As the years roll by, and we look in the mirror and see more ‘imperfections’ – pigmentation, fine lines and deeper wrinkles, as a result of that ageing process – it’s tempting to call in the ‘big guns’ and reach for a heavy foundation.
But that’s completely the wrong approach, says make-up artist Lisa Potter-Dixon. She comments: “Many of the new-gen foundations are ideal for mature skin, because they act more like skincare, often with generous levels of moisturising hyaluronic acid, peptides and squalane to plump skin. They have the complexion-smoothing effects of a BB or a CC cream in one, delivering radiant, healthy-looking skin that looks like your skin.”
Lisa Potter-Dixon’s chosen tools for application are fingers, their warmth helping the foundation to meld with skin. “In fact, if you use a brush, you can get streaks,” she notes.
I’ve witnessed first-hand how foundation formulations have massively advanced, through writing about beauty for 35 years – for magazines and as co-author of The Beauty Bible series of eight books (with a new one due 2026). But I am also a dedicated foundation user, with redness, uneven skin tone and some pigmentation (despite diligent daily use of SPF), so I’m personally invested in finding great bases.
Read more: Best concealers for mature skin that won’t settle into wrinkles
The best foundations for mature skin in 2026 are:
- Best overall – Dior backstage face and body foundation: £41, Boots.com
- Best budget buy – NYX Professional Makeup bare with me blur tint foundation: £9.99, Boots.com
- Best affordable serum foundation – L’Oréal true match foundation: £7.63, Amazon.co.uk
- Best formula with skincare benefits – Shiseido revitalessence skin flow foundation: £40.80, Boots.com
- Best for foundation-phobes – Trinny London BFF all day foundation: £41, Libertylondon.com
How I tested
All foundations were trialled first thing in the morning after applying the identical daily SPF moisturiser and allowing it to sink in for at least five minutes – but without a primer, which can extend the life of your make-up but also alter the result. (Plus: a primer is one more product to add to your budget, and an extra step in a busy life.) I always applied the foundation to the back of my hand, and dipped my fingertips in that, to control the amount I applied at one time to my face.
There was no extra powder added to mattify or to ‘set’ the foundation – it had to do the job on its own, and was left to get on with that till I took it off at night. I tried each with fingers first, then tried the same foundation with a specific foundation brush. (Fingers almost always delivered the best results.)
Read more: We tested CeraVe’s affordable anti-ageing products and they rival ‘far more expensive’ options
Dior backstage face and body foundation
Best: foundation for mature skin overall
Shades: 43
Why we love it
- Lightweight natural coverage
- A little goes a very, very long way
Take note
- An investment price
- Packaging can over-dispense product (till you get the hang)
This ultra-ultra-light, very liquid foundation packs a knockout punch, coverage-wise – one single light application from the nozzle (with fingertips) is enough for concealing my redness, while looking absolutely imperceptible on skin. A Dublin-based make-up artist used this on me before an awards ceremony recently, and I can honestly say I exclaimed out loud when I looked in the mirror, before hunting it down ASAP.
Created from 94 per cent natural ingredients, offering the skincare boost of hyaluronic acid and plant-derived squalane, it also really lasts on skin – still there beyond teatime, natural and radiant. For fun, since it promotes itself as a ‘body foundation’, I tried it to conceal the blue veins on the back of my hands – works a treat. As with all foundations, it’s important to get a match – there are 43 shades to choose from across warm, cool and neutral undertones. But I made my selection online and bingo! Perfect.
Buy now £41, Boots.com
NYX Professional Makeup bare with me blur tint foundation
Best: budget foundation for mature skin
Shades: 24
Why we love it
- Super-affordable
- Handbag-friendly tube for on-the-go touch-ups
Take note
- Lots of silicones can emphasise dryness
- Feels a bit mask-like if over-applied
You can feel from first velvety touch that this is pretty packed with silicones – but when it comes to a line-blurring finish and smoothing out the complexion, almost nothing rivals the power of silicones to do that. NYX’s offering is exceptional value, with a hydrating formula that is kind to mature skins, delivering glycerine (which actually attracts moisture to the skin), matcha tea (for antioxidant power) and niacinamide, a ‘wonder’ ingredient which multi-tasks to minimise pores, reduce redness, hydrate and smooth – not an alternative to your usual skincare, but always a nice-to-have.
Best applied with fingers, the 24 shades include a great selection for deeper skintones, and from the get-go, coverage is medium. It comes in very lightweight flip-top packaging, so if you do like to touch your foundation up while out and about, it’s ideal.
Buy now £9.99, Boots.com
Tropic liquid radiance adaptogen serum foundation
Best: foundation for fuller coverage
Shades: 11
Why we love it
- 100 per cent naturally derived
- Great for barrier function
Take note
- Needs careful blending into skin
- Shade range could be much better
Hyaluronic acid and smoothing, barrier-strengthening ceramides help to deliver the dewy finish of this foundation, which comes from a ‘kitchen table’ beauty brand started as a street market side-hustle, now one of the fastest-growing names in British beauty. The emphasis is on natural ingredients – impressively this formula is 100 per cent naturally derived, with no silicones.
The teeny nozzle on the pump top delivers a small dose, which really doesn’t seem enough till you smooth it into face with fingers, whereupon ‘flaws’ disappear, and skin is unified by a soft, subtle, definitely-not-sweaty-looking radiance. Despite offering the fullest coverage of all the foundations I tried, it doesn’t feel claggy or heavy in the least. Alas, there are just 11 shades – although they do cover the whole spectrum of skin tones.
Buy now £38, Tropicskincare.com
Laura Geller baked balance-n-glow foundation
Best: foundation for skin challenges
Shades: Nine
Why we love it
- Ideal for anyone with rosacea
- Flattering, radiant appearance on more mature skin
Take note
- Powder formula can feel drying
- Needs a special ‘kabuki’ brush to apply
Laura Geller’s baked balance-n-glow foundation is a powder base, ideal for those who really are averse to the idea of wearing a liquid or cream product. The revered US-based make-up artist specialises in this ‘baked’ finish: a swirl of pigments which look like marble in the half-moon-mirrored compact, and are then buffed onto skin with a stubby kabuki brush, working outwards and upwards on the face for buildable coverage from light to medium.
Available in nine shades – they’re each much more versatile than a liquid foundation – the powder offers a tiny bit of radiance, thanks to light levels of pearlised pigments. Worth noting that it is recommended by the National Psoriasis Foundation and approved by the National Rosacea Society in the US for helping to conceal those skin conditions. Because it’s a powder, though, some complexions may find that it feels a bit tight and drying on skin. (I did.)
Buy now £18.06, Amazon.co.uk
Chanel les beiges healthy glow foundation
Best: luxe foundation for mature skin
Shades: 42
Why we love it
- Hydrating-boosting serum formula
- Very inclusive shade range
Take note
- Expensive
- Fragranced – may trouble sensitive skins
Glow by name, glow by nature: this pump action, silky-textured serum base delivers a fab instant radiance that I found didn’t dim as the day wore on. (And the foundation didn’t wear off till early evening – ace staying power.) With moisture-attracting ingredients including glycerol/glycerine, it promises an immediate 58 per cent hydration boost, enjoyed instantly in terms of comfort factor. Light-diffusing particles (via a pair of polymers) swiftly magicked away my broken veins and the odd patch of pigmentation, simply from blending one pump-dose with fingers.
To find your match, Chanel’s website has a clever tool activated by a QR code, using your phone’s camera to recommend the best shade for you, of 41 shades. (The shade it picked was the same as a real-life Chanel make-up consultant recently chose for me). Downside? The price. But if you’re in the mood for some Chanel luxury, this is a worthy splurge.
Buy now £52, Boots.com
Suqqu the liquid foundation
Best: foundation for skincare benefits
Shades: 32
Why we love it
- Luminous second-skin satin finish
- Hydrating, packed with skincare extracts
Take note
- Ouch-inducingly expensive
- Can get messy around the nozzle
This ultra-luxe foundation (the priciest trialled) was a regular go-to for me in the past, and I definitely noticed ongoing, impressive hydrating effects when it was part of my daily make-up routine. One of the downsides of having to test so many products as part of my job is that old faves can be forgotten – so as part of this trial I was pleased to make the reacquaintance of this skincare-powered, quite liquid base, which gives very decent, lastingly flawless coverage of veins and UV damage (in the form of pigmentation) with just the lightest fingertip application.
It has a raft of skincare ingredients, from camellia to green tea via angelica root extracts (13 in all), and UV protection that varies (confusingly) from SPF15 to SPF30, depending on which of 24 shades you use. Japanese brand SUQQU – say it ‘soo-koo’ – sent me another product, too, simply called The Foundation, which comes in a glam pot – but to be honest, I found it really messy to use.
Buy now £71, Libertylondon.com
L’Oréal true match foundation
Best: affordable serum foundation for mature skin
Shades: 49
Why we love it
- Rivals much pricier brands
- Excellent online shade-finder
Take note
- Packaging dispenses too enthusiastically
- Blemishes still need concealer help
A quarter of the cost (or less!) of some of the luxury serum foundations I trialled, I don’t reckon most foundation-wearers could tell the difference, if blindfolded. L’Oréal’s true match foundation delivers the same airy, silky, almost skincare feel (and indeed, there’s plenty of hyaluronic acid in here). Plus, it has the same weightless, easily blendable texture – more liquid than traditional cream foundations.
True Match is easy-peasy to smooth into skin with fingers – in fact, a little goes a long way, and it’s easy to end up with too much on the back of your hand, and need to tissue it off, wastefully; after a few uses, I got the knack of not over-dosing. You can upload a selfie to find your perfect shade or take a (pretty detailed) quiz, whereupon you’ll be given a choice of three shades – unlike some shade finders, which make a single recommendation; useful-ish, but you might still want to visit a store and try them in real life.
Buy now £7.63, Amazon.co.uk
By Terry brightening CC foundation
Best: smelling foundation for mature skin
Shades: 24
Why we love it
- Heavenly rose fragrance
- Brightens and adds instant radiance
Take note
- Needs a foundation brush for seamless application
- Disappointing range of shades for deeper skintones
There’s an extra sensory benefit with this formula: it’s infused with the roses that are a signature across much of make-up artist Terry de Gunzburg’s range (via a Japanese rose extract), which for me ramps up the pleasure of application. However, it does mean that super-sensitive skins might need to patch-test before using.)
As the ‘CC’ name suggests, this also brightens from first application, which delivers slightly more opaque coverage than some of the others I trialled – unsurprisingly, since it’s creamier and thicker – while giving a semi-matte yet luminous, velvety finish. Fingers are fine, but uniquely, I found a foundation brush worked better with this product. Skin-caring ingredients are shea butter, plant squalane and aloe vera, along with brightening niacinamide. It’s worth noting there’s not a massive shade selection for deeper skintones, compared to many brands nowadays; of the 24, only five are darker than “medium”.
Buy now £62, Lookfantastic.com
Shiseido revitalessence skin glow
Best: foundation for sun protection
Shades: 29
Why we love it
- Super-lightweight with a barely-there feel
- Built-in SPF
Take note
- Slightly shiny finish may need powder on oilier skins
- Pump dispenses lots of product, though practice makes perfect
Foundations usually get their opaque-ness from the mineral titanium dioxide, which is a widely-used UV protector in suncare – but few bases trumpet their sun-protective powers as blatantly as this one. Gliding on beautifully with just fingertips, easily blendable and layerable, this has been assessed as having an SPF30 PA+++, which indicates broad-spectrum protection against UVB (burning) rays, as well as UVA (ageing) rays.
Now, that’s definitely a useful bonus (and probably particularly helpful for paler skins like mine), but you most definitely shouldn’t be applying this from hairline to bra-line – which is the area which you should shield daily with UV protective skincare. I really enjoyed the featherlight texture of this, the easy blendability (best with fingers), and buildability in those areas that need a bit more help. Choose from 30 shades – a fantastic span of skintones, here.
Buy now £51, Boots.com
Ilia true skin serum foundation
Best: foundation for wannabe-natural beauties
Shades: 30
Why we love it
- Weightless, serum-like feel
- Avoids synthetics while offering skincare benefits
Take note
- Coverage may be too sheer for redness
- Not so great on oilier complexions
There’s no legal or standardised definition for ‘clean’ beauty – but ILIA have been promoting their ‘clean’ status since launch in 2011, via their use of organic and natural ingredients (along with some ‘safe’ synthetics). The brand – now owned by the same family as Clarins – is also Leaping Bunny-certified, meaning no animal testing at any stage.
They also happen to make a darned good foundation, really luminous on skin as you smooth in this little-goes-a-long-way liquid. Again, the serum texture of this makes it a cinch to smooth on and blend with fingertips. You most certainly don’t need to be a green beauty advocate to seek this out; infused with soothing allantoin and skin-smoothing niacinamide, it belongs on the rostrum with the household name luxury brands, and is most definitely working as hard to even out skin at teatime as breakfast-time. There are especially brilliant options, in the chart of 30 shades, for darker skin tones – a ‘clean’ winner, for sure.
Buy now £50, Sephora.co.uk
Hourglass illusion luminous glow foundation
Best: creamy foundation for mature skin
Shades: 32
Why we love it
- Medium–full coverage with flattering soft-focus glow
- Long-lasting – a real Duracell bunny of a base
Take note
- Thicker texture can feel heavy
- Can sometimes appear cake-y on dry skin
The number one determining factor in whether a foundation will work on your specific face is to find the perfect shade. To that end, Hourglass have useful questionnaire, which asks you to name a brand, product and shade that you’ve used, and will point you in the direction of their closest ‘twin’. Alternatively, there’s a quiz where you look at photos to find a face that has the same skintone to yours, from palest to deepest.
Hugely useful (I tried both), to help find your match from 26 shades in this recently reformulated and relaunched base, which goes on really creamily from the squeeze-y tube. It delivers extended wear but without a single tell-tale “I’m-wearing-foundation” crease later on. Buildable and very subtly radiant without being shiny, it feels nicely nourishing, with its moisture power coming from a blend of hyaluronic ‘microspheres’, while silicones deliver the soft-touch feel.
Buy now £58, Cultbeauty.co.uk
Trinny London BFF de-stress tinted serum
Best: for foundation-phobes
Shades: 11
Why we love it
- Lightweight, creamy texture that melts into skin
- Instantly radiant, natural ‘your skin but better’ finish
Take note
- Light, buildable coverage may not hide redness/pigmentation
- Pump doesn’t dispense the last of the product
True story: the first time I tried this, I shouted out loud (to the universe): “Bloody hell, Trinny!” This airily-textured tinted serum – available in a 12 quite forgiving, adaptive shades – has been part of my kit ever since. You simply cannot feel a thing on skin, yet it instantly evens out everything with its radiant finish. With loads of light-diffusing pigments in the formulation, a light application with fingers is enough to smooth out literally every imperfection, leaving skin looking like its very best, natural self. (Hence this recommendation for those who generally steer clear of foundation.)
The bonus? The formula’s boosted by mega-moisturising hyaluronic acid, hence the instant face-waking effect. My only gripe is that the pumps on these tubes don’t always deliver every last drop that you know is inside, and I find myself cutting off the end of the tube, to access it. (Yet still I keep re-purchasing…)
Buy now £41, Libertylondon.com
Your questions about foundation for mature skin answered
What is the best foundation for mature skin?
For me, Dior backstage face and body foundation came out on top, because it offers miraculous coverage over redness and veins while remaining ultra lightweight and offering skincare benefits.
I can’t fail to acknowledge L’Oréal true match foundation for its hybrid of foundation and skincare for an affordable price, while the Trinny London BFF de-stress tinted serum makes skin look its best natural self.
How I tested foundations for mature skin
While testing a range of foundations for mature skin, I took the following criteria into account:
I trialled many more foundations than are featured here – but these definitely topped the charts for a mature face, across a range of textures, finishes and price-points.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Jo Fairley is the co-founder of Green & Black's and an experienced journalist whose writing focuses on beauty for a wide range of publications. She is also the co-author ofThe Beauty Bible so she knows how to find a great formula.
Additionally, the wider team has explored more make-up picks for older complexions, such as the best concealers for mature skin. They’ve also covered complexion heroes extensively, with pieces ranging from the best tinted moisturisers to the best BB creams.
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