Best foundation (or alternative!) at 40ish

[CharlieWeasleysWife]

Have always needed a matte finish and favoured a liquid, medium coverage. Am very pale.

Pushing 40 now and definitely seeing skin dry out a bit and appearance of some fine lines on forehead and around eyes. Noticeable drop off in skin elasticity.

My current foundation (no7 lift and laminate, shade cool vanilla) is definitely not working - settling in lines, drying out and generally looking awful within an hour or two. I tend to go budget-mid range but would be open to pricier if it's a miracle.

Would love recommendations of where to go from here- open to a new foundation, bb or cc cream, dewy setting spray(?) or anything else...always wear every day as spend my life on teams and hate looking at an un-polished version of myself. My main issues (aside from the developing wrinkles!) are under-eye bags/tiredness and a little bit of redness under the nose. Otherwise generally lucky skin wise.

Help, please!

Following as I need this advice as well from others who have lived it. I’m also very pale (almost translucent). Hopefully someone can help us!

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation.

I’m sure many others will recommend it too but Erborian CC cream is amazing
https://www.lookfantastic.com/p/erborian-cc-creme-40ml/17070495/
Clair is a good colour for pale skin.
I use it all over with a little bit of concealer around my eyes

Pricey … but amazing
Chanel Les Beiges - v silky and gorgeous finish ££
Estee Lauder Renutriv £££ - serum + foundation

I’m early 50s - people are always commenting on how flawless my skin looks when wearing these

Nars Light reflecting foundation. It’s very good, I have dry skin and I used to use no7 same as you. This stuff is excellent, good coverage but thinner so it doesn’t go that cakey way.

I think as we get older, very matte foundations don’t work so well. I am late 40s and use Chanel les beiges water touch. It’s not matte and it’s very light coverage. Then a touch of concealer if you need it.

I used to use Chanel Les Beiges and it was beautiful but I found it started to oxidise - not sure if they’ve changed the formula?

Charlotte Tilbury beautiful skin. I've used the nars and luminous silk but find beautiful skin suits me better now. I'm mid 40s

This isn't cheap but it's amazing for older skin. Light and creates a glow. There's a 'cool' version too.

Obagi Sun Shield Tint Broad Spectrum SPF50 Warm 85g – Flawless Body https://share.google/9tUZm4EK1oYaCeICk

Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint is light coverage but buildable. Really hydrating but not too dewy. I also like Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin stick - medium coverage and a nice texture. Both come in good pale shades.

No7 pro artist weightless silk foundation. Absolutely amazing. I used to use the no7 life and luminate (laminate OP?! 😂). Then I discovered this pro artist coverage a few years ago.

I have tried all of the above (apart from the CT) but no joy - I need a light touch still. Am currently mixing maybelline dream radiant foundation with a drop of L’Oréal glotion on a very well moisturised base using Korean products. On with fingers then tapped to blend with a brush, chantecaille gel blush (or primark cream blush!) and tower 28 under eye concealer. Hourglass dim light to warm. I tend to use a tiny bit of a lot of products.

This sounds good.

Ha, perhaps lamination is the key? Would certainly smooth out the wrinkles if I did it right, not sure on a natural finish though 🤔

I also have really pale skin and am slightly older than you. I find Lisa Eldridge and Rare to have the best options for me at the moment. Happy to recommend both.

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. It's a tinted SPF moisturiser with a dewy finish.

I'm 50s and have women half my age asking me what I do with my skin when I wear it. I promise you that NEVER happens when I am not wearing it

No. 7 HydraLuminous moisturising foundation. I'm the same shade as you and have recently switched from another No. 7 foundation as my skin has changed. I got testers of the different formulas to find the right one and this is really good

I use the L’Oréal nude tinted serum foundation. I’ve tried others but always come back to this.
I use NYX fix stick in pink for a bit of concealer if I need it.

Also it’s a good idea to start applying with a foundation brush. Not those slap on ones you do long strokes with, but the stipple type round ones which you dampen first and then apply small amounts in circular motions. If you use this alongside the cc cream or dewey foundation it really creates a much more fresh and dewy look without gathering in the creases.

I used to use Estee Lauder double wear but it stopped working for me in a similar way. Settled in all my fine lines and looked cakey.

I'm now using the ELF Soft Glam foundation and it looks much better. It's really cheap so worth a try! I'm also very fair and found a good colour match (Im NC25 in Mac and use the 10 fair in ELF)

As pp I've also started applying with a brush and it looks better.

I like NARS light reflecting foundation - they have a good range of shades for very fair skin too (although I still have to mix two of them to get the right shade for me).

I’m early 40’s and have recently started using Sculpted by Aimee hydratint, it’s perfect! I used to use Nars tinted moisturiser which I do really like but struggle to get a good colour match.

I love this
Prefer the stick to the tube though.

@CharlieWeasleysWife

If you have dryness, dullness and wrinkles then you need to sort your skincare regime out first as slapping foundation on will just highlight the issues.

Avoid alcohol-ruins your skin like nothing else
No cigarettes/ vapes
Sleeeep
Drink 2 litres filtered water
Spf 50
Tret
Decent skincare regime
I avoid the big names and choose a creamy cleanser, use a barrier cream before tret, decent moisturiser , choose ingredients based on your skin issues

Be absolutely meticulous with skincare
Personally I haven't worn foundation for years, its very aging
I use Erborian CC or BM Complexion Rescue
Much fresher

Try a little less of your own foundation and add a few drops of serum or your daily moisturiser and see how that goes.

Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser matte blurred effect is nice.

I don’t think Rimmel Lasting Finish gets enough love on this topic! It’s fantastic for older skin - great coverage and a subtle dew. I have used all the high end foundations and only discovered this after my sister (who won’t spend big on cosmetics) bought the wrong shade and gave it to me. I thought I’d use it only as a back up but now it’s a firm favourite.