If your makeup isn’t keeping up with your skin, it’s time to upgrade. These expert-approved, editor-tested winners are made to work with mature skin, not against it. Think foundations that glide over texture, concealers that stay put and lipsticks that add color without feathering. We tested them, we love them and we’re confident calling them the best picks for the 40-and-up crowd.
Best Hydrating Foundation
Patrick Ta Beauty Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Foundation ($58)
Celeb makeup artist Patrick Ta calls his medium-coverage Major Skin Hydra-Luxe Foundation “red-carpet skin in a bottle,” and he’s not exaggerating. The ultra-hydrating formula comes in 30 shades and hydrates for eight hours.
Best Foundation Stick
DIOR Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation ($57)
Upgrade your complexion game with the coveted, hydrating DIOR Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation, which has a natural-looking, waterproof finish, covers what you need it to and comes in 18 shades.
Best Concealer for Dark Circles
Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen with TFC8 ($68)
One of our favorite beauty collabs of the year, Victoria Beckham Beauty The Concealer Pen combines Augustinus Bader’s proprietary TFC8 technology with dark circle-masking pigments in a chic click pen.
Best Second-Skin Concealer
Sarah Creal Beauty FACE FLEX Concealer & Complexion Enhancer ($58)
We love everything in the Sarah Creal Beauty line, but the FACE FLEX Concealer is a serious standout. Its seamless, hydrating formula gives that “your skin but better look” and won’t settle into lines and wrinkles or crease.
Best Cream Blush
LAWLESS Pinch My Cheeks Soft-Blur Cream Blush ($29)
LAWLESS Pinch My Cheeks Soft-Blur Cream Blush melts into the skin without patchiness thanks to its velvety, cream-to-powder texture. Get ready for the prettiest color payoff that you can also wear on your lips.
Best Cream Bronzer
No7 Soft Glow Cream Bronzer ($20)
No7 Soft Glow Cream Bronzer went viral for a reason. Bethenny Frankel’s TikTok-dfavorite delivers seamless, sun-kissed warmth with a natural, never-muddy finish.
Best Loose Setting Powder
Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder ($38)
From makeup mastermind Mario Dedivanovic comes this talc-free Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder. Choose one of seven shades to lock color in place for up to 12 hours with an anti-shine finish.
Best Skin Enhancer
CoverGirl TruBlend Skin Enhancer Luminizer ($13)
Wear the gel-like CoverGirl TruBlend Skin Enhancer Luminizer alone for a fresh, dewy look, mix it with your foundation for a radiance boost, or use it like highlighter in your makeup routine.
Best Face Palette
Make Up For Ever HD Skin All‑in‑One Face Palette ($88)
MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Face Essentials Palette includes six creamy skin-tone shades and six blush shades that can create an entire look, from concealing to sculpting.
Best Liquid Eyeliner
Sisley Paris Ligne Noire Eyeliner ($83)
Sisley Paris Ligne Noire Eyeliner delivers jet-black pigment via an ultra-precise felt tip, making it easy to create crisp, smudge-proof lines in seconds. It also improves lash quality over time as you wear it.
Best Volumizing Mascara
Charlotte Tilbury EXAGGER-EYES Mascara ($29)
Charlotte Tilbury has done it again. Beloved by dozens of A-listers, Exagger-Eyes Volume Mascara promotes a thicker, fuller, more fanned-out lash look with noticeable curl that holds.
Best Eyeshadow Stick
ILIA Eye Stylus Shadow Stick ($32)
Available in 20 shades inspired by Renaissance oil paintings (both matte and shimmer finishes), the ILIA Eye Stylus Shadow Stick glides onto lids with ease but can also be used as liner thanks to the unique angled tip.
Best Micro Brow Pencil
MAKE Beauty Infinite Brow Nano Pencil ($20)
MAKE Beauty Infinite Brow Nano Pencil makes natural, defined brows a breeze. Its ultra-fine tip mimics real brow hairs for precise, simple shaping.
Best Lip Balm
Jones Road Lippie Stick ($24)
More than a standard balm, Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road The Lippie Stick cushions lips with plant oils and cocoa butter while giving them the perfect wash of color with 12 no-makeup makeup shades.
Best Moisturizing Lipstick
Lisa Eldridge Rouge Experience Refillable Lipstick ($59)
Inspired by iconic pieces in celebrity makeup artist Lisa Eldridge’s vintage makeup collection, Rouge Experience Refillable Lipstick is housed in a gorgeous, recyclable aluminum tube and the creamy formula keeps lips moisturized.