Our best overall pick is Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Translucent Setting Powder
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Melanie Rud is a Chicago-based writer with 10 years of experience covering beauty. She covers all things skincare for Byrdie, from ingredients to acne advice.
Updated on 12/19/22 10:58AM
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We have yet to meet or work with a makeup artist who doesn’t rely on translucent powder as the final step for any look. A quick sweep of powder can make all the difference. “Translucent powders are beneficial for all makeup wearers for three reasons: helping to set your makeup for extended wear as well as blurring fine lines and minor blemishes to create a silky smooth skin finish,” says makeup artist and StyleSeat Pro Manuel Espinoza. If the mere mention of any kind of powder conjures images of chalky, dry skin for you, fear not. The latest translucent powders on the market are more advanced than ever, truly an important product in your complexion-enhancing arsenal. We conducted hours of research on the best translucent powders, evaluating each type on consistency, finish, and ability to conceal imperfections, minimize pores and shine. We looked at both loose and pressed formulas, and considered powders for all skin tones and types—we even looked for formulas that won't show up with flash photography. We also gave preference to formulas that are talc-free and dermatologist tested. After considering dozens of different brands, and consulting with celebrity makeup artists, we landed on the following best in show. Our Top Picks Jump to Review Jump to Review Best Mattifying: Honest Beauty Invisible Blurring Loose Powder at Amazon ($25) Jump to Review Best Mattifying, Runner-Up: Jump to Review Best for Light Skin: Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder at Sephora ($22) Jump to Review Jump to Review Best for Touch-Ups: Jump to Review Best for Picture Days: Range Beauty Smooth Out Translucent Powder at Rangebeauty.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best for Dark Skin: Jump to Review Jump to Review In This Article Our Picks Final Verdict What to Look For FAQ How We Researched What We Like Lightweight Imparts a slight shimmer Blurs pores What We Don't Like Packaging could be improved Like we said, today’s powders are anything but chalky and, perhaps, none less so than this formula. Byrdie Associate Editorial Director, Holly Rhue swears by the finely milled, featherweight pick, which boasts light-reflecting particles to blur away the look of any blemishes. Espinoza is also a fan, lauding the truly translucent formula that leaves an invisible finish on all skin tones. As if that weren’t enough, there’s also actual diamond powder in the mix to impart the prettiest (and subtlest) shimmer. Bonus points for the packaging that dispenses just the right amount of product, making powder overload a thing of the past. Price at time of publish: $22 Size: 0.36 oz. or 0.07 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Affordable Works on its own or over makeup Blurs pores What We Don’t Like Included powder puff is a little flimsy From one of our favorite wallet-friendly beauty lines comes this powder, which works beautifully on its own or over makeup. Dust it on bare skin (well, bare except for sunscreen, of course) to help tamp down unwanted sheen and make prominent pores disappear. Or use it as the final step in your makeup routine to set everything in place. Price at time of publish: $14 Size: 0.28 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Great for absorbing excess oil Talc-free What We Don’t Like Reviewers say that it accentuates fine lines A quick dusting of this formula immediately tamps down unwanted sheen and shine and imparts a soft-focus finish on even the oiliest of skin. Free of talc and a long list of other questionable ingredients, it uses rice starch to absorb excess oil on the surface of the skin. Use it in the a.m. as a final step before you head out the door and/or to dust on your T-zone when you notice any pesky slick spots start to crop up midday. Price at time of publish: $23 Size: 0.5 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Great for absorbing excess oil Easy-to-use pressed compact Blurs pores What We Don’t Like Only comes in a translucent shade As the name suggests, think of this as a powder version of those handy-dandy blotting papers. In other words, it’s a must if you have super-oily skin, absorbing shine and diffusing the look of pores all at the same time. We’d be happy with that, but it also helps set your makeup, too—can your blotting papers do that? Price at time of publish: $34 Size: 0.3 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Long-lasting Large shade range Boosts radiance What We Don’t Like Strong scent Another of Rhue’s picks, this comes in a nice range of eight shades, though it’s the translucent Sugar Cookie hue that we especially like for fair skin. While you can’t tell simply by looking at it, it has neutral undertones that make for a subtle radiance-boosting effect, instantly enhancing your complexion. Not to mention that it also stays on for up to 10 hours, eliminating the need for touch-ups. Price at time of publish: $35 Size: 0.71 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Extremely soft and silky Large shade range Comes with a very luxurious powder puff What We Don’t Like Expensive Yes, this powder gives you all of the complexion-enhancing benefits we’ve been mentioning, but it also goes way beyond its standard responsibilities. The powder—one of the silkiest we’ve ever tried—contains a proprietary anti-aging ingredient plus a radiance-boosting technology that makes skin look extra glowy immediately and over time. Even the included powder puff is luxurious beyond belief: It's made in Japan with long fibers that make for seamless application. Price at time of publish: $67 Size: 0.35 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No What We Like Favorite among pro makeup artists Blurs pores Easy-to-use pressed compact What We Don’t Like Has bad flashback Keep this compact—a fave among pro makeup artists—on hand when you need to powder your nose. Specially made to be completely undetectable with even the most intense HD cameras, you never have to worry about it caking or settling into fine lines. Plus, because it’s pressed, it’s ideal to keep in your purse (no worrying about spills) and comes in a conveniently portable mini size, too. Price at time of publish: $39 Size: 0.21 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No What We Like Lightweight No flashback Great for absorbing excess oil What We Don’t Like Limited shade options Makeup flashback—a whiteish cast that shows up in photos due to a camera flash—is a very real thing. If it’s an occasion where you know you’re going to be photographed a lot (a wedding, perhaps?) or you just love a good selfie, reach for this guy. The mineral powder comes in four tinted shades, all of which are translucent so there’s never any risk of flashback. It’s lightweight with the ideal demi-matte finish and works equally well dusted all over or swiped just onto spots prone to an excess sheen. Price at time of publish: $19 Size: 0.67 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Dermatologist-tested Great for absorbing excess oil No flashback What We Don’t Like Expensive We wish we had come up with the clever name for this powder as well as the amazing formula itself. It comes in five shades—not necessarily a ton—but this does include three options that are great for darker and deeper skin tones. It tamps down shine, blurs the skin, and sets makeup, all without caking, creasing, or any flashback. Price at time of publish: $22 Size: 0.25 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Large shade range Lightweight Great for absorbing excess oil What We Don’t Like Can look drying on dry skin This aptly named pick does have a lighter-than-air feel on skin and looks equally light. It offers the softest, barely there wash of mega-sheer color, and, to that point, comes in an impressive array of 10 hues. Since it does have some oil-absorbing properties, it’s best for balanced, combo, or oily skin. Price at time of publish: $35 Size: 0.33 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Good for all skin types Easy-to-use pressed compact Blurs pores What We Don’t Like Reviewers say it’s not for combating shine Sure, it may be the mineral foundation from this brand that gets all the buzz, but don’t sleep on its pressed setting powder. “This is one of my favorites because it not only sets makeup to extend wear, but it also improves the appearance of pores over time,” says Spinoza. It comes in six shades, including a translucent option. All of them are talc-free and infused with not only minerals but also hydrating ingredients, such as vitamin E and shea butter, ensuring a non-chalky, non-cakey texture. Plus, if you don’t want to worry about messes and spills, a compact, pressed option like this is the way to go. Price at time of publish: $30 Size: 0.3 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Long-lasting No flashback Large container What We Don’t Like Expensive As a general rule of thumb, powders are associated with a matte finish but not this one. It imparts a gorgeous (yet natural) glow to the skin, more of a luminosity than anything else, thanks to the addition of a pearl blend and amino acid powders. Still, it also blurs away the look of blemishes and somehow manages to absorb oil as well—and lasts for up to 12 hours. “It’s super dense and smooth and creates a beautiful soft skin effect,” says Espinoza of another one of his favorites. Price at time of publish: $24 Size: 1 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes What We Like Good for all skin types Fragrance-free Hydrating What We Don’t Like Only comes in three shades If your skin has some dry parts and some oily parts, reach for this guy. “It has squalane in it, which is super hydrating and keeps the skin looking plump and radiant,” explains Espinoza, who is a fan. And for the slick spots, this touts a unique aerated-cream technology that helps to absorb excess oil, too. Price at time of publish: $30 Size: 0.14 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes We love a formula with sunscreen, and this powder helps you mattify skin with 100% mineral, SPF 35 protection. The powder is non-nano setting powder that works great to banish shine as you reapply SPF throughout the day. Price at time of publish: $30 Size: 0.15 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes Trust the thousands of reviews for this drugstore brand favorite. We love its silky weightless formula that can be used to set, mattify, absorb oil, or bake. With a couple of blots, you can create a soft-focus effect and subtly blur the look of fine lines and imperfections. Price at time of publish: $6 Size: 1 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes Finding the best translucent powder is crucial, as it not only blurs and smooths the skin but also gives makeup the ability to last all day. The best translucent powder is Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Translucent Setting Powder due to its finely milled, featherweight formula with light-reflecting particles that seamlessly blur away blemishes. For a translucent powder that’s worth the splurge, Shiseido Future Solution LX Total Radiance Loose Powder is it with its silky formula, radiance-boosting technology, and glowy finish. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, try Flower Beauty’s Miracle Matte Translucent Finishing Powder for its incredible quality and unbeatable pricing. Meet the Expert Look for a translucent powder that offers to help with what you’re looking to achieve, explains Neil Scibelli, makeup artist and beauty expert. “For example, the blurring, pore minimizing, oil reducing, etc.” The main thing, he further explains, is to understand your skin's concerns and the type of finish you’re looking to achieve. Based on what type of skin you have, you’ll need different powders. If your skin is on the combination to the oily side, says Scibelli, try looking for translucent powders that focus on radiance—usually containing light-reflecting properties. “Some brands even offer hydrating properties in their powders and contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid for dry skin types." FAQ What does translucent powder do? Translucent powder, explains Scibelli, can work to give a more-airbrushed finish to your makeup. It will also absorb any unwanted or excess oil and can also work to blur the appearance of pores, uneven texture, and sometimes even discoloration. How do you apply translucent powder? Dip a powder brush into the powder, dust off the excess with a tap or two, and then apply as needed, says Scibelli. “For a more targeted application, use a skinnier brush so you can zero in on specific areas,” he says. Is translucent powder the same as setting powder? Setting powders set your makeup and add an almost extra layer of stay-proof action to it while translucent powders work to make the existing product look smoother and more blended, explains Scibelli. Setting powders are also a little more pigmented than translucent powders and often come in the same color as your skin tone, he says. To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key features—like ingredients, shade range, or design—in addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five (five being the best; one being the worst) to certain products on the list. Byrdie contributor Melanie Rud has over a decade of experience in the beauty industry, writing for some of the biggest magazines and websites out there. Since she rarely wears powder, she relied on the input of makeup artists, consumer reviews, and tons of friends and colleagues when putting together this list.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/GettyImages-1131686969-7f0ffb37b26b4c31a117209a65a0e952.jpg "The Best Translucent Powders That Extend the Life of Your Makeup (2)")
Best Overall
Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Translucent Setting Powder
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Best Budget
Flower Beauty Miracle Matte Translucent Powder
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Best Mattifying
Honest Beauty Invisible Blurring Loose Powder
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Best Mattifying, Runner-Up
Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Blotting Powder
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Best for Light Skin
Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder
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Best Splurge
Shiseido Future Solution Loose Powder
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Best for Touch-Ups
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Pressed Powder
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Best Shade Range
Kosas Cloud Set Baked Setting & Smoothing Talc-Free Vegan Powder
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Best for Radiant Skin
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
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Best for Combination Skin
Saie Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder
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Best Drugstore
Wet n Wild Photo Focus Loose Setting Powder
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Final Verdict
What to Look for in a Translucent Powder
Skin Concerns
Finish
How We Researched
Why Trust Byrdie
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