We’re showing these underrated wonders some love by spotlighting the best face powders for oily, combination and dry skin.
Nothing is worse than coming home to a reflection of an oily mess with accentuated lines and pores, patchy skin and makeup sliding off your face. ‘Is that how I looked all day?’ Sadly, it’s a yes. You may show love to a hella good wing liner or smackin’ hot lip colour but you can kiss that perfect canvas goodbye if you overlook face powders.
Without them, your foundation’s not going to set and all those imperfections you concealed – or so you thought – are going to appear by midday. Here, we have a compact list of powders that go the extra mile. Think finely-milled formulas that will not clog pores, keep shiny spots at bay and keep you matte all day.
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Set your foundation with this ultra-fine finishing powder and you won’t feel oily or cakey one bit. It’s great for baking, buffers pores and doesn’t settle on fine lines or leave a white cast. What else would you need for a handy setting powder? Definitely a holy grail for many!
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, $70, available at Sephora and online.
Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder
This loose powder is a fine, heavy-duty setting powder that’s totally versatile – it’s great for baking, highlighting and contouring, plus it combats creases, absorbs shine and blurs pores. Oh, and it comes in eight stunning shades so you don’t have to look lighter or darker than your skin tone. The scent can come off strong but if you love smelling like a sweet bakery, you’ll ride by it.
Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Powder, $60, available at Sephora and online.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder
A quick look at the list and you’ll be surprised to see that this magical powder has a competitive price point despite its celebrity tag – and it works wonders. It has a mattifying formula, keeps makeup in place, doesn’t emphasise on pores (which is a big no-no) and has no flashback so you won’t be left with horrific tagged photos on Facebook. It leaves you with such a luminous finish that you’ll be able to look past the bulky packaging.
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder, $44, available at Sephora and online.
Too Faced Born This Way Setting Powder
Sweep this on your skin for a silky-smooth finish, steering clear of flakiness thanks to key ingredients such as coconut water and hyaluronic acid. Some may find it to be a little drying so be sure to put on adequate moisturiser.
Too Faced Born This Way Setting Powder, $52, available at Sephora and online.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Accomplice Instant Blurring Beauty Powder
Setting powders are great and all but sometimes things can get pretty messy. This product solves all your problems – hey, it even comes with a sleek brush, which you can slide out of the compact powder for convenient touch-ups. Embrace the hint of pearl pigment for the Instagram-filter-certified glow up.
Marc Jacobs Beauty Accomplice Instant Blurring Beauty Powder, $69, available at Sephora, Marc Jacobs Beauty counters and online.
KVD Vegan Beauty Lock-It Setting Powder
Thanks to the Micro-Blurring Technology, this translucent loose powder is all about giving a #flawlessfinish. It diffuses pores, controls shine, keeps your foundation in place and, best of all, doesn’t crease.
KVD Vegan Beauty Lock-It Setting Powder, $51, available at Sephora and online.
Bobbi Brown Sheer Pressed Powder
Another compact powder on the list, Bobbi Brown’s winning Sheer Finish Pressed Powder is great for oily skin and also has vitamin E that combats UV damage and the effects of free radicals on the skin. You may have to do a couple of touch-ups throughout the day but rest assured, it sets your makeup just right and isn’t dry for the skin. Also comes with a powder puff.
Bobbi Brown Sheer Pressed Powder, $69, available at Bobbi Brown stores, Sephora and online.
Cover Fx Perfect Setting Powder
You know those airbrushed looks you see on pictures? You can actually fake that with this miracle worker. Despite the lightweight formula, it actually masks pores and lines, while setting your makeup with a translucent finish. Our only quip about this setting powder is that it comes in just two shades at each end of the spectrum – light and deep – so it’ll probably emit flashbacks or send you a few shades darker if you have a lightly-tan skin tone.
Cover Fx Perfect Setting Powder, $56, available Sephora and online.
Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder
If you’re looking for a natural finish, this setting powder is your go-to. It probably wouldn’t be the first choice for baking or under-eye coverage, but it’s exactly what you’ll need to mask any shine or oiliness on the go. We wish it came with a brush or puff though!
Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder, $50, available at Sephora and online.
