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Our skin is part of what makes us unique and gives us character, though there are times when we may want to even out its tone.
The right foundation can add radiance and balance to your skin. But because our skin’s elasticity, water content, and texture change with age, it can help to adjust our foundation along with it.
The good news is, many foundations work wonderfully on mature skin and are specifically designed to target dark spots, smooth and hydrate, and protect against pollution and sun damage.
To help you out, we’ve selected six of the best foundations for mature skin, all of which are cruelty-free.
1. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation
£40, Charlotte Tilbury
Known for being one of the best high-end cruelty-free makeup brands, it’s no surprise that a Charlotte Tilbury foundation makes this list.
As the name suggests, this is a full-coverage foundation. But if you don’t like wearing anything heavy on your skin, you’ll be pleased to find that this formula feels weightless.
This foundation is a cross between a serum and a foundation, and it contains ingredients that help moisturise and smooth skin. MossCellTec™ can boost hydration levels by 216%, and the peptide REPLEXIUM™ can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless is waterproof and sweatproof and ensures an even, matte finish that lasts all day without feeling dry. Available in 44 different shades, you’re sure to find your perfect match.
2. IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Full-Coverage Foundation with SPF 50+
From £32, Boots
If you prefer lighter coverage but want to ensure your skin tone is even and free from redness or discolouration, you might like to try a CC cream.
Though this CC cream is light, it’s also highly pigmented, so it will cover and conceal blemishes without looking cakey. The luxurious tinted cream goes on like a moisturiser, enhancing your natural complexion and leaving skin soft and glowy. It also contains SPF 50 to protect your skin from the sun, which is the best anti-ageing technique of all.
For a smooth look and a light, natural finish, this CC cream is ideal. It provides full coverage, camouflages pores, corrects redness, and brightens your complexion – and because it’s infused with plant-derived oils and plumping hyaluronic acid, you know it’s good for your skin, too.
3. Chantecaille Future Skin Gel Foundation
£83, Chantecaille
This next product might not be cheap, but if you’re looking for dewy skin that glows with health and vitality, it might be worth the hefty price tag.
Chantecaille Future Skin Gel Foundation is an award-winning ultra-lightweight foundation that seems to melt luxuriously into the skin, leaving it looking impossibly fresh and luminous.
Gel foundation in a jar might seem strange, but the rave reviews say otherwise – and because it’s made with water and seaweed, the gel texture is refreshingly cool on the skin. The formula is also buildable, so you can create your perfect level of coverage, and the light-reflecting pigments smooth away the appearance of lines and imperfections.
This gel foundation is also infused with aloe leaf, camomile, and arnica, which gently soothe your skin – and antioxidants including rosemary and green tea help give your complexion an invigorating boost. This innovative foundation elevates and leaves skin looking refreshed.
4. No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced All-In-One Foundation
£11.97, No7
For a great high street buy, head to Boots to try their Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced All-In-One Foundation.
This foundation contains collagen peptide-based technology to plump, pro-retinol to smooth, and antioxidants to help protect the skin. With SPF 50+, this foundation also protects against harmful UV rays, and vitamins C and E help brighten your complexion.
Perhaps the best thing about this foundation is its optical blurring particles, which reflect light away from fine lines, while the flexible formula moves seamlessly with your skin, ensuring a smooth, flawless finish.
As a medium-coverage foundation, Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced All-In-One conceals imperfections and smooths out skin tone while still looking natural – though for the best results, it helps to blend properly.
According to surveys, 92% of women said their skin felt smoother after using this product, and 82% said they saw healthier-looking skin.
5. Trinny London BFF Serum De-Stress
£42, Trinny London
Another excellent choice if you prefer low-to-medium coverage you can build up is Trinny London BFF Serum De-Stress.
It may be called a serum, but this is actually a make-up/skincare hybrid that conceals imperfections and balances skin tone while actively defending against the appearance of stress.
Created by TV presenter and makeover expert Trinny Woodall, this tinted serum gives skin a polished finish without looking overdone. Packed with neurophroline (a beauty ingredient that neutralises cortisol in the skin), this serum protects against the fatigued look that stress can create. Meanwhile, hyaluronic acid hydrates and plumps, and antioxidants boost radiance.
Perfect for normal/dry skin that needs a moisturising boost, this product has long-term benefits, and if you want to see how it looks on more mature skin, just head over to Trinny’s Instagram account.
6. FACE Atelier Ultra Foundation Pro
£28, TILT
Developed for professional makeup artists, FACE Atelier Ultra Foundation is a thick-yet-delicate silicone-based foundation that’s silky smooth enough to double as a primer. Excellent on mature skin, it forms a breathable layer, and while the coverage is medium to full, it feels incredibly light.
This highly pigmented foundation has buildable coverage and a natural-looking, glowy finish – and because it doesn’t need to be set with powder, the lovely dewy finish is perfectly preserved and lasts all day.
The formula also has soft-focus properties that reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
With 27 shades, another perk of Ultra Foundation is that it comes with eight unique colour adjusters that allow you to adapt your shade as necessary. This means you can darken your foundation for the summer months when your skin is sun-kissed, and lighten it for the colder winter months.
Final thoughts…
No matter how healthy your skin may be, everyone’s skin changes with age. While this is a natural part of getting older (and ageing is absolutely something to be embraced), it often means that your makeup will change along with it.
Generally, lightweight, hydrating formulas are best for mature skin. Therefore, water-based formulas, or formulas with moisturising agents like hyaluronic acid, are usually a good idea.
Some foundations can settle into fine lines and look cakey, so it’s best to look for foundations that provide good coverage while remaining light and dewy.
Many different foundations are aimed at mature skin, and the ones listed above are some of the very best. With varying prices, textures, formulas, and finishes, hopefully you’ll be able to find the right foundation for you and feel confident that your skin will look even, dewy and luminous all day long.
Do you use any of the foundations above? Or perhaps you have some additional recommendations you’d like to share in the comments below.
* Links with an * by them are affiliate links which help Rest Less stay free to use as they can result in a payment or benefit to us. You can read more on how we make money here.
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