The 12 best foundations for mature skin

Charlotte Tilbury's Beautiful Skin foundation is a good option if you're looking for a natural everyday base – but for an evening glam, Airbrush Flawless is unbeatable.

It's a full-coverage formula, yet looks incredibly luminous – a balance that's hard to achieve. Plus, this being Tilbury, it's packed with hydration-boosting skincare ingredients that work to nourish mature skin in the long run.

Find your match from the impressive 44 shades by using the make-up artist's helpful Shade Finder online, or take part in a virtual consultation, where a Tilbury artist will guide you to your perfect shade via a video call, and answer any make-up questions you have too.

There are many high-street foundations that can rival the designer buys these days, and L'Oreal's True Match is (still) one of the best.

It's creamier than most, so won't highlight dry patches or wrinkles making it ideal for mature skin types. It blends in seamlessly with a brush to offer a healthy glow. A light layer will offer translucent coverage – for a fuller look, add a second.

Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk foundation has been the brand's best selling product since debuting in 2000, consistently winning numerous beauty awards and receiving 5-star recommendations from editors and beauty enthusiasts to this day.

Why is it so incredible? The silky, hydrating formula effortlessly sinks into the skin, delivering a beautiful glow without settling into fine lines or clinging to dry patches. It's lightweight but buildable and is best applied with a clean makeup brush for a radiant, satin finish.

This is more of a tinted moisturiser than a foundation, but if you're simply looking to perk up skin with one easy product, it might be just the thing. The white cream contains coloured pigments that melt on application, transforming into your perfect tint, while SPF 30 delivers trustworthy protection.

Wear it alone as a one-and-done base, or layer with the brand's Just A Touch Foundation and Concealer pot for extra coverage.

A buildable, medium-coverage foundation that adds a veil of youthful radiance without any trace of shine or shimmer, Shiseido's Revitalessence is a must-try.

The serum-like consistency is ideal for drier skin types as it's formulated with fermented kefir and niacinamide to support good bacteria in improving the look of bare skin, and plumping fine lines in the process.

Serum foundations are especially good for mature skin, thanks to their hydrating properties.

Enter: the No7 Restore & Renew Serum foundation. It has a lightweight texture that blends out for a luminous veil of coverage, and the radiant finish blurs any discolouration. If fine lines are a concern, you'll be happy to know the liquid formula works with the movements of your skin so it doesn't crease or turn cakey over time.

NARS, in our opinion, sell some of the best foundations out there (also check out the NARS Sheer Glow). But, the Light Reflecting Foundation is inching its way up to first position. The medium coverage formula is easily blendable, radiant in its finish and gives a natural skin-like effect to cancel out hyperpigmentation and redness. Following suit to many new foundations with a skincare focus. This one is boosted with ingredients to help strengthen your skin barrier which makes it especially good for mature skin.

BB creams (short for blemish balm) offer a lighter coverage than a foundation, but still work to smooth out your skin tone, cancel out blemishes and give a healthy glow to your complexion. The L’Oreal Paris Age Perfector BB Cream is specially designed for the needs of mature skin: a luminous pigment conceals any unevenness, while SPF 50 provides a brilliant level of protection for sun-sensitive skin. Plus, the serum-like texture makes it so easy to blend, without it settling in any fine lines or wrinkles.

The Clinique serum foundation is a favourite for a natural and radiant finish. The formula is ideal if your skin type tips towards the oily side of the spectrum, and leaves a satin-matte finish that still appears glowy (keeping all excess oils at bay).

Plus, it checks the box in the skincare category too: vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid work together to help hydrate and promote a brighter complexion. It won't work better than a curated skincare routine, but it can't hurt to have some added skin-loving ingredients.

The hint is in the name: this foundation stands out to us for delivering the most believable skin-like finish. If you aren't keen on the feeling of dense formulas, this is an easy-to-blend liquid which takes no more than your fingertips to work the product into the areas that need a little coverage. It's packed with hyaluronic acid to aid hydration throughout the day, and the high-factor sun protection is an added bonus.

Targeting redness with foundation isn't as easy as it sounds: formulas are either too lightweight to make a difference, or too thick which can result in a cakey finish. Luckily, this pick from Rosalique boasts the perfect balance for delivering a skin-like result.

It comes out as a green tint but once blended in, it transforms to the natural tone of your skin and leaves a medium-full coverage. And why green you're probably asking? The pigment helps to counteract red tones and promote an even complexion (clever!). This is a makeup bag hero you won't regret adding to your cart.

Lancôme's Teint Miracle foundation has been designed with hydration in mind. Formulated with a high concentration of water, it helps to create a smooth and unified appearance that draws on the natural radiance of the complexion.

It offers lighter coverage but it's still long-lasting – a great option if you're looking for a product that won't budge.