The Holy-Grail Product My 73-Year-Old Mum Uses to Make Her Look 20 Years Younger

I'm pretty lucky. Not only do I have a job where I get to experience, write, and learn about the newest beauty products and beauty trends hitting the beauty industry, but I also get to interview and get to know the artists and experts who execute and create them. That said, I also feel lucky to have a beauty-loving, 73-year-old makeup artist mum who I can consult about anything and everything. (My poor father never gets a word in when we have a family catch-up call. Sorry, Dad!)

Being a 73-year-old product junkie and also a Tucson-based makeup expert who specialises in educating older women about makeup and skincare, my beautiful mum knows a thing or two when it comes to choosing the best products for mature skin. Oftentimes (but not always), when I try to foist my favourite formulas on her, she turns up her nose or doesn't like them, citing reasons I simply don't think of like wrinkles, pigmentation, and other skin issues that arise as we get older. Sure, I might have annoying breakouts that my mom doesn't have to deal with, but she battles fine lines, dryness, wrinkles, age spots, and other symptoms of ageing skin I (obviously) lack experience with.

It's no secret my mum looks about 20 years younger than her actual age, and in addition to taking really amazing care of her skin, her expert knowledge about strategic products like foundation, highlighter, and concealer also contributes to people never guessing her true 73 years. Ahead, she's sharing the 10 best concealers for mature skin she uses and/or recommends to her older clientele. Then, because I can never resist adding my two cents, I'm following up with all of my favourites, which, thanks to their hydrating and skin-perfecting perks, are great options as well. Keep scrolling for 20 of the best concealers for mature skin that money can buy.

My Mum's Holy-Grail Concealers for Mature Skin:

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See the Best 7 Concealers for Mature Skin, Listed:

1. Best for Dry Skin: Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Concealer
2. Best for Under-Eyes: Lancôme Effacernes Waterproof Protective Undereye Concealer
3. Best for Oily Skin: Tarte Shape Tape Concealer
4. Best for Breakouts: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
5. Best Affordable Concealer: E.L.F. Cosmetics Hydrating Camo Concealer
6. Best for Easy Application: Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer
7. Best Luxury Concealer: Shiseido Synchro Skin Self-Refreshing Concealer

See Our Ultimate List of the Best Concealers for Mature Skin:

Shop My Beauty-Editor Approved Concealers for Mature Skin:

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(Image credit: @erin_jahns)

Shop the products:

What to Look For in a Concealer For Mature Skin?

If your skin is showing signs of ageing, like looseness, dryness, fine lines, wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation, then it's important to take this into consideration when choosing. "All of these factors will impact the way that concealer applies to, sits on, and looks on the skin," says makeup artist Lucy Hart. "It's also important to consider what you want from a concealer," she adds. "Concealer won't hide deep lines and wrinkles, but it will help to even out skin tone and reduce the appearance of pigmentation or redness.

How Do You Pick Your Shade?

As with foundation, if you can try concealers in-person, you'll have a much better chance of finding an accurate shade match. Hart recommends swatching concealers on the jawline to find your shade. "If you want something to brighten your under-eyes, you may wish to go shhde lighter, but for general use and for concealing redness and pigmentation, choose something that matches your natural colouring."

How Do You Apply Concealer to Mature Skin?

"Build your concealer in light layers, especially near the eye area, which is prone to creasing," advises Hart. "Concealer will emphasise lines, wrinkles and texture if it's applied too thick, so remember, less is more." To keep layers light, she recommends using a sponge to apply concealer with a gentle bouncing motion.

How Do You Stop Concealer From Creasing?

According to Hart, application is key. "This is why light layers of application is so key for mature skin," she adds. "Ensure skin is well-hydrated so skin is plumped up with moisture before your makeup goes on, and if you can avoid applying in areas where you have deep lines, then do so."

Opening image: @erin_jahns

This article was published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

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Beauty Director

Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.

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