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The best face powders to perfectly set your makeup and banish shine (especially in this heatwave)

Next-gen face powders to help you stay shine-free.
By Elle Turner and Sophie Cockett
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If you're armed with the right face powder, you can almost guarantee that shine will be controlled, your makeup will stay in place and creases will be a thing of the past. What's more, the best face powders – whether it's a pressed setting powder or loose powder you choose – infuse your complexion with good-for-skin ingredients like hyaluronic acid to keep you looking bright and dewy. The alternative? Well, the wrong face powder will leave your skin looking dull, ashy and cakey. Not even worth thinking about.

Until recently, face powders have arguably lacked the finesse of modern makeup – like foundationwhich, over the past decade, has been fine-tuned, finely milled and given a twenty-first century makeover. Now? Pressed powders have experienced something of a renaissance, with next-gen technology pushing them forward into the future.

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Many big beauty brands are now offering face powders that promise to smooth, set and hydrate our complexions. Case in point: By Terry's Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder which contains powder-encapsulated spheres of hyaluronic acid, dispensing a seamless sweep of cashmere-soft, oil-balancing powder across the skin while the hydrating microspheres that settle into lines to plump them out and prevent creasing. Elsewhere, editor-adored Illamasaqua recently launched the ultra-fine Skin Base Pressed Powder which has a smoother-than-ever velvet-matte finish to help blur imperfections and absorb shine. It really works, blends easily and sets your base make-up for flawless skin all day.

Oil-mopping has become more refined – featherlight powders absorb excess moisture but settle into an invisible veil on skin. And "translucent" setting powders have been overhauled so that, for the most part, they actually do what they say on the tin – note: ashy beige formulas do not count as translucent. Laura Mercier's Loose Setting Powder is one of the best face powders on the market. In addition, careful attention has been paid to undertones, with Glossier, Charlotte Tilbury and Revolution offering silky soft powders in a range of shades.

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Techniques around application have come on, too. Forget window-washer movements across your entire face, instead opt for tactical application, just where you need it (lightly under eyes, around the nose and across the T-Zone to ward off shine). Ask the pro makeup artists and they've switched jumbo powder makeup brushes for dinky blending brushes (not much bigger than your eyeshadow brush) as well as Beauty Blenders, to distribute a delicate veil of powder that sinks in imperceptibly.

Illamasqua Head Makeup Artist, Mel Barrese, told us: "If you struggle with oil control throughout the day, simply dust the powder on top of your foundation and concealer, concentrating on the T-Zone. It can also be used throughout the day to absorb any oil build up or to refresh the coverage of your foundation. Our Skin Based Powder is also great to set under eye concealer, to help minimise mascara fall out, as well as to prevent creasing into fine lines."

It's official: you can forget the thick, cakey formulas of yesteryear and instead, call on the new guard to keep your makeup in place, ward off shine, blur lines and give seamless coverage. All, in just one sweep.

For more from GLAMOUR UK Deputy Beauty Editor Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk and for more from Commerce Writer Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx.

Scroll for our full edit of the best face powders for oily skin, dry skin and every skin type in between.

Elle Turner is GLAMOUR's Senior Beauty Editor and is based in London. As part of her role, she covers beauty and wellness trends and explainers, alongside new launches and innovations. Elle previously worked for The Telegraph and was part of The Pool’s founding team. With over 10 years experience in ... Read More
Senior Beauty Editor
Based in London and specialising in fashion and beauty, Sophie is Glamour's Senior European Commerce Editor. Sophie joined the Glamour UK team as Commerce Writer in January 2020, before being promoted to Senior European Commerce Editor in March 2023. It is Sophie's role to oversee the shopping content strategy for ... Read More
Senior Commerce Editor, Europe
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