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No step in my makeup routine is more satisfying than applying setting powder. It locks the rest of my concealer and foundation into place, takes away unwanted shine, blurs my pores and fine lines, and brightens up my under-eye area. It’s the cherry on top that gives any makeup look that little extra oomph, you know?
I have tested many over the years — from loose powders and translucent powders to pressed powders, color-correcting powders, and even baked powders — to see which ones deliver a flawless finish and extend the wear time of my makeup. Here, I rounded up the best setting powders that meet my (very high) standards.
So, you’re looking for the best setting powder?
➼ FAQs
➼ Our top picks
➼ More tried-and-true options
➼ Our experts
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Our top picks
The best loose setting powder
Shades: 12 | Key ingredients: Corn starch and kaolin clay blend
This loose powder is so smooth, silky, and lightweight. If you want to set your makeup to make it last longer but don’t want to look too matte, you will love this one. It controls shine but still looks natural. This is also a great setting powder for acne-prone people because it provides medium coverage but doesn’t clog the pores. The 12-shade range includes four color-correcting shades: lavender to brighten light skin tones and correct yellowness, rose to brighten and cancel out sallowness for light to medium skin tones, mint to correct redness, and banana to brighten deeper skin tones and correct redness.
The best pressed powder
Shades: 4 | Key ingredients: Hydrating rose wax and almond oil
When Mrs. Charlotte Tilbury describes this best seller as having a “flawless finish” in her famous British accent, she’s not lying. The finely milled powder really does blur the look of pores and smooth the skin. I find that it’s very buildable, so I love it for touch-ups throughout the day. Since it’s formulated with light-reflecting pearls, it never looks too cakey or dry on the face. I also like the fact that I can apply it with a sponge or powder puff when I want fuller coverage, or lightly dust it all over the face with a fluffy brush when I want an all-over airbrushed finish and light coverage.
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More tried-and-true options
The clean and sensitive skin-friendly powder
Shades: 4 | Key ingredients: Bamboo extract
This talc-free and noncomedogenic translucent powder takes down shine without mattifying your natural glow. If you like light coverage, you’ll love this one; it blurs, brightens, and delivers a skinlike finish that looks natural and healthy. And like all Kosas products, this powder is a great option for people with sensitive skin or allergies. It’s powered by bamboo extract, a mineral-rich healing agent that soothes irritation and absorbs excess sebum to soften the skin.
The best powder for dry skin
Shades: 1 | Key ingredients: Microspheres
If you hate the way powders feel on the skin (which is understandable, since they tend to feel dry and heavy), you’ll love this silky-soft one from Kevyn Aucoin. It provides quite a bit of coverage while still melting into the skin and feeling like nothing throughout the day. It’s also long lasting so I don’t have to touch up throughout the day. Drita Paljevic, head makeup artist at Kevyn Aucoin Beauty, sets with a finely milled pressed powder, then applies this product over top using a baking technique. “By using a pressed powder before baking, any cream products underneath retain their finish as they’re not overloaded with loose powder, which is what creates looks that are blotchy or cake-y,” she says.
The one that feels luxurious
Shades: 4 | Key ingredients: Diamond powder
This beautiful powder is ultra finely milled. Plus it features light-reflecting particles that blur pores, fine lines, and wrinkles. As the name suggests, it creates the effect of a skin-perfecting veil. The unique sifter also makes it less messy than other loose-setting powders on this list.
The best powder for people with oily skin
Shades: 11 | Key ingredients: Performance powder microspheres and surface-treated pigments
When you’re wearing full glam and want that flawless matte finish, this setting powder from Patrick Starr’s brand will do the trick. I can wear it all day (and all night) without getting shiny. Even when I wear it for long periods, it doesn’t crease around my smile lines or under my eyes. It’s sweat-proof, blurring, and finely milled for a smooth finish. If you have oily skin, you should add this one to your cart.
The one with light coverage
Shades: 3 | Key ingredients: Amino acid and silica powders, hyaluronic acid, white lilly
Laura Mercier’s setting powders are totally worth the type. You really can’t go wrong with any of them. This translucent pressed powder, though, is a total game changer. Not only does it smooth the skin and extend the wear time of your makeup, but it also looks so good in photos. It has light, airy coverage and a natural-matte, velvety finish that is great for all skin types.
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FAQs
What is the difference between loose setting powder and pressed setting powder?
“Applying solely a pressed powder in key areas or dusting it all over the face is great for a more natural, glowy look,” Paljevic explains, whereas loose setting powder is great for baking and locking in your makeup all day long.
How do you bake with a loose setting powder?
Paljevic recommends using a powder puff or a dense brush like Kevyn Aucoin Cream & Powder Contour Brush to bake around areas that tend to get shiny and anywhere your cream products might crease, including your forehead, chin, under the eyes, and around the nose. “Just be sure that the loose powder is evenly distributed across the tool before pressing it into the face,” she adds.
Should people with dry skin use setting powder?
Yes! Setting powders work on all skin types; it’s just about finding which one is right for you. “Without a setting powder, the product will still move around ‘high traffic’ areas such as under the eyes and around the nose, even on folks with dry skin,” Paljevic says. Look for a setting powder that is formulated with hydrating ingredients, such as the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish or the Kosas Cloud Set, and apply it only to areas that tend to get shiny. Leave the rest of your face powder-free so you don’t feel overly dry. Another pro tip from Paljevic? Avoid setting powders that claim to be “oil-absorbing.”
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Our experts
- Drita Paljevic, head makeup artist at Kevyn Aucoin Beauty.
- Hanna Flanagan, shopping writer and editor at the Cut.
