It’s been a minute since anyone was talking about powder. The needle on beauty’s hype-meter has been hovering somewhere between fresh, dewy and glowing skin or the pretty flush of a rosy blush.
Face powder has mostly been left behind as modern skincare and makeup formulations get better at helping balance our skin, in particular the natural oils we produce through the day and night.
But there are still occasions when we need a touch-up, or the assurance and longevity only a dusting of powder can provide.
The good news is that formulators in cosmetics labs everywhere have been re-inventing the stuff that used to leave skin smooth and matte but more often than not, also dry and chalky. The results? New-gen setting powders that finish makeup and provide an unbelievably flawless finish, and thanks to innovative new ingredients, you won’t have to forgo the pursuit of lush, healthy real-looking skin.
In recent months there’s been an influx of new options that quickly remove shine but don’t leave visible residue behind.
New iterations either focus on delivering a flattering, blurring, soft-focus veil that helps to minimise fine lines (unlike predecessors that had the tendency to settle in and amplify them) or weightless particles that set makeup in place without the feeling of additional product building up.
There’s also no longer the need to choose between matte or radiance if you don’t want to, instead, working with modern skin finishing products that walk the line between.
Too Faced Born This Way Soft Blur Setting Powder
The latest arrival, Too Faced is a brand that has always been synonymous with full-face, flawless looking makeup so the brand knows its way around pigments. This one is good if you find loose powders too fussy. The silky smooth powder comes in four shades and sweeps over skin so beautifully you definitely can’t feel it sitting on skin and it works well over time too.
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder
Hourglass is another brand that became famous for its powder products – see their Ambient Lighting powder below. This stunning compact holds their latest product that is a talc-free, sheer pressed powder used to set makeup in place and absorbs excess oil. It also has a lovely blurring effect which helps take the spotlight off pesky open pores. We appreciate the included mirror and puff which means you can touch-up on-the-go.
Elizabeth Arden Pressed Powder
Phyto Squalane to plump and moisturise, Vitamins C & E to visibly brighten and Tea Rose floral extract to protect skin. Sounds like a serum doesn’t it? It’s simply the level of skincare Elizabeth Arden is now putting into its makeup launches, and we love that this finishing powder is no different! It does a great job of adding a touch of colour and setting skin.
Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Hyper Powder
Did we include this one just for the fabulous packaging? We may be a little guilty of that, but it does a beautiful job too. You can use this over makeup or simply to take the shine off bare skin.
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder
Arguably the best setting powder we’ve ever tried, this instantly blots and sets makeup, removing shine without leaving any visible trace behind. Available in four shades, it’s perfect to dust all over the face, or target apply. This means applying just in areas that tend to show shine or where makeup creases, like the forehead, between the eyebrows, on either side of the nose, above the lip, and on the chin. This maintains a beautiful glow in the right areas, and keeps the ‘hot-spots’ nice and matte. The palette is refillable, too.
Jane Iredale Amazing Matte Loose Finish Powder
Jane Iredale’s impressive lineup of clean mineral powders do double duty as foundation and powder and are quick as a flash to apply, but if you’re wearing a liquid foundation and just want to add a little security to keep things flawless, add a touch of this loose powder. It uses rice powder to absorb oil and eliminate shine but wont dull down your complexion too much, or look cakey.
Shiseido Synchro Skin Invisible Silk Loose Powder
Shiseido is a brand that puts its incredible formulation research and development might to good use. The result is cosmetics and skincare that combines great performance with unique textures and modern ingredients. Here that means an ultra-finely milled, weightless face powder that sets foundation and minimises shine and also contains nourishing skincare ingredients that leave skin in better shape than before.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
This famous powder works a little differently to our other options, but is a worthy contender for the ethereal finish it gives skin. Coming in six shades, it creates a beautiful soft focus, filtered look to skin, as if it is constantly bathed in flattering light. It minimises imperfections, pores and wrinkles, blurring their appearance for a flawless, luminous complexion.
Lancôme Loose Setting Translucent Powder
Almost imperceptible once applied, this translucent powder controls excess shine without being drying or looking chalky. Lightweight and easy to use a tiny amount, this quickly becomes a reliable must-have in any makeup lovers collection. The generous amount in the pot means you get value from the initially steep price tag too.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
There’s a reason this iconic powder remains a best-seller well over a decade since it launched. It just works. Beloved by professionals, including those working on celebrities and presenters that need their makeup to remain flawless for hours, this formula looks great in photos and feels weightless on skin. It works well on oily complexions and doesn’t go patchy or catch on drier areas. The matte finish looks natural, rather than flat as a pancake, and comes in four sheer shades.
The newest version, Translucent Loose Setting Powder Ultra Blur Tone Up (above right) has pretty, brightening, peachy-pink pigments to instantly enliven the complexion.
