Beauty Thought Leader: Elise Marquam-Jahns
Curious which award-winning products actually deserve a spot in your routine? I put the best makeup for mature skin 2025 to the test, here’s what worked.
The 2025 Who What Wear Beauty Award winners have recently been announced. So I thought it would be helpful and fun to test a number of the Who What Wear 100 Beauty Award winning makeup products to see which makeup products can be classified as award winners for mature skin this year. I’ll be testing many of them in the accompanying video.
There were also awards in the skincare, haircare, fragrance, nails, and tools categories, but today we’re focusing on makeup—with just one additional product from another category that is really exceptional which I’ll mention at the end.
The First Winner:
The first winner we’ll focus on today is the only drugstore makeup award winner and it’s from Maybelline. It’s their Superfluff Volumizing Brow Fluff Gel which is $13.99. It’s described as a product which creates soft, full brows that aren’t stiff and that are flake-resistant.
It comes with a micro brush that fills and fluffs every brow hair and comes in 6 shades that don’t have any strange undertones—which can often happen with brow products. Testers loved it because it created soft, natural fluffy looking brows.
Up next is eyeshadow. It’s Makeup By Mario’s original matte eyeshadow palette which costs $52.00. As one tester commented: “This 12-pan pro palette from renowned makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic allowed us to bid an official farewell to the mountains of unused eye shadow singles and palettes collecting dust at the bottom of our makeup drawers.
This palette features every neutral, matte-finish essential you’ll ever need regardless of how minimal or maximal your beauty aesthetic is.” And it’s a staple in the kit of most Hollywood makeup artists since it can work on every skin tone and can be used to fill in brows, smoke out eyeliner and even be used as a bronzer in a pinch. It was described by one expert as “A true classic for everyone, no matter their skill level!”
Who, What, Wear’s Mascara Winner:
Who, What, Wear’s mascara winner was the Thrive Lash Extensions Mascara which costs $26.00. This is a best-selling tubing mascara that—according to the testers– doesn’t clump, flake, or smudge.
It’s also sweat-proof and water-resistant and is available in five shades! The testers wrote that “Plenty of mascaras make the ‘extensions in a bottle’ claim, but Thrive’s beloved Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara is the only one we’ve tested over the years that talks the talk and walks the walk.”
Now let’s move on to the face. I’m really excited to try this face primer because it adds a glowy base for makeup that boosts the skin’s natural radiance. It’s the Refy Glow and Sculpt Face Serum Primer with Niacinamide which costs $34.00. It’s designed to leave skin visibly brighter and hydrated and adds a glass-like finish.
It also has a somewhat tacky texture which helps grip makeup so it stays in place for up to 8 hours. It also has a built-in roller applicator to help reduce puffiness and add definition and it’s vegan, cruelty free, paraben free and fragrance free.
Repeat Winner From Last Year:
I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find out that the winner in the foundation category is a repeat winner from last year. It’s Georgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Natural Glow Foundation which costs $48.00.
This is a cult classic weightless foundation that mimics the look of skin while delivering hydrating medium coverage and a 24hr natural glow finish. One celebrity makeup artist commented that it’s the longest, most reliable relationship that she’s had with a product.
She says that it looks natural, is breathable, photographs incredibly and the shade range is amazing. I’ve loved it for years as well and save it for special occasions.
Concealer And Category Winners:
The winner in the concealer category is the Victoria Beckham Augustinus Bader concealer which is $68.00. It’s described by a tester as not only providing flexible, undetectable coverage that somehow magically does not crease but also has a great pen applicator.
The winner in the contour category also gets the award for being the highest priced makeup winner. It’s Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate palette which costs $95.00. The formula is infused with moisturizing botanical oils and the highlighter has light diffusing pearls and a cream-to-satin finish.
It’s a long-time makeup-artist and celebrity favorite because the highlight melts into the skin and really delivers that lit-from-within glow without heavy shimmer. The bronzer gives a great sun-kissed contour. It’s effortless, creamy, and always blends like a dream.
Liquid Blush & Cream Blush Winner:
There’s a liquid blush winner and a cream blush winner. The Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Dewy Blush takes the prize for the best liquid blush and costs $25.00.
It’s really a makeup-skincare hybrid that’s boosted with ingredients that include niacinamide, watermelon extract, centella asiatica, and jojoba oil–coated pigments so you get a natural hit of hydration and brightening power alongside the dewy flushed cheeks
The cream blush winner is the $24 dollar Pocket Blush from Rhode. This was a unanimous favorite among the entire Who What Wear editorial team because it delivers beautiful, easy-to-blend pigment that stays put all day long without any fading or migration.
They also felt the shade range was stunning and each hue managed to look ultra-flattering on every skin tone they tested. An expert described it as the perfect blend of pigment, opacity and subtle dewy finish.
Lip Liner Winner:
The Lip Liner winner seems to be a real favorite with many celebrities and beauty editors. It’s the Makeup Forever Artist Pencil which costs $24.00. Among the accolades mentioned in the Who, What Wear article are its buttery-smooth glide, great staying power and its versatility since it can be used as an eyeliner, brow product and even face contour.
My gloss will be the next Who, What Wear Award winner. It’s the Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Lip Glossy Balm in the shade “Red” which costs $38.00. This gloss delivers a gorgeous dose of pigment, shine and volume and comes in these 20 beautiful shades.
And the winner for best “Plumping Gloss” is a repeat winner which I’ve always loved. It’s the Forget the Filler Plumping Lip Smoothing Gloss from the clean beauty brand Lawless which is $26.00. This is an ultra-shiny, softening and hydrating gloss which helps the lip surface look smoother. As one expert said: “This is one of those products you become instantly addicted to.
I can’t say enough about how beautiful the texture is and how nourishing the formula feels. Lawless hit a home run with this product.” And I couldn’t agree more.
Best Liquid Eyeshadow:
Winners in other makeup categories are REM Beauty’s Starlet Liquid Eyeshadow won for best liquid eyeshadow and costs $20.00. The best eyeliner was Valentino’s Colorgraphy Waterproof Gel Eyeliner at $38.00. Saie Beauty’s Soft Focus Sculpting Liquid Bronzer at $25.00 was the best bronzer.
The setting powder winner was the second most expensive product among the winners coming in at $72.00. It’s Guerlain’s Meteorites Setting and Finish Pearls of Powder. The top setting spray was the $32.00 setting spray from One Size.
Best tinted lip was Prada Beauty’s Hydrating Lip Balm at $50.00 was the best tinted lip balm and the best lip stain was Wonderskin’s Wonder Blading Lip Stain Masque at $22.00. And the winner in the best lip oil category was Dior’s $40.00 dollar Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil.
Beauty Tool Category:
And I have to mention a winner from the Beauty Tool category which I have personally found to be quite amazing. It’s the Nira Pro Plus Laser which is their fastest most powerful device yet which came out on March 15, 2025.
It delivers professional-grade wrinkle reduction in just two minutes a day. It also uses the same non fractional laser technology trusted by dermatologists which stimulates natural collagen production and smooths fine lines, restores firmness and reverses some signs of aging without any downtime or pain. And I love how quick and easy it is to use. I’ve seen the lines between my brows definitely diminish as well as the lines around my lips.
And, the skin under my eyes also looks firmer and healthier. Visible wrinkle improvements can be seen within 60 days and dramatic results can be seen after 90 days of regular use. And the great news is that Nira is having a big July anniversary sale. And if you decide to try any of the Nia products, you can use the code ELISE10 to get an additional 10% off your purchase.
My Top Picks: Best Makeup For Mature Skin 2025 That Truly Delivered:
Of all the products I’ve tried today, I’d have to say that my top favorites are the Refy Primer, Makeup by Mario’s Eyeshadow palette, the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, the Rhode Cream blush, the Tom Ford Contour, the Lawless Gloss and my Nira Pro Plus.
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About the Author:
Elise Marquam-Jahns is a professional, working makeup-artist who is passionate about helping women 45+ get their glow back. In addition to her work as a makeup artist for a major cosmetics line, she founded Boomer and Beyond Beauty. Be sure to check out Elise’s YouTube channel which specifically focuses on makeup tips, techniques, and product reviews for those of us 45+.
Don’t forget to subscribe! Elise is also an author and speaker and hosts Normandale Community College’s monthly Learning Well Edge Talk Radio show where she interviews experts in the field of health and wellness. And, if you’d like to receive more inspiration each week, check out my weekly newsletter. To get your copy, just drop me an email at bo*******************@***il.com to let me know you’d like to receive it.
