My 56-Year-Old Mom Has Never Looked Better—Here’s Every Beauty Product in Her Routine

Mother's Day shopping made easy.

mature women skincare makeup routine
(Image credit: Future)

Mindy Holender (my mom) has always been my skin-hair-makeup guiding light—and likely the entire reason I became a beauty editor. From the second I came out of the womb, she was putting my hair in obnoxiously large headbands. In my teen years, she built me an acne-friendly skincare routine, introduced me to the incredible world of spironolactone, and did my makeup for prom. But now that I have access to more beauty products than I know what to do with, I like to surprise her with some goodies every now and again.

But let it be know: Mindy is one picky lady, and curating her Mother's Day beauty gift is one heck of a challenge. She won't use just anything—she wants the best foundations for mature skin, primers that won't pill, concealers that blur over fine lines. She has a very tightly edited skincare routine (and isn't shy about begging me for restocks). And you better believe she texts me about the latest makeup launches the second she sees them pop up on her TikTok feed.

So, rather than attempt to guess which products she wants wrapped up in a cute little bow, I asked her—straight up. Surprises are overrated, right? Here, my mom (she's 56 with combo skin, thick hair, and an obsession with glowy makeup) breaks down everything she wants this Mother's Day in hopes to make your shopping journey a little bit easier.

Mother's Day Skincare Gifts

Mother's Day Makeup Gifts

Mother's Day Hair Gifts

Samantha Holender
Senior Beauty Editor

Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.