The Best Makeup Setting Powders

The Best Makeup Setting Powders

If you enjoy putting the time and effort into doing your makeup, you want to make sure it stays put all day. That's where the perfect setting powder comes in. Makeup aficionados know that adding this versatile product to your daily makeup routine to help diminish oil, keep your makeup in place, and give you that all-day glow. Explore our top-performing favorites to find the one that best suits your style and your skin.

Dermablend Loose Setting Powder

All-Day Finish

This translucent powder is smudge- and transfer-resistant to keep your makeup looking amazing.
Best Overall

Find on Amazon

With three different shades to help you best match your skin tone, this mattifying setting powder from Dermablend helps eliminate shine. The dermatologist-tested product absorbs excess oil, making it the perfect finishing touch to your makeup routine or for baking face makeup. It’s fragrance-free for those with sensitive skin and cruelty-free for a product you can feel good about using every day.

Pros:

  • Mattifying finish absorbs excess oil, keeping your skin from getting shiny
  • Non-comedogenic, allergy tested, and free of fragrance, SLS, triclosan, and phthalates
  • Available in three different shades for a range of skin tones

Cons:

  • Comes with an applicator pad instead of a brush
  • The translucent powder may create a white cast on some skin tones

Sacha Buttercup Setting Powder

Oil-Free All Day

This finely-milled powder stays put from morning 'til night.
Best for Medium to Dark Skin

Find on Amazon

Designed to help you avoid a white cast or ashy look in bright light, this setting powder from Sacha Cosmetics enables you to keep your makeup looking like new all day. The finely milled powder helps fill in fine lines and pores on your skin to give you a smooth and airbrushed overall look. Whether you need a setting powder for baking, highlighting, or contouring, this option does it all. Try it for yourself to make your makeup pop.

Pros:

  • The powder is designed to avoid flashback in photos, so you don’t get a white glow
  • The translucent powder doesn’t change the color of your makeup at all and instead seals in your products
  • Less transfer than many other powders

Cons:

  • People with sensitive skin may experience irritation after use
  • The powder has a yellow tint that may not work with all skin tones

Black Radiance True Complexion Loose Setting Powder

Set It and Forget It

Get that perfect makeup look all day with this powder that sets any liquid or cream formula.
Best for Light Skin

Find on Amazon

This powder will help minimize skin imperfections for a more flawless look. From pores to fine lines, the silky and smooth powder will blend away anything you want to hide. Made to set foundation, concealer, blush, and highlighter, the powder is a versatile product to add to your makeup toolkit to give you a nearly flawless finish every day.

Pros:

  • The fine powder helps absorb excess oil to keep your skin looking matte all day
  • Since it’s easy to blend, the powder doesn’t create any flashback

Cons:

  • When using for baking, it can get a bit messy
  • The yellow hue might not match all skin tones

Black Opal 0.7 Ounce True Color Velvet Finishing Powder

Powder That's Barely There

This velvety powder goes on easily without feeling cakey.
Most Lightweight

Find on Amazon

This airy powder is the perfect way to absorb excess oil for a smooth and matte finish. The lightweight coverage comes from the finely milled texture, delivering a soft powder that goes on smoothly to finish your entire makeup look. With a true-to-tone shade match, the powder balances different pigments to adjust to your skin tone, giving you a fantastic match. The best part: it’s paraben-free and hypoallergenic, so it’s perfect for those with sensitive skin.

Pros:

  • The powder is jet-milled to create a soft and velvety texture for easier application
  • It delivers lightweight coverage, so it doesn’t feel cakey or heavy
  • The powder is paraben and cruelty-free and hypoallergenic

Cons:

  • The powder has a bit of a shimmer, which might not suit everyone’s style
  • With only four shades, it might be challenging to match your skin tone exactly

Honest Beauty Invisible Blurring Loose Powder

Clean and Cruelty-Free

Made from all vegan ingredients, this setting powder is one you can feel good about.
Best Vegan Powder

Find on Amazon

Made without parabens, silicones, paraffins, talc, mineral oil, or synthetic fragrances, this setting powder is a clean alternative for your skin. The powder is designed to blur and mattify imperfections, creating an invisible veil on top of your makeup to help absorb oil and minimize shine. Perfect for those with sensitive skin, this hypoallergenic, dermatologist-tested powder helps your makeup last from morning until night.

Pros:

  • Cake-free, crease-free finish
  • The neutral color blends easily with a wide range of skin tones
  • It’s made without harsh chemicals and additives to deliver a cleaner makeup option

Cons:

  • Because the product is lightweight, it doesn’t absorb oil as well as heavier powders
  • The powder may be drying for certain skin types

Frequently Asked Questions

Does setting powder expire?

Yes. Like all makeup, setting powder expires eventually and shouldn’t be used for longer than 18 months. Keep your powder and other cosmetics in a dark, cool place with low humidity to get the most out of them.

Is setting powder the same as cosmetic baking powder?

You can use a translucent setting powder to “bake” your foundation or concealer. To bake your makeup, dip a sponge into the powder and apply it to the areas where your makeup tends to come off, like under your eyes or chin. Let it sit for a few minutes before removing it.

Why does setting powder look white in photos?

Silica is a common ingredient in setting powders because it is an effective way to absorb oil. However, it also diffuses light. When taking a picture with the flash, the silica causes the camera’s flash to bounce back and create that flashback effect.