After putting over 30 powders to the test, six rose to the top as clear winners. But to help you filter through your options, we picked only the most absorbent formulas with beautiful finishes.
So, which powders stand out from the rest? "I recommend a finely milled powder that won't settle into lines," says celebrity makeup artist Jamie Dorman . (This typically means it's loose rather than pressed.)
Whether you have oily skin, live in a humid climate, or just want your makeup to stay put, setting powder has a place in every beauty kit. Beyond locking in liquids and creams and mattifying your T-zone, the right formula can blur imperfections and help you achieve an airbrushed finish.
Best Loose Powder
Beauty Bakerie Baking Powder
Ulta
View On Amazon
$24
View On Nordstrom
$22
View On Ulta
$24
Our Ratings
Pros
This finely-milled formula soaks up grease without leaving our skin looking cakey
Our shiny spots were mattified and blurred, smoothing over texture, as well
There were no components of our makeup budging throughout the day
Cons
The powder can be somewhat messy
After trying over 30 highly rated, best-selling formulas first-hand, Beauty Bakerie's Face Flour won our hearts. This finely milled loose powder earned perfect scores for absorbency and look. It instantly soaks up grease, corrects for shine, and leaves you with a stunning finish that blurs imperfections and enhances your complexion.
Touting six different shades, these adjustable powders can blend into several skin tones due to its light pigment (or you can opt for the universal shade, a translucent powder named "Oat"). We dusted our skin with the powder and watched as it absorbed any pre-existing oil on our skin quickly, blended effortlessly, and offered a brilliantly mattified effect.
As the name suggests, this product can also be used for baking. (The makeup technique involves allowing loose powder to sit on top of creams and liquids for about 10 minutes, then dusting off the excess for a crease-free, long-wear finish.) Though it offers a little more coverage than others, we didn't feel like it was heavy at all, but instead comfortably light on our skin. Since this is a loose powder, applying it can be a little messy, but the lockable jar prevents it from spilling out.
How it's held up:
We love this powder so much that we've gotten creative with other ways that we can incorporate it into our makeup routine. Aside from setting our foundation and concealer, we've also opted to press thin amounts of this powder onto separate layers of our lipstick to really keep it from budging (and news flash, it works). We do wish it came with slightly more practical packaging and an included application puff, but overall, we keep singing praises for this "Face Flour."
Shades: 6 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer to medium | Size: 0.5 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
Best Pressed Powder
Lys Beauty Pressed Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Sephora
$19
View On Lysbeauty.com
View On Cultbeauty.com
Our Ratings
Pros
This formula can hold up all day, even in the heat
There are several shades, which can work for multiple skin tones thanks to their blendability
It worked well on a variety of different skin types that we tested it on
Cons
As it’s not a loose powder, it’s not ideal for “baking”
Beauty Bakerie may have stolen the show when it came to loose powders, but the Triple Fix Setting Powder from LYS Beauty dominated in the pressed powder category. We appreciated the easy-to-use compact (which we can’t often say about loose powders) and the product’s longevity, seeing us through a full work day — in the heat, no less — with perfectly-preserved makeup. Plus, we liked the fact that this formula was packed with skin-loving ingredients such as niacinamide and green tea to provide antioxidant benefits while still minimizing the appearance of pores. (Plus, it’s talc-free!)
Another perk of this powder was the variety of shades — six, ranging from translucent to deep — to provide a better match for more skin tones over making just one translucent shade. Our tester particularly liked this product because it sheered out to perfectly match her skin, which was previously a “struggle” for her, as her skin tone “typically falls in-between shades.” After the match was made, we found this powder to be blurring, oil-controlling, but still natural in finish. Dare we say this one was even… moisturizing? You’ll have to try it for yourself to see what we mean.
How it’s held up:
It’s been six months since we started testing, but this one is still a go-to in our morning routines. This powder manages to diminish excess shine while still allowing our skin's natural radiance to shine through — a game changer for us. Our makeup looks are lasting longer, looking fresher, and our skin looks more flawless than ever. “Everyone should have [this powder] in their makeup kit,” says our tester.
Shades: 6 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Buildable | Size: 0.23 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
Best Budget
L'Oréal Infallible Pro Sweep & Lock Loose Powder
Amazon
View On Amazon
$12
View On Target
$8
View On Walmart
$17
Our Ratings
Pros
Its translucent formula leaves an invisible finish on all skin tones, making it universally friendly
The price is budget-friendly while still boasting high-end results
We noticed a visible change in our skin's overall smoothness and texture
Cons
We noticed some shine returning after a few hours, so you may need to keep on-hand for midday touchup
L'Oréal Pro Sweep & Lock is a great budget pick. This loose setting powder clocked perfect scores for oil absorbency and finish. The universal translucent shade blended beautifully and didn't make our testers' medium-dark skin appear chalky whatsoever. In the end, we thought that our skin still maintained its usual coloring and dimension, though our overall texture looked better than ever before.
This setting powder offered a soft mattifying effect without drying out our skin or looking cake-y. It helped our makeup stay in place too, though we did need a slight touch-up after spending a few hours in the sun (but honestly, no makeup products are a match for beating rays).
The only other downside was that the sticker on the packaging was hard to pull off the first time we opened the container. But other than that, this product was a hit.
How it's held up:
Even after months of use, we're still incorporating this into our (almost) everyday makeup routine. If you go a little too heavy-handed, then the powder can cause your skin to look a little flat, but we've found a balance by dusting small amounts on our skin with a fluffy brush. We've found it to be a little messy because of its loose powder formula, so be careful when you open the lid so that it doesn't erupt into a cloud of setting powder.
Shades: Universal translucent | Finish: Soft matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.28 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
Best Drugstore
Wet n Wild Photo Focus Loose Setting Powder
Amazon
View On Amazon
$7
View On Walmart
$12
View On Ulta
$8
Our Ratings
Pros
This translucent powder is priced at an excellent value
It was highly effective at absorbing oil and preventing future shine on our skin
It’s sheer enough to act as a translucent powder, but buildable enough to provide a little extra coverage
Cons
We think its translucent — albeit light-colored — pigment has the potential to leave a white cast on darker skin tones
You’re in a pinch and need to stop by your closest drugstore to pick up a powder that you know works — our suggestion? The Photo Focus Loose Setting Powder from Wet n Wild. You may have shopped this brand back in the day, but we were pretty impressed with the setting powder from the brand's current offerings. Aside from its arguably unbeatable price, this powder was a knockout when it came to oil absorption and control. It looked natural on our skin without feeling chalky and mattified our overly-shiny spots without coming off as dry.
We liked that its translucent shade could work on a variety of skin tones, but we’d like to see a deeper option available for those with richer skin tones. While this is an improvement we’d like to see from the brand, we were still quite impressed with the overall performance of this powder at such an accessible price point.
Shades: 1 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.70 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
Best Investment
Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder
Ulta
View On Amazon
$63
View On Nordstrom
$56
View On Ulta
$56
Our Ratings
Pros
This fine powder left our complexion with a semi-matte, satiny finish that looked like our skin (just better)
Lasts all day — even on oily skin
Our skin looked smoother and the appearance of texture was significantly reduced
Cons
We noticed a bit of flaking on the dry parts of our skin
If you're open to splurging on a high-end product, look no further than Chanel. The brand's Poudre Universelle Libre (which translates to universal setting powder) earned perfect scores for absorbency, look, and feel. We instantly noticed how quickly the oil was absorbing in our skin when we applied this loose powder, leaving us with a shine-free T-zone. Much appreciated was the included puff applicator, as it's perfect for pressing the powder into the skin exactly where you want it.
It blended effortlessly into our complexions, and the semi-matte finish didn't look heavy or cakey. Save for some slight flaking in our under-eye areas, our makeup was still very much intact after a long day — no touch-ups needed.
How it's held up:
We tested this powder through several months and weather changes, and we can confirm that it only gets better with time. While this powder required more touch-ups in the summer when our makeup tends to move around a bit more due to heat, we barely had to do any reapplications throughout the day as the weather cooled off, making this an annual staple for us.
Shades: 8 | Finish: Natural to semi-matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 1 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
Best for Photos
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Nordstrom
View On Sephora
$27
View On Walmart
$29
Our Ratings
Pros
This powder effectively controlled our shine throughout the day
Its matte finish offers a soft-focus blur that won't flash back in photos
You can opt for the one universal shade (works on all skin tones) or choose one of the two pigments for bronzing or highlighting
Cons
Swirling the powder around with a brush is slightly messy
With a special occasion coming up, you'll want to make sure your makeup not only looks good but also photographs well. We're big fans of Laura Mercier's Loose Setting Powder, which delivers a flattering soft-focus effect and promises not to flash back in photos (and we took pictures to prove it).
When we tried the "honey" shade, we were left with a warm, golden hue that created a subtle sun-kissed glow on fair skin tones. It was so flattering that we figured we could wear it alone for a no-makeup makeup look, and people with deeper skin tones can even use it to highlight the high points of their faces (think under eyes, forehead, and chin).
Though swirling the loose powder around with a brush was slightly messy, the finely milled formula went on smooth. It offered a mattifying effect and absorbed excess oil. Not only that, but it helped control shine throughout the day, even in humid weather.
How it's held up:
Even after six months of testing, we still reach for this whenever we're wearing makeup that we really want to last (and last, it does). Over the last few months we've been especially observant of how well it has been able to reduce our fine lines, smooth out our skin, and set our face makeup — which is the main goal for all of this, at the end of the day. In general, we couldn't be happier with this powder and think everyone should have it in their makeup stash.
Shades: 3 | Finish: Natural/matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 1 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
Best Blurring
One/Size Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Sephora
$18
View On Kohls.com
$34
Our Ratings
Pros
Powder feels lightweight and smooth while still effectively mattifying our skin
Its shine-reducing finish leaves our complexions looking blurred, with a reduced appearance of pores
Cons
Oilier skin types might need to reapply this on their T-zone after a few hours
As the name suggests, One/Size Ultimate Blurring Powder visibly blurs pores and other imperfections. The soft-focus formula earned perfect scores for absorbency and finished look in our lab tests. We tried the universal translucent shade, which did an excellent job tackling excess oil and provided an instant mattifying effect.
Despite its powder formula, the texture isn't gritty at all but rather light and smooth. After applying it over a dewy-finish foundation, this setting powder made our faces less shiny. While most of us need to retouch our makeup around midday, we were pleasantly surprised that it lasted until the afternoon. Still, oilier skin types might need to dust another layer onto their T-zones sooner than later.
How it's held up:
We still feel blown away by this truly blurring product, even months into using it. Blemishes, enlarged pores, or dark spots be warned — this powder really emulates the mystical soft focus of an old Hollywood film. We do find ourselves needing to spritz our skin with a setting spray to bring some life back to our skin (it can be a little drying), but overall we have close to no complaints surrounding One/Size's setting powder.
Shades: 2 | Finish: Soft matte | Coverage: Buildable | Size: 1.2 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
The 14 Best Face Moisturizers for Oily Skin, Tested and Reviewed
Best Shade Range
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Sephora
$22
View On Ulta
$36
View On Fentybeauty.com
$36
Our Ratings
Pros
Touting eight shades, this powder spans from pale to deep skin tones for extra inclusivity
It has buildable coverage for everything from natural to full glam
Its fine powder formula felt ultra light on our skin
Cons
Due to its packaging, it’s tough to take on-the-go
Fenty strikes once again with its pristine formulations — in this case, a buildable, lightweight setting powder that makes any makeup look red carpet-ready. We appreciated the fact that this powder had an assortment of eight colors, ranging from “lavender” (a fair shade with cool undertones) to “coffee” (meant for deep skin with warm undertones). The variety of shades makes it possible to go lighter in case you want to brighten your under eyes with powder or deeper to bronze, if you so choose.
Our only complaint is the packaging — it’s sprinkle-out compact was just a bit too messy for us at times and feels difficult to travel with or throw in your bag for midday touch-ups. While loose powder makes clean application a bit difficult, this formula did sit beautifully on our skin and felt weightless every time we dusted it on. If you’re looking for a color match, this is the one to choose.
Shades: 8 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.98 oz.
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
Best with SPF
Supergoop! Mineral Setting Powder
Amazon
View On Amazon
$35
View On Nordstrom
$35
View On Sephora
$35
Our Ratings
Pros
This powder boasts SPF 35 and offers instant protection from the sun's damaging rays
Works overtime to control shine, even in the blistering heat
Keeps your skin hydrated with infused ceramides, olive, glycerides, and coated silica spheres
Cons
The built-in brush isn't the most user-friendly and product becomes wasted when tapping off the excess
It isn't the most effective at blurring imperfections compared to others we tested
Reapplying sunscreen throughout the day is easier said than done, especially when you're wearing a full face of makeup. Supergoop! has one solution in the form of SPF-infused setting powder. This mineral formula contains zinc oxide to instantly block the sun's damaging rays while keeping shine under control.
We were pleasantly surprised by how absorbent this powder is and found out that a little goes a long way. Our skin was visibly less oily with a (mostly undetectable) natural-looking matte finish.
While the built-in brush is convenient in theory, we didn't find the feature very user-friendly. Plus, you're supposed to coat the brush, then tap off the excess powder, which results in a fair amount of wasted product. And although it doesn't do a great job blurring pores and other imperfections, we still think this product is worth buying for on-the-go touch-ups on sunny days.
How it's held up:
We like to keep this skin-friendly powder on hand as we go about our days in the sun, as it's nice knowing that we have instant sun protection whenever we need it (while still keeping our makeup looking flawless). We do wish it came with a powder puff instead of the brush and dispenser combo, but we still appreciate this product for its shine-reducing SPF treatment.
Shades: 4 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.15 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
The 7 Best Powder Sunscreens of 2024, According to Dermatologists
Best Pore-Minimizing
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Nordstrom
$41
View On Sephora
$28
View On Charlottetilbury.com
Our Ratings
Pros
This powder completely blurred our pores, fine lines, and other imperfections
It felt incredibly lightweight on our skin
The compact packaging and pressed powder formula makes it easy to take this powder on the go
Cons
It didn’t hold up in the humidity
Charlotte Tilbury makes several of our go-to products, and we’re adding the Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder to that list. This ultrafine powder is comparable to the LYS Beauty formula — a weightless, compacted powder that dusts over the skin like a mattifying cloud, masking any and all oiliness. But what really sticks out about this product is its ability to seemingly zap our pores, minimizing their appearance along with blemishes, fine lines, and more with one sweep of a fluffy brush. To make things even better, our foundation and concealer looked even more beautifully contoured once this powder was applied.
Unfortunately it was no match for the heat, as our own sweat from particularly humid days of testing seemed to overtake this mattifying powder. But in the right conditions (and with opportunities to touch-up on hot days), this compact from Charlotte Tilbury is a game changer. You’ll be searching for your pores after you use this one.
How it’s held up:
After months of testing, we’re still using this powder every time we apply our makeup and slipping it into our bags when we’re on-the-go. It continued to make our skin look luxurious every time we dusted it on and even stayed smooth in the compact despite us making quite a dent over the months of use — no pilling or caking in the pan at all. In our opinions, this is certainly a powder worth splurging on.
Shades: 4 | Finish: Natural | Coverage: Medium/buildable | Size: 0.28 oz.
People / Leticia Almeida
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Best for Mature Skin
Saie Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Sephora
$30
View On Walmart
$52
View On Cultbeauty.com
Our Ratings
Pros
Its formula is made with hydrating ingredients that plump the skin instead of making it appear dry
Mica particles left our skin with a luminous glow without looking shiny or oily
Cons
Because it’s not overly mattifying, this powder wears off a little more quickly
If you’re looking for a powder that won’t settle into wrinkles or accentuate fine lines, then the Saie Airset Powder is one of the best options out there. This formula is packed with skin-loving squalane, which locks in moisture and plumps your skin, while delivering an airbrushed look courtesy of its “aerated-cream” technology. It controlled the shine of our complexions when applied on top of our dewy foundation and left us with an ultra-smooth finish — no caking or pilling at all. The formula even has a little bit of mica in it, which provides our skin with a lit-from-within glow instead of an oily shine.
However, since this is a more hydrating product than many of the other setting powders we tried, our skin tended to get shiny a little faster. It kept our complexions looking fairly matte until about the five-hour mark, where we needed to go back in for extra application. But when it comes to mature skin, we’ll take this hydrating powder that requires a little more touchup over a dry, chalky formula any day.
How it’s held up:
Months later, we still enjoy using this powder in our everyday routines. It doesn’t cling onto any of our pre-existing dry patches and even leaves us with a nice glow, even though the seasons have changed. We like how weightless it is on our skin, which makes it great for both natural and full glam days — no matter the amount of makeup on our skin, our complexions will always look blurred and naturally luminous when this powder is in the mix. Plus, our skin gets an extra dose of hydration every time we swirl it onto our skin.
Shades: 3 | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.14 oz.
People / Leticia Almeida
Byrdie / Leticia Almeida
Best Matte Finish
Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Translucent Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Nordstrom
$25
View On Sephora
$25
View On Walmart
$78
Our Ratings
Pros
This oil-absorbing formula effectively erased excess shine from our skin
The powder doesn’t settle under our eyes or into our fine lines
It’s incredibly longwearing, getting us through full work days without many touch-ups required
Cons
It’s easy to accidentally dump a lot of the powder out at once, which can waste the product
If your skin is especially oily or you simply favor a more matte complexion, then the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder is the one for you. While feeling light as air on our skin, this powder definitely puts in the work to minimize naturally-produced shine without the dry, cake-y look of a typical matte powder. Our testers never noticed any caking or creasing underneath their eyes, nor any powder separating and settling into the lines of our faces. And what was truly impressive was its longevity — this powder kept our tester's makeup looking fresh all through the work day, with only a bit of shine beginning to peek through in the mid-afternoon because it was a particularly humid day. (For reference, they had applied it at six in the morning.)
It was a little too easy to accidentally dump too much powder out, which made us worry about wasting some of this precious product. But if you’re careful, you’ll be sure to get a lot of use out of this jar. Though this is arguably on the pricey side, we think that it’s worth the splurge for a dependable, oil-absorbing powder that will keep your makeup looking fresh all day long.
How it’s held up:
This powder has continued to be magnificent at controlling our shine, especially on oily skin. We’ve found ourselves reaching for it daily for that purpose, though we do think we’d need to spritz a setting spray on and use a primer to really make sure our makeup doesn’t go anywhere throughout the day. All in all, it’s a standout when it comes to oil control.
Shades: 3 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.36 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
Best Radiant Finish
Rare Beauty Always an Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder
Sephora
View On Amazon
$35
View On Sephora
$25
View On Kohls.com
$25
Our Ratings
Pros
Its glowy finish never made us look oily or too shiny
It made our makeup last all day long
There’s a variety of shade options, which is great for several skin tones
Cons
The formula was a little cakey upon first application
The “Always an Optimist” setting powder from Rare Beauty stayed true to the brand’s message of letting your inner light shine through — without excess oil, of course. We liked the compatibility of this product with a variety of skin types and textures and how weightless it felt, despite the fact that we did experience a bit of a cake-y application at first (but after a bit of buffing with a fluffy brush, the excess powder was removed). It worked beautifully with all of our skin types, from oily to combination, controlling our shine but allowing a softly-focused glow.
We noticed that this powder wasn’t necessarily as fine as some of the others, but this didn’t seem to hinder its performance. The final result after both swiping it on with a brush and baking it under our eyes was seamless and blurred, refining our pores and making our skin look filtered in real life. If you’re a Rare Beauty fan, this one is a must.
How it’s held up:
We particularly loved wearing this setting powder with the Always an Optimist 4-in-1 Prime and Set Mist (coincidentally the best-scoring setting spray that we tested in our lab), which kept our looks fresh and in place all day long. There was never a cake-y spot, settled line, or creased under-eye when we blended in this powder, scoring it a cemented spot in our makeup stashes.
Shades: 5 | Finish: Radiant/natural | Coverage: Light | Size: 0.33 oz.
People / Tamara Staples
People / Leticia Almeida
People / Leticia Almeida
After a week of wearing them for a couple days each, I realized that it was a close call when it came to oil control. To find out which reigned superior, I used them side by side to better gauge how well they controlled my sebum. I first compared the Bench powder (right side of my face/left side of the screen) versus the Johnson's powder.
Around hour three, I had lost the initial white cast for both sides but more shine was visible on my left cheeks, which was the Johnson’s side. I was uncomfortably oily by hour six on my T-zone area, and I noticed that my foundation was beginning to cake and break apart, especially on the left side of my nose. It didn't stop me from getting oily but Bench performed better for this round.