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Beauty Bakerie's Face Flour was the clear winner Butter Cream Jar
Whether you have oily skin, live in a humid climate, or just want your makeup to stay put, setting powder has a place in every beauty kit. Beyond locking in liquids and creams and mattifying your T-zone, the right formula can blur texture and help you achieve an airbrushed finish.
So, which powders stand out from the rest? After putting over 30 powders to the test, we found a few that stood out. But to help you filter through your options, we picked only the most absorbent formulas with beautiful finishes.
Check out the best setting powders that PEOPLE Tested below.
Soaks up grease without leaving skin looking cakey
Shiny spots were mattified and blurred
No components of our makeup budged throughout the day
After trying over 30 highly rated, best-selling formulas first-hand, Beauty Bakerie's Face Flour won our hearts. This finely milled loose powder earned perfect scores for absorbency and look. It instantly soaks up grease, corrects for shine, and leaves you with a stunning finish that blurs textures and enhances your complexion.
Touting six different shades, these adjustable powders can blend into several skin tones due to their light pigment (or you can opt for the universal shade, a translucent powder named "Oat"). We dusted our skin with the powder and watched as it absorbed any pre-existing oil on our skin quickly, blended effortlessly, and offered a brilliantly mattified effect.
As the name suggests, this product can also be used for baking. (The makeup technique involves allowing loose powder to sit on top of creams and liquids for about 10 minutes, then dusting off the excess for a crease-free, long-wear finish.)
Though it offers a little more coverage than others, we didn't feel like it was heavy at all, but instead comfortably light on our skin. Since this is a loose powder, applying it can be a little messy, but the lockable jar prevents it from spilling out.
We love this powder so much that we've gotten creative with other ways that we can incorporate it into our makeup routine. Aside from setting our foundation and concealer, we've also opted to press thin amounts of this powder onto separate layers of our lipstick to really keep it from budging (and news flash, it works). We wish it came with slightly more practical packaging and an included application puff, but overall, we keep singing praises for this "Face Flour."
Shades: 6 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer to medium | Size: 0.5 ounces
Can hold up all day, even in heat
Several blendable shades for multiple skin tones
Worked well on a variety of different skin types tested
Beauty Bakerie may have stolen the show when it came to loose powders, but the Triple Fix Setting Powder from LYS Beauty dominated in the pressed powder category. We appreciated the easy-to-use compact (which we can’t often say about loose powders) and the product’s longevity, seeing us through a full workday — in the heat, no less — with perfectly-preserved makeup. Plus, we liked the fact that this formula was packed with skin-loving ingredients such as niacinamide and green tea to provide antioxidant benefits while still minimizing the appearance of pores.
Another perk of this powder was the variety of shades — six, ranging from translucent to deep — to provide a better match for more skin tones over making just one translucent shade. Our tester particularly liked this product because it sheered out to seamlessly match her skin, which was previously a “struggle” for her, as her skin tone “typically falls in-between shades.” After the match was made, we found this powder to be blurring, and oil-controlling, but still natural in finish. Dare we say this one was even… moisturizing? You’ll have to try it for yourself to see what we mean.
It’s been six months since we started testing, but this one is still a go-to in our morning routines. This powder manages to diminish excess shine while still allowing our skin's natural radiance to shine through — a game changer for us. Our makeup lasts longer, looks fresher, and our skin looks more seamless than ever. “Everyone should have [this powder] in their makeup kit,” says our tester.
Shades: 6 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Buildable | Size: 0.23 ounces
Translucent, invisible finish on all skin tones, making it universally friendly
Noticed a visible change in our skin's overall smoothness and texture
Noticed some shine after a few hours, may need to keep on-hand for midday touchup
L'Oréal Pro Sweep & Lock is a great budget pick. This loose setting powder clocked perfect scores for oil absorbency and finish. The universal translucent shade blended beautifully and didn't make our testers' medium-dark skin appear chalky whatsoever. In the end, we thought that our skin still maintained its usual coloring and dimension, though our overall texture looked better than ever before.
This setting powder offered a soft mattifying effect without drying out our skin or looking cake-y. It helped our makeup stay in place too, though we did need a slight touch-up after spending a few hours in the sun (but honestly, no makeup products are a match for beating rays).
The only other downside was that the sticker on the packaging was hard to pull off the first time we opened the container. But other than that, this product was a hit.
Even after months of use, we're still incorporating this into our (almost) everyday makeup routine. If you go a little too heavy-handed, then the powder can cause your skin to look a little flat, but we've found a balance by dusting small amounts on our skin with a fluffy brush. We've found it to be a little messy because of its loose powder formula, so be careful when you open the lid so that it doesn't erupt into a cloud of setting powder.
Shades: Universal translucent | Finish: Soft matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.28 ounces
Highly effective at absorbing oil and preventing future shine on our skin
Sheer enough to act as a translucent powder, but buildable enough to provide a little extra coverage
Potential to leave a white cast on darker skin tones
You’re in a pinch and need to stop by your closest drugstore to pick up a powder that you know works — our suggestion? The Photo Focus Loose Setting Powder from Wet n Wild. You may have shopped this brand back in the day, but we were pretty impressed with the setting powder from the brand's current offerings.
Aside from its arguably unbeatable price, this powder was a knockout when it came to oil absorption and control. It looked natural on our skin without feeling chalky and mattified our overly shiny spots without coming off as dry.
We liked that its translucent shade could work on a variety of skin tones, but we’d like to see a deeper option available for those with richer skin tones. While this is an improvement we’d like to see from the brand, we were still quite impressed with the overall performance of this powder at such an accessible price point.
Shades: 1 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.7 ounces
Left semi-matte, satiny finish that looked like our skin, just better
Lasts all day, even on oily skin
Significantly reduced appearance of skin's texture
Noticed a bit of flaking on dry parts of our skin
If you're open to splurging on a high-end product, look no further than Chanel. The brand's Poudre Universelle Libre (which translates to universal setting powder) earned perfect scores for absorbency, look, and feel.
We instantly noticed how quickly the oil was absorbed when we applied this loose powder, leaving us with a shine-free T-zone. Much appreciated was the included puff applicator, as it's ideal for pressing the powder into the skin exactly where you want it.
It blended effortlessly into our complexions, and the semi-matte finish didn't look heavy or cakey. Save for some slight flaking in our under-eye areas, our makeup was still very much intact after a long day — no touch-ups needed.
We tested this powder for several months and through weather changes, and we can confirm that it only gets better with time. While this powder required more touch-ups in the summer when our makeup tends to move around a bit more due to heat, we barely had to do any reapplications throughout the day as the weather cooled off, making this an annual staple for us.
Shades: 8 | Finish: Natural to semi-matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 1 ounce
Powder effectively controlled shine throughout the day
Matte finish offers a soft-focus blur that won't flashback in photos
Opt for the universal shade (works on all skin tones) or one of two pigments for bronzing or highlighting
Swirling powder with a brush is slightly messy
With a special occasion coming up, you'll want to make sure your makeup not only looks good but also photographs well. We're big fans of Laura Mercier's Loose Setting Powder, which delivers a soft-focus effect and promises not to flash back in photos (and we took pictures to prove it).
When we tried the "honey" shade, we were left with a warm, golden hue that created a subtle sun-kissed glow on fair skin tones. It was so beautiful that we figured we could wear it alone for a no-makeup makeup look, and people with deeper skin tones can even use it to highlight the high points of their faces (think under eyes, forehead, and chin).
Though swirling the loose powder around with a brush was slightly messy, the finely milled formula went on smoothly. It offered a mattifying effect and absorbed excess oil. Not only that, but it helped control shine throughout the day, even in humid weather.
Even after six months of testing, we still reach for this whenever we're wearing makeup that we really want to last (and last, it does). Over the last few months, we've been especially observant of how well it has been able to reduce our fine lines, smooth out our skin, and set our face makeup — which is the main goal for all of this, at the end of the day. In general, we couldn't be happier with this powder and think everyone should have it in their makeup stash.
Shades: 3 | Finish: Natural/matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 1 ounce
Effective, lightweight, smooth powder mattified skin
Shine-reducing finish left complexion looking blurred, with a reduced appearance of pores
After a few hours, oilier skin types might need to reapply to T-zone
As the name suggests, One/Size Ultimate Blurring Powder visibly blurs pores and other textures. The soft-focus formula earned perfect scores for absorbency and finished look in our lab tests. We tried the universal translucent shade, which did an excellent job tackling excess oil and provided an instant mattifying effect.
Despite its powder formula, the texture isn't gritty at all but rather light and smooth. After applying it over a dewy-finish foundation, this setting powder made our faces less shiny. While most of us need to retouch our makeup around midday, we were pleasantly surprised that it lasted until the afternoon. Still, oilier skin types might need to dust another layer onto their T-zones sooner rather than later.
We still feel blown away by this truly blurring product, even months into using it. Blemishes, enlarged pores, or dark spots be warned — this powder really emulates the mystical soft focus of an old Hollywood film. We do find ourselves needing to spritz our skin with a setting spray to bring some life back to our skin (it can be a little drying), but overall we have close to no complaints surrounding One/Size's setting powder.
Shades: 2 | Finish: Soft matte | Coverage: Buildable | Size: 1.2 ounces
Powder spans eight inclusive shades: pale to deep skin tones
Buildable coverage for everything from natural to full glam
Packaging tough to take on-the-go
Fenty strikes once again with its pristine formulations — in this case, a buildable, lightweight setting powder that makes any makeup look red carpet-ready. We appreciated the fact that this powder had an assortment of eight colors, ranging from “lavender” (a fair shade with cool undertones) to “coffee” (meant for deep skin with warm undertones). The variety of shades makes it possible to go lighter in case you want to conceal your under eyes with powder or deeper to bronze if you so choose.
Our only complaint is the packaging — it’s sprinkle-out compact was just a bit too messy for us at times and feels difficult to travel with or throw in your bag for midday touch-ups. While loose powder makes clean application a bit difficult, this formula did sit beautifully on our skin and felt weightless every time we dusted it on. If you’re looking for a color match, this is the one to choose.
Shades: 8 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.98 ounces
Boasts SPF 35 and instant protection from the sun's damaging rays
Works overtime to control shine, even in the blistering heat
Keeps skin hydrated with infused ceramides, olive, glycerides, and coated silica spheres
Built-in brush isn't user-friendly and product becomes wasted when tapping off the excess
Less effective at blurring textures compared to others we tested
Reapplying sunscreen throughout the day is easier said than done, especially when you're wearing a full face of makeup. Supergoop! has one solution in the form of SPF-infused setting powder. This mineral formula contains zinc oxide to instantly block the sun's damaging rays while keeping shine under control.
We were pleasantly surprised by how absorbent this powder is and found out that a little goes a long way. Our skin was visibly less oily with a (mostly undetectable) natural-looking matte finish.
While the built-in brush is convenient in theory, we didn't find the feature very user-friendly. Plus, you're supposed to coat the brush, and then tap off the excess powder, which results in a fair amount of wasted product. Although it doesn't do a great job of blurring pores and other textures, we still think this product is worth buying for on-the-go touch-ups on sunny days.
We like to keep this skin-friendly powder on hand as we go about our days in the sun, as it's nice knowing that we have instant sun protection whenever we need it (while still keeping our makeup looking seamless). We wish it came with a powder puff instead of the brush and dispenser combo, but we still appreciate this product for its shine-reducing SPF treatment.
Shades: 4 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.15 ounces
Powder blurred pores, fine lines, and other uneven texture
Felt incredibly lightweight on skin
Compact packaging and pressed powder formula easy to take on the go
Didn’t hold up in humidity
Charlotte Tilbury makes several of our go-to products, and we’re adding the Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder to that list. This ultrafine powder is comparable to the LYS Beauty formula — a weightless, compacted powder that dusts over the skin like a mattifying cloud, masking any and all oiliness.
But what really sticks out about this product is its ability to seemingly zap our pores, minimizing their appearance along with blemishes, fine lines, and more with one sweep of a fluffy brush. To make things even better, our full-coverage foundation and concealer looked even more beautifully contoured once this powder was applied.
Unfortunately, it was no match for the heat, as our own sweat from particularly humid days of testing seemed to overtake this mattifying powder. But in the right conditions (and with opportunities to touch up on hot days), this compact from Charlotte Tilbury is a game changer. You’ll be searching for your pores after you use this one.
After months of testing, we’re still using this powder every time we apply our makeup, and we slip it into our bags when we’re on the go. It continued to make our skin look luxurious every time we dusted it on and even stayed smooth in the compact despite us making quite a dent over the months of use — no pilling or caking in the pan at all. In our opinion, this is certainly a powder worth splurging on.
Shades: 4 | Finish: Natural | Coverage: Medium/buildable | Size: 0.28 ounces
Hydrating ingredients plump instead of making skin appear dry
Mica particles left skin with a luminous glow that wasn't shiny or oily
Not overly mattifying, so it wears off quicker
If you’re looking for a powder that won’t settle into wrinkles or accentuate fine lines, then the Saie Airset Powder is one of the best options out there. This formula is packed with skin-loving squalane, which locks in moisture and plumps your skin while delivering an airbrushed look courtesy of its “aerated-cream” technology.
It controlled the shine of our complexions when applied on top of our dewy foundation and left us with an ultra-smooth finish — no caking or pilling at all. The formula even has a little bit of mica in it, which provides our skin with a lit-from-within glow instead of an oily shine.
However, since this is a more hydrating product than many of the other setting powders we tried, our skin tended to get shiny a little faster. It kept our complexions looking fairly matte until about the five-hour mark when we needed to go back in for an extra application. But when it comes to mature skin, we’ll take this hydrating powder that requires a little more touchup over a dry, chalky formula any day.
Months later, we still enjoy using this powder in our everyday routines. It doesn’t cling onto any of our pre-existing dry patches and even leaves us with a nice glow, even though the seasons have changed. We like how weightless it is on our skin, which makes it great for both natural and full glam days — no matter the amount of makeup on our skin, our complexions will always look blurred and naturally luminous when this powder is in the mix. Plus, our skin gets an extra dose of hydration every time we swirl it onto our skin.
Shades: 3 | Finish: Radiant | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.14 ounces
Oil-absorbing formula erased excess shine from skin
Powder doesn’t settle under the eyes or into fine lines
Wore well through full work days without many touch-ups
Easy to accidentally dump a lot of the powder out at once
If your skin is especially oily or you simply favor a more matte complexion, then the Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder is the one for you. While feeling light as air on our skin, this powder definitely puts in the work to minimize naturally-produced shine without the dry, cake-y look of a typical matte powder.
Our testers never noticed any caking or creasing underneath their eyes, nor any powder separating and settling into the lines of our faces. And what was truly impressive was its longevity — this powder kept our tester's makeup looking fresh all through the work day, with only a bit of shine beginning to peek through in the mid-afternoon because it was a particularly humid day. (For reference, they had applied it at six in the morning.)
It was a little too easy to accidentally dump too much powder out, which made us worry about wasting some of this precious product. But if you’re careful, you’ll be sure to get a lot of use out of this jar. Though this is arguably on the pricey side, we think that it’s worth the splurge for a dependable, oil-absorbing powder that will keep your makeup looking fresh all day long.
This powder has continued to be magnificent at controlling our shine, especially on oily skin. We’ve found ourselves reaching for it daily for that purpose, though we think we’d need to spritz a setting spray on and use a primer to really make sure our makeup doesn’t go anywhere throughout the day. All in all, it’s a standout when it comes to oil control.
Shades: 3 | Finish: Matte | Coverage: Sheer | Size: 0.36 ounces
Glowy finish that's not oily or shiny
Shade options for several skin tones
A little cakey upon first application
The “Always an Optimist” setting powder from Rare Beauty stayed true to the brand’s message of letting your inner light shine through — without excess oil, of course. We liked the compatibility of this PEOPLE Beauty Awards-winning product with a variety of skin types and textures and how weightless it felt, despite the fact that we did experience a bit of a cake-y application at first (but after a bit of buffing with a fluffy brush, the excess powder was removed). It worked beautifully with all of our skin types, from oily to combination, controlling our shine but allowing a softly focused glow.
We noticed that this powder wasn’t necessarily as fine as some of the others, but this didn’t seem to hinder its performance. The final result after both swiping it on with a brush and baking it under our eyes was seamless and blurred, refining our pores and making our skin look filtered in real life. If you’re a Rare Beauty fan, this one is a must.
We particularly loved wearing this setting powder with the Always an Optimist 4-in-1 Prime and Set Mist (coincidentally the best-scoring setting spray that we tested in our lab), which kept our looks fresh and in place all day long. There was never a cake-y spot, settled line, or creased under-eye when we blended in this powder; it cemented a spot in our makeup stashes.
Shades: 5 | Finish: Radiant/natural | Coverage: Light | Size: 0.33 ounces
There are two main categories of setting powder: loose and pressed. The latter is slightly less messy and may be better for travel. However, celebrity makeup artist Jamie Dorman recommends finely milled formulas, which are typically loose and tend to be a bit smoother and lighter. Indeed, loose powders ended up faring best in our lab tests (i.e., the champion Beauty Bakerie Face Flour).
Many formulas come in a universal translucent shade that should be invisible on all skin tones. However, some setting powders like the Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre are available in multiple shades. In addition to complementing a range of skin tones, darker and lighter colors can be used for other purposes, like bronzing, contouring, and highlighting.
Since one of the primary purposes of setting powder is to absorb excess oil and control shine, most have a matte finish. That said, you'll find some variations, such as soft-focus matte, which typically implies a blurring effect (our One/Size pick executed this well), and semi-matte, which will let some natural dewiness show through.
Most setting powders offer sheer coverage, meaning they won't cover or change the look of your makeup underneath. However, others are more buildable up to medium-level coverage (Beauty Bakerie excelled here, too). With the latter, you can typically apply slightly more powder, then dust off the excess without it looking cakey.
Though pressed formulas sometimes come with round puffs or pads, loose powders don't usually come with an applicator tool. In either case, the best way to apply setting powder is with a large, fluffy makeup brush. Swirl the brush head around to pick up powder and gently tap off the excess. Then dust it onto your skin, either all over your face or just in shine-prone areas. Makeup sponges can also work for stamping on the powder and blending it out.
Setting powder is a product that helps you get the longest wear out of your makeup by controlling oil production and "setting" your look in place. Finishing powder, on the other hand, is meant to blur lines and other textures to give you an airbrushed look and is typically translucent.
Choosing a setting powder that is one shade lighter than your foundation is a good idea. Because it is worn on top of other makeup, a setting powder can get darker throughout the day.
It depends on which type of blush you are using. If you choose a powder blush, apply it after setting your foundation. If you are using a cream formula, apply this before setting.
You don't necessarily need to use both primer and setting powder as a rule. As these products are used to address different concerns, one may be more useful than the other. Primer helps prep your skin to wear face makeup by creating a smoother surface and setting powder helps lock your makeup in place. If you notice your foundation does not apply smoothly over your moisturizer, try a primer. If you have oily skin and it affects your foundation throughout the day, go for a setting powder.
Theresa Holland is a freelance writer for PEOPLE who also regularly contributes to Byrdie, Travel + Leisure, VeryWell Family, and The Spruce. She has been in the beauty space for many years, holding robust knowledge of cosmetics and the qualities that products have to possess to be PEOPLE-approved. For this article, she analyzed the tester insights from the PEOPLE Tested lab and our long-term test, which was conducted over the span of six months. She also consulted with celebrity makeup artist Jamie Dorman for expert tips on how to achieve red-carpet-ready skin with setting powders.
Alyssa Brascia, a staff shopping writer at PEOPLE and makeup expert, later updated this story with our testers' long-term insights and a fresh look at the best powders on the market today.
Jamie Dorman is a celebrity makeup artist who's worked with the likes of Bella Hadid, Noah Cyrus, and Sadie Sink. She's also a creative director who has done commercial branding work with Betsey Johnson, Alice and Olivia, Vogue, and is the beauty editor at Lucire, a global fashion magazine.
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