Tips for Applying Concealer on Mature Skin and Best Formulas to Buy (2024)

Adding concealer to your makeup routine can be transformative. A few swipes of that magical wand and—presto!—dark circles, blemishes, and hyperpigmentation have vanished. Instantly revealed: a smoother texture and a more even, brighter skin tone. Here's the but: Applying concealer on mature skin can require a particular formula and technique (or a more advanced spell, if you will) in order to avoid pitfalls like creasing, cakey-ness, or dark circles peeking through. The overarching lesson for mature skin is "less is more," says makeup artist Suzy Gerstein. "Then, make sure you get the formula made for your skin type." Find your perfect concealer below—and keep reading for how to apply it flawlessly.

What to consider when picking concealer for mature skin

"I reach for formulas that contain lots of hydrating skincare ingredients and are very pigmented, so they work well with textured skin," Gerstein says. "They also only require a small amount to cover an uneven tone."

How to conceal dark circles

You'll want to look for a "corrector" or a "correcting concealer." These formulas have a pink, peach, salmon, or orange tint to them, which cancels out the blue or green tones in dark under-eye circles. If you've found that a regular concealer won't fully cover your darkness, then adding a corrector underneath it will make a big difference. "Pale pink, peach, and salmon hues work well on fair to medium skin while deeper skin tones benefit from an orange undertone." says makeup artist Kat James. "You'll also want to look for a concealer that's brightening and hydrating to illuminate the area and prevent creasing."

How to conceal dry skin, redness, or blemishes

If you're primarily using concealer under your eyes and find that creasing, patchiness, and dryness are your biggest pain points, then "look for a creamy formula," says RaeDawn Johnson, a celebrity makeup artist and Gayle King's go-to pro. If you're reaching for a concealer to hide blemishes or redness, then you want one with a thinner, tackier feel so that it "stays exactly where it's placed and doesn't slide around on the skin," says James.

How to apply concealer on mature skin

Step 1: "Before concealer, apply a moisturizer with emollients under the eye, let it sit for a minute or two, then tap on the concealer. Hydrating the area helps ensure that the makeup won't get cakey," says Johnson.

Step 2: Place concealer only on the areas you want to even out your skin tone. "One trick is to smile and add concealer to the parts under the eyes that don’t wrinkle, which is usually the half-moon shape from the inner corners of the eyes, along the skin next to the nose, and across the orbital socket," Gerstein says. Remember: Less is more!

Step 3: Blend with your pinky finger; its warmth helps the product melt into the skin, Johnson says. After that, "I like to bounce a damp micro-sized beauty blender over the top to smooth any creases," Gerstein says.

Step 4: "Tap on a sheer translucent powder to set, promote long-lasting wear, and prevent creasing," says James.

Ahead, shop for the top concealers for mature skin.

The experts:

• Suzy Gerstein, a makeup artist based in NYC
• Kat James, a makeup artist based in based in NYC
• RaeDawn Johnson, a celebrity makeup artist based in NYC

Johnson says this formula is great for mature skin no matter the skin type. While it's creamy and easy to blend (ideal for dry skin), it won't move around on oily skin either. Its hydrating vitamin E stops the formula from emphasizing dryness or uneven texture, while light-diffusing mineral powders minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It offers medium coverage and comes in 30 shades.

Typically, finding your perfect shade match in any complexion product is a tricky undertaking. Don't be afraid to mix two colors together, says Johnson. Or try a range, like this one, that offers flexible shades (meaning each shade is sheer enough to match a few skin colors). The serum-hybrid has hydrating hyaluronic acid, barrier-strengthening Centella asiatica, and caffeine to conceal, lift, and smooth your complexion.

This is another one of Johnson's go-to formulas for mature skin. It's the concealer she reaches for when she needs the makeup to stay put for long hours. It's a full-coverage, waterproof formula that contains peptides to help target signs of aging and support the look of firmer and tighter-looking skin. It also has hyaluronic acid to help prevent it from caking up. One dot is all you need to conceal redness, age spots, broken capillaries, and more.

All our experts say that applying a setting powder over concealer is a non-negotiable if you want to keep your eye makeup in place. But this concealer tackles the two steps in one because of its innovative self-setting formula, meaning you'll automatically have that crease-proof and long-wearing finish sans an additional powder.

It's called Shape Tape because it gives the appearance of a more lifted complexion, which is why Johnson recommends this choice for mature skin. Additionally, it has licorice root to brighten the look of dark circles, and shea butter and mango seed butter to moisturize. While it's full-coverage, it doesn't feel heavy. It blends easily and melts nicely into the skin. Pro tip: "Apply a thin layer to the outer corner of your eyes and blend it in an upward motion toward the temples so that when it dries down, the eyes look and appear even more lifted," says Johnson.

Both Gerstein and James love this corrector. "It's lightweight but has impeccable coverage," says James. Its color-corrective tones help counteract dark circles, spots, and blemishes. "The texture never looks heavy, even on those with fine lines around the eyes," says Gerstein. And the built-in brush also makes it easy to be precise.

"I discovered this brand on TikTok," says Gerstein, who says she was fully impressed by its concealing abilities. "It's a makeup-artist-founded brand for women 40 years and older. It’s everything you need for mature skin: dense pigment but incredibly lightweight and filled with skincare ingredients, so a little goes a long way. And what you do apply doesn’t sit in lines."

"This non-comedogenic formula has brightening niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, so it's quite hydrating," says James. "It easily conceals imperfections including redness and dark circles." The super creamy texture glides on with ease and leaves skin looking plumped. It has medium coverage, comes in 25 shades, and doesn't settle or crease for hours.

We love an affordable drugstore option. "This is transfer-resistant and gives you buildable, natural coverage," says James. The formula also contains caffeine to rev circulation and vitamin C to brighten skin over time.

If you have oily or normal skin, reach for this pencil, says Johnson. It offers medium coverage and stays put for hours. Shop it in 25 shades, from fair to deep. The formula contains moisturizing shea butter so that the stick glides on smoothly and doesn't look chalky. Blend it in with your fingers for a natural-looking finish.

For that n0-makeup makeup look, try this lightweight and sheer formula. It gives skin a natural, healthy-looking radiance while evening out skin tone and texture. It's the formula you reach for when you want to look and feel more put together without too much effort. As makeup artist Sandy Linter previously told Oprah Daily, "this diminishes darkness around the eyes without ever looking heavy."

"This was made with mature skin in mind," says James. The silky, buildable formula contains hyaluronic acid, caffeine, and aloe to soothe and glide over the skin. It gives an airbrushed finish that hides every blemish, dark spot, and red area for up to 12 hours and is a great choice for those with sensitive eyes; it's ophthalmologist-tested, hypoallergenic, and safe for contact lens wearers.

Our beauty team is dedicated to finding you the best of the best formulas. We spoke with makeup artists to learn about what to look for in a concealer for mature skin and got their go-to recommendations. We also researched and tested top-rated and brand-new formulas that hit the market to help you find the best products out there.