Finding the best setting powders can be a deceptively difficult task, but this gallery is here to help. Find your new favorite for the year. can be a deceptively difficult task, especially for those with demanding skin or targeted needs. Visible pores, excess shine, and the settling of product into lines and creases–also referred to as caking–are all valid concerns when selecting the best setting powder. When it comes to safeguarding your painstaking make-up look, you no doubt want a formula that will care for your skin while keeping it photo-ready at any given instant.
13 Best Setting Powder Picks For Photoshop-Perfect Skin
While setting powders of the past were notorious for their heavy, ultimately comedogenic effects, modern minds have developed infinitely superior, high-performing solutions. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of pressed and loose setting powders featuring all manner of formulas ranging from vegan to talc and paraben-free, with many offering the additional benefits of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. Today’s leading beauty creators have truly perfected the art of, well, perfection!
We’ve selected 13 of the bestselling, top-setting powders formulated for all skin types and concerns. Say goodbye to shine, discoloration, and pesky cakiness, and say hello to let your natural beauty take center stage.
1. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder
From one of Britain’s leading budget beauty brands, Rimmel’s Stay Matte Pressed Powder boasts up to 5 hours of natural, mineral-enhanced shine control and carries an especially wallet-friendly price tag. Available in 8 shades and dermatologically tested for all skin types, this mattifying powder helps minimize the appearance of pores while making sure your make-up stays–and feels–fresh for hours.
2. No7 Airbrush Away Translucent Finishing Powder
If you’re looking for the definitive airbrushed finish, look no further than No7’s Airbrush Away Translucent Finishing Powder. Ideal for oily and combination skin, reviewers are raving about this powder’s ability to smooth out the skin’s texture while maintaining a shine-free finish, striking the perfect balance between matte and glowing.
3. Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder
Long touted as one of the best setting powder options on the beauty market, Maybelline’s Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder casts a mineral-based veil over any imperfections to complete and preserve your make-up look for hours on end. Available in 8 shades to match every skin tone, Maybelline’s celebrated setting powder controls shine while keeping a sheer hint of color.
4. FLOWER Beauty Light Illusion Powder
Created by world-famous actress Drew Barrymore, FLOWER’s Beauty Light Illusion Powder boasts unique soft focus innovation along with specially formulated blurring pigments, resulting in a luminous glow with minimal shine. Available in 4 shades, users praise the powder’s mattifying staying power that allows the skin’s natural beauty to shine through. If you’re looking to keep oil at bay but not look too matte, this is your FLOWER find.
5. Wet n Wild Photo Focus Loose Setting Powder
This iconic budget brand is home to one of the best setting powder options. Wet n Wild’s silky, oil-absorbing setting powder mattifies your liquid make-up without settling into fine lines and creasing. For those with sensitive or problematic skin, Photo Focus’s cruelty, fragrance, and gluten-free formula are as gentle on the face as it is the wallet. Definitely a top-best setting powder pick!
6. e.l.f. Cosmetics Halo Glow Setting Powder
If you’re looking for that hi-res beauty filter effect, e.l.f.’s Halo Glow setting powder is a make-up must. Formulated using finely milled eco-friendly sapphire particles and boasting a 100% vegan and cruelty-free stamp of approval, this setting powder conceals the appearance of fine lines and imperfections while maintaining a fresh overall finish. Available in 4 shades: Light, Light Pink, Medium, and Medium Beige.
7. Essence All About Matt! Fixing Compact Powder
Lightweight and versatile enough to use alone or as a foundation finish, Essence’s All About Matt! fixing compact powder keeps you looking flawless at a fraction of the high-end retailer price. Packaged in a convenient compact, Essence’s Fixing Powder is ideal for those with dry or sensitive skin. Best of all, this translucent formula gently mattifies your face without robbing you of your dew.
8. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Ideal for all skin types, Laura Mercier’s award-winning setting powder provides 16 hours of flawless, complexion-polishing perfection. Lightweight and easy to apply and available in a range of shades to suit every skin tone, this loose powder provides maximum mattification with guaranteed zero flashback in photos. According to the results of a recent consumer test conducted on 32 women, 100% praised the non-cakiness of the formula, as well as its superior shine control.
9. Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder
Consisting of a finely milled loose powder designed to blur imperfections while highlighting desirable features, Hourglass’s ultra-refined formula is ideal for those with oily or combination skin looking to minimize the appearance of pores, lines, and wrinkles. Praised for its silky, lightweight feel and long-wearing staying power, this is a deserving, if off the radar, fan-favorite.
10. Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
A bestseller among beauty pros, Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder, available in four shades, offers buildable coverage with a natural finish and is ideal for those with combination-to-oily skin. Tilbury’s ultra-fine formula is enriched with rose wax and almond oil to help nourish the skin, while pearlescent pigments lend a luminous glow. Best of all, this setting powder is 100% free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, and formaldehyde.
11. Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Pressed Setting Powder
Voted one of the best setting powders in routine surveys, Bobbi Brown’s Pressed Setting Powder provides a flawless, long-lasting finish for all skin types. Available in 4 shades ranging from translucent to medium, this gluten and paraben-free formula absorbs excess oil while added vitamin E nourishes the skin and prevents the product from settling into creases and lines. A longtime favorite of make-up artists, you can’t go wrong with one of the industry’s most popular picks.
12. IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Translucent Pressed Setting Powder
Say goodbye to visible pores and excessive shine with IT Cosmetics’ Bye Bye Pores Translucent Pressed Setting Powder. Developed by plastic surgeons, this silk and the collagen-infused formula is rich with antioxidants and peptides, setting concealer and foundation to a light mattified finish that lasts all day. Ideal for those with skincare aging concerns, IT’s delicate powder ensures a natural, youthful glow that won’t melt by midday.
13. Lancôme Long Time No Shine Loose Setting Powder
From the iconic beauty brand, Lancôme comes a setting powder that stays on top of shine and absorbs excess sebum while keeping your skin looking fresh and dewy for the long run. Thanks to Long Time No Shine’s fine mica minerals, you can forgo the dreaded white “mask” and keep your make-up looking polished.
FAQ About Setting Powders
What is setting powder used for?
Setting powder is used to combat shine and set your foundation and makeup. It comes in translucent or skin tones to create a smooth, flawless look. You lightly dust it over your foundation to create a matte look without over-drying your makeup or skin.
Is setting powder necessary?
Setting powder is a personal choice, but if you have oily skin, the setting powder prevents your makeup from moving and helps it last all day. The finished look is more polished compared to not using setting powder.
What to apply setting powder with?
Setting powder comes in the pressed form and is applied with a powder puff by pressing it into the skin. The loose powder form is applied using a flat-shaped makeup brush.
How do you use setting powder?
Apply setting powder while your foundation is still wet. Use a powder puff or makeup brush to gently press the powder into your skin, creating a matte look that makes the skin look flawless.
Is setting spray or setting powder better?
Setting spray is a liquid you spray to mist your skin to keep your makeup in place on your entire face while setting powder is used to absorb oil in key areas such as the forehead, nose, and cheeks. Both options keep makeup in place and are equally beneficial depending on the overall look you are trying to achieve.
13 Top Setting Powders To Fix And Perfect Your Make-Up
Whether you have dry or combination skin, are looking for a mattified or more dewy look, or just want to set and forget about your make-up for the day, our best setting powder picks are sure to deliver the results you want. Boasting a full range of luxurious, skin-pampering ingredients and none of the problematic additives such as talc and parabens, these top-setting powders can finally let you showcase your natural beauty without breaking the bank.
