When it comes to aging skin, CoverGirl and Olay are tried-and-true brands, and they teamed up to bring you our best overall pick. CoverGirl + Olay Simply Ageless Instant Wrinkle-Defying Foundation glides over your skin and reduces the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
"Lightweight makeup, such as BB creams, tinted moisturizers or airbrush makeup is great for giving coverage without accentuating fine lines and wrinkles," says Kiralee Hubbard, a makeup artist and founder of Aeroblend Airbrush Makeup.
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.
Make sure you exfoliate your face and have a good routine to keep your face clean before applying foundation on. Also, try and minimise the amount of products used on your face as this already increases creasing. Sometimes opt for a little bit of concealer on the areas of concern.
If you've ever thought your makeup makes you look more wrinkled, it might be by virtue of dehydrated skin. Makeup has a way of leaching the moisture from the skin, accentuating pores, and highlighting fine lines and wrinkles. So if your skin looks worse with foundation, this could be a major culprit.
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.
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).
StriVectin's skin care infused LINEblurFECTOR Instant Wrinkle Blurring Primer instantly fills and blurs the look of deep wrinkles while prolonging makeup wear.
Right before applying foundation, it's important to cleanse your skin to help prevent clogged pores and remove any dirt that may be dulling your natural radiance. Next, use a liquid exfoliator, such as Clarifying Lotion, to sweep away any dry, dead skin cells that may cause foundation to settle or look flaky.
Dehydrated or dry skin can cause makeup to clump and cling into dry patches. Your face can look like it's peeling when you put on foundation. Oily skin can also cause makeup to split on the face. Following an appropriate skin care routine and preparing your skin before makeup application is an essential step.
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.
When it comes to the best foundation to hide wrinkles, you want something sheer and hydrating, say, like BOUNCE Liquid Whip Foundation. Our weightless, buildable, full-coverage foundation gives you a natural matte finish that wears for up to 24 hours without clinging to fine lines or wrinkles.
“The best finish for anyone that is concerned with wrinkles is a creamy, dewy skin,” says Sadsad. Matte finishes can look dull on the skin and draw attention to a wrinkled surface. It's also important to make sure your skin is well hydrated before you layer foundation over the top. Especially around the eye area.
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.
Set your skin with a translucent powder.
These powders are perfect for anyone with wrinkles, because it sets your foundation and concealer without adding any more coverage. By using only a light coat, your products will stay put without looking cakey.
Prepping your skin with lots of hydration is key. Lines deepen on dehydrated skin, increasing the chance that foundation will settle in them. Find a hydrating serum and moisturiser to help counteract this. Additionally, a smoothing primer is your BFF!
A thick layer of makeup is more prone to sliding off your face throughout the day because it just can't adhere as well to skin. If you have oily skin, try an absorbent mattifying foundation primer before you apply your sunscreen and foundation.
A great makeup application takes that texture into account—makeup won't look smooth if the surface under it isn't smooth. The right prep routine for you could be an AHA, a dewy moisturizer, or a mattifying primer—makeup artists use them all.
Uneven skin texture can come in many forms, from under-the-skin bumps, to large, visible pores, or fine lines and wrinkles, all of which can contribute to foundation not sitting smoothly on the skin.