My Best Foundations for Mature Skin: Unlock Your Beauty Confidence!

Look and feel fabulous in your 40s, 50s, 60s, and beyond with my tips and tricks for choosing the best foundation for mature skin.

Darlings, my best foundations for mature skin will fill you with beauty confidence! As we age, our skin can start to show signs of ageing like fine lines and wrinkles which can change the way makeup like foundation looks and applies. Getting older can knock your makeup confidence, but I’m here to remind you that you can create a flawless foundation look at every age – you just need the perfect foundation for mature skin!

Discover my tips and tricks on how to choose the best foundation for mature skin and choose which of my magical, complexion-perfecting foundations will best suit your skin type.

Foundation for Mature Skin model shot

Charlotte’s Best Foundations for Mature Skin

  1. Before and after showing mature model wearing Unreal Skin a light-coverage stick foundation for mature skin

    Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick

    95% saw younger-looking skin!*

    Light coverage. Luminous finish. ‘No foundation’ look.

    Is it real? Or is it UNREAL? Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick is my ‘no foundation’ foundation that gives every skin type an ethereal glow. This illuminating foundation stick is perfect for lifting the look of mature skin while providing light, natural-looking coverage.

    The power of lighting can transform the way you look; with this flattering foundation stick, I wanted to channel the radiant glow of beauty lights by creating a luminous formula that cascades light across the face to lift and light up the look of your features. Mature skin is prone to dehydration and dullness, so a foundation like Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick can act like a spotlight that brings the appearance of a mature complexion back to life.

    This foundation stick is also enriched with a powerful skin barrier defence matrix that’s clinically proven to help strengthen your skin barrier. As we age, our skin barrier can weaken and may struggle to retain water; my UNREAL complex of hyaluronic acid, Daikon radish seed oil, and vitamin E helps to hydrate and gives mature skin a youth-boosting effect that reduces the appearance of wrinkles.

    It’s also infused with Collageneer™ which helps to improve the look and feel of skin firmness and elasticity while defining the appearance of facial contours. This plant-powered ingredient is perfect for mature skin types that experience depleted collagen production.

    Shop Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick

    Discover more about Unreal Skin Hydrating Foundation Stick

  2. Before and after of mature model applying Beautiful Skin Foundation for mature skin

    Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation

    Skin looks up to 2X plumper and smoother!**

    Medium coverage. Natural finish. Healthy glow.

    Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation is your best skin day, bottled! This hydrating, medium-coverage foundation is designed to give your complexion a healthy-looking, naturally radiant glow while offering smooth, buildable coverage.

    The ‘Beautiful Skin effect’ is all about delivering hydrating, healthy-looking coverage while providing skincare benefits that work to improve the appearance of skin over time. I infused Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation with powerful skincare ingredients that help to smooth, plump, and hydrate the look of skin which is extremely beneficial for mature skin types that may lack moisture and radiance.

    This supercharged formula floods skin with hyaluronic acid for a hydrated, plumper-looking appearance; rose complex for a brightening effect; coconut extract for a plumping effect; and Hyalurosmooth™ to even the look of texture, dryness, and dullness. Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation is powered by skincare and looks gorgeous on every skin type! It’s perfect for giving mature skin a natural, healthy-looking glow.

    [Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation]

    Discover my Beautiful Skin makeup routine

  3. Before and after of mature model applying Airbrush Flawless Foundation for mature skin

    AIRbrush Flawless Foundation

    With 2% REPLEXIUM™ to significantly reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 22% in 8 weeks of use!***

    Full coverage. Lightweight feel. Natural-matte finish.

    I formulated AIRbrush Flawless Foundation to provide full, flawless-looking coverage that feels weightless and easy to wear for every skin type.

    The concern when applying a full-coverage foundation onto mature skin is that foundation will settle into fine lines and wrinkles and end up looking heavy and cakey. I made sure to create a self-setting, stay-all-day formula that looks flattering on mature skin, and I selected hydrating, youth-boosting ingredients to help reduce signs of ageing over time.

    AIRbrush Flawless Foundation is supercharged with 2% REPLEXIUM™, marrying the skin-perfecting powers of a foundation and the skincare benefits of a serum to make skin look more youthful with every wear!

    It also has a hydrating, natural-looking, matte finish that gives mature skin the smoothing, blurring effect of a matte foundation without looking flat or emphasising dullness, dark spots, or dry patches.

    Shop AIRbrush Flawless Foundation

5 Expert Tips for Choosing the Best Foundation for Mature Skin

Beautiful Skin Foundation Mature Skin

  1. Charlotte's Beautiful Skin Foundation for mature skin with hydrating texture swatch

    1. Use a skincare-infused foundation that smooths, firms, and plumps the look of skin

    My mission when creating a foundation is to create a formula that looks gorgeous and is good for your skin. I always recommend reaching for a foundation that’s infused with powerful skincare ingredients – it’s the secret to helping your skin look and feel its most beautiful both immediately and over time! For mature skin, look for hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid; illuminating ingredients like vitamin C; or firming-effect ingredients that will help to smooth, firm, and plump the look and feel of your complexion.

    Tilbury Tip: All of the fabulous foundations in my collection are skincare-infused! Just choose the one that suits your desired coverage and finish! Not sure which to choose? Find the perfect foundation for your mature skin with my easy-to-use Pro Beauty Tech Foundation Finder!

    Discover skincare for mature skin

  2. Mature model wearing Airbrush Flawless Foundation with anti-wrinkle ingredients

    2. Look for a foundation with anti-ageing, youth-boosting ingredients

    One of the defining features of mature skin is the emergence of signs of ageing like fine lines and wrinkles. Some foundations are formulated with skincare ingredients that are proven to reduce the appearance of signs of ageing and help skin to look more youthful which makes them a great option for mature skin. If you want your foundation to work in tandem with your anti-ageing skincare routine, reach for a formula like AIRbrush Flawless Foundation that’s infused with powerful REPLEXIUM™ and is proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles by up to 22%***.

    Discover my anti-ageing skincare routine

  3. Unreal Skin hydrating stick foundation with moisture-rich texture swatch

    3. Reach for hydrating foundations that help to replenish skin hydration

    As skin gets older, the skin barrier can weaken which can cause less effective water retention. Whenever I create a new foundation innovation, I ensure that it’s infused with hydrating skincare that will provide skin-reviving moisture that helps skin to look and feel its best. To give mature skin a surge of hydration, reach for a foundation that’s infused with powerful skin hydrators like hyaluronic acid to give skin a hydrated, healthy-looking appearance.

    Learn more about hyaluronic acid

  4. Charlotte's moisturiser and stick foundation that layer beautifully together on mature skin

    4. Choose a formula that layers beautifully with skincare + primer

    Skincare and makeup go hand in hand, darlings! Whenever I create a new product – whether it’s a magic moisturiser or a flawless foundation – it goes through extensive trials to make sure it will layer beautifully with the other products in your beauty routine. The power of layering is the secret to getting a perfect blend from your foundation and avoiding any pilling, balling, or separating, and each of my foundations will smooth effortlessly over the top of skincare for mature skin.

    Discover how to stop foundation separating

  5. Model wearing Beautiful Skin Foundation on mature skin for a natural foundation look

    5. Try natural-finish foundations that lift the look of skin

    Any foundation finish can look wonderful on mature skin, but I tend to find that a natural-finish foundation is the most flattering type of foundation to reach for. Some matte foundations can emphasise the appearance of fine lines in mature skin, and some glowy foundations can draw attention to skin texture and wrinkles. Natural-finish foundations have the most skin-like appearance and can be the most forgiving for mature skin.

    Tilbury Tip: Each of my Charlotte Tilbury foundations are created with a natural-looking finish. Choose AIRbrush Flawless Foundation for a natural-matte look; Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint Hydrating Foundation Stick for a super-natural glow; or Charlotte’s Beautiful Skin Foundation for a healthy, natural finish.

    Discover more natural makeup essentials

Foundation for Mature Skin FAQs:

Unreal Skin mature skin


What foundation type is best for mature skin over 60?

For mature skin over 60, I recommend reaching for a lightweight, hydrating foundation with a natural finish that will help mature skin to look smoother, plumper, and more radiant. Choosing a foundation that’s infused with skincare – especially anti-ageing ingredients like REPLEXIUM™ - is particularly useful if your aim is to reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Tilbury Tip: If you want to feel the benefits of wrinkle-targeting REPLEXIUM™ but want a lighter coverage than my full-coverage, REPLEXIUM™-infused AIRbrush Flawless Foundation, I recommend adding Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir into your daily skincare routine! It’s a supercharged face serum that’s infused with REPLEXIUM™ (and other high-performance ingredients!) - apply it onto cleansed skin, before your Charlotte’s Magic Cream!

Discover more ingredients guides

Discover the benefits of Charlotte’s Magic Serum Crystal Elixir for mature skin


Why do my wrinkles show more with foundation?

Wrinkles look more apparent after foundation because some foundations collect in areas where visible signs of ageing and uneven skin texture are more prominent. This can be avoided by choosing a smoothing-effect foundation formula, and always prepping and priming your skin with a high-performance moisturiser like Charlotte’s Magic Cream – in a user trial of over 120 people, 93% agree that makeup looks better after application of Magic Cream and foundation after 12 hours!****

Shop Charlotte’s Magic Cream


What foundation will not settle into wrinkles?

The secret to stopping foundation from settling into wrinkles is to prep and prime skin with a rich moisturiser, eye cream, and primer that will smooth the look of skin and help foundation to glide on more evenly. Heavier foundation formulas that sit on the skin are more likely to settle into wrinkles; I suggest reaching for lighter-coverage formulas or opting for full-coverage foundations with a lightweight formulation like AIRbrush Flawless Foundation.

Discover the difference between dehydration lines vs wrinkles


Is matte or shiny foundation better for mature skin?

Matte and glowy foundation finishes can look beautiful on mature skin – it’s down to personal preference, darling. If you prefer a smoothing, blurring effect from your foundation, you may prefer the way a matte foundation looks on your mature skin. Alternatively, if you love the look of dewy, glowing skin, reach for a luminous foundation.

Tilbury Tip: Often a natural-finish foundation will give you the best of both worlds, darlings. Natural finishes look smooth and seamless while giving your complexion a soft, natural-looking glow – they’re a happy medium between looking flat and giving skin a disco ball glow.


Should you use powder over foundation on mature skin?

Yes – makeup powder is the secret to a flawless looking complexion! A light veil of powder on mature skin can help to set foundation into place and gives skin a perfected-looking blur effect. Some powders can emphasise the appearance of skin texture and dry patches, so I recommend choosing a finely milled powder like AIRbrush Flawless Finish that will give your complexion a soft-focused, airbrushed appearance.

Tilbury Tip: For glow lovers, tap powder into the T-zone and around the mouth to remove unwanted shine while avoiding your cheeks to leave them with a dewy-looking glow.

Shop powder + setting spray

Darlings, the best foundation for you is the foundation that makes you feel the most beautiful and confident! To learn more about my best foundations for mature skin, discover my guide to foundation finishes and discover the perfect foundation for you!

*Tested on 214 people over 6 weeks.

**Tested on 33 people over 4 weeks.

***Tested on 30 people

****Independent user trial on over 120 people 12 hours after application of Magic Cream and foundation.

REPLEXIUM™ is a trademark of BASF Beauty Care Solutions France SAS.

Hyalurosmooth™ is a trademark by BASF Beauty Care Solutions France SAS.

Collageneer™ is a trademark of Laboratoires Expanscience

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Author Details

Charlotte Tilbury

Founder, President, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty

With over 30 years experience, Charlotte Tilbury MBE is the world's number 1 makeup artist and British beauty entrepreneur. Charlotte established Charlotte Tilbury Beauty in 2013, which is now a record-breaking beauty brand that has won over 400 awards.

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