The Best Wedding Makeup for Mature Skin

Aging gracefully is a wonderful thing and the best makeup for mature skin will highlight your natural beauty, while helping you look beautiful and feel confident at your next wedding event. However, applying makeup to mature skin requires a thoughtful approach to enhance your features while addressing any age-related concerns, like fine lines, wrinkles, or a loss of elasticity.

To help you glow, we've listed expert tips and tricks from top makeup artists and skincare experts to keep your face feeling and looking fresh. We've also rounded up some of our top picks of makeup and skincare products for mature skin. From anti-aging primers to moisturizing foundations—we've got it all, so you're guaranteed a flawless finish on the big day.

Expert Makeup Tips for Mature Skin

Customize Your Skincare

Your makeup will only look as good as the skin underneath it, so always maintain a solid skincare routine. Start by identifying your skin's specific needs. Whether it's hyperpigmentation, loss of firmness, or dryness "you can personalize your skincare regimen and seek out the best ingredients for your specific concerns. This will help you get the most out of your products" says Maria Hatzistefanis, the founder of skincare brand Rodial. If fine lines and other signs of aging are your top concerns, consider incorporating retinoids into your routine. They reduce the appearance of wrinkles, improve skin texture, and stimulate collagen production. Freshen up the eye area by using a cream that contains peptides, retinol, and hyaluronic acid.

Keep It Light

When it comes to makeup application, less is more. To cover dark circles, redness, and blemishes, "I would focus on simple, light, moisturizing products with medium coverage like tinted moisturizers and creamy concealers," Hatzistefanis says. Always aim for foundations and concealers with weightless formulas that melt into the skin for a more hydrated and natural look. Be sure to apply coverup products sparingly to avoid excessive layers of heavy makeup, which "can be too cakey for more mature skin. Heavy matte makeup can end up settling into fine lines and wrinkles and emphasizing them…so aim for a dewy finish" explains Hatzistefanis.

Give Yourself a Glow

For an anti-aging effect, use highlighter and blush strategically explains celebrity makeup artist Kirin Bhatty. "Stick to formulas that are more moisture-based and result in a luminous or dewy finish. It's the best way to pull off a natural glow for all skin textures" he details. Opt for a cream blush that melts into the skin and creates fresh rosy cheeks with effortless application. Simply apply it to the apples of the cheeks and blend it with your fingers or a damp beauty sponge, for the perfect youthful flush. You can also use it on your lips to for a soft, natural color, as opposed to dark or matte lipsticks, that make lips look dry and thinner. Bhatty also suggests using a subtle highlighter on the high points of your face, including the bridge of the nose, tops of cheekbones, and cupid's bow for a radiant finish. Top it off with a dewy-finish setting spray to ensure longevity and a photo-ready result.

How to Prep Mature Skin for Makeup

Always begin your makeup routine by hydrating and priming the skin to create a smooth canvas and to help your makeup last longer. Bhatty explains, "Make sure the skin is in a state of optimum hydration and balance before even a drop of makeup is applied to the face." To start, wash your face with a gentle cleanser that removes impurities, without stripping skin of its natural oils. Then, allow your skin to absorb a moisturizer, while patting on an eye cream that will minimize puffiness, dark circles, and fine lines. Next, rub on a primer, infused with hyaluronic acid, to plump the skin, smooth out your complexion, and create a barrier between your skin and makeup.

The best moisturizer for mature skin: Perricone MD No Makeup Instant Blur Priming Moisturizer

Photo: Perricone MD

If you have concerns about uneven texture or complexion, this innovative cream, which is rich in powerhouse ingredients, will leave your face looking extra smooth. It contains glycerin, which plumps and helps retain moisture, and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) to reduce inflammation and brighten skin. As a result, the cream also minimizes redness, lines, and wrinkles for a more youthful, healthier-looking complexion. It's also beneficial for people with oily skin because it contains a natural blurring complex that reduces shine, shrinks pores, and visibly fades the look of imperfections. The result is a soft-focus, filter-like finish that will help your makeup glide on with ease and last for hours.

The best tinted moisturizer for mature skin: Saie Slip Tint Broad Spectrum SPF35 Tinted Moisturizer

Photo: Sephora

Available in 14 shades, this award-winning tinted moisturizer doubles as skincare. It is packed with a blend of skin-loving ingredients and SPF 35 protection. It contains hyaluronic acid to deeply hydrate, licorice root extract to brighten, and pansy flower to fight free radicals. The clean, luxe formula is fragrance-free, safe for sensitive skin, and dermatologist-tested. It seamlessly blends into any skin tone and delivers a dewy, sheer glow. After the wedding, use it for an everyday no-makeup, makeup look.

The best serum for mature skin: Mary Kay TimeWise® Nighttime Recovery Serum

Photo: Mary Kay

As you sleep, the process of skin repair is most active, so this effective overnight serum works while you snooze to leave your skin feeling rejuvenated by morning. The dewy formula is rich in antioxidant chamomile extract to calm skin and encourage its natural replenishing process. As a result, the dermatologist-tested serum reduces skin stressors, like skin-damaging free radicals, promotes a more even skin tone, supports the production of natural collagen and elastin, and speeds up the process of skin repair.

The best primer for mature skin: Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base Primer

Photo: Sephora

With over 9,000 5-star reviews, this renowned primer delivers full makeup prep in one step, while doubling as moisturizing skincare—the perfect combination for mature skin. Its multi-vitamin-enriched formula contains hyaluronic acid, squalene, and shea butter to nourish, visibly plump, and prep skin with an extra dose of hydration. The creamy-yet-lightweight formula also contains vitamins B, C, and E, to rejuvenate your skin and quickly deliver a fresh glow. Plus, the primer acts as an excellent base, so it will improve the look of your foundation.

The best eye primer for mature skin: NARS Pro-Prime™ Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Photo: Sephora

Whether you're applying cream or powdered eye shadow, this lightweight primer keeps the delicate eye area smooth and prepped for shadow application. The mineral-powder blend formula, fortified with a special deep-sea extract and an antioxidant rice extract, dries on contact to create the perfect canvas for color and make the eyelid smooth. Not only will your shadow look fresh for hours and hours, but you'll never have to worry about creasing, smudging, or caking.

The Best Makeup for Mature Skin

The best foundation for mature skin: Covergirl Outlast Extreme Full Coverage Liquid Foundation

Photo: Amazon

Not only does this 3-in-1 foundation work as a primer, concealer, and foundation all in one, it also contains SPF18 to shield your skin from the sun. It's an ideal foundation for a wedding day because it blends seamlessly, covers imperfections, and evens out skin tone. The affordable foundation also lasts up to 24 hours and is transfer-resistant, humidity and sweat-proof, so you won't have to worry about touchups or melted makeup, especially during summertime ceremonies. Even though the formula is full coverage, it's also translucent and buildable, so your makeup will never look caked on.

Shade Range: 21 | Coverage: Full | Finish: Natural

The best concealer for mature skin: NYX HD Photogenic Liquid Concealer

Photo: NYX

Dark undereye circles will be the least of your worries once you swipe on this hydrating concealer. Regardless of what skin imperfections you're trying to cover, the multipurpose, vegan formula color corrects and camouflages everything—from redness to undereye circles, acne, and even skin discolorations. The affordable coverup is also rich in moisturizing emollients, like coconut oil, aloe vera extract, and glycerin so it glides on like a dream. Application and blending are effortless, so you can also use it to contour or highlight. It's also so long-lasting, that you'll never have to worry about it creasing or looking cakey throughout the wedding day.

Shade Range: 23 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural

The best setting powder for mature skin: Rodial Glass Powder

Photo: Rodial

If oily skin is a concern, use this velvet-soft powder to combat shine and achieve an all-day flawless, matte-looking complexion. The innovative powder is formulated to reduce oil, dullness, imperfections, and pore appearance. Thanks to its soft, peach undertone, it blends perfectly with all skin tones and delivers a sheer veil of coverage for a barely-there finish. The expertly blended powder lets the skin's natural luminosity shine through for a 'glass skin' effect that will make you look radiant, and never greasy, in every photo.

Shade Range: 1 | Coverage: Medium | Finish: Natural