Sweat and Shine Are No Match for These Expert-Loved Setting Powders (2024)

“This powder is so soft on the skin and blurs imperfections beautifully,” says Guerra. “It’s gorgeous on camera as well.” Setting powder can be tough for the eye area, since it can easily settle into lines and end up looking cakey. Not the case with this carefully formulated powder, which pairs a barely there texture with light-reflecting pigments to set undereye concealer. You can use it for the whole face too—it’s that good.

• Pros: No flashback; noncakey, lightweight
• Cons: Expensive

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Celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose is all about a natural finish when it comes to setting powder. “The goal is to use the least amount of powder possible, so don’t powder right away when skin is still moist,” he says. “If you don’t need extra coverage, then a translucent invisible powder is great just to set and control shine. If you need more coverage, then a dual finish powder foundation compact like It Cosmetics CC Airbrush Powder Foundation is great to go over areas that need more coverage.”

• Pros: Smooth finish
• Cons: Can feel heavy.

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For long-lasting makeup, celebrity makeup artist Melissa Murdick combines setting powder with setting spray for extra hold. She recommends using Youngblood Mineral Rice Setting Powder with the BK Cosmetics Tapered Powder Brush. “I will sometimes combine the two—first applying powder and then setting spray to lock it all in and reduce the powdery-looking finish,” she says.

• Pros: Finely milled, blurring
• Cons: Limited shade range

Glamour senior West Coast editor Jessica Radloff knows a thing or two about makeup in hot climates. “I just discovered Lawless's talc-free powder, and it has immediately shot to the top of my summer (and year-round) must-haves,” she says. “It provides the medium coverage I want without looking cakey or feeling heavy. Plus, the rest of my makeup glides on so smoothly and lasts all day, whether I'm in a humid or dry climate.”

• Pros: Talc-free
• Cons: Can be chalky for some.

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Powdering your body may seem like a nightmare, but Dior's formula is so lightweight and finely milled you'll barely even notice you're wearing makeup. “My arms and legs look pretty much airbrushed every time I use this powder,” says Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco.

• Pros: Weightless feel; mattifying
• Cons: None

Afraid of making a mess? Uoma Beauty's innovative packaging allows you to control how much product comes out of the compact. “I'm in love with this packaging, which uses a chamber to release small amounts of powder,” says Yaptangco. “Simply twist out the amount you need and apply mess-free.”

• Pros: Great product control, fuss-free application
• Cons: Limited shade range

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Touch up makeup and reapply sunscreen all in one. Supergoop fortified this face powder with SPF 35 to keep skin protected 24/7. “Whenever I'm on vacation, I throw this brush in my bag,” says Yaptangco. “It's easy to use, never creates a mess, and most important, helps me keep up with SPF reapplication without messing up my makeup.”

• Pros: Travel-friendly; luminous finish; includes brush.
• Cons: None

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Talc-free and lightweight, Tatcha's setting powder is beloved for its glowy finish and skin-loving ingredients. “What makes it truly special is the filtered, luminous glow it leaves behind, thanks to the luxurious inclusion of pink and gold Japanese pearl powder,” says beauty contributor Sarah Wu. “I'm also obsessed with how comfortably it wears on skin: It's formulated with silk extracts that create a protective veil of hydration so it never clings to dry patches or makes my foundation look cakey.”

• Pros: Lightweight, good for dry skin; pearlescent finish
• Cons: Can be too shiny for oily skin.

Both Wu and Guerra are big fans of Chanel's natural-looking setting powder. Wu loves the smooth formula, which “glides on soft and blends in instantly.” Guerra agrees: “It’s very finely milled and feels luxurious on the skin. It leaves a natural, smooth satin finish while keeping your makeup in place all day.”

• Pros: Wide shade range
• Cons: Expensive

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Glamour associate beauty editor Danielle Sinay swears by this talc-free pressed powder for eliminating oil and fighting humidity. "My makeup doesn’t budge once I’ve set it with this powder—it even survived a Miami thunderstorm—and it doesn’t leave a chalky or matte finish,” she says. “Instead, it imparts a radiant, natural-looking glow, sans any unwanted oil. Truly a summer staple.”

• Pros: Wide shade range
• Cons: Expensive

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There’s a reason one of these fan-fave Charlotte Tilbury products sells every minute: Sweet almond oil and rose wax nourish skin, while pearlescent pigments have a luminizing effect. The beautifully airbrushed effect blurs lines or imperfections for a soft-focus finish that lasts all day long. Makeup artist Cnarik Aloyan swears by it, calling it her all-time favorite. “It also works great to throw in your bag if in need of light touch-ups,” she says.

• Pros: Soft focus finish; diffuses texture.
• Cons: Can appear cakey if you apply too much.

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It’s obvious with this product that Rihanna knows a thing or two about being camera-ready, because its pore-blurring, mattifying effect would be worthy of the digital-camera days of the early aughts—or even the brightest of Lumee Lights. Plus, true to Fenty form, the brand came through with a wide range of pigments to choose from. “The finish and wear of this powder is just as impressive as the shade range,” says Guerra.

• Pros: Wide shade range
• Cons: Flashback, messy

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Some people avoid translucent powder for fear of looking blotchy or ghostlike, but with its weightless feel and seamless finish, Laura Mercier’s loose powder will convert even the most skeptical among us. In fact, it’s a favorite of Moor’s, who says: “I’ve tried several others and always go back to this staple in my makeup kit.”

• Pros: Lightweight; skinlike finish
• Cons: Can get messy.

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It might look and feel like a loose powder, but—psych!—this is actually a patented aerated cream that gives skin a slightly dewy finish. Better yet, it’s infused with hydrating squalane for a hit of moisture and to help resist creasing. The TL;DR? As one happy reviewer put it, it “removes the shine but not the glow.”

• Pros: Contains skin-loving ingredients like squalane.
• Cons: Has a dewy finish that won't suit oily skin.

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Worth the hype? Absolutely, per the Glamour editors who tested the Glossier Wowder when it first launched in 2017. If you want to add an extra glow to your usual complexion products, then this is the makeup setting powder for you. The long-wearing formula delivers a satiny finish while also controlling any excess shine on the T-zone and chin.

• Pros: Affordable; no flashback
• Cons: Limited shade range

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With initials that stand for Love Your Self, LYS’s talc-free setting powder won’t leave a white cast on skin; it also has a more robust range of shades—think banana for olive undertones—than its peers. Plus, the formula, which contains niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, smooths on like a dream. “It feels light on the skin but locks in your makeup look all day long,” says Greenberg.

• Pros: Wide shade range, skin-loving ingredients
• Cons: Some claim it's not long-lasting.

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Greenberg is a fan of this translucent powder, which nixes shine without leaving skin looking dusty—making it a winner if you’re always trying to filter out the shiny spot on your forehead. “It helps control oil and shine without feeling heavy on the skin,” Greenberg says. “It’s also formulated with skin care ingredients, like niacinamide and vitamin B5, that help to hydrate and balance the skin.”

• Pros: Lightweight; controls shine.
• Cons: Light coverage

Both Glamour social media manager Jazmin Gathers and beauty contributor Lisa DeSantis swear by this TikTok-approved loose powder. Gathers says it's the “absolute best setting powder, especially for oily skin,” and loves its smoothing effects, while DeSantis is a fan of the“super finely milled” formula that prevents any caking.

• Pros: Wide shade range
• Cons: Can be too blurring for some.

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If you don’t want to spring for a standalone setting powder, no sweat: Celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic has got you covered. This weightless powder works as a bronzer, highlighter, and setting powder, leaving skin looking luminous and more sculpted all day long. Yaptangco is a fan of the formula, which “is so smooth and has a flattering blurring effect.”

• Pros: Luminous finish
• Cons: Contains bronze and shimmer.

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Yaptangco uses this powder to extend makeup’s wear and absorb excess oil. It keeps skin comfortable too, thanks to a blend of baobab seed extract and hyaluronic acid, and doesn’t require touch-ups. “The universal shade I used was never ashy or chalky, which is rare to find,” she says. “I liked the way it smoothed my skin and eliminated any oiliness.”

• Pros: Skin-loving ingredients; talc-free
• Cons: Messy

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Redness, dark spots, and dullness have nothing on this clever formula. Each jar houses four shades, with two for color-correcting and two for giving skin a lit-from-within glow. “I use this power often to color correct certain areas of the skin with a small fluffy blending brush,” Guerra says. “It’s so convenient to have all of these correcting shades in one packaging inside my kit.”

• Pros: Finely milled, color-correcting
• Cons: Expensive

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Loaded with hyaluronic acid, this super setting powder works as both makeup and skin care. “It's been a staple in my kit for years,” says Guerra. “It’s the best for setting under eyes since it’s formulated with hyaluronic acid. It sets and blurs concealer under the eyes while still maintaining moisture levels and never feels drying.”

• Pros: Skin-loving ingredients, wide shade range
• Cons: Messy

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