7 Best Highlighters For Mature Skin, MUA-Approved (2025)

A highlighter enhances your complexion, provides brighter skin, and highlights the high points – cheekbones, nose bridge, nose tip, the center of the chin, and forehead, making you look more youthful. But as you age, eye bags, sagging cheeks, and dull looks become prominent on your face. This is when you need the best highlighter for mature skin to get a radiant glow and natural finish. These highlighters glide smoothly over the skin and do not crease or become cakey upon application. They provide a golden glow and long-lasting finish. Apart from intense highlight, a good highlighter can reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark circles and brighten your face. It can make your skin appear healthy and young, and give you that picture-perfect glow!

Selecting the right highlighter from the countless highlighters available in the market is tiresome. So, we bring you a sifted list of the 7 best highlighters that complement your mature skin by hiding the fine lines and wrinkles and offering a bright complexion. Check them out below to get that timeless beauty look!

7 Best Highlighters For Mature Skin (Aging Skin) Of 2025

1. Best For Uneven Skin Tone:Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer

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Wave goodbye to dull skin with Josie Maran Argan Enlightenment Illuminizer. This liquid highlighter is infused with 100% argan oil that hydrates dry skin type and smoothes the texture of your skin and Madonna lily and poet’s narcissus that brightens the complexion and evens out uneven skin tone. All while the luminous pearls in the formula capture and reflect light to illuminate your face and support radiance-boosting. Suitable for all skin types, this hydrating highlighter has a creamy texture and comes in a universally flattering champagne hue that offers a skin-brightening effect. Use it on its own or mix it with foundation or moisturizer for a healthy-looking glow.

Pro Tip

Apply your highlighter slightly lower on your cheekbones to avoid emphasizing the lines around your eyes.

2. Best Matte- Finish:Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Duo On The Go

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BUY ON AMAZON | $25.0

Sculpt, define, and illuminate the favorite features of your face with this 2-in-1 makeup product by Kevyn Aucoin. The Celestial Powder Highlighter in Candlelight and the Sculpting Contour Powder in Medium, work together to accentuate your natural bone structure and impart a healthy glow. With a cashmere-like texture, both the powders ensure smooth application and seamless blendability. Suitable for light to medium skin tones, the contour powder glides easily to reveal a natural-looking matte finish that does not crease. Simultaneously, the gray, brown, and red pigments in the formula add structure and dimension to the face. As for the highlighter, it is the best highlighter for mature skin as it brightens your look with an iridescent glow, and is perfect to create that celebrity-inspired glowy makeup look.

Pro Tip

Apply the highlighter just in the cupid’s bow area and not along the entire upper lip line where you might have fine lip lines.

3. Best Natural-Looking Finish:BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed Highlighter – Champagne Pop

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BUY ON AMAZON | $28.67

Hailed as the #1 best-selling highlighter in the US, this pressed highlighter sure deserves a place on your must-buy list of the top-rated highlighters. Unlike traditional pressed powder highlighters, this lightweight formula blends ultra-fine multidimensional pearl pigments with liquid to create a highlighter super-soft to the touch. The result is an ultra-creamy texture that blends effortlessly and melts into the skin, exhibiting its luminosity-enhancing properties. Plus, the Champagne Pop color, a soft gold with a peachy-pink pearl hue, flatters all skin tones and delivers a natural-looking luminous finish.

Quick Tip

Avoid highlighters that have a shimmery finish to avoid settling into the fine lines.

4. Best Lustrous Finish:Benefit Cosmetics High Beam Liquid Highlighter – Pink

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BUY ON AMAZON

Add a beautiful rose gold sheen to your complexion with this High Beam Liquid Highlighter. It’s silky-smooth formula glides on effortlessly to give you radiance and a lustrous, long-lasting finish. All while the included doe-foot applicator makes application a breeze. Use this under eye highlighter to give your cheekbones a dewy glow, apply a tiny amount under your brow for a brow lift, or add a bit under your eye for a wide-awake look. Besides providing a healthy-looking appearance, it adds a subtle shimmer, making it perfect for both day and night wear. Hence, it is the best highlighter for older skin rejuvenation.

5. Best Professional-Grade Formula:Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream Highlighter

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BUY ON AMAZON | $30.0

True to its name, Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream Highlighter turns up the wattage on your face with its luminous champagne hue that looks flattering on most complexions. It is a dual-ended stick that features a highlighter on one end and a soft glow blender on the other. Once applied, this jumbo stick highlighter delivers exceptional results by leaving behind a lovely cream-to-powder finish. Popular among celebrity makeup artists for strobing, this skin-plumping formula has a creamy texture that provides a flawless application to achieve a soft-focus look, while also lifting and contouring the face. Apply this professional-grade formula solo for the perfect gleam or over your makeup to light up your face and get a dewy finish.

6. Best For All Skin Tones:FENTY BEAUTY By Rihanna Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter – Girl Next Door/Chic Phreak

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BUY ON AMAZON | $50.5

If you are on the hunt for the best body and facial highlighter that will add a gorgeous glow and dose of color, consider this one by FENTY BEAUTY By Rihanna. This celebrity-favorite highlighter duo is ideal for all skin tones and features 2 shades – a soft pink sheen and a supercharged peachy pink shimmer. The left shade provides a subtle pink glow perfect for day makeup while the one on the right offers a dazzling shimmer excellent for a night out. The formula is a blend of cream and powder and delivers professional-like results. Its age-defying formula provides an incredibly lightweight feel, blends effortlessly, and melts into the skin upon application. Also, it is infused with superfine shimmer particles, which provide an ultra-smooth finish that does not look heavy or chunky, helping you get that statement-making look.

7. Best For Sun-Kissed Glow:Beauty For Real Bronze + Glo Highlighter Stick – Cocoa Cabana + Hi Tide

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BUY ON AMAZON | $28.0

Beauty For Real Bronze + Glo Highlighter Stick makes it to our list for all the right reasons. Featuring bronzer on one side of the stick and highlighter on the other, this product goes on smoothly like a cream and settles like a powder that blends beautifully to deliver a healthy, sun-kissed glow and weightless coverage. The expertly crafted creamy-powder formula of this skin-firming makeup duo can minimize discoloration and imperfections, thanks to the anti-aging ingredients such as grape seed extracts and vitamin E. Simultaneously, the patented Luminera with the diamond core complex alters invisible UV light that works to diminish wrinkles and fine lines. This mineral-infused highlighter is definitely a go-to product for your makeup essentials!

Why We Think It's Worth Buying

This product has garnered over 963 positive reviews on Amazon, and the number continues to grow.

Before you invest in a highlighter, it is essential you go through the points given below to find the perfect highlighter for your aging skin.

How To Choose The Best Highlighter For Aging Skin

• If you are in your 40s or 50s, look for a creamy highlighter. This ensures smooth application and seamless blendability without tugging your skin. That said, there is no hard-and-fast rule that says you have to stick to a liquid or a cream-to-powder formula. You could also opt for a powder highlighter with a soft texture that does not settle into your fine lines or wrinkles.
• We are sure a lot of you are aware that besides your skin type, it’s important to consider your skin tone as well. If a certain highlighter shade looks ashy, grey, or too dark on your skin, it is not the right color for you. While shades like pink and peach look great on light to medium complexion, women with darker skin tone could try copper or bronze.
• You wouldn’t want a highlighter that cakes or creases, isn’t it? That’s why always look for a highlighter that has good staying power. Some formulas are water-resistant, which is excellent if you want your highlighter to stay put without smudging during rain or humidity.
• You could also opt for products with anti-aging ingredients, vitamins, antioxidants, and moisture-locking properties that help slow down the aging process and keep your skin nourished.
• For sensitive skin, opt for dermatologist-tested or cosmetologist-approved products to prevent irritated skin.
• Go through product ratings, and reviews, and research well about the product before buying it. You can also go by expert-recommended products or read through the tester’s experience and feedback to make an informed decision.

How To Use A Highlighter For Women Over 50

Here are a few professional techniques and tips to keep in mind when applying a highlighter:

• If you have wrinkles and fine lines under and around your eyes, avoid applying the highlighter too close to your eyes as it may settle into the lines and enhance them.
• Apply a highlighter on the inner corners of your eyes for a shimmery finish. This expert application technique ensures you look more awake and fresh.
• If you have crepey or droopy eyelids, you can altogether avoid applying it on your brow bone.
• When highlighting the bridge of your nose, always start from the top of your nose and glide it along the bridge to the tip of your nose. Remember to use a tiny amount of product and a light hand.
• When applying on your forehead or chin, always use a light hand.

Hair and Makeup artist, Elizabeth Hickman, advises, “A little goes a long way so always start with a very small amount and you can add and build the product to get the results you are going for.”

How To Remove The Highlighter Off The Face?

Removing highlighter is much like removing any other makeup product.

• First, massage a cleaner on your face and let it sit for a few seconds. Then, use a wet white cotton washcloth to wipe off the cleanser along with the makeup. Continue to wipe until you see that all the makeup is removed.
• Highlighter applied on your eyelid and brow bones might be a little tricky to take off. You could use a cleansing oil and apply a small amount of it on your lids and brows. Also, massage it all over your face to make sure there is no makeup residue left behind. Once done, use a flat cotton pad, add a little cleansing oil on it, and glide it over the surface to pull off the color.

Infographic: Highlighters For Aging Skin: Ingredients To Look For & Avoid

A regular highlighter will not cater to the needs of mature skin. It requires highlighters infused with potent ingredients to reverse aging signs and restore the skin’s youthful elasticity. Check out the infographic below if you are wondering what ingredients to look out for when buying a highlighter for mature skin.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

The Bottom Line

Highlighter is a must-have for dry or mature skin. It is one of those skin-perfector illuminating makeup products that can instantly give your skin a youthful glow and a healthy-looking appearance. It can take years off your face by diminishing wrinkles, discoloration, and dark circles. From powders to creams, sticks to compact, these are the 7 best highlighters for mature skin. All you have to do is pick the right formula based on your skin tone and type. You can opt for the Kevyn Aucoin The Contour Duo On The Go which blends perfectly for a natural matte finish, or the Benefit Cosmetics Watt’s Up! Cream Highlighter that effectively offers s oft-focus look.

Why Trust Stylecraze?

The author of this article, Srijani Roy Chowdhury, is a fervent makeup enthusiast with a keen interest in sharing products that cater to skin concerns such as aging skin. She researched various products, checking their reviews and benefits, to curate this list. Apart from highlighting your skin and facial features, these highlighters provide advantages like formulations made with enriching ingredients, intense color payoff, consistency and texture, absence of harmful elements, shade varieties, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should mature skin use a highlighter?

Yes, a highlighter is a must for mature skin. It instantly imparts a youthful glow and helps cover the visible signs of aging.

Where do you put highlighter on older skin?

A highlighter is used to lift and contour the face and make it look more bright and youthful. Highlighters must be used on the inner and outer corners of the eyes, along the brow bone to enhance the eye area, and on the cheekbones to highlight the cheeks.

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Reviewer Author Editor Fact Checker

Elizabeth HickmanHair & Makeup Artist

   

Elizabeth Hickman is a hair and makeup artist in Southern California with over 15 years experience in styling people for weddings and special events. She believes in the ‘less is more’ concept and focuses on enhancing the natural beauty of her clients to help them look and feel their best on their special day.

Read full bio of Elizabeth Hickman

Srijani Roy Chowdhury Associate Commerce Editor

 

Srijani is an associate commerce editor with a master's degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Calcutta, West Bengal. She is certified in makeup techniques and is also a certified style and image consultant.

Read full bio of Srijani Roy Chowdhury

Krati DarakAssociate Commerce Editor

Krati is an associate commerce editor, a certified skin care coach, and a beauty enthusiast. She has a master’s degree in advertising and publishing relations from DAVV University and three years of experience in writing and editing for different niches.

Read full bio of Krati Darak

Madhumati ChowdhuryAssociate Editor

Madhumati is an associate editor with seven years of professional experience. She has previously worked as an editor, proofreader, and a writer with various organizations, helping her navigate through the various facets of content creation and refinement with ease.

Read full bio of Madhumati Chowdhury