The best setting powder can look and feel very different depending on your skin type. As someone with combination skin (think: a mix of glazed-donut shine at the T-zone) finding a formula that controls excess oil without dulling radiance has taken the better part of a decade. If I’m going to spend my precious time applying makeup, three beauty products are non-negotiable to keep my look long-lasting: a primer to prep the canvas, a face powder to lock in creams and liquids, and a setting spray to finish and seal everything into place. Somehow, all of that still has to manage to feel remarkably weightless.
Vogue’s Favorite Setting Powders
.jpg)
Far from the ultra-heavy and mattifying formulas of the 2010s, today’s formulations are more refined and strategic. The newest powders don’t simply keep makeup in place—many make the skin look smoother, veil breakouts, minimize shine, and blur texture, without looking unnatural. Ahead, explore the best setting powder formulas we trust to elevate any look—no matter your finish preference or skin type—beloved by Vogue beauty editors and pro makeup artists, alike.
In This Story
- What is setting powder?
- What to Look for in a Setting Powder
- What is better: loose or pressed setting powder?
- How to Apply Setting Powder
- Should you apply setting powder with a brush, sponge, or puff?
- Is translucent powder the same as setting powder?
- How We Tested
- Meet The Experts
Best Skincare-Makeup Hybrid: Westman Atelier Vital Pressed Skin Care Powder
- Why We Love It: It’s to be expected that celebrity makeup artist Gucci Westman would create an amazing setting powder—one that creates a dreamy, skin-like finish without settling into skin texture, fine lines, or wrinkles. Enter Vital Pressed Skin Care Powder. “It absorbs excessive oil but maintains a natural lucency without being too shiny,” Westman tells Vogue. “It takes away the unwanted shine and leaves a beautiful, soft velvet veil on your skin. It’s like a whisper of something that erases the issues.”
- Editor’s Note: “Whenever I want to wear powder but don’t want to look like I’m wearing powder, I reach for this option by Westman Atelier—often its translucent shade but sometimes a skin-tone hue (shade Dune for me), to achieve my no-makeup makeup look. What’s more, this is packed with vitamin C, probiotics, and quinoa seed extract to condition skin with each use.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty writer
- Key Ingredients: Quinoa seed extract, vitamin C, probiotic, zinc, Mica, jojoba seed oil, cocoa seed extract
- Finish: Natural
- Type: Pressed powder
- Shades: 5
- Size: 0.17 oz / 5 g
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Non-comedogenic, and clean formula | A pricier pick |
| Skincare-makeup hybrid |
Best Classic: Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
- Why We Love It: The words “setting powder” likely calls to mind images of Laura Mercier’s famed tub. For years, makeup enthusiasts have relied on a dusting of this featherweight loose powder to lock any makeup look in place sans heavy wear. For pro makeup artist Brielle Pollara, this has been a staple in her kit for years. “This powder has that beautiful, finely milled texture that melts into the skin and becomes completely translucent once blended,” she says. “It’s formulated with ingredients that help absorb oil and control shine, giving a soft matte finish that blurs pores and sets makeup seamlessly. It’s truly a cult-classic for a reason, with it always being reliable, lightweight, and perfect for locking in a flawless look all day.” Whether it’s for a long day on set or a night out, Pollara assures that this pick keeps your makeup in place.
- Editor’s Note: “Laura Mercier’s setting powder is one of those ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ makeup classics—it was my entry point into the settings powder category. It’s eternally reliable. Firstly it’s non-cakey thanks to the finely milled pigments. Secondly, there’s never any unsightly flashback in photos. Rest assured, your makeup will be set in place, maintaining a luminous finish after swiping it on.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Talc, magnesium myristate, amino acids, tocopherol
- Finish: Matte
- Type: Loose powder
- Shades: 3
- Size: 1 oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Finely milled powder feels light as air | Not a talc-free pick |
| Long-wearing formula |
Best Glowy: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder
- Why We Love It: A glow isn’t the first thing you’d usually associate with powder, but Chanel has somehow created a formula that reduces shine while retaining radiance. Natural-looking, flattering, and best for when you need to add a subtle hint of warmth to a pale complexion. That said, it’s an excellent choice to dust along the entire face with the featured brush or with something bigger and fluffier like Chanel’s kabuki brush to impart a natural, skin-like finish worth forgoing foundation.
- Key Ingredients: Silica, shea butter, jasmine stem extract, jasmine flower extract
- Shades: 14
- Finish: Satin
- Type: Pressed powder
- Size: 0.4 oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Wide shade range | Not fragrance- or talc-free |
| Lightweight feel |
Best Baked Powder: Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder
- Why We Love It: “Angel skin” is how Kosas describes its powder and we couldn’t agree more. A host of conditioning skin-care ingredients are whipped into a finely-milled pressed powder that instantly removes surface oils from the skin without cakiness or heaviness. Pollara notes that clients with sensitive skin should consider Kosas’s option, thanks to it’s 100% clean formula. “This is a baked powder, which gives the skin a natural, dewy finish rather than a matte one,” she says. “I reach for this when I want a soft, blurred effect that still keeps the complexion looking fresh and hydrated.” The result imparts a polished and smooth look—perfect for light glam.
- Editor’s Experience: “If Kosas Cloud Set has no fans, I’m dead. It was the first pressed formula that made me fall in love with setting powder all over again. Initially, I was intrigued by its composition of bamboo stem, passionfruit leaf, and peony extracts (which help refine the look of pores and reduce shine) built into ten diverse shades, but I continued using it because it gives me a naturally blurred look with literally one sweeping of product. I have one sitting on my vanity to quickly use each day before running into the office.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty writer
- Key Ingredients: Mica, silica, jojoba seed oil, glycerin, candelilla wax, sunflower seed oil, grape seed extract
- Shades: 10
- Finish: Natural
- Type: Baked powder
- Size: 0.33 oz/ 9.5 g
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Clean, talc-free, and hypoallergenic formula | Some find that it’s not the most long-wearing option |
| Natural finish |
Best Soft Focus: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
- Why We Love It: Buttery soft and super smooth, Charlotte Tilbury’s powder is made with rose wax and almond oil which effortlessly glide onto skin. For pro makeup artist Lauren D’Amelio Ventre, this powder never leaves her kit. “It delivers that soft-focus, airbrushed effect without ever looking heavy or flat. The micro-milled powder blends with pearlescent pigments to blur pores and fine lines while keeping the skin luminous, it’s the perfect ‘real skin,’” D’Amelio Ventre tells Vogue. “I especially love that it contains rose wax and almond oil, which keep the complexion from ever looking dry, even under studio lights.”
- Editor’s Experience: “This setting powder is a must in my office makeup bag. I often get ready for events and parties after work so this is essential to get camera-ready. It blurs and quells excess shine like no other without disrupting creams and liquids beneath.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty writer
- Key Ingredients: Talc, mica, dimethicone, corn starch, tocopherol, sweet almond oil
- Shades: 4
- Finish: Soft-focus matte
- Type: Pressed powder
- Size: 0.28 oz / 8 g
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Full coverage powder | Not widest shade-specific range |
| Blurring and mattifying |
Best Color Correcting: Givenchy Prisme Libre Finishing Setting Powder
- Why We Love It: Givenchy’s brightening powder features a chic quad of pigments—all of which work together to blur texture, control oil, and color correct the complexion. “Each of the four loose powder shades inside plays a role in balancing tone—for example, lavender brightens, green neutralizes redness, pink revives dullness, and blue adds light,” says D’Amelio Ventre. “The effect is subtle yet transformative. It sets makeup beautifully while adding a soft radiance that reads as healthy, not shiny.” Coming in six shades for every skin tone, each houses four hues of velvety powder that set and brighten for a luxurious, luminous finish.
- Editor’s Note: “I’m not going to lie, I was intimidated by this Givenchy powder at first glance. Fortunately, makeup artist Etienne Ortega (the pro behind some of Christina Aguilera, Demi Lovato, and Ryan Destiny’s best looks) was able to give me a quick masterclass, alleviating my worries in an instant. Generally speaking, the idea here is to mix all four powder colors together to create a hue perfect for your skin tone. Or, of course, you can apply one shade at a time if you’d like. This level of customization is rare in the setting powder world!” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty writer
- Key Ingredients: Kaolin, silica, tocopherol acetate, glycerin
- Shades: Six
- Finish: Radiant
- Type: Loose powder
- Size: 12g
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Four distinct powders provide subtle color correction | Can be messy to apply as you have to mix the powder shades |
| Imparts a blurred and radiant finish |
Best Airbrushed: Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder
- Why We Love It: Since launching in 2024, Hourglass’s sleek pressed powder is the perfect companion for your purse, coming in a chic compact that’s complete with a blotting sponge. A typically refined offering from the brand best known for its stellar complexion products, this powder comes in five translucent shades to suit all skin tones. As for its oil control, it manages to mattify without leaving an unnatural finish and is a great choice for quick touch-ups throughout the day.
- Editor’s Experience: “The Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder does not leave my purse. I was initially drawn to the sleek compact, though quickly realized it is exceptional for on-the-go touch-ups. A few quick presses of the powder with the featured sponge instantly transforms the look—as if you just emerged from the makeup chair versus been out and about for hours.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty writer
- Key Ingredients: Mica, silica, allantoin, tocopherol
- Finish: Soft-focus matte
- Shades: 5
- Type: Pressed powder
- Size: 0.37 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Paraben, phthalate, sulfate, synthetic, fragrance, and talc-free | Some dryer skin types found it clung to textured patches |
| Blurring, and airbrushed finish | |
| Easy for touch-ups |
Best for Oily Skin: Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder
- Why We Love It: Consider this a must-have for midday makeup meltdowns. It’s a staple in pro makeup artist El DeBratto’s kit, for it’s talc-free formula and invisible finish. Housed in a sleek mirrored compact that’s easily stashed in your purse, Fenty’s powder takes down shine instantly. Bonus points for the handy blotting sponge and sustainable case, which you can buy refills for once you hit the pan.
- Editor’s Note: “I do not travel without Fenty’s Invisimatte powder. Because it’s translucent, I can control oil and shine across my entire face without worry that the color will not match—setting the under-eye, blotting my T-zone, or setting my bronzer in place are all fair game here. Plus, there’s never any flashback—important for taking pictures on my digital camera.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty writer
- Key Ingredients: Calcium carbonate, magnesium myristate, squalane, mica, coconut acid, sodium hyaluronate
- Finish: Matte
- Shades: One
- Type: Pressed powder
- Size: 8.5 g / 0.3 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Universal, sheer shade | If the sponge isn’t cleaned, application can become cakey |
| Blurring and mattifying finish | |
| Travel-friendly |
Best Affordable: Morphe Bake Set Soft-Focus Setting Powder
.jpg)
- Why We Love It: An excellent choice for setting your makeup without straining your budget, Morphe’s powder works just as well as its pricier counterparts. Calling on mica, silicones and dimethicone polymers, it fixes makeup in place for up to 16 hours, creating a barrier that doesn’t budge even when oils start to seep through. There are four flashback-free shades in the range, including a brightening pink that’s a game-changer for correcting dark circles on fair skin tones.
- Key Ingredients: Mica, silica, boron nitride, dimethicone crosspolymer, tocopheryl acetate
- Finish: Matte
- Shades: 5
- Type: Loose powder
- Size: 9 g / 0.31 Oz.
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Talc-free formula | Might be too mattifying for some |
| Affordable and long-wearing pick |
Best for Baking: Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking Setting Powder
- Why We Love It: If there’s one thing we know for sure, this setting powder will lock your look in for hours. Seriously, there’s a reason why its a TikTok viral favorite. The formula blends vitamin E and rice starch powder into a micronized powder available in nine flesh-toned and brightening hues that bakes, sets, and blurs the skin in one fell swoop.
- Editor’s Note: “It’s true, I’m a big fan of Huda Beauty in general, but mainly because all the products are built for endurance. The setting powder is particularly good for baking—a generous application under the eyes and cheekbones, instantly brightens and sculpts the face. Plus, the flawless shine-free finish that stays the course. Though, if you’re not a fan of baking, it works just well with a lighter, dusting application.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Talc, silica, dimethicone, rice starch, tocopherol
- Finish: Soft-focus matte
- Shades: 9
- Type: Loose powder
- Size: .71 oz / 20 g
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Long-wearing, and mattifying | Not talc-free |
| Blurs enlarged pores, brightens, and sculpts |
Everything You Need to Know
What is setting powder?
“Setting powder is designed to absorb oil,” celebrity makeup artist Fiona Stiles tells Vogue. “Most foundations are quite emollient and you may want to create a satin or matte finish on areas of the face, or if you have oily skin you may want to apply a light dusting all over. It also sets your makeup, ensuring it lasts longer.” That says, all of our experts count it as a makeup bag essential for daily wear to red carpets.
What to Look for in a Setting Powder
Before choosing a best setting powder, it helps to understand what you’re actually looking for. From texture to finish, the right formula depends on how you prefer your skin to look—softly blurred, fully matte, or simply shine-free. Below, the experts break down the key distinctions to keep in mind as you shop.
- Type: Pressed and loose are the two types of setting powders to consider. “I like finely milled loose powders that when applied disappear into the skin,” celebrity makeup artist Allan Avendaño tells Vogue. “Pressed powders can be used with a brush and applied like a loose powder but for touch up, pressed powders are most convenient with a puff to dab powder on the skin in the areas you desire.”
- Finish: “There are so many options for finishing powder so its great to work out what you want to achieve from your powder,” pro makeup artist Amber Dreadon tells Vogue. “Is it just to remove shine? Then a translucent powder is a great option. Do you want some added coverage? Look for a powder that will match your skin tone. Does your skin need a little brightening? I love the Givenchy Prisme Libre loose powders.”
What is better: loose or pressed setting powder?
There’s no right answer to whether loose or pressed powders are better—it all depends on personal preference. Pro makeup artist India Excell prefers to use both interchangeably. “I opt for loose powder when wanting a more natural finish,” she tells Vogue. “However, I wear pressed powder in the evenings when going out, usually on areas 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.”
How to Apply Setting Powder
Applying setting powder without looking cakey is actually quite simple. Westman recommends her label’s fluffy brush—swirling it around the compact, then tapping off the excess. “The areas that I would lightly dust over are forehead, nasal labial, and a little bit under the eye,” she says. “You can actually apply all over as it allows you to maintain radiance on the cheek without being powdery,” adding that extends the wear of her makeup. “It allows me to know with certainty and reassurance that my makeup will last even longer especially in humid conditions.”
Depending on which type of setting powder you use, Excell recommends switching up the size of your fluffy makeup brush to perfect application. She opts for a larger brush for loose powder and then a smaller brush for pressed powders to enable more precision.
Should you apply setting powder with a brush, sponge, or puff?
There is no right or wrong way to apply setting powder, but the tool you use will certainly impact how it sits on your face. “By dipping a puff into a loose or pressed powder, you’re going to pick up much more powder than if you use a loose, or even pressed, powder with a brush which will more evenly distribute the product,” Stiles explains. She prefers a fluffy brush, and Westman agrees. “It’s a preference but for me sponges and puffs tend to move makeup underneath and I rely on layering, color composition and placement," Westman says. "I don’t want to disrupt what I have already created.”
Is translucent powder the same as setting powder?
Generally speaking, translucent powder is a type of setting powder. Translucent powders will simply go on colorless. “Both products will set complexion products but the difference is that translucent powder will only set what is under it and wont add any extra coverage,” says Dreadon.
How We Tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—professional makeup artists, many of whom have celebrity clientele—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to setting powders, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, texture, finish, wear time, and shades. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet The Experts
- Allan Avendaño is a celebrity makeup artist who often works with Rachel Zegler, Isabela Merced, and Joey King.
- Lauren D’Amelio Ventre is a celebrity makeup artist, beauty educator, and founder of The Art of Enhancement, D’Amelio Cosmetics, and La Ve Da Beauty.
- Amber Dreadon is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Lorde, Emily Bader, and Taylor Tomlinson.
- India Excell is a London-based pro makeup artist who has worked with celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, Lila Moss, and Camille Charriere.
- artistry at MAC Cosmetics.
- Brielle Pollara is a professional makeup artist and licensed esthetician based between New York and New Jersey.
- Fiona Stiles is a celebrity makeup artist whose clientele includes Gabrielle Union, Ashley Park, and Lily Collins.
- Gucci Westman is a New York-based beauty director, celebrity makeup artist to stars like Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Aniston, and founder of Westman Atelier.
