The Best Pressed Powders to Sweep Away Shine & Lock in Makeup

29.05.2023, 15:32 allure.com

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Regardless of what kind of look you’re going for, applying setting powder is a crucial final step to ensuring your makeup stays in place throughout the day (or night!) ahead. Don’t just take it from us, though: New York City-based makeup artist Delina Medhin previously told Allure that "setting your makeup is one of the most important steps of your makeup routine.” That’s where the best setting powders come into play — and they’re especially popular amongst the pros. In particular, “pressed powder is one of the true superheroes in my pro kit,” says New York City-based makeup artist Sara Talias.

What’s more, explains fellow New York City-based makeup artist Suzy Gerstein, pressed powders are more user-friendly than loose powders since they’re perfect for throwing in your bag for on-the-go touchups without the potential mess of loose powder particle spillage.” The best pressed setting powders also work by absorbing unwanted shine (especially in the T-zone), locking in makeup, and ultimately creating a smoother, more blurred complexion.

Gerstein also notes that the best pressed setting powders on the market are “incredibly finely milled and feather-light.” As such, she says, they’re “a great option for many skin types.” You’ll also be pleasantly surprised to know that some of the best pressed powders offer skin-care benefits, which, per Gerstein, can help “bind moisture to the skin.” This makes them an especially ideal choice for those with dry or mature skin, on whom, according to the makeup artist, “traditional powders look cakey.”

When it comes time to apply the pressed powder, remember that less is more. “Place your brush in the powder, then tap it off until it looks like nothing is left on the brush, then keep applying until you get to your desired matte look,” Medhin previously revealed. Similarly, Talias recommends using a small brush and “diffusing the product in certain areas of the face,” such as the nose, chin, and forehead, which tend to collect the most shine.

Now that you have the 4-1-1 on all things pressed setting powders, we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite picks, including makeup artist must-haves, Best of Beauty winners, and drugstore staples.

When working with clients, Gerstein loves reaching for the By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Pressed Powder, which offers a natural finish that feels like a second skin. What’s more, she explains, “The formula is super lightweight and non-drying, so it tends not to cake up on even drier complexions.” Its hero ingredient, hyaluronic acid, is excellent for boosting and maintaining hydration, especially in delicate areas like your undereyes.

Gerstein credits the Westman Atelier Vital Pressed Skincare Powder with helping blur pores and texture. Despite its weightless formula, this pressed setting powder is infused with skin-loving ingredients like free-radical-fighting vitamin C, moisturizing jojoba seed oil, and fatty acid-loaded quinoa. The result? Smoother pores, more even skin tone, less shine, and, over time, refined skin texture.

The Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder is a staple in Talias’ kit. The makeup artist notes the powder’s “unique formula,” which she credits with hydrating and brightening the skin. She continues, telling Allure, “I especially love this product under the eyes for keeping creasing to a minimum.” This finishing powder — which is also packed with moisturizing, vitamin E-laden almond oil — comes in four shades: Fair, Medium, Tan, and Deep. (P.S. It also comes in a setting spray version.)

“My latest powder obsession is the Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder, which provides a gorgeous sheer coverage, perfectly setting any look while keeping it fresh and natural,” says Talias. Its talc-free, cruelty-free, and vegan formula — which contains nourishing glycerin, moisturizing jojoba seed oil, and fatty acid-laden sunflower seed oil — is a bonus. It also comes in an impressive nine shades to suit every skin tone.

Those who prefer a more radiant look need not look further than the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Glow Setting Powder. This long-wearing, Best of Beauty-winning pressed setting powder has a weightless, glycerin-enriched formula that won’t enhance dry skin and provides sheer coverage to blur blemishes — all while offering a gorgeous glowy finish and keeping makeup in place. With 10 shade options, it’s easy to find the perfect one based on your undertones.

Similar to its loose setting powder sibling, Nars Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder locks in makeup in seconds, complete with a subtly dewy — but not shiny — finish. Its lightweight, blendable formula, which is enriched with moisturizing skin-care staples like glycerin, squalane, and vitamin E, creates a diffused, soft-focus effect. The shade range includes Crystal (very light to light skin), Shore (medium to medium-deep), Mesa (medium-deep), and Sable (deep to very deep).

Clocking in at under $10, the Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Pressed Face Powder is a steal. Suitable for normal to oily skin types, this pressed setting powder is specially formulated to minimize shine and mattify skin in seconds. Plus, it offers buildable, customizable coverage and an impressive 12-hour wear time, so you need not worry about reapplying. Lastly, with 24 shades, it’s one of the most diverse options on the market.

By Aliza Kelly

By Gabi Thorne

The LYS Beauty Triple Fix Setting Powder blends seamlessly into the skin to simultaneously set makeup, blur skin, and absorb excess oil. Its formula — while lightweight — packs a powerful punch since it’s loaded with skin-care ingredients like niacinamide and green tea. The adorable triangle-shaped compact adds a nice touch, too. Choose from six shades, including Loyalty (pictured).

Available in three shades, the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Translucent Pressed Setting Powder offers an innovative, skin-care-infused powder formula. Hydrating silk, ultra-versatile niacinamide, brightening licorice root, soothing aloe, antioxidant-packed green tea, and a slew of other beneficial ingredients (including peptides!) come together to create a beautiful blurred and matte finish, successfully keeping shine at bay.

CoverGirl’s Clean Fresh Pressed Powder is famous for its all-vegan, talc-free formula that won’t break the bank. What’s more, this skin-smoothing drugstore staple is spiked with tapioca and aloe vera to powder to reduce shin and absorb excess oil. It even comes with a vegan foam puff for added convenience while on the go. Take your pick of six lightly pigmented shades: Transculent (100), Porcelain (110), Fair (120), Light (140), Rich (200), and Dark (230).

The Laura Mercier Translucent Pressed Setting Powder is an Allure-editor favorite for good reason. This Best of Beauty Award-winning pressed setting powder offers a non-comedogenic formula (in other words, it won’t clog your pores) — as well as a beautiful matte finish, sheer coverage, and a blurring effect to combat large pores, blemishes, and fine lines. As a bonus, it even includes a velour puff applicator. Still not believing all the hype around this powder? Just take it from Allure contributor Madisen Theobald, who wrote, “In my experience, no other translucent powder gives me as true-to-color matte look as this one.”