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Take it from the pros: Dusting yourself with one of the best setting powders is a non-negotiable for long-lasting makeup, especially as summer nears and heat and humidity can melt your makeup in record time. A few pats or swipes of loose or pressed powder help keep everything in place, tamp down excess oil, and blur the look of pores and fine lines. Even if you prefer a dewier look, there are ultra-translucent formulas that keep shine in check without getting in the way of your natural glow. Whether you go full-beat or keep things minimal, there’s a powder to match your vibe, skin tone, and texture preferences. Editors and makeup artists filled us in on their favorites, so you can skip straight to the standouts and hit checkout, stat.
Our Top Setting Powders
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Why it’s worth it: The Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder has been a makeup artist mainstay for over a decade. Bicoastal makeup artist Emily Cheng, first used the powder 15 years ago and has been fangirling ever since. “It’s simple, basic, foolproof, and does the job,” Cheng says. Bicoastal makeup artist Kirin Bhatty agrees, calling it “great for targeted shine, as well as an overall dusting to finish a look.” In addition to the mattifying magic, you’ll get a nice dose of skin-loving ingredients like vitamins C and E, plus a blend of blurring, oil-absorbing botanicals.
Despite only coming in four shades, this powder has achieved icon status because, unlike some of its peers, it’s actually translucent, allowing it to wear beautifully on a wide range of skin tones.
“I’ve always had trouble with creasing under my eyes, but this Laura Mercier setting powder smooths everything out and gives me that bright, awake look I love. It doesn’t give any flashback in photos—which is huge for me—and it works on all skin tones, which makes it even better.”
Type: loose
Key ingredients: vitamins C and E, botanical blend
Shades: 4
Finish: matte
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Nars Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder
Why it’s worth it: “I will forever love Nars Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder,” says Bhatty. “It’s good on all tones and sets the skin in such a beautiful way.” Skin still looks like skin, but minus the shine, she adds. This is an excellent option for people with acne-prone skin for its lightweight feel, nonacnegenic formula, and inclusion of vitamin E and glycerin to fend off dryness. It comes in four shades—the bright white Crystal (for light to medium complexions), Shore (for true medium complexions), Mesa (for medium-deep complexions), and Sable (for deep to very deep complexions). The right shade will look invisible atop your makeup, diffusing light, nixing shine, and helping you get the most out of your products.
Tester feedback from contributing editor Deanna Pai
“My naturally oily skin looks shiny by mid-morning, but I’ve never committed to setting powder, since I felt they made my skin look dusty, for lack of a better word. This is the only one I ever wear, since it feels like nothing (a must for the acne-prone!) and creates a soft-focus effect, rather than sapping all the life and dewiness from my skin. Even though it comes in four shades, the translucent version (meant for pale skin tones) still works just as well for my medium-tan skin.”
Type: pressed
Key ingredients: vitamin E, glycerin
Shades: 4
Finish: radiant
Best Pressed: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
Why it’s worth it: For a second-skin effect, makeup artist Rommy Najor reaches for Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Finish. “It’s lightweight and hugs the skin,” he explains, adding that it’s basically undetectable. For the same reason, makeup artist Vincent Oquendo calls it his favorite pressed powder. “It isn’t talc-y or chalky, and doesn’t weigh down the skin.” The formula brightens as it sets, and is spiked with vitamin E-rich almond oil and rose wax for a touch of nourishment, plus pearlescent mica to add a little gleam to the otherwise natural finish. Apply the powder around your nose, T-zone, and any other oily areas prone to flashback.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
“I can’t be bothered to deal with loose powders because of the inevitable mess (whether I’m at home or traveling, TBH). I love how natural of a finish this Charlotte Tilbury pressed powder provides—like a soft-blurring veil that doesn’t totally negate my glow. (Thanks, light-reflecting particles!) To that point, it’s not my pick for the mattest-of-matte powders, but I’m a-ok with that. I wear the shade 2 Medium, which I find complements my foundation and concealers perfectly without washing my Asian skin tone out (as I presume Light would).”
Type: pressed
Key ingredients: almond oil, rose wax
Shades: 6
Finish: matte
Best for Touchups: Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder
Why it’s worth it: The Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder has secured a spot in many an Allure editor’s makeup bag for its sheer, buildable coverage and lightweight feel. The powder dusts delicately onto skin to absorb excess oil without minimizing your skin’s natural glow or adding unwanted glitter. Since the formula is so airy and won’t leave a white cast, feel free to go all in with layering. All five hues are adaptable and work well to brighten the high points of your face in addition to mattifying shine. The packaging is so pretty but also serves a purpose: The deep chamber keeps the powder from spilling or making unwanted messes.
Tester feedback from commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann
“My skin runs on the oily side, so at a certain point, I accepted that no matter how glowy I prefer to be, if I want my makeup to survive the day, I need a little dusting of powder around my T-zone and forehead. I carry this mini compact of pressed powder around in my bag, and it truly saves the day when my makeup starts to slip and slide. It’s not fully mattifying, so your skin still looks luminous and natural while wearing it, but it helps bring me back to dewy when I’m teetering on the edge of full-on greasy. I love the powder puff it comes with in a pinch, but when I want an even more invisible finish, I’ll lightly roll on a layer of powder using a pointed fluffy brush, and no one’s the wiser.”
Type: loose
Key ingredients: mica
Shades: 3
Finish: natural
Best Brightening: Tarte Creaseless Setting & Brightening Powder
Why it’s worth it: Amazonian clay stars in Tarte’s Creaseless Setting and Brightening Powder, absorbing excess oil and cutting down on shine without feeling drying or looking cakey. The included triangular puff helps target the slippery nooks and crannies of your face (oily undereyes, anyone?) and keeps sweat from shifting around your makeup for up to 16 hours. A broad spectrum of shades seals the deal, ranging from a white translucent hue to a deep espresso hue that still reads as translucent once it’s on the skin. There are also pink and lavender shades’ that work wonders for brightening dark circles.
Tester feedback from contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman
“I was surprised by how well this powder’s pink hue complemented my skin. It blends right in, sits without smothering, and legitimately brightens. I also appreciate how secure the packaging is. There are basically two different lids that ensure the powder doesn’t spill everywhere. I like using the triangle puff to get under my eyes and a fluffier, bigger brush for all-over dusting.”
Type: loose
Key ingredients: Amazonian clay
Shades: 9
Finish: brightening
Other setting powders to consider
Frequently Asked Questions
What is setting powder, and what does it do?
Setting powders are used on top of base makeup like concealer, foundation, or blush to ensure it won’t budge, crease, or develop an oily sheen throughout the day. “Setting your makeup is one of the most important steps of your routine,” New York City-based makeup artist Delina Medhin tells Allure. “When you set the makeup, it has longevity because who wants to carry a touch-up kit everywhere?”
However, oil absorption and longevity aren’t the only things setting powders are good for, according to New York City-based makeup artist Tommy Napoli. “Setting powder is not only used to lock in your makeup but to ‘finish’ the look of makeup—to create a smoother, more poreless, and texture-less surface,” he explains.
Setting powder vs setting spray: what’s the difference?
Both setting powder and setting spray extend the longevity of your finished look, but setting powders and setting sprays function differently. While the former minimizes the look of pores and excess oil, the latter acts more like a film on your skin. Setting sprays are the equivalent of cling wrap for your makeup and usually contain a blend of water, alcohol, and a film-former to create a barrier and seal your cosmetics in place.
Our favorite setting sprays:
How to apply a setting powder
Even if you prefer dewy looks (courtesy of BB creams or skin tints), setting powder applied strategically—in the T-zone, for example—can absorb excess oil and keep products in place longer, according to Medhin. The makeup artists we spoke to agree that, whether you have oily skin or dry skin, the less-is-more approach works best with powders. “This gives you more control of the product,” Medhin says. “Place your brush in the powder, then tap it off until it looks like nothing is left, then keep applying until you get to your desired matte look.” Tommy adds face powder to the forehead, nose, chin, and sides of the mouth to “help to mitigate any excess shine or oil breakthrough that can lead to a porous look.”
How we test and review products
When Allure tests a product, our editors look at it from every angle in an effort to best serve you. We review ingredients, scrutinize brand claims, and, when necessary, examine peer-reviewed scientific and medical studies. In addition to testing each and every product that’s included in each and every review, we rely on experts who shape their fields, including dermatology, cosmetic chemistry, and medicine, to help us vet the ingredients and formulas.
For our list of the best setting powders, we considered each product’s performance across five primary categories: product ingredients and efficacy, packaging, fragrance, texture, and product wear. Every product was determined to have excelled in each category by our editorial team, which is composed of in-house writers and editors as well as contributors—along with special consideration from makeup artists. To learn more information on our reporting and testing processes, read our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
