Finding the right foundation for mature skin can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack—especially when so many formulas claim to be hydrating, smoothing, and long-wearing but end up settling into fine lines or disappearing by noon. Whether you’re dealing with dryness or loss of elasticity or want a foundation that looks like skin (but better), I’m always here to review new foundation releases to help you determine if they might work (or not work) for your mature skin.
In this post, I’m sharing all the info re: application, coverage, wear, and more for some new foundation releases. To see these in action on my skin, check out this video where I put them to the test!
My Skin Type
I turn 50 this year and have sensitive skin with rosacea. My skin type is oily/combination that gets shine breakthrough in the center of my face and is normal (and sometimes dry) on the perimeter.
I also live in year-round humidity and extreme heat most of the year, which makes keeping makeup and foundation in place a challenge. This is one of my favorite reasons for sharing my foundation reviews with you!
New Foundations for Mature Skin
To provide you with thorough reviews, I always test foundations over multiple days, with different application methods, and with and without primers. In this video, I show you how they look unset and set with powder.
Think you might be the same foundation shade as me? See my shade matches here!
Hourglass Illusion Luminous Glow Foundation
Available in 26 shades (I wear shade 7), the new Hourglass Illusion Luminous Glow Foundation is cruelty-free, vegan, and alcohol-free. While it doesn’t have any added fragrance, I do find it has a slight sunscreen scent upon application that dissipates after it’s applied due to the SPF 30 it contains
It has a thick texture, but is creamy and blends easily (not the fastest blending foundation I’ve used but is still easy!). After applying it with a brush, I like to press and fuse it into my skin further with a sponge. This is a personal preference of mine when applying foundation with a brush!
With this foundation, I can get light to just over medium coverage. If you’ve used the Hourglass Skin Tint, this new foundation gives more coverage and has a less tacky feel to it when I touch my face before it’s set with powder.
Before setting Illusion Luminous Glow Foundation with powder, it gives a smooth, luminous finish with a slight pearlescent quality to it. Once set, it has a natural finish.
If you get oil break through like I do, I recommend using a primer with this foundation. Without primer, I get shine and oil break through around 5-6 hours. I’ll still get some shine during the day with primer but it doesn’t affect the coverage or exaggerate pores, lines, or texture.
If you like luminous, glowy foundations and have normal to dry (or combination) skin, this is a very flattering foundation.
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Skin Tint
Milk Makeup’s newest foundation has taken the internet by storm! Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gel Skin Tint is available in 15 shades (I wear shade 5), is cruelty-free, vegan, non-comedogenic, and alcohol-free. It’s also formulated with some lovely skincare ingredients, including hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and squalane.
With a moderately runny texture, Hydro Grip Gel Skin Tint melts into my skin beautifully and applies well over my bare skin and all types of primers.
I get medium coverage when applying it with a brush. On days I want sheer to light coverage, I apply it with a dry sponge. So I’d say, depending on how you apply and build this skin tint, you can get anywhere from sheer to medium coverage.
This skin tint has no scent and has a dewy finish before setting with or without primer. It feels pretty tacky to the touch before setting with powder. After setting, it has a natural skin finish.
As someone who experiences oil breakthrough during the day, I was impressed with it over a primer. I get minimal shine with a natural glow through midday, and even at the 8-hour mark, it still looks pretty good! It wasn’t greasy looking for most of the day, and I don’t tend to “feel” this on my skin until very late in the day.
This skin tint performed much better than I thought it would, but it’s not one that I will necessarily reach for personally. It’s just OK on my pores and texture, and it’s a bit too glowy for me. But if you have normal to dry skin, and younger skin with moderate texture/pore size, it could be one that works well for you!
Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet
Chanel very quietly reformulated the Ultra Le Teint Velvet foundation a few months ago. It looks like they removed talc and SPF, which will be a welcome change for many!
Available in 15 shades, I went with my typical Chanel shade, B30. If you are familiar with Chanel foundation or Chanel skin products, this foundation has that subtle, expensive Chanel scent to it. I only notice it when I start to apply it, but not after it’s applied.
With a runny texture that applies and blends like a dream using any method, it fuses with my skin beautifully. I love that it doesn’t cling to any dry areas and settles well on both my oily, shine-prone areas and dry areas. It looks so extremely skin-like and smooth on pores and texture after it’s applied.
This foundation gives skin-like medium coverage when I apply it with my fingers, a bit less when I apply it with a brush, and sheer coverage when applied with a wet sponge. It’s flattering and stays in place throughout the day with a beautiful, soft, natural velvet matte finish.
No matter how long I wear this foundation, I never feel it on my skin. It also doesn’t get cakey, crease, or settle into any fine lines. I do get some moderate shine every 3-4 hours when I don’t wear a primer, but it blots well and touches up with blotting powder just fine.
Even though this is a soft matte foundation, marketed towards those with normal to combination skin, I actually think it’s a great option for all skin types.
Laura Mercier Natural Dewy Tinted Moisturizer
This tinted moisturizer from Laura Mercier is a new and improved reformulation available in 20 shades. Although a bit light for me, I wear shade 2C Oak but wish there was a shade in between this and 2N Maple.
Formulated with SPF30, it’s alcohol-free and has less than 1% synthetic fragrance. Like the previous formula, this foundation is supposed to give 24-hour+ hydration, SPF 30 protection, and have a skin-like finish. In the new and improved formula, they improved the wear time to 16 hours, increased the coverage, and improved the shade range to have no white cast or oxidation.
The texture of this foundation is fairly thick, but it’s creamy and blends out nicely, melting into my skin. I use a brush for light coverage. For sheer coverage, I massage it into my skin like a moisturizer and build it where needed. It has a slight sunscreen scent upon application that dissipates once applied.
Before setting, it has a shiny, dewy, natural appearance, and my skin looks smooth and healthy. These types of skin tints tend to exaggerate pores and texture, but this one doesn’t! After setting with powder, it has a natural, bordering on soft, matte finish because it adheres to my skin so beautifully.
I tend to get some shine breakthrough after a few hours, but it still looks nice. I simply blot with a tissue and apply blotting powder before continuing with my day. When applying it over primer, I can stretch this shine break through to about 6.5 hours, and it feels good all day.
If you have combination, dry skin, and/or mature skin, this foundation could be a real winner for you!
Finding the perfect foundation (or skin tint) for mature skin doesn’t have to be a struggle—there are formulas out there that enhance your skin rather than fight against it. Hopefully, this roundup helped narrow down your options so you can find a foundation that makes you feel confident.
To shop more beauty recommendations, visit my ShopMy storefront and follow along on LTK!
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