20 Best Setting Powders For An All-Day Airbrushed Finish
We may earn a commission if you buy something from any affiliate links on our site.
Make-up melting down your face? It’s time to invest in a good setting powder. But the best setting powders don’t just hold your make-up in place – they can smooth texture, conceal breakouts and prevent excess shine from creeping in.
What is the best setting powder?
With the advent of “glass skin” and our general preoccupation with looking dewy at all times, powder has fallen by the wayside. However, powder formulas have advanced at a rate of knots in recent years. By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder is infused with skincare-favourite hyaluronic acid. The HA microspheres attract water and so help to “blur” and “fill” imperfections, without looking ashy or settling into creases. It’s gossamer-light, so don’t be perturbed by the opaque white colour, as it settles to a soft-focus effect on all skin tones.
Read more: The Best Setting Sprays For A Base That Stays Put All Summer
What is better: loose or pressed setting powder?
It depends on what you are looking for and where you’re applying it. Make-up artist India Excell prefers to use loose powders to set the make-up and then pressed under the eyes and on the T-zone to help blur pores and texture. “I would opt for loose powder when wanting a more natural finish,” she says. “But I would wear pressed powder in the evenings when going out, usually on the area that I have more texture like under the eyes and on the forehead. I also always take a pressed powder out with me for touch-ups.” Make-up brushes play an important role here. Excell recommends using a fluffy brush for loose powder and then a smaller brush for the pressed powder to enable more precision.
Vogue’s best setting powder shortlist:
- Best setting powder for long-lasting oil control: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder,
£36.50£29.20 - Best setting powder for a smooth under eye: Charlotte Tilbury Mini Airbrush Flawless Finish Pressed Powder, £22
- Best affordable setting powder: HNB Cosmetics Soft Focus Loose Powder, £13.50
- Best skin tone setting powder: Pat McGrath Labs Sublime Perfection Setting Powder, £43
- Best setting powder infused with skincare: La Mer The Powder, £80
- Best setting powder for on-the-go touch-ups: Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Blotting Powder, £24
- Best setting powder for a radiant finish: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder, £46
- Best setting powder for a bright under-eye: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Brightening Powder, £38
Is translucent powder the same as setting powder?
The short answer is yes, and of course, the “go big or go home” option is surely Laura Mercier’s Light Catcher Loose Powder. A brand already beloved by make-up artists for its classic translucent setting powders, this product sits somewhere between the original formula and a highlighter. Infused with pearl pigments and micro-refined silica, it offers an incredibly light-reflecting finish that still grips onto make-up for dear life.
Aside from the additions of microspheres and luxurious-sounding crushed gem particles, one thing that makes 2024’s powders better is the notable absence of talcum powder. Apart from the health concerns around its inclusion, many cosmetic chemists have chosen to remove it from their products altogether as it can lead to a chalky finish. In the ’90s, super-matte was considered chic, but now that dewy skin is in, talc is fast becoming a thing of the past. Instead, additions like silk, peptides and collagens (like the hydrating and firming complex found in It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Pressed Powder) offer a healthier-looking fix that still helps tackle shine.
Read more: The Best Foundations For Every Skin Type
Do you use setting powder all over your face?
As the name suggests, setting powder is used to set your make-up, but it’s in no way limited to just the base. It can be used to control shine on bare skin, set your concealer, your eyelid to prep it for eyeshadow and even on top of your lipstick. In fact, a slew of recent lip products demonstrates the power of the setting powder revolution. Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet gives a featherweight wash of colour over the lips with a finish that resembles the effect created by that classic make-up artist trick: blotting a richly pigmented lipstick, while MAC Powder Kiss lipsticks also offer a softly diffused, just-been-kissed look.
Blurring but not masking, hydrating but not greasy, and shine-controlling while still offering a healthy glow, powder can finally sit in that sweet spot between functional and fun. And remember, when it comes to powder – if in doubt, buff it out.
How we chose the best setting powders:
Every setting powder in our round-up is tried and true, and comes recommended by our editors for their blurring, brightening and oil-controlling properties. We put popular formulas through their paces by testing them over several hours of wear, noting their initial finish and feel on the skin as well as how they held up in hot weather. Only the setting powders that were long-lasting and comfortable with a cake-free, natural finish made our list. Don’t just take our word for it – watch Tracy Achonwa, Vogue beauty commerce writer, review Huda Beauty’s cult Easy Bake powder below.
“For those whose allegiance will forever lie with matte ‘90s skin, Huda Beauty’s Easy Bake powder is worth the buy. Not only does it immediately brighten and sculpt the face, but it gets you a flawless shine-free finish that stays the course. I have skin prone to oiliness and very prominent pores, but you’d be fooled into thinking otherwise from the footage above. The range is also one of the most inclusive out there, with 10 translucent shades serving every skin tone imaginable. If you’re not a fan of baking, it works well with a lighter application too – just buff it into the areas that get greasy and you’ll be all set. On days where I want some dew, I apply it with a light hand on my T-zone and enjoy an airbrushed effect that lasts for hours.” – Tracy Achonwa, beauty writer
Below, Vogue rounds up the best setting powders to help you get the most out of your make-up.