Likely one of your first makeup purchases as a fresh-faced teenager was concealer. It earned a spot in your makeup bag to cover up acne, but has continued to be a staple as our skin ages and presents different needs. Mature skin needs a concealer that helps with fine lines, sun spots, and dark circles, but won’t crease, settle into wrinkles, or fade as the day wears on.

The options vary widely when it comes to choosing the best concealer for mature skin—there are liquid and creamy formulas, full and light coverage options, oily, and dry skin versions, and products that target specific concerns like dark spots or the delicate under-eye area. Whether you prefer a minimalist look or need more buildable full coverage, there is one that will be just your blend.

Professional makeup artist Penny Sadler says choosing the right concealer for your mature skin comes down to many factors like what you ate for dinner, how well you slept, and if you had a glass of wine. “...Makeup is still important, maybe even more important than ever, but a less is more approach is needed. Use a concealer only where needed instead of trying to achieve maximum coverage with one product that covers everything.”

Penny Sadler is a professional makeup artist and esthetician based in Dallas.

Ivy Boyd is a professional makeup artist who has been working in the beauty industry since 2012.

To come up with our list of the best concealers for mature skin, we spent 560 hours trying out four brands applied with four different types of tools. We considered factors like ease of application, buildable coverage, hydration level, number of shades available, how long it lasted, and more. 

Our Top Picks Best Overall: Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Hydrating Concealer at Sephora $30 Jump to Review Best Buildable: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer at Nordstrom $15 Jump to Review Best for Touch-Ups: Bobbi Brown Skin Concealer Stick at Amazon $50 Jump to Review Best Long-Wear: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer at Amazon $29 Jump to Review

　　 Best Overall

Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Hydrating Concealer

$30 at Sephora View on Danessamyricksbeauty.com What’s Great About It Easy skin tone match

Versatile coverage

Effectively minimizes fine lines

Brightens dark areas well

What Could Be Better Requires blending and drying time

Thinner consistency feels runny initially

Buildable coverage is the siren call of professional makeup artists, and Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Concealer delivers. With a weightless feel that offers 24 hours of hydration and medium coverage that can be layered, this concealer makes skin look radiant.

Ingredients like hyaluronic acid seal the skin with lasting moisture to combat cakiness and creasing, while a dose of caffeine reduces under-eye puffiness and wakes up tired eyes.

The creamy texture and super-pigmented formula conceal a multitude of issues, including dark circles, discoloration, fine lines, and skin imperfections. We found it effectively minimized fine lines and brightened dark spots easily. 

We loved the soft matte finish and versatile coverage that worked for light or heavy needs. Though, we did find the thinner consistency a little runny and noted that blending and drying time was required during testing. 

It boasts 20 shades, making it an inclusive option for many different complexions. We found it was a perfect skin tone match even when ordering online.

The clincher for this concealer though is the applicator. The target dose applicator delivers the perfect amount of product, making all those nooks and crannies easy to camouflage. Mature skin that is hydrated, even-toned, with a flawless natural finish is a cinch with this formula.

Form: Liquid | Shades: 20 | Size: 0.32 ounces | Coverage Type: Medium

　　 Best Buildable

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer

$15 at Nordstrom $15 at Sephora View on Narscosmetics.com What’s Great About It No alcohol, parabens, or fragrance to irritate or dry out mature skin

Feels light on the skin

Highly pigmented

Buildable coverage

Mini size available

What Could Be Better Heavy application can result in creasing

Shade selection can be tricky online

Light-diffusing mineral powder and botanicals, including magnolia bark extract, grape seed extract, and vitamin E, hydrate and firm skin while evening complexion tone and providing superior coverage for dark circles and blemishes for up to 16 hours. 

The radiant formula feels feather-light for such a pigmented, creamy concealer and delivers a dewy finish. We loved the natural finish, and how effectively it brightened eyes and covered dark spots. 

It held up well throughout the days of testing and provided light-to-medium coverage that worked well when combined with foundation. Plus it comes in a mini-size if you want to give it a test run.

The medium level of buildable coverage imparts a natural soft skin finish and can be tasked with highlighting, contouring, and color-correcting duties as well. There is no alcohol, parabens, or fragrance to irritate or dry out already parched mature skin. It's free of common irritants, making it great for those with sensitive skin. And it comes in an enviable 30 shades, though we found shade selection online a little tricky.

The 0.22-ounce size is ample, as it only takes a bit to get good coverage with Nars Radiant Cream Concealer—though you may see creasing if you go too heavy when applying. In fact, we wrote about the sin of over-correcting which actually brings more attention to imperfections.

Form: Cream | Shades: 30 | Size: 0.22 ounces | Coverage Type: Medium

　　 Best for Touch-Ups

Bobbi Brown Skin Concealer Stick

$50 at Amazon $32 at Nordstrom $35 at Sephora What’s Great About It Sweat and humidity resistant

Round tip for easy application

Hydrating, blends into skin without pulling

Luminous finish

Portable

What Could Be Better Smallest size on our list

The Bobbi Brown Skin Concealer Stick is a hydrating cream concealer that melts into the skin, yet it provides lasting coverage that’s sweat resistant and crease-proof. This concealer is designed to provide all-day moisture for mature skin, but it’s not overly heavy. We loved the easy application—it goes on like a lipstick and blends easily into dewy, luminous coverage that plays well with other makeup.

The buildable, sheer-to-full coverage can be layered under or over foundation, depending on how much coverage you’re looking for. We also loved how portable this concealer is, making touch-ups convenient if needed. We do wish it came in a larger size for the cost, but found it on par with other high-end brands. 

Form: Stick | Shades: 20 | Size: 0.11 ounces | Coverage Type: Medium

　　 Best Long-Wear

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer

$29 at Amazon $14 at Nordstrom $29 at Target What’s Great About It Excellent coverage

Doesn’t cake

Hydrating, creamy texture

Infused with anti-aging ingredients

Sweat and humidity resistant

All day wear up to 24 hours

What Could Be Better Dewy finish may not appeal to all

Feels sticky when applied

This long-wearing concealer developed with plastic surgeons delivered a hydrating, creamy texture that stuck despite the South’s heat and humidity during testing. It’s highly pigmented and felt a little sticky when first applied, but we loved how it stayed on all day without caking or settling into fine lines. 

Infused with anti-aging peptides, vitamins, hydrolyzed collagen, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants, iT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Waterproof Anti-Aging Concealer effectively hydrated our delicate under-eye skin while providing enviable brightening to our dark circles during testing. The tube applicator made it easy to dispense the perfect amount for a long work day. 

We did note that it leaves a dewy finish we loved, but may not appeal to those who love a matte look. We also appreciated the wide range of shades (48 to choose from), reasonable price (least expensive on our list), and the generous 0.4 ounce size (the largest we tested). 

Form: Cream | Shades: 48 | Size: 0.4 ounces | Coverage Type: Medium

　　 The Bottom Line

If you are looking for a buildable concealer for mature skin that delivers long-lasting hydration, we recommend Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Lift & Flex Hydrating Concealer because it has ingredients like hyaluronic acid that seals the skin with lasting moisture to combat cakiness and creasing, while a dose of caffeine reduces under-eye puffiness and wakes up tired eyes. Plus, the pointed tip offers extra precision in comparison to the rounded doe-foot wands.

If you want a concealer that specializes in touch-ups without skimping on coverage or hydrating ingredients, choose the Bobbi Brown Skin Concealer Stick. Its hydrating formula delivers 12 hours of crease-proof coverage that layers seamlessly with foundation in an easy-to-apply stick.

　　 Our Testing Process

We rounded up four of the best concealers for mature skin and put them through 560 hours of testing in Southern heat and humidity. Following the manufacturer’s instructions, we applied the concealer to our faces and eye area across two weeks of testing with four unique tests and photographed the results. 

We selected shades based only on the product’s website and all four products were very close to our skin tones. We applied the concealer in areas where we wanted extra coverage to cover blemishes, hyperpigmentation, and discoloration. 

We then blended it out and observed how long it lasted, how it hydrated the skin, the texture, and wearability under makeup. We repeated this with a makeup sponge, brush, and finger methods. We documented how coverage looked and felt after each use.

We also tried each concealer on our under-eye area, evaluating for creamy texture without caking, brightening, and hydration for the delicate eye skin. We documented the consistency of the product and how the included applicator (if there was one) worked.

Buildable coverage was another facet of testing, and finally we recorded observations from real-world scenarios of wearing it as part of our regular routine.

Finally, we tracked what we liked and did not like about each concealer, and which type of coverage we would recommend for the various products. In the end, we took all ratings across tests and evaluated the value of each mature skin concealer. 

For the under-eye area, we dotted the product on the inner portion of the eye, the outer portion of the eye, and in the middle. We then used a brush, sponge, or our finger to gently tap and blend the product into the skin.

　　 Tips for Choosing the Right Concealer for Mature Skin

Form Liquid concealers tend to offer more hydration, but less coverage. This form is typically suitable for normal, combination, oily, or sensitive skin. It’s also an excellent choice for pesky acne-prone skin, as it does not cake and poses little risk of aggravating pimples. It also offers versatile coverage because of its light formulation. If you want fuller coverage, you can build it with liquid concealers. 

Cream concealers are longer-lasting and usually offer fuller coverage. The texture is thicker than their liquid counterparts which makes them great for covering up redness and other skin discolorations. Cream concealers are also a great choice for the delicate skin under your eye as they don’t look cakey, but offer fuller coverage without drawing attention to fine lines.

Stick concealers have a texture like lipstick—they tend to be long-lasting, contain lots of pigment, and usually come in medium to full-coverage formulations. They generally offer crack-free coverage and work well on normal, dry, or sensitive skin. The heavier wax ingredients may aggravate blemishes, so be careful when using these.

Boyd offers this additional tip to keep your concealer in place, “Liquid and cream concealers have emollient properties to help them apply smoothly, but also need to be set with a setting powder and/or spray to prevent the concealer from traveling, slipping, and settling into lines. I like to spray a sponge or small brush with setting spray, dip it into loose powder, and press over the concealer to set. You can skip the setting spray but I think it gives it a nicer finish and more staying power.” 

Coverage Concealers are meant to cover and correct imperfections. Because of this, you won’t find coverage options less than medium. This is where concealers differ from foundation, which offers everything from sheer to light to full coverage. Often you want to look for formulas that can layer and build so that you can adjust depending on what is going on with your skin.

The common wisdom is to use less concealer than you think you need because you can always add more. Boyd adds, “Concealer is meant to cover darkness, redness, blemishes, etc. so why put it in places beyond that? This especially applies to the under-eye area. Apply the concealer only where you see darkness and shadow, feather it out, and call it a day.” 

Finish Generally, concealers are available in satin, radiant shimmer, or matte finishes. If you have oily skin, you probably want to go for a long-lasting matte finish. Satin tends to look more natural on drier skin, and radiant shimmer will offer a little highlight where you want it like under your eyes.

Boyd cautions, “Everyone’s under eye skin is thinner and more delicate than other areas of the face, making it a bit more prone to dehydration. As we age, it gets even drier. Make sure the concealer you choose is hydrating, vs. ultra matte.” 

Benefits Concealers cover a number of skin sins, especially as we age. It blurs fine lines, especially when used in tandem with foundation to achieve the appearance of smooth, even skin tone. Some options camouflage those dark spots and areas of hyperpigmentation. Even though it seems counterintuitive to add something on top of a blemish, the right formula can hide and treat that frustrating acne. 

We know it can refresh tired eyes, but it also makes a great primer for eyeshadow. It also helps prevent lipstick from bleeding when used as a primer or adding a touch above the lip line. Another lesser-known use is as a highlighter—swipe some over your cheekbones, brow, chin, and nose bridge for a luminous glow.

Boyd offers this guidance, “If you wear foundation, do that part then leave the under eye area blank. Apply your under-eye concealer after foundation. Since the under-eye area is so thin and prone to creasing and lines, we want as few products there as possible so no need to put foundation and concealer there. However, if you need to brighten up or further conceal other areas of your face after applying your foundation, feel free to go on top with concealer. I usually [hit] the corner of my nose and center of the chin.”

　　 Questions and Answers

How do you know which shade of concealer to pick? When selecting a shade of concealer, the thing you want to avoid is the dreaded raccoon eyes, an indicator you have chosen too light of a shade.

Boyd recommends “One, possibly two shades lighter than your foundation shade. You don’t want to do any lighter than two shades away as you’ll create a spotlight effect or reverse raccoon situation.” If you have significant darkness under your eyes (brown or blue tones), choose a color slightly peachier than what you wear on your face—it helps neutralize the darkness.”

Sadler provides this guidance, “There are a couple of ways to approach which color to use under the eyes. You can match the rest of your face or you can go a shade or two lighter which will brighten the eye a bit. Be careful not to go too light, lest you end up looking like you got a suntan with your glasses on.” 

Should you wear concealer with or without foundation? This question really comes down to the coverage you are looking for. Concealer’s job is to correct and spot-cover while the foundation enhances overall skin tone, providing fuller coverage. If you want a more minimal look, concealer can be applied to alleviate dark circles, discoloration, and skin imperfections—its job is spot coverage. 

According to Sadler, “You can wear concealer alone or with foundation. Minimalist types like to apply concealer only where needed. As long as there’s no line of demarcation, in other words, you cannot see where the concealer begins and ends, that’s a good approach. I do it all the time.” 

Does setting spray help concealer from creasing? Makeup sliding off and creasing as the day wears on can be alleviated with setting spray. It essentially fixes concealer and foundation in place.

Boyd adds, “Setting spray is a must-have for anyone who feels that their makeup isn’t lasting as long as it should be, or those with oily skin. A trick I love to do to set under-eye concealer without over-powdering and making it look dry is to lightly spritz your brush or sponge with setting spray and press over the concealer. Just a tiny bit will do.”

How can I keep my concealer from pilling? If you notice that your concealer starts to pill on your skin, you might need to switch your application tool.  Instead of using a brush or your finger, it’s recommended that you use a makeup sponge. Most of the time, a makeup sponge will absorb the concealer and will help the makeup to blend into your skin. 

We also recommend letting the concealer sit on your skin for a few minutes after application. While most of us try to quickly apply our makeup in the morning, not letting the concealer take time to absorb into your skin can leave extra residue behind. 

And be sure not to use too much product. Using a large amount can create excess residue, which will in turn lead to pilling on your skin.

　　 Why Trust Southern Living

Carrie Honaker is a food and travel writer who is always on the lookout for makeup that doesn’t make her 50-year-old sensitive skin look crepey. As an avid traveler, she has carried-on many varieties of concealers from travel-sized to light coverage to spot correctors—she knows the importance of the right formula that hydrates and doesn’t accentuate fine lines. To compile this list, we tested four of the best concealers for mature skin, evaluating them based on coverage, texture, blendability, length of wear, consistency, and value. Carrie also spent hours researching what to consider when shopping for concealers for mature skin, including form, shades available, coverage, and size. For expert tips on what to look for in concealers for mature skin, she spoke to professional makeup artists Penny Sadler and Ivy Boyd.