The 11 Best Dewy, Natural-Looking Foundations For Mature Skin
by The Candidly Team
It’s a real conundrum.
We get older, our skin gets dryer, slightly droopier, perhaps slightly speckled with signs of previous sun worship or picked-at blemishes, and so our impulse is to start piling on makeup.
And then we notice that our skin looks even worse. Even dryer. Even older.
And this is because as we age, we need to wear less makeup, to feel more beautiful, more natural, more like ourselves.
It’s a catch 22 that so many of us try to fight, but unequivocally, and without exception, if you are over 40, you will feel your most buoyant and bushy tailed, with an extremely minimal makeup routine.
And no part of that minimalism is more important than where all of our beauty-confidence begins: our skin.
A thick foundation just sinks into lines and makes us feel like crypt keepers. Too heavy a hand with even sheer foundations can do the same. But the 11 products below are impossible to mess up, have gorgeously skin-like formulas, and are blessedly forgiving when it comes to choosing your “undertone” since no woman alive knows what the hell that even means.
So pick your favorite. It will be your favorite foundation you’ve ever used. Promise.
1. Best overall
bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer Mineral SPF 30
If even reading a full list is too time consuming for you, just go with this. It has a plumping effect on the skin, fills in pores, creates a natural dew that won’t quit, and never looks like makeup. And while the shade range is vast, most of us could wear multiple shades, the colors are that forgiving. But dm us HERE if you need help.
Price: $39
2. Most coverage While still looking skinlike
It Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40
If you have dark circles or age spots you want to cover, this is a lovely choice if you don’t want to have to wear lots of concealer. And the flow it gives is unmatched. And spf!
Price: $47
3. If you can’t remotely be bothered to find an exact shade
Clinique Moisture Surge™ Sheertint Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF 25
If finding a perfect foundation color is your personal hell, these are soooooo gloriously forgiving. With only 7 shades to choose from, your best guess will be the right guess.
Price: $44
4. Best Luxe Choice
Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint
Tiny, water-suspended capsules burst onto the skin when blended, and it’s one of those truly luxurious brushes that once it touches your skin, it’ll be hard to go back to anything else. The finish gives a bare-skin glow with just enough tint to make you feel gorgeous and totally un-made up.
Price: $70
5. Best if you can’t with liquids
Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion Foundation and Concealer Stick
A stick is so unbelievably easy. Easy to bring places. Easy to blend. Easy to use “on the go” as they say. And this particular stick is our favorite by a mile. The most natural shades, the easiest to blend, and while we know you’re scared of “but does stick equal thick?” it does not. In fact it might be one of the best coverage-to-no-makeup-makeup looking products on the list.
Price: $38
6. Best cult classic that’s worth the insane splurge
Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Aqua Foundation
This price is out of its mind, but this is basically the only foundation celebs use and for good reason. The coverage is higher than all others on this list, but it still looks utterly and totally like your natural skin. Is it worth almost $100 to have fully filled in pores and zero age spots while looking totally makeup free? Only you can decide.
Use our custom code at Dermstore, CANDIDLY, to get 15% off
Price: $106
7. Best for hyper dry skin if you want major dew
Ilia Beauty Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
if you notice little dry patches and flakes on your skin even when you moisturize like crazy and wear foundation designed for dry skin, this is 100% the best choice for you. Hallucinagenically dewy, never falls into cracks, and the glow is almost blinding. You’ll need to use a powder for the first time in your life.
Price: $48
8. Best hybrid for oily skin if you still want glow
Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder
The oily-skinned but also over 40 gal is the rarer bird to be sure, but we still exist! If you have big pores, the occasional hormonal acne flare up, and find you still get those big globs of oil nest your nostrils at 3pm, this foundation is your girl. It’s almost like a sheer balm that deposits some color but mostly just blurs out your complexion to utter perfection. We gush more about it HERE, complete with fun, real-life photos.
Price: $36
9. Best for mature but very oily skin Gals Who want a totally natural finish
Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder
We have been blown away by Clinique recently. We sort of forgot about them after we graduated to “real” makeup brands but after trying many of their new formulas we were compelled to write an opus HERE. This powder, used as a foundation, is exquisite on oily skin. It’s also great used with a brush as a touch-up powder because it soaks up moisture while never ever ever making your skin look cakey or dry. We dare say it’s our favorite powder of the moment, and yes, that includes all the fancy ones (cough, Charlotte Tilbury, cough).
Price: $39
10. Best to give a gorgeous glow with almost no coverage
Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint for Dewy Sheer Coverage
If a truly “barely there” look is what you desire, nothing is better than this. Now available at Sephora and therefore sooooo much easier to try on in real life, this skin tint is more than just 8 years of hype. It really brings a lovely glow to the skin, slightly tints, and doesn’t look at all like makeup. We implore you to try their Stretch Concealer as foundation if you want a hint more coverage but still love a blinding but natural glow.
Price: $28
11. Best drugstore
CoverGirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation
Is it our favorite on this list? No. Is it by far the best drugstore foundation money can buy? Absolutely yes.
Price: $13
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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