The best eyeshadows for older women should enhance the eye area without emphasizing texture, creasing, or dryness. “As we get older, the skin around our eyes naturally becomes thinner and more stretched—it’s actually the thinnest skin on the body, which is why fine lines tend to show up there first,” says Julie Chung, MD, a Los Angeles ophthalmologist and cofounder of hair tool maker T3.
At age 41, I’ve noticed new folds on my lids, fine lines under my eyes, and subtle changes in skin elasticity that have completely shifted my approach to makeup. But don’t feel boxed in. “The old standard that you don’t wear shimmer after 35 is so not to be followed,” says Katey Denno, a celebrity makeup artist who’s worked her magic on stars like Sarah Foster, Amanda Seyfried, and Leslie Bibb. “There are plenty of neutral shimmery-toned shadows that look great on 40-to-80-year-old lids.” Below, I vetted top-rated formulas based on recommendations from makeup artists. Our top overall pick is Laura Mercier Caviar Stick because it’s backed by pros, hydrates lids, and lasts all day. We also have drugstore picks, ones best suited for brown or blue eyes, and more.
Our top eyeshadow picks 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 Multipurpose: Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow Liner Kohl, $42
- Best Cream: Merit Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow, $26
Best Overall: Laura Mercier Caviar Stick
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Laura Mercier Caviar Stick
Amazon
Laura Mercier’s Caviar Sticks can be applied like a crayon, simply coloring in your lid with a velvety smoothness. Blend out with a soft brush or your finger, and you’re ready to walk out the door. The formula is particularly great for women over 50, as it’s packed with ultrahydrating and nourishing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and raspberry stem cells that help with moisture and skin barrier health. Keeping the eyes hydrated is paramount, as mature skin produces less oil and is overall drier. While these sticks are creamy in texture, the product is still smudge-proof and crease-resistant, and lasts all day. Nina Soriano, a celebrity makeup artist, says she uses this formula on set and also in her everyday life, “Caviar Sticks are a constant in my kit, both personally and professionally. It gives just the right amount of color to add to the eye and is buildable, for just a wash of color or really glammed up with your tools. It also has a great color selection to choose from.”
Why I love it
Shortcuts to glam are my secret weapon as I get older. These Caviar Sticks are comfortable to wear, as there’s nothing I dread more than sticky, moist (ick!) eyelids. I’m not a pro at applying, and these are foolproof and truly stay put, as they claim. I tested the shade Starlight, a pale shimmering rose gold, for a day that took me from coffee to a work meeting to the L train, then to a challenging Pilates class. I took a look in the mirror when I got home, and the shimmer had just barely migrated after eight hours. I also love applying it in the inner corner of my eye for that ethereal Disney-princess look, or using a darker shade as eyeliner along my lash line. There’s a whole rainbow of colors from mattes to shimmers—but I keep Cocoa, a deep walnut brown with shimmer and Starlight in my rotation. —M.E.
Fast facts
- Finish: Mattes, shimmers
- Shades: 27 shades
- Size: 0.05 oz.
Best Drugstore: e.l.f. Liquid Velvet Eyeshadow
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e.l.f. Liquid Velvet Eyeshadow
Amazon
The liquid-to-powder drugstore eyeshadows from e.l.f. pack a punch for the price ($8) and impart a sophisticated velvety matte finish. They’re “perfect for classic over-40 babes who like a no-fuss look,” says Soriano. The doe-foot applicator dabs directly onto the lids and dries with a powdery, transfer- and crease-resistant finish. While the pigment is saturated, you can easily blend it out with a soft brush or your finger for a diffused look, but act fast as they dry quickly. There are more than a dozen of timeless neutral matte shades to choose from—ones that work for the office, errands, or even a minimalist no-makeup makeup look for a night out.
Why I love it
This was my first time trying a matte liquid eyeshadow, and I chose the shade Beige and Boujee, a cool-toned everyday taupe. Maybe I’m inspired by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s ’90s minimalist vibe, or maybe I’m just sick of irritating eyeliners, but I loved the sophisticated look of wearing just this liquid velvet shadow plus a swipe of black mascara. The application was muhteşem easy; it creased a tiny bit in the corner of my eye during the day, but I was able to fix it with a cotton swab. It looks natural and sophisticated, and for the price, it’s a no-brainer. —M.E.
Fast facts
- Finish: Matte
- Shades: 7 shades
- Size: 0.15 oz.
Best for Sensitive Eyes: Clinique All About Shadow Quad
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Clinique All About Shadow Quad
Amazon
Nordstrom
Whisper-weight and crease-resistant—Clinique’s cult-favorite powder palettes deliver a smooth finish and are formulated with all-day-wear ingredients. Offering four gradient shades in complementary colors, with options in both and shimmer finishes, its powders are designed to worn solo, or used to contour and define. They’re also eye-expert-approved and a favorite of Dr. Chung: They’re made from a “very light powder, great for sensitive eyes, and ophthalmologist tested.” They’re also easy to remove. “Choosing eye makeup that removes easily and using gentle, thorough removal techniques—no scrubbing—is essential for long-term lid and ocular surface health,” Dr. Chung says.
Why I love it
I haven’t used Clinique eye makeup since I was 16 when I donned their seashell shimmery pink to my brother’s wedding. Now, in 2026, after testing Clinique’s Eyeshadow Quads, I’m a diehard fan and hooked on these palettes. I’ve been wearing the Going Steady Quad Palette, an ombré gradient of lavender and grape hues, since my eyes are a blue-green mix of blue and purple, which really makes them pop. The powders are fine, not chalky, and buildable. I’ve been doing a double take at myself in the mirror, as the light purple shades make my eyes look bigger. My super-sensitive eyes can wear these powders all day, that’s how comfortable they are to wear. —M.E.
Fast facts
- Finishes: Mattes, shimmers
- Shades: 5 shades
- Size: 0.16 oz.
Best Multipurpose: Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow Liner Kohl
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Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow Liner Kohl
Nordstrom
“Stylo is both an eyeliner and blendable cream stick, use on its own or layer with your favorite eyeshadow,” says Soriano. This all-in-one eyeliner cream pen may feel chic to pull out of your bag (it is Chanel, after all), but the formula and design are genius and versatile. Ultracreamy in texture, this multipurpose liner glides on mature lids with a long-lasting formula that doesn’t budge or highlight crepey lids or fine lines. The shape of the eyeshadow has a thin edge that can be used as an eyeliner, while the wider side is perfect for shadowing out and blending for a cohesive allover-color look. The formula is deeply pigmented and gives you that je ne sais quoi French-girl look.
Why I love it
Just call me Coco. This Stylo gave me a mysterious minimalist vibe in the shade Electric Brown. I applied it as a liner first, just like you would an eyeliner pencil, and then smudged it with my fingers. The look is “she’s wearing something,” but it’s not as obvious as a shimmer or a liquid black liner. It stayed put throughout the day. Polished but sexy. —M.E.
Fast facts
- Finish: Mattes, shimmers
- Shades: 5 shades
- Size: 0.02 oz.
Best Cream: Merit Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow
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Merit Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow
Sephora
“These eyeshadows are great for mature eyes. They look beautiful and are flattering in a weightless, less made up way,” says Offers. “They can be blended with a finger or brush for a wash of color on a hooded eye, which makes me look more well-rested and gives a warm glow to the eyes.” It applies smoothly in a cream-to-powder eyeshadow formula and is packed with lid-friendly ingredients like chamomile, calendula, and sunflower seed oil that keep the skin nourished. It glides on sheerly with your finger, or an eyeshadow brush, and can be layered on for more depth and richness of pigment. It’s available in 14 shades, including mattes and sheens made with microfine pearl that give a more “adult-friendly” shimmer rather than flecks of glitter.
Why I love it
This formula stayed put and it almost gave my lids a blurring effect, I could barely see the creases. After four hours of wear, my eyes weren’t irritated, and there was no sticky or uncomfortable feeling, it was like my lids were naked. I tested (and fell for) the Glace shade, a recommendation from Offers, a rosy shimmer that wasn’t too warm on my skin tone. I have long nails, so getting the right amount of product with my fingers was tough, but Merit’s double-sided Shadow Brush was ülkü. I used the fluffier side for my lid, and the tapered side for the inner corners of my eye, resulting in a heavenly glow. —M.E.
Fast facts
- Finishes: Shimmering sheens & mattes
- Shades: 13 shades
- Size: 0.17 oz.
Best for Green Eyes: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick in Lavender
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Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick in Lavender
Nordstrom
“Shades of purple work for green eyes; they look beautiful in lavender,” says Offers. Bobbi Brown’s legendary Cream Eyeshadow Sticks comes in a range of purples, and the Lavender color delivers a buildable, glide-and-glow formula that’s also waterproof (friendly for those with tearing eyes and eye-drop users). The soft cream sticks glide directly on the lid and blend easily with the smudge of your finger. The icy pearl shimmer in this Lavender shade stays put throughout the day and is easy to build for an intense frosted lavender look.
Why I love it
Consider me obsessed. I have been experimenting with wearing light purple on my green-blue eyes, and Bobbi Brown’s Lavender is playful, unexpected, and a statement pastel. It’s less predictable than champagne or brown and has garnered more compliments on both my makeup and my eyes. The formula is creamy, but it didn’t enhance the creases in my eyelids. It gives an effortless spring-goddess look. —M.E.
Fast facts
- Finish: Cream shimmer, matter, multichrome
- Shades: 28 shades (11 matte, 5 multichrome, 12 shimmer)
- Size: 0.05 oz.
Best for Blue Eyes: Dior Backstage Eye Palette in Smoky Essentials
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Dior Backstage Eye Palette in Smoky Essentials
Sephora
One palette; infinite runway-ready looks for blue eyes. Offers recommends rich tans, browns, bronzes, and golds are great shades for blue eyes because the contrast of these hues makes blue eyes pop. When shopping for powder shadows for mature lids, Offers says to look for formulas that are “finely milled and lend a subtle sheen, not a chunky metallic,” so there is less product migration falling into fine lines. This Dior palette wins with nine long-wear, pigmented hues in a variety of shades and finishes like mattes, satins, shimmers, and metals. Perfect for the makeup commitment-phobe, or any blue-eyed experimenter over 40 looking to try a range of looks.
Why I love it
While my eyes are a blue-green blend, Dior’s Backstage Eye Shadow Palette is one of my go-tos. These powders are silky smooth, and I love that there is a variety of finishes, which leans heavily to my inner experimental Aquarius soul. The shimmers are velvety, not glittery, and I love using the darker matte shades with an ultrafine eyeliner brush for a cohesive lined look. —M.E.
Fast facts
- Finish: Matte, shimmer
- Shades: 9
- Size: 0.4 oz.
Best for Brown Eyes: Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in Soft Cashmere
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Diorshow 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette
Nordstrom
“Plum is a great shade for brown eyes,” says Soriano, and this Dior palette features a range of browns: taupes, champagne, bronzes, and a warm plum chocolate. Formulated with cornflower extract for a creamy, comfortable finish, these five shades offer a wardrobe of options with finishes like shimmers, metallics, and mattes. The powders work as liners, allover washes of softer hues, inner-corner highlights, brow-arch highlighter, and high-drama evening looks with a mix of deeper hues.
Fast facts
- Finish: Matte, shimmer
- Shades: 13 shades, with 5 colors in each
- Size: 5 x 0.2 oz.
Best for Women Over 60: Ilia Eye Stylus
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Ilia Eye Stylus
Amazon
Designed with a unique slanted tip, Ilia’s buttery cream shadow stick resembles an arka tool you’d find in a painter’s tool kit. One key ingredient is antioxidant-rich grape extract, adding skin deva benefits to soften fine lines, and nourishing it with hydration while still offering the payoff of color. “I appreciate a cream eyeshadow stick because I hate fallout, when product migrates around the eyes. This is especially important, because as we age, our close-up eyesight begins to go and seeing all the fallout becomes more difficult. The ease of this Eye Stylus, with a few swipes and a smudge with a fingertip, is delightful,” says Denno, who likes to use it on her mature clients. The formulas are long-lasting, crease-resistant, and waterproof. For an all-over-lid effect, Denno suggests applying the Eye Stylus along the lash line and then smudging up with a brush.
Fast facts
- Finish: Mattes, shimmers
- Shades: 20 shades
- Size: 0.05 oz.
Best Eyeshadow Palette: Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eye Palette: The Original
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Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eye Palette: The Original
Sephora
This 12-shade palette packs powder shadows that feel lightweight on the lids and can be applied gently with a brush. “I tell older patients to avoid heavy or highly pigmented shadows,” says Dr. Chung, as these emphasize crepey lids and sit at the texture of aging skin. The palette also happens to be a cult-favorite, inspired by minimalist ’90s matte neutrals, and is filled to the brim with options. Twelve soft matte shades that glide on seamlessly with an eyeshadow brush for an allover wash of color, subtly contoured using lighter and darker shades, as liners, and matte highlighters. This palette boasts a lot of options, and is ülkü if you’re traveling and want variety.
Fast facts
- Finish: Matte
- Shades: 12 shades
- Size: 12 x 0.03 oz.
Frequently asked questions
Makeup tricks & tips for older eyes
There are a whole bag of tricks that make your mature eyes pop. There are simple hacks like pressing shimmer on the highest part of the brow arch to give a subtle lifting look to the eyes. Other techniques during application make a difference, like tapping off excess powder from the brush or lightly swirling your brush on your hand to evenly distribute shadow on the bristles before applying.
Investing in tools can also up the ante for your makeup tool kit—a good magnifying mirror for placement, a brush dedicated to pressing on product, followed by a clean fluffier brush to blend—says Offers.
And based on the experts’ feedback, cream or powder eyeshadow both work. It comes down to formula, color, and preference.
Maturing women should also make müddet they’re using easily removable eye makeup, for optimum eye health, says Dr. Chung. Inadequate makeup removal in your 50s and 60s can contribute to the growth of Demodex, microscopic mites that live in the hair follicles and will proliferate when there is residue, oil, and debris left on the lash line. Leftover eye makeup can also lead to meibomian gland dysfunction, when makeup or debris accumulates along the lid, blocking the meibomian glands and leading to evaporative dry eye. “Make müddet you’re using gentle, thorough removal techniques—without scrubbing. This is essential for long-term lid and ocular surface health,” says Dr. Chung.
What type of eyeshadow is best for crepey lids?
“Lids might start having more extra loose skin, or even begin to change in texture and become more of a crepey texture. If this is the case, a sheer application of eyeshadow is best, as the more you pack on, the more likely you are to essentially spotlight the texture issues. Sometimes shimmery cream shadows that are lighter than your skin tone will also showcase the crepeyness, so avoiding those is my advice,” says makeup artist Katey Denno,
How we tested
Glamour spoke with multiple celebrity artists and ophthalmologists who work with clients of all ages to narrow down the best pro-approved eyeshadows for mature eyes. Makeup artists include Nina Soriano, Elaine Offers, and Katey Denno. We also spoke to phthalmologist Julie Chung, MD. During research, we scoured eye makeup options specifically designed for mature skin, with a focus on eye crepeyness and creasing, to test long-lasting, buildable eyeshadows that work for all skin tones. Our writer tested cremes, eyeshadow sticks, liquids, bestsellers, and beloved favorites in shimmers, mattes, and metals for longevity, creasing, smudging, and pigmentation. Using intel and makeup tips from the pros, we tested these eye makeup looks for mature women.
Meet the experts
- Elaine Offers, celebrity makeup artist represented by Exclusive Artists
- Julie Chung, MD, ophthalmologist and eye surgeon specializing in glaucoma and cataract surgery, cofounder of T3, a prestige hair tools company
- Nina Soriano, editorial and celebrity makeup artist
- Katey Denno, celebrity makeup artist and over-40 makeup expert
