15 Best Face Powders for Skin That Looks Truly Flawless
Setting powder, loose powder, and powder foundation for every skin type!
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There are plenty of reasons to dust your face with a powder — they set makeup, help mattify the face and absorb oil, and keep makeup from sliding off throughout the day — no setting spray or face primer needed. Powders don't just provide a matte, one-note finish, though — many help diffuse light, provide a soft, radiant glow and give your skin a bit of extra coverage, meaning there's a perfect pick whether your skin is dry, oily, mature, or anywhere in between.
The best powder formulas go on smoothly and feel light on the skin, don't settle into fine lines, wrinkles or dry patches and don't produce the dreaded flashback (when powder clearly shows up in a picture taken with flash). They also play nicely with your favorite blush, bronzer and foundation.
While the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has never tested setting powders specifically, the Beauty Lab has run tests on foundations that include powder formulas for factors like coverage, finish and ease of use — some powder formulas even square up well against more traditional liquid formulas! We've gathered the best formulas, vetted by the Beauty Lab, editors and avid online reviewers, from matte finishes that keep makeup in place all day to powders that give even the driest complexions an all-over glow:
Katie Berohn is the Beauty Assistant at Good Housekeeping, Woman's Day and Prevention magazines, all part of the Hearst Lifestyle Group. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a major in journalism and minor in technology, arts, and media, and earned her Master’s Degree at NYU’s Graduate Program of Magazine Journalism. In addition, Katie has held editorial internships at Denver Life Magazine, Yoga Journal, and Cosmopolitan, a digital editorial internship at New York Magazine’s The Cut, a social good fellowship at Mashable, and has freelanced for HelloGiggles. When she’s not obsessing over the latest skincare launch or continuing her endless search for the perfect shade of red nail polish, Katie can be found in a hot yoga class, trying everything on the menu at New York’s newest restaurant, or hanging out at a trendy wine bar with her friends.
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