Your Foundation Won't Budge Under These Affordable Drugstore Setting Powders

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Setting powder is probably one of those things you’ve heard about but never really used. Maybe you’re a minimalist loves the no-makeup look pioneer by Bobbi Brown, or you’re worried that powder might get cakey and make it look like you have dry skin.

These are legitimate concerns for sure, but you’d probably be surprised at how far setting powders have come in the past few years in terms of texture and weight—they’re ultra-light and velvety now!—as well as how much staying power just a dusting of one can bring to you—especially if you have oily skin.

Some even better news? The best drugstore setting powders can hang with just about any luxury option on the market, so you don’t have to spend a ton to reap the benefits here. But before you go shopping for your best drugstore setting powder match, it’s important to know what ingredients to look for and understand the nuances in what’s on the market. And that's where we come in.

Meet the expert: Sam Kyle is a professional makeup artist at Mirabella.

Here, you’ll find nine fan favorites, as well as a primer on what benefits setting powders can bring to your makeup routine and how to incorporate them most effectively.

Photo Focus Loose Baking Setting Powder

If you’re looking for something long-lasting, ultra-light, affordable, and versatile enough to take you from full-on baking your makeup to just a light dusting that minimizes shine in your oiliest spots, Wet n Wild Photo Focus Loose Setting Powder’s a winner that’ll melt into your skin seamlessly. It’s available in a few shades, from a true translucent, which users report is actually colorless, to a banana shade that provides a little bit of coverage and brightening, and a deep shade, which is great for some coverage for those darker in tone.

Rave review: “This powder is pretty impressive. It took away any sign of shine to my face but left my skin feeling soft and smooth to the touch. My fine lines and pores were blurred, and my makeup stayed in place for hours—through wind, a sweaty workout, and a toddler crawling all morning.”

Hyaluronic Acid Setting Powder

Infused with hyaluronic acid, a natural humectant, this velvety-smooth translucent setting powder from Ulta’s in-house brand is specially formulated to glide over dry patches and avoid settling into wrinkles and crevices. A little goes a long way, so don’t overdo application if you’re planning on posing for photos from the day and want to avoid flashback. As a translucent formula, you won’t get any real coverage from this product, but it will lock in the work your foundation or concealer may be doing in that department and keep you looking dewy—not greasy.

Rave review: "The powder is very fine and blends into the skin beautifully. My skin doesn't feel dry like I've experienced with other powders."

Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder

This transparent, loose powder comes in eight different shades from fair to dark, and it's a cult favorite because of how good it is at setting makeup. The one caveat? Remember to remove any excess product by tapping your brush before applying, as it can get a little cakey if you put on too much.

Rave review: “I love this! It's so soft and is best with a powder puff—almost like applying photoshop on your face—literally smooths anything you have after concealing. Easy to layer as well.”

Natural Defense Setting the Tone Finishing Powder

If you’re looking for a bit of extra protection along with the blurring and filtering setting powders are known for, look no further than this wonder compact from Physicians Formula. Brush the powder on your T-zone, cheeks, chin, and neck, and then blend out across your face for an ultra-light, slightly luminous effect. The bonus? Your skin will also be protected, since the formula offers an SPF of 20 and blocks blue light as well.

Rave review: "This powder is like BUTTER!!! Amazing!!!! I’m blown away!! And I like the smell, it’s like sunscreen and vanilla."

Perfecting Loose Powder

Though she consults with the brand on creative development and design, Kyle swears by Mirabella Perfecting Loose Powder regardless. “It's an ultra-lightweight, translucent silica powder that creates a luminous, airbrushed, high-definition effect that perfects pores and blends flawlessly into the skin,” she says. “Not only is this powder formulated with skin-loving ingredients, like Vitamin A and E, and anti-aging peptides, but the silica in this powder is amazing for combatting surface shine throughout the day.” One shade should work for all.

Rave review: "This product is amazing. I've tried some others and Mirabella does not create shine when shooting videos or taking photos. I love how it keeps everything in place for all-day wear."

Infallible Fresh Wear 24 Hr Powder Foundation Makeup

When you want more than just a light wash of color—or really want your setting powder to work overtime—consider this one from L'Oreal Paris. Though a foundation in its own right, you can also layer this long-lasting pressed product over your favorite liquid or cream formula to even out your complexion further and get an extra dose of its pore-blurring, oil-minimizing effect.

Rave review: "Love it. So much faster and easier to apply than liquid foundation. I love the sponge applicator, it gets close under my eyes and in every little nook of my face. The sponge also prevents wasted product vs a brush."

Can't Stop Won't Stop Mattifying Pressed Powder

You’re bound to find a solid shade match with NYX’s pressed powder compact, which comes in ten different skin tones from fair to dark as well as translucent and peachy colorways. The coverage is light and matte—think FaceTune IRL—so you don’t have to worry about cakiness or ashiness. Use it on bare skin for a no-makeup makeup look or over your foundation for extra staying power.

Rave review: "Love this stuff! I put it on over my foundation, and I’m good to go. It blurs imperfections as well. I get so many compliments on my makeup when I wear this. I have to apply it a second time around noon, but that’s expected on a hectic work day."

Bare Focus Finish Setting Powder

Whether you’re setting concealer in just a few spots or dabbing all over your face to tone down shine, don’t sleep on this bargain formula. Available in four varieties—fair/light, light/medium, medium/dark, and translucent—reviewers report that though the powder is light, it does last for hours without reapplying and won’t crease or cake.

Rave review: "I cannot say enough good things about this finishing powder. It sets extremely well! Easy to apply and lasts all day! You cannot beat this price point either."

Loose Powder

This loose powder has been around since 1935 and was recently reformulated to remove talc from its ingredient list. The consistency is light, the texture fluffy, and the compact is quite large, meaning you get a ton of product for $7. The universal translucent tone should work for most, but you can try the translucent extra coverage for even more of an airbrushed look. Keep in mind the powder can get a little messy, since it is so finely milled, and though it comes with a puff, you might want to use a Beauty Blender or sponge-like applicator for extra control or to really press the product into your face.

Rave review: “There’s no grainy feeling at all, it lasts all day long, [and] keeps my very oily skin at bay even after hours of working under harsh fluorescent lights,”

How we chose the best drugstore setting powders

For the past few months, Women’s Health editors, including freelance writer Danielle Blundell, have been researching the bestselling, most popular, and top-rated drugstore setting powder. Our team consulted a professional makeup artist and evaluated thousands of customer reviews and ratings to narrow down the best drugstore setting powders for a wide range of needs and preferences.

What is setting powder—and how do you shop for the best one?

Setting powder is typically used to lock in your makeup so that your look lasts longer. Translucent formulas should be colorless to universally work with any skin tone, so you won’t get much coverage—if any—from them, meaning you should opt for something with a tint if you’d like pigment for even more of a blurring effect.

Sam Kyle, professional makeup artist at Mirabella, loves silica-based formulations for “their oil-control properties and ultra-sheer, lightweight finishes,” but plenty of powders come with extra bells and whistles, too. “It's always a bonus if the powder contains additional ingredients with real benefits to the skin rather than fillers or substitutes,” she says.

Look for things like vitamin A or E, hyaluronic acid, and other hydrators on the label if you’re concerned about powders emphasizing dry patches or settling into creases and fine lines. Certain setting powders also contain SPFs, blue light-blocking complexes, and even skin-clearing agents, like tea tree oil.

What does setting powder do?

Setting powder isn’t just for celebs who appear on camera and need excess shine sopped up—or for those who really want to bake their makeup à la Kim Kardashian. A few light pats of a setting powder can work wonders for the average person.

“Setting powder provides a myriad of benefits, including extending the longevity and wear of makeup, combatting surface shine and controlling oil, minimizing the appearance of pores, and buffing and blurring the complexion for a flawless, airbrushed HD finish,” says Kyle. Setting powder can be used all over the face and neck, but you’ll find it most oftenly dusted under the eyes and across the T-zone.

When should you apply setting powder?

According to Kyle, you should sandwich in the setting powder step after your foundation and concealer application but before using any blush or contour products.

“Use a fluffy powder brush to buff and blur the powder across the face, paying extra attention to areas that tend to show surface shine breakthrough during wear, like the forehead, chin, and nose,” she says. “Keep in mind a little goes a long way with pressed powder, so be sure to tap off excess from the brush before applying. Using a smaller brush, be sure to press a little powder onto the undereye area to set concealer, too.”

If you want an even more matte appearance, you may find using a powder puff or sponge/Beauty Blender more effective, since brushes keep the look softer and more diffuse.

Is loose powder or pressed powder better?

Two types of setting powders exist: loose and pressed. “The main difference between loose or pressed setting powders is in the formula of each respective powder,” says Kyle. “While both can be used to set and extend the wear of makeup while combating oil and surface shine, a pressed powder is packaged in a compact while a loose setting powder comes in a jar-like component.”

Pressed powder:

On the whole, pressed powder can minimize the mess of application, since it’s more solid in form, making it great for travel and throwing in your bag for touch-ups after the gym or a day at the office. “However, these tightly-packed powers tend to provide a bit more coverage,” says Kyle, so just know you might have to have a lighter touch with these if you want them to truly melt into your skin.

Loose powder:

“On the other hand, loose setting powders are finely milled, ultra-lightweight, and often much more transparent than pressed powder,” says Kyle. For that reason, loose formulas can be a little bit trickier to apply without creating clouds of powder and leaving behind little grains of product to clean up—but, in most cases, they’re well worth the extra effort. “While neither powder type is necessarily ‘better,’ a loose setting powder is often favored due to its versatility and use in the ‘baking’ method as well as its lightweight, soft focus HD finish,” says Kyle. “If the skin is drier or more mature, a loose setting powder can be a godsend for providing a little radiance boost.”

Finally, when reading labels, make sure you have a true “setting powder,” as not all powders are meant for this purpose.

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