Choose: Liquid foundation "Powder can actually settle into wrinkles and accentuate them, but liquid products act like a filler for a smoother finish," Bruzzesi says. If you've got large, visible pores, liquid is also your best bet (the filler thing, again).
As for choosing a foundation, Dubroff advises, “For mature skin, I like to use a buildable liquid or creamy formula.” Drier formulas can accentuate any kind of texture on the skin — and not in a good way.
If your skin is dry, your foundation is more likely to cling to any dry patches and settle into wrinkles. So make sure to hydrate your skin well before applying foundation. Margina: Hydrating the skin plumps up the skin, which helps to keep makeup from settling into fine lines.
A powder foundation will help you to nail that flawless finish. These formulas are finely milled and highly pigmented, leaving your skin looking matte and velvety. Powder foundations are long-lasting and easy to blend and layer with other formulas, like liquids and creams.
Cream makeup is more pigmented than powder
Cream makeup is the perfect medium to deliver more pigment to your skin, while still allowing for your skin's natural radiance to glow through. This is essential for women with mature skin who may deal with redness or age spots that a powder alone could not cover.
The primary factor that sets liquid and powder foundations apart — aside from the obvious — is that powder foundations are especially beneficial for oily, acne-prone, or sweat-prone skin types, thanks to their ability to suck up excess moisture while simultaneously offering complexion-evening coverage.
Quinn emphasizes that the most important tip for applying foundation to mature skin is the prep step right before foundation. "The skin needs to be hydrated before any foundation is applied. Massage in your face and eye creams, use a roller for added penetration, and follow up with a brightening primer," he says.
Prior to any application you should cleanse, moisturize, and prime. "Using an excessively greasy cream that sits on top of your skin might prevent your foundation from properly absorbing and drying down, which can cause it to settle into lines," says New York City-based makeup artist Andrew Sotomayor.
Powder foundations are great, but not for those with aging skin, since they usually settle into wrinkles. Really thick, full-coverage foundations can do the same. “A liquid foundation that's on the thinner side is usually preferable,” says celebrity makeup artist Beck Wainner.
Clinique even better clinical serum foundation
Serum formulations are a godsend for more mature complexions. They blend with the skin (rather than lying on top and then settling into lines) and bring the benefit of skincare ingredients such as the vitamin C, salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid present here.
StriVectin's skin care infused LINEblurFECTOR Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer instantly fills and blurs the look of deep wrinkles while prolonging makeup wear.
"Applying primer as a makeup base is the key to softening wrinkles," says Jaclyn Peresetsky, a makeup artist and co-owner of Skin Perfect Clinic in Ohio. Choose one with a silicone base, which fills in uneven skin texture and fine lines.
Your Skin Type Matters
Just don't pack them both on, “A common mistake people make is using powder foundation on top of a liquid foundation,” Major says. This can result in a cakey finish. Mature skin or dry skin types should reach for a liquid foundation, as powder foundation can settle into fine lines and wrinkles.
Use a concealer that won't sit heavily on your skin.
Look for products that say “light coverage” and “wrinkle-reducing” to keep your skin looking smooth and soft. With a concealer, less is more. Try to focus on areas that really need it, like your under eyes, and keep it off the rest of your skin.
Your concealer is your best friend as you age because it conceals wrinkles and lines better than a foundation. Once you've applied your foundation, apply a small amount of concealer only to the areas that need more coverage. Ensure that the product is blended in with a makeup sponge or with your fingers.
Powder foundation is best for people with oily or combination skin. Powder formulas absorb excess oil and help control it, making them perfect to use in hot weather too when you want your face looking fresh all day long! For anyone who has dry skin, a liquid foundation is the best option.
Pressed powders contain more oils and hydrating ingredients which makes them more suitable for people with dry or mature skin. The best face powders for mature skin can also have a lightweight formula that blends easily into the skin. They don't settle into fine lines and wrinkles and they give the skin a radiant look.
Powder foundation is a finely milled, pigmented powder that adds coverage to your skin with a lightweight finish. It tends to be a favorite among those who like a lightweight finish, have oily skin or want to be able to touch up their makeup throughout the day.
Even the slightest signs of aging can be magnified with the wrong makeup, so if you'd like to see fewer crow's-feet or laugh lines, opt for a liquid foundation. “Powder can actually settle into wrinkles and accentuate them, but liquid products act like a filler for a smoother finish,” Bruzzesi says.
Layer your makeup
A light-reflecting primer such as Laura Geller Spackle Tinted Under Make-Up Primer ($25; laurageller.com) camouflages fine lines. Follow with sheer liquid foundation. Bonus: Primer keeps makeup from settling into—and emphasizing—furrows.