Say Goodbye to Dark Circles and Fine Lines—These Concealers Are Perfect for Mature Skin (2024)

TL;DR

Our favorite concealer for mature skin is the Armani Luminous Silk Face and Under-Eye Concealer, which has a lightweight feel and glowy finish and is packed with skin-loving ingredients. We also loved the Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Triclone Skin Tech Concealer, a long-lasting formula that brightens without settling into fine lines.

As we age, dark spots, redness, and under-eye circles can all become more visible. And while we're all for celebrating signs of aging, sometimes a little strategically applied concealer can make us feel good. However, it depends on the concealer, considering not all are well suited to mature skin. NYC makeup artist Erin Williams suggests looking for formulas with added skincare benefits that look natural and will hold up well throughout the day. "Since mature skin tends to be combination-to-dry, ingredients like hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate skin are ideal in a concealer formula," she explains. "Nourishing oils like argan or tamanu are also lovely for added slip and omegas."

To determine which concealer formulas are best for mature skin, we put dozens to the test in our lab and at home, evaluating them on application, formula, coverage, finish, and wear. We also spoke with professional makeup artists and combined their recommendations with tester insights before crowning these the best concealers for mature skin.

What We Like

  • Glowy-yet-natural finish

  • Lightweight, creamy formula

  • Effectively covers dark spots

  • Doesn’t settle into fine lines or pores

What to Consider

  • Not the most buildable

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 22 | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: No

Armani set expectations high with the name “Luminous Silk,” but this concealer doesn’t disappoint. Enriched with caffeine to brighten the under-eyes, vitamin E to nourish and reduce puffiness, and glycerin for a dose of hydration, the formula definitely checks the skincare benefits box. Easy to apply and blend, our tester loved its natural yet dewy finish—so much so that she skipped setting powder. The concealer has a mature-skin-friendly light/medium coverage level but is buildable enough to cover dark spots without the addition of foundation. It didn’t crease or settle into lines either and created a blurring effect that seemed to smooth wrinkles. On top of all that, the formula even left her under-eyes looking bright and radiant. In short: There’s nothing this concealer can’t do.

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Nikki, a tester with combination skin: “My skin felt great and had a luminous, healthy glow.”

What We Like

  • Doesn’t crease or settle into fine lines

  • Brightens the under-eyes

  • Long-lasting formula

What to Consider

  • Could be more hydrating

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 31 | Finish: Radiant | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This concealer from Haus Labs by Lady Gaga has been creating a buzz on social media for good reason. Its “flexible pigment” shade range adapts to your skin tone, improving the look of your complexion instantly. Meanwhile, a plethora of skin-loving ingredients, including brightening niacinamide, soothing arnica, and hydrating hyaluronic acid, soften fine lines and depuff the under-eye area with two weeks of use. Our tester described this as a thicker formula and used a damp beauty sponge to blend it out and add extra moisture. A little goes a long way, and she was able to get seamless coverage in blemishes and dark circles with a small amount of product. The concealer didn’t crease or settle into fine lines—in fact, it produced a slight blurring and smoothing effect on the under-eyes that she really appreciated.

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Sophia, a tester with combination skin: “I like that it didn't crease on my under-eyes!”

What We Like

  • Covers dark circles with minimal product

  • Creates a soft, diffused look

  • Long-lasting formula

What to Consider

  • Could use some hydrating ingredients

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 50 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

As we age and our skin loses plumpness, our under-eye dark circles can start to look particularly pronounced. This formula does a stellar job of covering them, according to our tester. The wand applicator has a fine-pointed tip, which is perfectly suited to accessing the delicate hollow areas around the eyes, and one dot of this creamy concealer was all it took to cover dark circles and sun spots. The formula is on the thicker side but still felt lightweight on her skin, and once properly blended it created a diffused look, softening fine lines and pores. It also held up beautifully all day with its natural looking finish.

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Caitlyn, a tester with oily skin: “It sort of created a soft filter on my skin, so my pores aren't visible and neither are blemishes or dark circles.”

What We Like

  • Scent-free and sensitive-skin friendly

  • Brightens the under-eye area

  • Buildable, natural coverage

What to Consider

  • Can be drying if used without under-eye cream

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 22 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’ve got sensitive skin, then this formula, which contains 90% naturally derived ingredients and is fragrance-free, is one to reach for. It promises to soothe and hydrate the skin with glycerin and White Water Lily Extract, creating a plumping effect that mature skin types will appreciate. However, our tester, who is 59 years old, applied it on top of a good moisturizing cream for extra slip and blendability. After gently dabbing the concealer under her eyes, she used a brush to smooth out any product that was sitting in her wrinkles, layering it as needed for the perfect amount of coverage. The result was an airbrushed effect that illuminated her face and made her eyes pop. One application was enough for the whole day.

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Lynn, a tester with dry skin: “It blurred out the hollows of my eyes and illuminated them just the way I like.”

What We Like

  • 24-hour waterproof formula

  • Full-coverage that lasts

  • Brightening effects

What to Consider

  • Can crease if applied to heavily

Coverage: Full | Shades: 27 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Avid exercisers and those in humid environments will appreciate this waterproof formula, which promises to stay put for 24 hours. Regardless, everyone can benefit from a formula with this much sticking power. Our tester was impressed by the full coverage formula, which was thick enough to cover any problem areas but remained natural-looking. It blended seamlessly on her skin and created a noticeable brightening effect under her eyes. The formula is on the thicker side, and it’s easy to overapply, causing creasing. Finding the perfect amount can take trial and error, and our tester recommends dabbing it little by little with a gentle fingertip until the desired coverage level is achieved.

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Elena, a tester with combination skin: “I love the coverage—it just does so much to cover up the areas I want covered without looking cakey.”

What We Like

  • Clean formula

  • Medium-to-full coverage

  • Natural matte finish

  • Doesn't settle into fine lines

What to Consider

  • Can pill when used over lots of other products

  • Could be more dewy

Coverage: Full | Shades: 18 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This clean vitamin E and hyaluronic acid-enriched formula provides full coverage to seamlessly disguise discoloration and blemishes for up to 12 hours. Our tester says it’s best applied on top of minimal skincare (ideally just a primer), or it tends to pill. Although billed as a full-coverage formula, it’s more medium in her opinion—but is buildable for full coverage. The concealer did a great job of covering dark spots on our tester’s cheekbones and had a matte finish that looked natural on her skin. It didn’t settle into fine lines and pores, although it did feel a little drying by the end of the day.

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Janice, a tester with dry skin: “This does a great job of concealing my blemishes and discoloration, and I don't need to use a lot of product to do it.”

What We Like

  • Great price

  • Good shade range

  • Light but buildable coverage

  • Covers dark circles

What to Consider

  • Sponge tip isn’t ideal for application

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 18 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you need a reliable concealer that’s budget-friendly, add this Maybelline pick to your shopping cart. Click the hydrating formula into the sponge applicator and dab it on to conceal, highlight, and contour as needed. On the face of it, the sponge tip is useful, but our tester said it wasn’t an efficient tool for blending, so keep an additional brush or beauty sponge handy. The creamy formula is pretty light on coverage but she found it buildable enough to cover discoloration and blemishes. It worked like a dream under her eyes, drying with a nice, even-toned matte finish.

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ElizaBeth, a tester with combination skin: “I liked the way it worked under my eyes. It made them look very good and covered up dark circles.”

What We Like

  • Covers dark spots and under-eye circles

  • Featherweight with great coverage

  • Natural finish

  • Doesn’t settle into fine lines

What to Consider

  • Not the longest-lasting formula

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 20 | Finish: Natural | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Dark spots can be annoyingly stubborn. Lighten them day by day with this multipurpose serum concealer from Ilia, which is infused with vitamin C, mastic, and Persian silk tree bark to brighten and smooth the complexion. Our tester knew she’d found a great concealer at first swipe. Despite its featherweight texture, the formula delivered full-coverage results, camouflaging dark spots, under-eye discoloration, and redness on her cheeks. It has a natural finish that doesn’t settle into fine lines or pores, and it was really gentle on our tester’s sensitive skin. The only downside is that the formula does wear off throughout the day. With a little setting powder, it looks perfect for around six hours, so carry the product with you for touch-ups.

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Mia, a tester with dry-sensitive skin: “It truly had the perfect finish right off the bat!”

What to Look for in Concealers for Mature Skin

  • Skincare Benefits: Mature skin needs a little TLC, and the great concealers out there reflect that with a plethora of beneficial active ingredients. Celebrity makeup artist Elaina Badro recommends looking for formulas with niacinamide to reduce inflammation and redness, hyaluronic acid for deep hydration, and vitamin C to brighten the complexion and tackle dark spots.
  • Shade Options: For dark spots and blemishes you’ll want to get the closest possible match for your natural skin tone, but Badro also suggests investing in a second shade to brighten the under-eye area. “If you have dark undereye circles, use a peach-toned concealer to neutralize the blue and purple tones in dark circles,” she advises.
  • Hydration: Mature skin skews dry—a moisturizing formula is key if you want to avoid cakiness. “Make sure to always use a concealer formula that is creamy and hydrating,” say beauty entrepreneurs Alina and Inessa Vike. “And it must be lightweight to be buildable without creasing.”

How We Tested Concealers for Mature Skin

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To decide on the best concealers for mature skin, our editorial team spent hours speaking to professional makeup artists and researching the leading products. Once we had narrowed down our list, we put them to the test in our lab and out in the world to see how they held up in various conditions and scenarios. We evaluated each formula on application, formula, coverage, finish, and longevity. Finally, armed with our insights and recommendations from experts, we landed on our top picks for this list.

FAQ

  • What's the best way to apply concealer to mature skin?

    Start with a less-is-more approach. Williams prefers to apply concealer on top of foundation. “It allows me to see what I can cover with the least amount of product,” she explains. “If I do need concealer on top, I can cover at that point, but it tends to require less product, which equals less creasing.”

    The Vike sisters recommend gently tapping the concealer onto your skin with a fingertip and using a damp makeup sponge to blend it.

  • How can you stop concealer from creasing on mature skin, especially under the eyes?

    Start by applying a hydrating primer under the eyes. “It creates a barrier between your skin and the concealer so it won't break down or crease as quickly,” says Williams. Next, she advises dusting some talc-free powder over your face to set the look before finishing with an old theater trick: a spritz of rose water or Evian mist. “The powder and the water marry together and bond, keeping everything in place without adding heavy products,” she explains.

  • What's the best type of concealer formula for mature skin?

    Mature skin types should steer clear of matte and satin finishes, “They're too drying, and you'll look cakey in an hour,” notes Williams. She recommends a concealer that’s midweight but buildable. It also needs to blend well—stiff or very thick formulas need not apply. “Finish-wise, I find most mature clients prefer a slightly emollient texture with a hit of dewiness,” Williams adds.

Meet Our Experts

To find out what to consider when purchasing concealer for mature skin and how to apply it, we spoke to the following experts:

  • NYC-based makeup artist Erin Williams
  • Celebrity makeup artist Elaina Badro
  • Beauty entrepreneurs Alina and Inessa Vike

Why Trust Byrdie

Esme Benjamin is a freelance writer, editor, and podcaster based in Brooklyn, New York. Esme joined Byrdie as a freelance writer and editor in 2023, covering the best tried and tested products in the beauty space.

According to ourDiversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any concealers for mature skin from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us atcontact@byrdie.comand we will evaluate the product ASAP.

Say Goodbye to Dark Circles and Fine Lines—These Concealers Are Perfect for Mature Skin (2024)
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