11 Best Concealer for Mature Skin 2023, According to Vogue Editors and Celebrities
Keeping your specific skin concerns in mind when buying makeup makes all the difference—especially as you age. Discovering the best concealer for mature skin (and foundations for mature skin, for that matter) can make or break your look. “They should be just the right balance of creaminess and pigment because you don’t want it to get settled into any wrinkles but want to be able to cover any problem areas,” explains pro makeup artist and founder of Westman Atelier, Gucci Westman. Mature skin most benefits from formulas not too dense or powdery, but rather lightweight, creamy, and radiance boosting.
For makeup artist Jenna Scavone, this means selecting concealers based on ingredients. “Focus on ones that are skin-care based, that will help protect and replenish the delicate skin around your eyes,” she explains. “Ingredients to look for are vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and ceramides, [as] these will help brighten, protect, and heal the skin barrier. If you suffer from bags or crepey skin, find a concealer with caffeine; it will help tighten and firm the under-eye area.” From an SPF-infused stick to a dark circle–busting formula, these are the best concealers to enhance mature skin.
Best Concealers for Mature Skin
- Best for Hydration: Chanel Sublimage Le Correcteur Yeux, $95
- Best for Brightening: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen, $40
- Best for Age Spots: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick, $68
- Best for Dark Circles: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer, $39
- Best for Sun Protection: Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer SPF 27, $75
- Best for Long-Wear: Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer, $40
- Best for Multitasking: Make Beauty Skin Mimetic Concealer, $28
- Best for Matte Finish: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Duo, $36
- Best for Color Correcting: Bobbi Brown Under Eye Corrector, $33
- Best for Anti-Aging: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi-Use Concealer, $5
- Best for Two-in-One Benefits: Koses Revealer Concealer, $23
In this article:
For Hydration: Chanel Sublimage Le Correcteur Yeux
- Why we love it: Luminous, radiant, lightweight, and buildable coverage are four terms makeup pro Autumn Moultrie uses to describe this Chanel concealer. With such a luxe application, one might mistake it for one of the best eye creams.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, vanilla planifolia fruit water
- Shades: 10
- More to know: With a blend of intense vanilla planifolia water, cedar extract, and light-reflecting particles, this looks to protect the delicate skin under the eyes while plumping, moisturizing, and smoothing.
- Type of Coverage: Lightweight and buildable
- Finish: Radiant
For Brightening: Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen
- Why we love it: For Moultrie, Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat is “the best.” What she calls an eraser for the face, the formula promises to brighten, conceal, and highlight around the face.
- Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, ruscus extract, Moroccan calendula extract
- Shades: 14
- More to know: Jennifer Lopez is a fan too. In her installment of Vogue’s Beauty Secrets, we saw the icon whip out the pen to achieve that enviable glow by brightening her under-eye area, nose, and forehead. The formula is shimmer-free, utilizing vitamin E, ruscus extract, and Moroccan calendula extract to keep skin youthful and protected.
- Type of Coverage: Lightweight and buildable
- Finish: Radiant
For Age Spots: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick
- Why we love it: Westman uses this stick formula from her eponymous beauty brand on everyone, regardless of skin type or tone, particularly to camouflage and conceal age spots. “It is high performing, and I love that it does not settle into any fine lines,” she says. “It covers pigmentation without looking cakey.”
- Key Ingredients: Squalane, camellia seed oil, coconut oil
- Shades: 21
- More to know: To her point, the stick is creamy but not at all cakey. Enriched with squalane, camellia seed oil, coconut oil, and berryflux vita extract, the formula doubles as a foundation and promotes hydrated, supple, and protected skin.
- Type of Coverage: Medium coverage
- Finish: Natural
For Dark Circles: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Concealer
- Why we love it: “I like Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk for dark circles because it contains tiny synthetic mica particles in the formula, which is a light-reflecting ingredient [that helps] brighten and camouflage [pigment],” explains Scavone.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, Caffeine
- Shades: 22
- More to know: Imparting a natural, radiant, medium-coverage finish, this concealer is designed not to crease. What’s more, vitamin E, caffeine, and glycerin promote a hydrated, even-toned complexion.
- Type of Coverage: Medium coverage
- Finish: Radiant
For Sun Protection: Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer SPF 27
- Why we love it: In Scavone’s experience with the Clé de Peau concealer, she’s found that it blends seamlessly and lasts all day: “It’s lightweight; full coverage; and gives a seamless, airbrushed finish.”
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, argan oil, chestnut rosa fruit extract
- Shades: 10
- More to know: While the pro often reaches for this formula to veil blemishes, we’re most impressed by the infused SPF, zingiber aromaticus extract, hyaluronic acid, and the brand’s Skin-Empowering Illuminator, which come together to help skin protect itself from environmental stressors.
- Type of Coverage: Full coverage
- Finish: Natural and seamless
For Long-Wear: Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer
- Why we love it: If you’re looking for a concealer that lasts all day (or night), look no further than Dior Forever Skin Correct—a top pick of Moultrie’s for its impeccable staying power.
- Key Ingredients: Iris extract, wild pansy extract, nasturtium extract
- Shades: 30
- More to know: “Unlike concealer for younger skin, a concealer for mature skin must have the kind of staying power that can withstand a setting powder,” she explains. While botanical extracts (iris, wild pansy, and nasturtium) keep skin soothed and hydrated, the entire composition is formulated for 24-hour wear without transfer.
- Type of Coverage: Full coverage
- Finish: Natural
For Multitasking: Make Beauty Skin Mimetic Concealer
- Why we love it: Scavone counts this Make Beauty lightweight, medium-coverage concealer as a personal favorite. “It blends seamlessly, conceals, and truly looks and feels like a second skin,” she says, adding that its hydrating properties are an added bonus.
- Key Ingredients: Red algae extract, green coffee extract, caffeine
- Shades: 20
- More to know: On skin-care composition, this is infused with red algae extract for moisture and adenosine for smoothing, along with green coffee extract and caffeine for puffiness and dark circles.
- Type of Coverage: Buildable, medium coverage
- Finish: Radiant
For a Matte Finish: Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Duo
- Why we love it: “Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage sticks [are] a staple in my kit,” admits Scavone. “They’re lightweight, full coverage, and have a matte finish, which is perfect for covering up imperfections. You’re going to get two colors in the stick, one that will help you correct and the other to conceal.”
- Key Ingredients: Lotus flower extract, plant-derived squalane, murumuru seed butter
- Shades: 16
- More to know: This product features two ends. The first, for correcting, uses spherical blurring powders and lotus flower extract to smooth skin and blur imperfections. The other side, for brightening, features brightening pearls, plant extracts, and murumuru seed butter to quell under-eye darkness and condition the skin.
- Type of Coverage: Full coverage
- Finish: Matte
For Color Correcting: Bobbi Brown Under Eye Corrector
- Why we love it: “If necessary, I like to apply the Bobbi Brown color corrector after eye cream and before concealer,” says Moultrie. Think of it as a means to even out skin tone, veiling dark circles, redness, or pigmentation concerns.
- Key Ingredients: Kaolin, silica, vitamin E
- Shades: 10
- More to know: Enriched with kaolin clay and vitamin E, the corrector promises to seamlessly neutralize discoloration under concealer.
- Type of Coverage: Full coverage
- Finish: Natural
For Anti-Aging: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi-Use Concealer
- Why we love it: The crease-resistant formula not only helps to minimize the appearance of fine lines, but it also diminishes the look of dark circles and blemishes in a flash. Plus, you can easily find it at most drugstores.
- Key Ingredients: Goji berry, haloxyl
- Shades: 18
- More to know: It’s oil-free and non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t clog pores—and it’s safe to use even on the most sensitive skin types. Another plus? The sponge applicator makes it great for mess-free, on-the-go use.
- Type of Coverage: Medium coverage
- Finish: Natural
For Two-in-One Benefits: Kosas Revealer Concealer
- Why we love it: If you’re looking for a concealer that doubles as skin care, then you’ve met your match.
- Key Ingredients: Peptides, hyaluronic acid, arnica, provitamin B5
- Shades: 28
- More to know: The all-day medium to full coverage formula is buildable and never creases, so it’s suitable for everyone—whether you want a light tint, or are looking to conceal an inflamed blemish.
- Type of Coverage: Medium coverage
- Finish: Radiant
What to look for in a concealer for mature skin
Ingredients
According to makeup artist and Sisley Paris’ Artist in Residence Robin Black, skin tends to become more dry and textured as we age, so generally speaking, it’s best to look for a hydrating formula.
Fellow makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran agrees. “Hyaluronic acid, glycerin, or squalane are all great ingredients to look out for,” she says, as “they all help to moisturize the skin and prevent the concealer from settling into fine lines and wrinkles.” She adds that peptides are also good for stimulating collagen production, while antioxidants like vitamin C and E can help protect against environmental damage, thus improving skin tone overtime.
Finish
A radiant finish tends to lend nicely to mature skin, in comparison to something more matte, which can emphasize fine lines. But beyond just the general finish itself, Black recommends keeping more than one concealer handy for various areas of the face.
“Use a different concealer for your under-eyes than the rest of your skin, as more mature under-eyes tend to have creasing,” she shares. “A sheer, color-correcting formula is more likely to give you a fresh look and minimize under eye darkness.” Among her favorites for the under-eye area is Phyto-Cernes Eclat from Sisley Paris.
Coverage
According to Black, lightweight and buildable formulas, rather than a heavier matte one, is best for achieving a natural look on mature skin. “However, if you want more coverage, try layering a light to medium coverage concealer rather than going for full coverage,” she advises.
