The Best Setting Powder (And Spray) For A Flawless Finish

Setting products, powder or spray, can be tricky. Powders can get cakey and dry looking, cling to texture – all things you don’t want your makeup to do. Sprays are meant to set your makeup without adding anther layer of makeup, but they can sometimes spit and leave water spots behind, as well as cause makeup separation. We have tested most setting powders and sprays to be able to recommend the best of the best. Whether you have dry skin and want a good powder, need some color correcting, or need a multi-use spray, you’ve come to the right place. Scroll through our favorite setting powders and sprays that we love.

For in-depth reviews, ratings, one-to-one product comparisons, and recommendations, checkout individual product posts. Just click any photo to be taken there or search for the hair or makeup product above.

(4.7)

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Why We Love It: The most iconic setting powder in the beauty community is the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. This setting product is the best for locking in makeup for an all-day, airbrushed look with zero flashback. The finely-milled powder resists creasing and settling for a flawless, blurred finish no matter how long you’ve been wearing your makeup. It doesn’t oxidize, nor does it disrupt any makeup below. Laura Mercier is suited for all skin types, dry to oily, wearing beautifully on all. Whether you’re a pro makeup artist or just need a bomb setting powder, you’ll definitely want this makeup in your makeup bag.

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Why We Love It: In our opinion, Charlotte Tilbury can do no wrong. Her products are the epitome of luminous, glowy skin, yet maintain a red carpet level performance. Her Airbrush Flawless Finish pressed powder compact is no exception. Housed in a stunning gold compact, this finely-milled pressed powder is the ultimate makeup setter when you need to prevent creasing without mattifying. It pairs well over any makeup, whether cream, liquid, or powder. And although this makeup product does require a touch-up or two throughout the day, you won’t mind stowing the sleek gold compact in your purse for on-the-go.

(4.5)

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Why We Love It: As a whole, ILIA is a really solid clean makeup brand and there are few, if any, products we don’t love. But, specifically, their setting powder is one of our favorites. Soft Focus Finishing Powder gives an airbrushed, soft focus, effect to skin, effortlessly setting makeup for an all day wear. The talc free setting powder is made from a base of corn starch, and includes good-for-skin ingredients like bamboo to balance oil, conditioning aloe, and anti-bacterial rosemary. ILIA is lightweight and causes no photoflash back (win!), keeping excess oil and shine at bay for up to 8 hours with minimal settling, creasing, or crepey-ing. Honestly, we’re 10/10 impressed for a clean formula performing this good.

Honorable Mention: Kosas Cloud Set Baked Setting & Smoothing Powder (rated ****4.2) is another clean favorite of ours. If you prefer a pressed powder over loose or need something easy for on-the-go touch-ups, this is the one. The powder is finely-milled and super soft for an undetectable feel and wear. It’s infused with skincare additives like bamboo stem extract to reduce shine, passionfruit leaf extract to smooth skin, and Chinese peony to minimize the look of pores. Cloud Set sets makeup and controls shine without removing your glow.

(4.5)

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Why We Love It: Both versions of the Maybelline Fit Me powders get an A+ in our book. At the drugstore, you’d be pressed to find other powders that perform this well (except e.l.f. Halo Glow, more on that later). Whether you prefer a pressed or loose powder, the Maybelline Fit Me line has both and, to no surprise, they’re both solid formulas. Both set makeup with little to no effort, leaving a blurred, natural finish behind that controls shine for up to 6 hours. The powders resist settling and creasing without a crepey look.

Honorable Mention: Another great drugstore option is the e.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder (rated ****4.2). We’re impressed at a drugstore powder being talc free! Halo Glow gives an airbrushed finish for a soft glow with no excess shine. The weightless smoothing powder minimizes the look of pores and fine lines. We love that it doesn’t cling to or exaggerate texture, nor does it look cakey or give flashback in photos.

(4.2)

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Why We Love It: MORPHE Continuous Setting Mist is the best drugstore setting spray. Continuous Mist setting spray locks in makeup for up to help prevent melting, caking, or fading. The a fine mist powered by air makes it easy to use and never leaves behind those pesky water spots. MORPHE claims a radiant finish, but we find it is more of a natural, healthy glow. It doesn’t contribute to excess oil, and keeps skin looking fresh all day long.

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Why We Love It: Is there anything Lady Gaga can’t do?! Her HAUS LABS makeup line has some pretty bomb products and one of them is the Bio-Blurring Talc-Free Loose Setting Powder. The powder is housed in a sleek silver package and features a net to ensure there’s no wasted product – and is helpful to ensure you don’t apply too much product! Gently press the powder into skin using a puff or fluffy brush and watch it instantly blurs pores, texture, and lines. The cosmetics product wears beautifully without looking dry or crepey and with minimal settling. It’s a beautiful powder, and if we could change anything it would be the amount of product for the price! You only get 0.24oz of product, which is not a lot compared to other loose powders on the market. But if you want the best blurring powder, be ready to pay for it.

(4.2)

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Why We Love It: Even though many brands have come out with their own talc free setting powder, Hourglass Veil remains one of the best. This is one of the most finely-milled translucent powders that never exaggerates texture, never settles into lines, and never looks cakey or dry (ok – so it may settle after 8+ hours of wear, but what doesn’t?). The packaging has an ‘H’ shaped sifter to ensure the correct amount of product is dispensed with each use. This Hourglass product beautifully sets liquids, creams, and other powder makeup. If Hourglass knows one thing, it’s how to make a beautiful powder!

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Why We Love It: If you’ve ever used any of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders, you’ll know how beautiful this formula is. And at $54 a pop, it better be beautiful! Ambient Lighting Finishing Powder is an ultra luxurious powder that diffuses and softens the complexion in any type of lighting, from morning light to candlelight, including flash photography. Its 8 shades work differently to achieve different effects, from color correcting to brightening to illuminating. The powder smooths fine lines, wrinkles, and pores for an airbrushed finish. We especially love the Ambient Lighting Powders for setting the under eyes. They create the most smooth, diffused look without settling into those pesky lines.

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Why We Love It: No touch-ups needed with Patrick Starrr On ‘Til Dawn 16-hour wear waterproof setting spray. On ‘Til Dawn is one of the few aerosol setting sprays on the market. It sprays as a continuous mist, is light as air, and non-sticky. The mist is strong on this one, so luckily it smells like green tea! It feels very cooling on the skin, leaving a lightweight, blurred matte finish behind. The setting spray has ingredients to help with texture, absorb oil, and tighten pores. We do recommend having a damp sponge on hand to blend any spots out as, like with most sprays, it can spit a bit.

Depending on what base you pair this setting spray with, you may have some extra glow peeking through by the end of the day. But, it keeps makeup in place all day for a truly budge-proof, fade-proof wear.

Honorable Mention: MAC Fix + Stay Over (rated ****4.7) is the new and improved version of our favorite MAC Fix Plus Spray. This is another best setting spray, perfect for locking makeup in place morning to night – MAC promises 16 hours of set makeup. It has a fine mister that doesn’t leave water spots behind. The new and improved MAC Fix Plus is full of antioxidants to protect skin from environmental pollution and blue light, as well as alcohol-free to be nondrying. If a more hydrating setting spray with long wear benefits is what you’re after, I’d suggest checking out MAC Fix Plus Stay Over.

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Why We Love It: If you need all-day shine control, look no further than Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Translucent Setting Powder. Look photo-ready all day long with this powder that provides a soft matte, fully flat finish with absolutely no flashback. The white translucent powder blurs pores and doesn’t cling to texture or settle into lines. It’s one of the few that will help double your makeup wear time, and can eve be reapplied without looking cakey for any as needed touch-ups. The cosmetics product doesn’t separate with humidity or sweat and looks flawless all day long.

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Why We Love It: Shake, shake shake this dual-phase setting spray that promises to lock your makeup in place for up to 12 hours. Hydro Grip Set + Refresh not only sets with its blue agave extract, but provides hydration and soothing benefits via hyaluronic acid, hemp-derived cannabis seed extract, niacinamide, and aloe. This setting spray gives glowy, glass skin, setting without looking dry or matte. If you want that clean girl, glass skin aesthetic, this is the face spray for you. This one keeps skin looking healthy and hydrated, never dry or crepey.

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Why We Love It: Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Setting Powder has the most silky soft texture that sweeps onto skin beautifully. The finish is described as subtle radiance with a natural finish. This setting powder helps extend makeup wear time, giving blurred pores and smoothing texture, keeping excess oil at bay. It resists caking and promises no photo flashback. Because of its texture and resistance to settling and creasing, the Rare Beauty setting powder is our top pick for dry (or textured) skin.

Bonus points – it comes in 5 sheer shades to work with all skin tones.

(4.5)

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Why We Love It: MAC is an OG makeup brand that we all know and love. Their formulas are pro-artist quality and continue to be high performers. But, by far the best and perhaps most iconic is the MAC Fix Plus face spray. This is the best multi use face spray to keep in your arsenal. The lightweight mist of Fix Plus hydrates, refreshes, finishes, and sets makeup for up to 12 hours. Ingredients like green tea, chamomile, and cucumber soothes irritated skin, too. There are so many ways you can use MAC Fix Plus other than to set and refresh makeup. Our favorite is wetting an eyeshadow brush to give glitters a foiled, wet metallic look.

(3.8)

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Why We Love It: Givenchy Prisme Libre recently went viral on social media, and for good reason. This loose powder is unique with its 4-in-1 formula, featuring 2 powders that color correct and 2 that add radiance to the complexion. Plus, Prisme Libre is designed to color correct, mattify, blur, and illuminate – all at once. How? The 4 colors work together to address the unique needs of your specific skin tone (Prisme Libre is available in 6 unique shades). Its finely-milled powder resists settling and creasing to extend makeup wear time while blurring and diffusing imperfections. There is no oxidation of this powder or the makeup below it.

Be careful when using this product! The packaging doesn’t include a sifter, lending to a messy and wasteful use.

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Why We Love It: It’s all in the name – Huda Beauty Easy Bake is the best baking powder. Easy Bake Powder is inspired by Huda’s belief that baking is the essential to flawless, long-lasting, melt-proof makeup. The silky soft texture seamlessly blends into skin without settling into pores, lines, or exaggerating texture. It has a luminous finish that controls shine throughout the day without making you look too matte or too shiny. Easy Bake comes in 8 shades for all skin tones and features a sifter net to ensure minimal product waste.

(4.4)

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Why We Love It: Black-owned beauty brand Danessa Myricks is home to many high performing products that bring a unique twist to the beauty industry. One of these is her Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder. Is it a balm? Is it a powder? This makeup product instantly reduces texture, boosts coverage, blurs skin, and balances oils without drying out skin. Yummy Skin Blurring Balm is powered by a Swedish super ingredient called Upsalite, which balances sebum and reduces oil for a natural, clean glow all day long. The balm can be used as a primer under foundation, worn alone as a base product, or used to set makeup. Not only is it one of the most unique beauty products we’ve come across, but it’s high performance and multi-use is what makes it so great.

^{Edited by Maddie}

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