best setting powder
Photography by Daniel Harrison

This Is the Best, Most Invisible Setting Powder Ever

It stands up to everything and looks like actual skin

Fact: Hundreds of beauty products launch every season. Other fact: Zero per cent of humans have time to try each one. In our If You Only Buy One series, we do the deep digging to uncover the top beauty products out there.

Once upon a time in Egypt, when pallor was a sign of privilege and a tan was associated with those who toiled in the North African sun, Cleopatra would dust her face with a pale powder made of crocodile dung. In a similar pursuit, the wealthy women of Ancient Rome, in their flowing togas and laced-up sandals, turned to toxic white lead. Prized for their chalky coverage, lead-laden cosmetics stuck around for centuries, damaging users’ skin and sometimes even poisoning them to death. Then came the European aristocrats who doused their wigs and faces in various flours (and again, lead), later followed by the flappers of the 20s who slipped gilded compacts from beaded clutches, powdering their nose after an upbeat Charleston.

For all its history, you’d think face powder would have been perfected by now. But while reptilian droppings and deadly substances are thankfully a thing of the past, many formulas still yield a “sprinkled in icing sugar” finish. Cue the photos of badly blended silica bouncing back a flash under Nicole Kidman’s baby-blues or on the side of Angelina Jolie’s jaw. This was the work of professionals, you tell yourself; what chance do mere mortals stand?

In a quest for the perfect formula, the one that sets and mattifies while proving undetectable in any light, I dusted myself in every iteration imaginable. Translucent ones, tinted ones, even “banana” ones—I tried them all, noting staying power, finish and flash-friendliness. Here is what I found.

If you only buy one setting powder, go for…

You know how real-deal bakers always sift their flour? Well, this little jar is actually topped with a sifter, so its finely milled fairy dust (available in nine shades) is always airy. Rather than caking on top of makeup, it becomes one with it, making skin appear flawless yet full of life.  

best setting powder
M.A.C CosmeticsM.A.C Studio Fix Setting Powder, $35, maccosmetics.ca

 

More of the best setting powders

If you want to shine

Not one to dull your glow, this light-diffusing formula keeps greasiness in check while also boosting radiance. It’s infused with nourishing oils so it won’t dry you out, and is made of 99 per cent natural, raw ingredients.

best setting powder
Charlotte TilburyCharlotte Tilbury Charlotte’s Genius Magic Powder, $58, charlottetilbury.ca

 

If you love a steal

Drugstore price, high-end performance. Six silky shades promise covert oil-absorption with a finish that’s matte but never flat. Instead, skin looks and feels fresh and remains that way until you say so.

best setting powder
NYX CosmeticsNYX Cosmetics Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Setting Powder, $12, nyxcosmetics.ca

 

If you’re tackling under-eyes

It’s designed for one thing and one thing only—setting concealer—and boy does it do it well. Dark circles are instantly brightened, fine lines are blurred and concealer stays put without ever creasing.

best setting powder
Laura MercierLaura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes, $37, sephora.ca

 

If you mean business

Call it the type-A powder. An overachieving formula that sops up oil and guarantees 16 hours of transfer-resistant, smudge-free wear. No more getting foundation or body makeup on your clothes (or couch).

best setting powder
DermablendDermablend Loose Setting Powder, $36, dermablend.ca

 

If you hate powder

The lightest one of the bunch, this talc-free powder feels weightless but successfully nixes shine and minimizes pores. (Bonus: it also features a mesh sifter.) Will it survive a wild night out? Probably not. But it’s great for a natural, everyday look.

best setting powder
GlossierGlossier Wowder, $27, glossier.com

 

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