The best eyeshadows for older women should make the area around the eyes look better without drawing attention to wrinkles, texture, or dryness. Julie Chung, MD, an ophthalmologist in Los Angeles and cofounder of the hair tool company T3, says, “As we get older, the skin around our eyes naturally gets thinner and more stretched. It’s actually the thinnest skin on the body, which is why fine lines tend to show up there first.”
At 41, I’ve noticed new folds on my eyelids, fine lines under my eyes, and small changes in how elastic my skin is. These changes have completely changed how I do my makeup. But don’t feel like you’re stuck. Katey Denno, a celebrity makeup artist who has worked on stars like Sarah Foster, Amanda Seyfried, and Leslie Bibb, says, “Don’t follow the old rule that you can’t wear shimmer after 35.” “There are a lot of neutral shimmery-toned shadows that look great on lids that are 40 to 80 years old.” I checked out the best-rated formulas below based on what makeup artists said. We think Laura Mercier Caviar Stick is the best overall choice because professionals recommend it, it keeps lids hydrated, and it lasts all day. We also have drugstore picks, picks for brown or blue eyes, and more.
The Best Eyeshadows for Older Women
- Best Overall: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick, $33
- Best Drugstore: e.l.f. Liquid Velvet Eyeshadow, $8
- Best for Sensitive Eyes: Clinique All About Shadow Quad, $42
- Best for Multiple Uses: Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow Liner Kohl, $42
- Best Cream: Merit Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow, $26
Questions That People Often Ask
- Makeup tips and tricks for older eyes
- What kind of eyeshadow works best on crepey lids?
- How we did the tests
- Meet the pros
The Best Overall Product: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick
You can use Laura Mercier’s Caviar Sticks like a crayon to color in your lid with a smooth, velvety finish. You can leave the house as soon as you blend it out with a soft brush or your finger. The formula is especially good for women over 50 because it has ingredients like hyaluronic acid and raspberry stem cells that are very hydrating and nourishing. These ingredients help with moisture and skin barrier health. It’s very important to keep the eyes hydrated because mature skin makes less oil and is generally drier. Even though these sticks are creamy, they won’t smudge or crease and will last all day. Nina Soriano, a well-known makeup artist, says she uses this formula on set and in her daily life. “Caviar Sticks are a must-have in my kit, both personally and professionally.” You can build it up to get just the right amount of color for your eyes, or just a wash of color if you want. It also has a lot of great colors to choose from.
What I Love About It
Quick Facts
Best Drugstore: e.l.f. Liquid Velvet Eyeshadow
The e.l.f. liquid-to-powder drugstore eyeshadows are a great deal at $8 and give your eyes a smooth, velvety matte finish. Soriano says they are “perfect for classic over-40 babes who like a no-fuss look.” The doe-foot applicator goes straight onto the lids and dries with a finish that is powdery, doesn’t transfer, and doesn’t show creases. You can easily blend out the pigment with a soft brush or your finger for a softer look while it is still wet, but you need to do it quickly because they dry quickly. You can choose from more than a dozen classic, neutral matte shades that are good for work, running errands, or even a night out with no makeup on.
Why I Like It
Quick Facts
Best for Sensitive Eyes: Clinique All About Shadow Quad
Clinique’s cult-favorite powder palettes are whisper-light and crease-resistant. They give a smooth finish and are made with ingredients that last all day. Its powders come in four gradient shades that go well together, with options for both matte and shimmer finishes. They can be worn alone or used to shape and define. Dr. Chung loves them too, and they are also approved by eye experts. They are made from a “very light powder that is great for sensitive eyes and has been tested by an ophthalmologist.” Also, they are easy to take off. Dr. Chung says, “It’s important for the long-term health of your lids and ocular surface to choose eye makeup that comes off easily and use gentle, thorough removal methods—no scrubbing.”
Why I Like It
Quick Facts
Best All-Around Product: Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow Liner Kohl
Soriano says, “Stylo is both an eyeliner and a blendable cream stick. You can use it alone or on top of your favorite eyeshadow.” This Chanel all-in-one eyeliner cream pen may look fancy when you take it out of your bag, but the formula and design are smart and can be used in many ways. This multipurpose liner has an ultracreamy texture that glides on mature lids and stays put without emphasizing crepey lids or fine lines. The eyeshadow has a thin edge that can be used as eyeliner, and the wider side is great for blending and shadowing to get a smooth, even color all over. The formula has a lot of color and gives you that French-girl look that you can’t quite put your finger on.
Why I Like It
Quick Facts
Best Cream: Merit Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow
“These eyeshadows are perfect for older eyes.” Offers says, “They look beautiful and are flattering in a way that doesn’t make them look heavy or too made up.” “You can mix them with your finger or a brush to add color to a hooded eye, which makes me look more awake and gives my eyes a warm glow.” It goes on smoothly in a cream-to-powder eyeshadow formula and is full of lid-friendly ingredients like chamomile, calendula, and sunflower seed oil that keep the skin healthy. You can use your finger or an eyeshadow brush to apply it, and you can add more layers to make the color deeper and richer. There are 14 colors to choose from, including mattes and sheens made with microfine pearl that give a more “adult-friendly” shimmer instead of glitter flecks.
Like an ice cream manicure with a twist, Charlize Theron's lemon sorbet nails are ideal for spring
Why I Like It
Quick Facts
Best for Green Eyes: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick in Lavender
Offers says, “Shades of purple work for green eyes; they look great in lavender.” Bobbi Brown’s famous Cream Eyeshadow Sticks come in a lot of different shades of purple. The Lavender shade has a waterproof formula that can be built up and glides on easily, making it great for people with watery eyes or who use eye drops. The soft cream sticks go right on the lid and mix well with a smudge of your finger. The icy pearl shimmer in this Lavender color stays put all day and is easy to layer for a strong frosted lavender look.
Why I Like It
Quick Facts
Best for Blue Eyes: Dior Backstage Eye Palette in Smoky Essentials
One palette, endless looks for blue eyes that are ready for the runway. Offers says that rich tans, browns, bronzes, and golds are great colors for blue eyes because the contrast between these colors makes blue eyes stand out. Offers says that when you shop for powder shadows for older lids, you should look for formulas that are “finely milled and lend a subtle sheen, not a chunky metallic.” This will help keep the product from moving into fine lines. This Dior palette has nine long-wearing, pigmented colors in a range of finishes and shades, including mattes, satins, shimmers, and metals. Great for people who are afraid of makeup or anyone over 40 with blue eyes who wants to try out different looks.
Why I Like It
Quick Facts
Best for Brown Eyes: Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette
Soriano says, “Plum is a great color for brown eyes.” This Dior palette has a lot of browns, including taupes, champagne, bronzes, and a warm plum chocolate. These five shades come in a variety of finishes, including shimmers, metallics, and mattes. They are made with cornflower extract to give them a creamy, smooth finish. The powders can be used as liners, all-over washes of softer colors, highlights in the inner corners, a brow-arch highlighter, and high-drama evening looks with a mix of deeper colors.
Quick Facts
Best for Women Over 60: Ilia Eye Stylus
Ilia’s buttery cream shadow stick has a slanted tip that makes it look like an art tool you would find in a painter’s kit. One important part is grape extract, which is full of antioxidants. This helps to soften fine lines and keep skin hydrated while still giving it color. “I like a cream eyeshadow stick because I hate fallout, which is when the product moves around the eyes. This is very important because as we get older, our close-up vision starts to fade and it gets harder to see all the fallout. “It’s so easy to use this Eye Stylus,” Denno says. “A few swipes and a smudge with a fingertip are all it takes.” She likes to use it on her older clients. The formulas last a long time, don’t crease, and are waterproof. Denno says to apply the Eye Stylus along the lash line and then smudge it with a brush to get a look that covers the whole lid.
Quick Facts
Best Eyeshadow Palette: Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eye Palette
This 12-shade palette has powder shadows that feel light on the eyelids and can be applied with a brush without any problems. Dr. Chung says, “I tell older patients to stay away from heavy or highly pigmented shadows.” These shadows make crepey lids look worse and sit on the texture of aging skin. The palette is also a cult favorite, inspired by simple matte neutrals from the 1990s, and it has a lot of options. There are twelve soft matte colors that go on smoothly with an eyeshadow brush. You can use them all over your eyes, as liners, and as matte highlighters to subtly shape your face. This palette has a lot of choices and is great for travel because it lets you mix things up.
