Our guide to giving your makeup serious staying power
Whether you want to airbrush your under-eyes or achieve soft-focus mannequin skin, the latest setting powders really deliver. Today’s formulas hit the sweet spot between matte and glow, beautifully enhancing makeup and helping your complexion appear softly filtered and flawless, without settling into pores or fine lines.
What is a setting powder?
Setting powder is a finely milled powder applied to lock liquid and cream makeup in place, control excess oil and reduce shine for a long-lasting finish. This key step makes sure all the work that has been applied to putting on your makeup hasn’t been in vain; with a setting powder, it’s not going to smudge or disappear.
Best overall: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Blur Loose Powder
Infused with nourishing rose wax and almond oil, Charlotte Tilbury’s finely milled powder blurs pores and fine lines for a complexion-enhancing finish – with bonus eco points as it’s now refillable.
Best for oil control: Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Setting and Finishing Powder
An ultra-fine 4-colour micronised powder from Givenchy that delivers a long-lasting yet breathable matte finish. With a subtle blurring effect, it’s like applying an instant beauty filter for your skin.
Best luxury: CHANEL Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder
CHANEL’s loose powder is ultra lightweight with an airy texture that mattifies skin without accentuating lines, effortlessly enhancing the complexion with a sheer finish that really lasts.
Best for glow: Guerlain Météorites Light-Revealing Pearls Of Powder
First launched in 1987, Guerlain’s Météorites – a clever mix of matte and pearlescent powder pearls – come in four different shades, each of which set, mattify and, above all, illuminate the complexion with a subtle hue.
Best affordable: Sculpted By Aimee Velvet Veil™ Loose Setting Powder
Super-charged with centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, Sculpted By Aimee’s translucent loose powder is packed with skin-blurring microparticles to create a flawless finish – or Velvet Veil™.
Best pressed: Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Instant Setting & Blotting Powder
In one universal shade for all skin tones, Fenty Beauty’s clever mattifier blurs the look of pores, absorbs shine and extends makeup wear all day with zero cakiness. All that and it’s refillable.
Best for dry skin: BY TERRY 8HA Hyaluronic Pressed Hydra-Powder
A skincare-first pressed setting powder containing eight types of hyaluronic acid, BY TERRY’s translucent fixer is non-drying and instantly mattifying, yet still maintains the skin’s natural radiance.
Best for mature skin: bareMinerals MINERAL VEIL Setting Powder
Super lightweight to avoid any settling in fine lines, bareMinerals’ vegan wonder blends effortlessly to absorb oil, even tone and reveal your skin – but better. Choose from translucent or tinted.
Best for under eyes: Laura Mercier Under Eye Setting Powder
Specially designed for the delicate under-eye area, Laura Mercier’s airy powder is infused with light-reflecting pearls to brighten darkness and extend concealer, offering an instant eye-awakening effect.
Best for brightening: Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Hyper Blur Loose Powder
The new couture loose powder from Yves Saint Laurent brightens as it refines and blurs, lending skin a seamless, soft-matte finish. Available in four micro-pigment tones, including the cult favourite: pink.
Setting powder FAQs:
What is the difference between setting powder and finishing powder?
Setting powder locks your liquid and cream makeup in place to ensure they last, while a finishing powder is applied at the very end to blur imperfections and give your skin a smooth, filtered look.
How and when should I apply setting powder?
You should apply setting powder after your liquid and cream products (such as concealer or foundation) while they are still slightly damp, and before using any setting spray. Instead of applying with a brush, try a triangular velvet powder puff to help powder lock in your base then, if you wish, finish your routine with a setting spray.
How is pink powder different from light or translucent setting powders?
While translucent and light powders can be used to set makeup while refining your natural skin tone – or letting it shine through – a brightening pink powder can be used to counteract dark circles or smooth uneven skin tone more effectively.
