouflaging shadows to create a look that resembled our real skin, but 10 years younger.

Who It’s For: This pick blends skin care ingredients with foundation coverage, making us look and feel nourished and hydrated. A quick blotch test with our fingers and blotting paper revealed that there was no transfer either, which is quite impressive. That’s because the formula sunk into the skin in a moisturizing and nourishing way. The brand, which originated as a skin care line, blends skin care benefits into the formula to create a 360-degree beneficial product. We only wish more people could benefit from these results, as the foundation isn’t offered in a wide range of colors.

Coverage: Light to medium | Shades: 10 |  Size: 1.01 oz

Sydny, tester: “I was pleased that the foundation didn’t sit on the surface of my skin but melted right in. It felt moisturizing and nourishing. It improved the look of my skin but didn’t look artificial or ‘masky.’ If you know what I look like without foundation you might be able to tell, but if you don’t, you’d just think I had good skin for my age.”

Why We Love It: Fighting acne amongst all the other stressors in life can be tedious, but we found a foundation that’s non-acnegenic (aka it fights acne and won’t clog pores), is dermatologist-tested, and is free of parabens, phthalates, alcohol, and mineral oil. Now let’s dive into how it looked on the skin. The first thing we noticed was how liquidy the formula was. The sponge did a much better job at spreading the cream as a brush created too many streaks. We also needed about two layers of this buildable foundation for a full-coverage look. Once blended, a dewy complexion reminiscent of a post-beach glow was revealed.

Who It’s For: This option is incredibly hydrating and even plumps up the skin for those who would like to look a bit more awake. Because of how wet the product is, it did take a good five minutes to fully dry, otherwise, it would transfer onto clothing. Make sure to set it with a powder if you want to mattify the look a little.

Coverage: Medium to full | Shades: 28 | Size: 1.2 oz

Eli, tester: “It didn’t settle into lines or make them stick out. It was smooth and actually plumped the skin a bit, which was a perk.”