The Best Drugstore Setting Powders of 2022

After 20 to 40 minutes of tapping, smudging, and contouring (not to mention multiple attempts at a winged eye), the last thing you want is for your perfect matte finish to slide so much that you walk into your lunch date without the face you started with at 8 a.m. 

You could borrow a secret from the pros to keep your makeup right where you left it. Fair enough, it’s really not a secret: It’s setting powder. Although an often overlooked step in the makeup routine, setting powder is key to preventing slippage. For some better news, this final step doesn’t need to upend your budget. As a matter of fact, the best drugstore face powder could cost you $12 or less. Ahead we’ve rounded up some excellent options for your consideration.

Best drugstore setting powders overview:

• Best overall: Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder
• Best translucent: NYX High Definition Finishing Powder
• Best for darker skin tones: Black Opal True Color Soft Velvet Finishing Powder
• Best matte finish: Flower Beauty Miracle Matte Universal Finishing Powder
• Best loose powder: Maybelline Fit Me! Loose Finishing Powder
• Best pressed powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder
• Best for sensitive skin: Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation
• Best for dry skin: Pacifica Cherry Velvet Matte Translucent Setting Powder
• Best for oily skin: L’Oréal Infallible Pro Sweep & Lock Loose Setting Face Powder
• Best radiant: E.l.f. Halo Glow Setting Powder

How we chose the best drugstore setting powders

To compile this list, we researched manufacturer specifications, including ingredients, shade range, coverage options, and more, to create a short list of the top drugstore setting powders. Then, we combed through detailed product descriptions, ratings, and reviews to find the best drugstore face powder for each category.

Our picks for the best drugstore setting powders

On the market since 1935, Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder has been setting makeup for generations. Picking up thousands of raving reviews along the way, it’s clear this one is a fan favorite.

When used as the finishing touch for your makeup, Coty’s translucent powder blends into most skin tones and expertly keeps your makeup in place. The brand’s exclusive Microspun formula takes powder particles and spins them to velvety smooth perfection. And, while this setting powder has a lightweight feel, it does the heavy lifting to blur fine lines and blend away blemishes. All things considered (including its incredible price point), this one hits our list as the best setting powder overall. 

This powder will likely check many boxes for many, and if it makes your short list, you should know that some reviewers love the smell, while others have indicated the fragrance can be overwhelming. And although it’s translucent, it’s still only available in light tones, so it scores zero points for inclusivity. However, this oldie but goodie does get points for its vintage packaging.

Coverage: Full | Shades: 3 | Size: 2.3 oz

NYX’s mineral correcting High Definition Finishing Powder is a lightweight setting powder that works for hours, blurring fine lines and softening the look of your pores. This super smooth, translucent powder delivers a matte finish without a cakey feel. It’s also pressed, so it can go wherever you go just in case you need to touch up your T-zone. 

This HD Finishing Powder can also be used by those who need a little color correction — the banana setting powder camouflages dark spots and dark circles, while the green counteracts redness. 

NYX’s powder does a lot for your skin, but it’s worth noting that some reviewers noticed a white cast and flashback in their photos, and others cited that it didn’t work with darker skin tones.

Coverage: Light | Shades: 3 | Size: 0.28 oz

Designed for all-day wear, Black Opal’s True Color Soft Velvet Finishing Powder is airy, oil-absorbing, and lightweight. The powder is jet-milled, offering a soft, velvety texture that sets your makeup without caking. 

But the pièce de résistance for this setting powder might be the Shade ID technology, which uses multicolored chromatic pigments that adjust to your unique skin tone for the ultimate match. So, as you might have guessed, that’s precisely why it hits our list as the best drugstore finishing powder for dark skin. 

Known as what the brand calls its “IRL photo filter,” this finishing powder neutralizes imperfections and smoothes out your foundation leaving behind a soft matte finish. 

Black Opal’s finishing powder is a hypoallergenic formula, so it’s a good pick for sensitive skin. However, some users have noticed it has red undertones, which may be a deal breaker for some.

Coverage: Lightweight | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.7 oz

In 2013, Drew Barrymore founded her makeup line Flower Beauty. Digging through the line today, we found our pick for the best matte finish setting powder. 

Flower Beauty’s Miracle Matte powder is an ultrafine, silky formula that creates a soft-focus effect. It smoothes the appearance of fine lines and pores, it expertly absorbs oil leaving behind only a matte finish, and it’s translucent, so it’s flattering on most skin tones. 

While plenty of reviewers have noted that this finishing powder blends and covers well, others have indicated that it leaves a white cast and causes flashbacks.

Coverage: Light | Shades: 1 | Size: 0.28 oz

Pressed powders aren’t for everyone. So, if you’re “team loose powder,” Maybelline’s Fit Me! Loose Finishing Powder is worth a closer look. This mineral-based formula was designed to control shine and smooth out your skin’s texture for up to 12 hours. 

Maybelline’s Fit Me! Loose Finishing Powder softens the appearance of imperfections while providing a sheer hint of color that stays true from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Its lightweight, breathable coverage leaves you with a natural finish, and it’s dermatologist and allergy tested, so it’s suitable for sensitive skin. 

This finishing powder may check a lot of boxes, but it’s lost some points as some reviewers indicated it causes flashbacks. Some also found it cakey, and despite its claims of being lightweight, it actually felt heavy to quite a few users.

Coverage: Lightweight | Shades: 8 | Size: 0.7 oz

For those looking for a finishing powder that goes where they go, Rimmel London’s Stay Matte Pressed Powder is an excellent option. This high-coverage, lightweight formula is humidity-, sweat-, and heat-proof, which means you can look forward to a flawless finish all day long. 

Rimmel London’s Stay Matte powder is a mineral-based matte formula that controls shine and blurs beautifully to minimize the appearance of pores. 

While Rimmel’s powder is available in 10 shades, it doesn’t quite check the box for inclusivity, as it still leans toward lighter skin tones. Other debits to a perfect score include reviewers who noted that it feels cakey and heavy.

Coverage: Full | Shades: 10 | Size: 0.49 oz

Made with naturally derived minerals and powerful antioxidants (Vitamins A, C, and E) to protect your skin from future damage, Neutrogena’s Mineral Sheers Loose Powder Foundation is clinically proven to enhance skin clarity, tone, and texture. It also works to reduce the appearance of redness. 

This finishing powder and foundation expertly covers imperfections with sheer-to-medium buildable coverage while remaining lightweight and breathable. Those with sensitive skin may want to take note: It’s also free of phthalates, sulfates, dyes, and aluminum — common ingredients known to stress out your skin.

Coverage: Sheer to medium | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.19 oz

Dry skin and powders don’t usually mix well, but with its light, nourishing formula, Pacifica’s Cherry Velvet Matte Translucent Setting Powder sweeps that notion away. Infused with skin-soothing ingredients like coconut and Vitamin C, this translucent powder keeps your makeup fresh and in place, plus it blurs without caking. 

No description of Pacifica’s Cherry Velvet powder would be complete without discussing the inclusion of wild cherries, which makes it smell divine. To paint a clear picture for you, one reviewer said it smells like “pulverized sweet tarts but in the best way.” It’s deliciously sweet but not overpowering. 

Among its list of ingredients, the usual suspects, like talc, parabens, phthalates, and mineral oil, are replaced by “better-for-your-skin” ingredients, such as bamboo extract, mica, and lotus seed powder. While Pacifica’s setting powder has a lot to brag about, some reviewers noted it can leave a white cast on your skin.

Coverage: Sheer to medium | Shades: 1 | Size: 0.45 oz

Setting powder is an oily skin must-have, and for those who battle with shiny skin all day, L’Oréal’s Infallible Pro Sweep & Lock Loose Setting Face Powder may be your answer. This loose translucent setting powder controls shine to lock in your look all day. But the magic doesn’t end there. The micro-fine powder formula blurs lines and pores for a smooth matte finish that’s never cakey. 

Across the board, fans of L’Oréal’s Infallible Pro Sweep & Lock setting powder seem to agree that this finishing powder performs as promised. Still, many reviewers have noted that the packaging needs work or better quality control.

Coverage: Medium | Shades: 1 | Size: 0.28 oz

If you prefer a radiant finish, you might try E.l.f.’s Halo Glow Setting Powder. This loose setting powder feels weightless on your skin but still packs a punch with a glowy airbrush finish. 

Instead of talc, E.l.f.’s Halo Glow Setting Powder uses sapphire particles that are finely milled. The end result is a powder with a light, silky finish that boosts luminosity without relying on sparkles. The formula also blurs imperfections and smooths the look of pores and fine lines. Multiple reviewers have confirmed that it does, in fact, blur instead of settling into lines and wrinkles. 

Those with oily skin may want to skip this one, though — it’s intended to boost radiance, so it won’t offer a matte finish or do much to keep oil in check.

Coverage: Light | Shades: 6 | Size: 0.24 oz

Blur, set, go!

If you expect to look in the mirror at 2 p.m. and find your makeup where you left it, setting powder is key. Whether you’re going for matte or radiant, the best drugstore finishing powder locks in your look. They blur lines and pores and keep you fresh-faced from sunup to sundown. If you’re new to the world of finishing powders, Coty’s Airspun Loose Face Powder (our pick for the best drugstore face powder overall) is a good place to start. It does everything a finishing powder should do at a price that won’t hurt most wallets.

How to pick the right drugstore setting powder for you

Setting powders aren’t created equal, so to find the best drugstore finishing powder for you,

consider the finish, shade range coverage, and formula. 

Finish

The finish of your setting powder is one of the most important factors to consider when shopping for a powder. Typically, your choices will include radiant, matte, natural, or airbrushed. If you have oily skin, opt for a mattifying setting powder. If you prefer a dewy glow, stick to setting powders that boost radiance. 

Shade range 

In the age of selfies and Instagram, white cast and flashbacks are a hard pass, so you may want to look for options that don’t cause either. Translucent powders typically don’t deposit any color and tend to disappear into your skin, but they can cause the aforementioned white cast and flashbacks.

Similarly, you’ll want to steer clear of setting powders that are far off your natural shade. Powders that are too dark tend to look unnatural, and powders that are too light tend to look chalky. Ultimately, you may want to do a little trial and error and consult the reviews to find the best drugstore finishing powder for you. 

Coverage 

As the last step in your makeup routine, coverage is key. If you’re skipping the foundation and going for a natural look, think about a powder that offers medium-to-heavy coverage. On the flip side, if it’s a cold day in hell before you leave the house without foundation, you can get by with sheer coverage powder. 

Formula 

Be sure to consider your skin type when choosing a finishing powder. You don’t have to look too hard to find hydrating formulas for dry skin, hypoallergenic powders for sensitive skin, or powders formulated especially for mature skin. 

FAQs

Which makeup setting powder is the best? 

The best setting powder is the one that meets your specific needs. It keeps your makeup in place, gives you the coverage you need, and does all of the above without causing a white cast or flashbacks in photos. From our research, Coty’s Airspun Loose Face Powder is the best drugstore face powder overall. This translucent powder offers lightweight coverage, blurs fine lines, and blends away blemishes, but the best part may be that it does all of this for less than $6. 

Is translucent powder the same as setting powder?

No, translucent powder isn’t the same as setting powder. Translucent powders can be setting powders, but not all setting powders are translucent. 

Is there a difference between finishing and setting powder?

Yes and no, but let us explain. Like setting sprays, setting powders set your makeup in place and lock in your look, whereas finishing powders typically create a blurring effect to soften your look. While these two types of powders are technically different, our research showed that manufacturers tend to combine the two. A prime example would be L’Oréal’s Infallible Pro Sweep & Lock Loose Setting Face Powder. According to the manufacturer, this powder locks in your look all day, but it also blurs fine lines and pores. From what we can see, L’Oréal just opted to call it a setting powder to keep things simple.