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Best Setting Powder
What's the Best Setting Powder that you've tried?
I love Guerlain’s Les Voilettes and Urban Decay Naked Loose! They both blur pores and keep makeup on well.
— Christine
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Besame brightening violet powder, I think it’s ~technically a finishing powder but I use it as my setting powder. I also love MAC Maleficent beauty powder.
I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t realize setting powder and finishing powder were two different things. I had to Google what the difference was. I’m always learning something new here. 🙂
Me either! Now I know and like you, I googled it!
Me either!
Yeah I never even knew they existed until a friend explained it to me. I only started wearing liquid foundation (and only cc cream at that, not even full coverage) a year ago so I’d never had to deal with it. I use the Besame as my setting powder and Guerlain Meteorites as my finishing powder.
Shiseido’s translucent loose powder! It’s so so incredibly fine, but not powdery or sneeze inducing. It controls shine (my sunscreen otherwise makes my forehead shiny) but also doesn’t go on cakey or make my dry skin flaky. It’s absolutely impossible to overdo. LOVE this stuff.
Urban Decay’s Pressed Powder because it controls oil (I don’t blot throughout the day) and sets my liquid foundation beautifully.
Cover fx illuminating setting powder in light. It’s good health in a jar.
For setting concealer, the Laura Mercier. Translucent Setting Powder. For the overall face, the MAC Natural MSF in Deep Dark or the Mary Kay Translucent Loose Powder.
And I’m gonna have to try out this Urban Decay Naked Loose. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard you rave about it. I wonder if they make a shade deep enough for me!? Hmm…*Googles*
For loose powder, I love NYC Smooth Skin Loose Powder in transparent. It’s the only loose powder that I find extremely easy (and not messy) to use. For pressed powder, I always end up going back to Rimmel’s Stay Matte powder. It allows you to use the lightest undetectable layer but still mattifies noticeably. I have purchased 3 of these, in translucent and various shades. The shade range is very small, but there is very little coverage, so if it’s not a perfect shade match, it’s not very noticeable.
I combined the NYC Smooth Skin Loose powder and the e.l.f.Studio high definition powder in translucent together and made my perfect powder. I liked them apart but together they made something magical. 🙂
This depends SO much on your skin type, but for me – a super shiny faced gal – it is hands down the NYX HD Finishing Powder.
Oooh this is something I need to try then! I am an oil slick year round, even through arctic winters, and I only recently learned the difference between a setting powder and a finishing powder, and how neither can be replaced with a powder foundation ?
You really do! I hope you’ll love it just as much as I do, it’s a life saver for me. It’s the only setting powder that truly keeps my skin matte. And that’s saying something… If you’re interested, my latest YouTube video is about my favorite setting and finishing powders.
I do have drier skin, so I don’t need anything super absorbant, so I’m perfectly happy with the WnW/Fergie Take On The Day Mattifying Powder. It’s talc-free, and doesn’t make my skin look “flat”. There are many similar products on the market, that work exactly the same, but the fact this one is under $5, it’s the one I’d personally choose.
It’s crazy that wet n wild powder is talc free and powder by givenchy has talc in it. Smh with that fifty dollar price difference.
I use MAC natural skin finish on my face and NYX banana powder under my eyes.
This powder caused me horrible flashback in photos. Thats my biggest issue with powders though. It feels soft and silky. But it also enchances dryness on dehydrated skin.
Laura Mercier loose setting powder
BareMinerals Mineral Veil in Translucent. I also love e.l.f. Studio HD Powder and City Color HD Powder. The e.l.f. and City Color are both dupes of MUFE HD Powder, but without the scent.
I should have said my skin color and type: Very fair with neutral undertones, usually oily, though I go through stretches of having combination skin (with a VERY oily T-zone). My hormones cause variation to my skin type.
Essence Stay Matte pressed powder. If I feel like loose powder it’s a toss-up between Ben Nye Banana Powder and IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores.
It Cosmetics bye bye pores pressed is great
I also use the NYX HD Finishing Powder, but I’m dry skinned so I normally only use it for setting my under-eye area, at which it is amazing!
I’m dry-combo sensitive skin, fair/light warm undertones.
I’ve used Ben Nye’s banana powder! it’s actually pretty great for setting concealer and foundation.
La Mer Translucent loose is the absolute BEST I’ve ever tried. L’Oreal Translucide was the best, but L’Oreal discontinued it and I just finished my last jar 🙁 So off I go to Saks this weekend to buy myself a jar of the beautiful La Mer fairy dust. It IS magical stuff!
Nars Light Reflecting Powder: light and nearly invisible, never cakey and not drying at all for my dry and sensitive skin
I LOVE Innisfree No Sebum Mineral Powder. It’s a Korean beauty product that knocked my previous trials out of the park. I have medium/ deep (NC50/ NW45) combination skin. I use a tiny amount of this translucent powder and I’m straight. It blurs and imperfection, controls shine, and my makeup stays put. My only gripe is that too much will leave a white cast over my skin and I only have access to it online (or if I head into NY.)
First let me say, BooBooNinja…what an awesome name! Lol
My faves are…
♥ Youngblood Loose Mineral Rice Setting Powder in Dark:
• It has the right amount of yellow for dark to medium-deep (NC43-NC45) golden/yellow undertone individuals (unlike Ben Nye’s Banana Powder which is a touch too pale). You get the color you need, without looking ashy.
• It does a great job at holding my makeup and oily skin at bay.
• My go-to daytime setting powder.
♥ Dermablend Loose Setting Powder in Warm Saffron:
• This is a setting powder that means business! It’s great to use when you’re going out for Date Night, Girls’ Night, etc., because it can take handle the partying. It does not move! The powder is a little too heavy for daytime, because it is quite pigmented. However, it photographs like a dream.
• It’s a very, very warm yellow setting powder. It’s great for NC45s during the summer, when you have a tan; OK only as a contour setting powder during the other three season. Shades between NC50-NC55 (and maybe some NW43-NW47) can rock this all year round. Tawny skin tone individuals will love this!
The two I use the most are Bourjois’ Healthy Balance Powder and the Too Faced Primed and Poreless Pressed Powder. I usually use the Too Faced one when I’m already wearing a fuller coverage foundation as I don’t need to add any coverage with it, and use the Bourjois one with more light coverage foundations. I also tend to use the Too Faced one with BB creams as I’m not going for much coverage when I use them. The Too Faced one is a good all-around workhorse, but if I had to pick one I’d always go for Bourjois. They’re just soooo good, more affordable, and the compact is perfect for on-the-go touch-ups as it’s really slim but has a huge mirror.
I love the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. It works really well with my skin and is very inexpensive!
For setting powder, I have been favoring MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural. For a finishing powder, however, I prefer Guerlain Meteorites.
Skin tone – very fair, porcelain, pink undertones
I think I need some setting powder – I have been using the Gade cosmetics one and it’s OK.
But I think I will try the NYX or Rimmel range suggested above.
I am very fair with pink undertones and I use Rimmel translucent. I really like it. It gives a smooth look and helps the foundation even out my pink.
It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores loose and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in light are both really nice.
i loooove the physicians formula mineral wear powder
I only use Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in these three years and don’t have a plan to change it yet!
Nyx HD Finishing Powder is fantastic! Holds everything in place and it’s smooth and non-gritty, too. Makes my pores so much less noticeable, which is a feat in itself!
Makeup Forever HD Microfinish Powder is the absolute BEST. The only finishing powder I will drop $36 on. It’s a loose powder, but it’s not messy, doesn’t leave your face looking white, and seems to soak into the skin and keeps the shine off literally all day. Works best with MUFE HD Foundation. I don’t even have to re-apply. I have tried A TON of finishing powders (looking for a cheaper one that I don’t have to re-apply all the time) and I always end up re-applying all of them halfway through the day. The e.l.f. dupe for this powder is waaaayyyy too powdery (talk about sneezing) and makes your face white 🙁
I luuurve what MSF Natural does to my skin, it makes it look so polished and fresh. Does not look cakey on my dry skin and evens out my skin tone a bit more, since I usually use sheerer foundations. Perfection! I guess that would be my ultimate setting powder. So good – I’m very reluctant to try something else. I buff it in with Sephora mineral powder brush and they work so well together 🙂
That said, MAC Mineralize foundation loose also does a great job, it provides great coverage, smooth, distributes evenly. Great one to try, but keep in mind that it has micro-sparkles in it, which is not everyone’s cup of tea.
NARS light reflecting compact is beautiful, provides veil-like finish, photographs great but, considering the amount you get, a bit too expensive for what it does IMHO. Also, tried it to set my NARS creamy concealer under my eyes, left my under eye area a bit dry (maybe s\o can suggest a technique to apply it properly?) Still, will get the loose version when I”m done with the compact, cause it’s just too good, but the amount you get in the compact is too small.
It has to be Chanel Les Beiges because it’s so lightweight and skin perfecting. You don’t see any traces of powder and it mattifies enough for normal to oily skin types.
I have very dry skin so I don’t really use a lot of powders. I like Ben Nye banana powder for under my eyes, MAC MSF Natural or Studio Careblend is usually what I wear on my face when needed. I’ve tried white/translucent powders like MAC P&P and MUFE but they flash back terribly. I might have to give the UD Naked powder a go, I love the foundation so hopefully I’ll like the powder too.
If I want to reclaim some of the translucent look of my skin, hands down it’s my Purely Cosmetics Diamond Perfect Finish Powder. I still need to mist it with a liquid whether it’s a setting spray of something like Fix+ but it really brings the life back into full coverage foundation.
Being so fair my skin is very translucent which is why I don’t notice any skin texture until I put foundation over it. lol
I like the urban decay naked loose powder, but you have to order it online now because they don’t have it in stores anymore. I also really like the Nars light reflecting loose powder.
The Nars translucent crystal powder (pressed) is so great at setting my face and blurring any pores or fine lines that I haven’t had to try anything else. It’s just amazing and so easy to apply. Love it, love it.
Guerlain’s Les Voilettes and NARS Reflecting powder – both loose and pressed. I loved the loose, so bought pressed too as its easier for travel. But found the pressed one to be a bit stiffer. SO wasn’t using it much. Then one day I decided to use NARS Yachiyo brush with the pressed powder. The stiff bristles of Yachiyo pick up the product so well. End result, I love the the pressed version now and haven’t been using the loose one as often!
I have a Becca loose powder that’s been discontinued so i’m looking for another one and this comment thread is a goldmine! The Becca one is a dry formula which I love, but I desperately need an alternative…
My skin is dry so I don’t usually need a setting powder, but the IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores loose powder and RMS Beauty Unpowder are quite nice. Usually I don’t use setting powder and just dust a bit of illuminating finishing powder (one of the Hourglass ones) under the eyes and to highlight cheeks.
I just recently (in the past month) got the UD Naked Loose, and it’s a revelation. I have ridiculously oily skin and rosacea, and the combination of Too Faced Born This Way and the UD powder has completely changed my appearance. I still need to blot once or twice during the day, but my foundation doesn’t shift into my pores at all (let alone an hour into the day like it used to, leaving me with looking like a red canvas with beige polka dots).
Full, disclosure: I’ve only ever used drugstore brands for powder before this because I couldn’t convince myself that it made a difference with something like powder, but oh boy does it! I used to powder so much that my face looked dead flat in a very unattractive way (by noon), but the UD makes me matte without the mask effect. And when I get shiny, I use the pressed version and it looks … natural!
I sound like an ad, but I’m so happy about what these two products have done that I was in tears the first time I “put my face on” with them. Problem is, now I’m so jazzed about the UD that I’m tempted to try other powders as well, like the Shiseido or Too Faced Primed and Poreless (especially after my experience with Born This Way).