20 Setting Powders That Will Keep Your Makeup In Place All Summer

Ah, summer. A time for soaking up the sun, lounging by the pool, and sipping on every fruity iced beverage you can get your hands on. And for some, it's a time to constantly worry about whether or not your face resembles a disco ball. Summer is great for many things, but not for long-lasting makeup. Even if you don't typically have extremely oily skin, the shine can definitely ramp up as the heat index does.

But worrying about how shiny your skin is getting shouldn't get in the way of all the fun you should be having. All it takes to solve this problem is the right setting powder. What you set your face's base in place with can keep excess oils at bay while still letting your skin glow just the right amount.

Of course, there's a fine line between mattifying and ending up with a cakey mess as your face sweats the powder off. That's why it is important to find the perfect setting powder for your skin's needs. To help you do so, we've put together a list of the best setting powders you can rely on to keep your makeup intact all summer.

Setting powders can be a very finicky makeup category. It can be very tricky to find the right setting powder to lock your makeup in place, absorb excess oils, and do it all without leaving your skin looking dry or cakey. You could cancel out all the hard work you've put in on your base with the wrong setting powder or you could set that magic in place all day long with the right one, which makes setting powders the make-it-or-break-it product of every makeup look.

When selecting these setting powders, we first and foremost made sure that all of them passed the summer skin check and were guaranteed to keep excess shine away. But mattifying aside, sometimes you're looking for a little extra something from your setting powder. We have selected a setting powder perfect for every possible skin need you could have this summer, and we made sure each one of them passed the test by confirming with reviews written by shoppers with the same concerns.

When discussing setting powders of any nature, the conversation simply wouldn't be complete without an honorable mention of Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Countless setting powders exist on the market, and yet so many people tend to still reach for this icon, with good reason. The lightweight powder promises up to 16 hours of wear, making it perfect for the summer. It has great shine control and is especially great for baking your undereye area. 

The powder contains vitamins C + E which are antioxidants that can benefit your skin tone over time. It is also formulated with a botanical blurring powder that can help leave your skin looking poreless and a skin conditioning powder that allows it to melt into the skin and not look cakey. The 4.5 star-rated powder has quite the fan base, and one Sephora reviewer explains why, writing, "This powder is everything. I have used other setting powders and none look as seamless or as beautiful."

Purchase Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder at Sephora for $43.

Looking for the perfect setting powder to get you through the hot summer months but don't want to spend more than $10? Turn to viral favorite Coty's Airspun Loose Face Powder, which costs only $5.79. For that price, you get an impressive 2.3 oz of product, which will last longer than you think. This setting powder has a lightweight feel on your skin and seals your makeup for long-lasting results.

The super finely milled powder helps smooth away pores and wrinkles without settling in them. One Target reviewer shares why it's her go-to, writing, "Everyone should have this product in their makeup bag. It is the perfect finishing powder. It sets my makeup so nicely and gives a beautiful matte finish. I bought mine almost a year ago and I still have so much left!"

Purchase Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder at Target for $5.79.

On the other end of the spectrum, you might be in the mood to invest a little and treat yourself to a luxury product. However, nothing can be more frustrating than spending a hefty amount on makeup only for it to let you down. That definitely won't be the case if you try out Tatcha's Silk Powder Protective Setting Powder. With a combination of silk extract and silk powder, this setting powder provides your skin with a healthy moisture balance while extending the wear of your makeup. 

The silk powder is especially great at blurring out any imperfections and giving your skin an airbrushed finish. One Sephora reviewer backs up the powder's claims and confirms it's worth the investment, "I really loved the way this powder looked on my skin. It was very smooth and did add a blurring effect. The price is a little steep but well worth it."

Purchase Tatcha's Silk Powder Protective Setting Powder at Sephora for $49.

A popular use for setting powders, especially loose ones, is baking. But not all powders work well for this technique. You need to tap into the right formula that will melt into your skin, and the best in the game has to be Huda Beauty's Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder. As the name suggests, this powder is specifically designed for baking. Available in nine shades, the finely milled powder is perfect for brightening your undereye area as well as setting your entire base in place so that it won't budge. It is melt-proof and creates a smooth and flawless finish as well. 

The formula keeps your skin matte all day long while providing a natural sheen and luminosity so that it doesn't look dry or cakey. One Sephora reviewer deems it the best of all time, writing, "This is easily the best setting powder I've ever used. Literally looks like a filter. I've tried so many powders and this outdoes them all."

Purchase Huda Beauty's Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder at Sephora for $35.

While each of the setting powders listed is guaranteed to get you through the summer oil-free, what an everyday makeup routine requires is not quite the same as what a professional makeup artist requires. If you're looking for the perfect setting powder to keep your client's skin shine-free, then the iconic Dermablend Loose Setting Powder is the way to go. 

The classic setting powder was designed for professional use, it is a heavy-duty setting powder that is formulated to make your makeup last for up to 16 budge-proof hours. The powder is smudge and transfer resistant and provides a completely matte finish, making it photograph beautifully and stand the test of flash photography. One Ulta reviewer shared the shocking longevity it provides, saying, "I set my face with this powder, and wow!! My makeup stayed on all night and I woke up the next day with my makeup looking like I just did it five minutes ago."

Purchase Dermablend Loose Setting Powder at Ulta Beauty for $29.

If you have blemishes or scarring, then a blurring powder becomes a must-have to avoid the powder settling into your texture and making your skin look worse. Many setting powders claim to be blurring, but very few do it as well as ONE/SIZE Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder. 

Developed by the CEO of baking himself, Patrick Starr, this superfine loose powder provides a soft matte finish. The Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder uses three ingredients to ensure a blurred effect: performance powder microspheres to provide a silky-smooth texture, soft-focus powders to visibly blur any fine lines or pores, and surface-treated pigments to seal it all in. One Sephora reviewer confirms it's the perfect pick for summer: "Humidity proof ladies!! I trekked through the east coast summer heat for about 15/20 mins walk, and my makeup didn't move. Liquid gold."

Purchase ONE/SIZE Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder at Sephora for $30.

Braving the warmer months with oily skin requires a certain arsenal of products. You have your tissue on hand, blotting sheets, and even a powder on the go to keep your oiliness in check. So when Fenty Beauty released the Invisimatte Instant Setting+Blotting Powder designed for all of your oily-routine needs, it was an instant must-have. The pressed powder works as a setting powder to set your base in place and instantly mattify it. But what's also so great about it is how handy it is to take with you on the go and reapply throughout the day.

Available in a universal translucent shade, the powder helps blur imperfections and is formulated with chia seed extract to help keep your skin shine-free. The sodium hyaluronate helps the look natural and weightless on your skin to give it a fresh matte finish that isn't too drying. One oily-skinned Sephora reviewer shares, "When I say wow... I mean WOW!!! It's amazing and a must-have if you have oily or combination skin."

Purchase Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Instant Setting+Blotting Powder at Sephora for $34.

Most setting powders are formulated with talc to give them that extra grip and longevity, but with talc often comes the concern of cakey-ness or your skin looking chalky, a nightmare for deeper skin tones. Glossier has tapped into the perfect formula for a talc-free setting powder that still gives your skin what it needs.

Glossier's Wowder is a great blotting powder that helps keep oiliness at bay while blurring out any imperfections. As with most Glossier products, this provides a natural and lightweight feel and finish that allows your skin to breathe and look fresh.  It won't give you a completely matte finish, and still lets some of your natural glow shine through. A Glossier reviewer shares, "Love this powder because it doesn't feel like one – it's not heavy or cakey even if you apply too much by accident. It leaves ur skin matte but in a subtle luminous way. Bulletproof!!!"

Purchase Glossier Wowder at Glossier for $22.

Setting powder can be the step that makes or breaks your pores. The wrong one can end up emphasizing them further, but It Cosmetics' Bye Bye Pores Translucent Loose Setting Powder can visibly blur them out. Being a brand developed by plastic surgeons, It Cosmetics tends to deliver when it comes to results. 

This loose setting powder promises to visibly reduce the appearance of pores and imperfections and give your skin an airbrushed finish. Formulated with silk, hydrolyzed collagen, antioxidants, and peptides this powder sets your makeup in place while still feeling lightweight and breathable. The super finely milled powder melts into your skin while blurring out your pores to leave your skin looking smooth. One Ulta reviewer confirms how amazing this feels on your skin, "This goes on so smooth over their matte foundation and it feels super weightless! It makes my face feel so silky."

Purchase It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Translucent Loose Setting Powder at Ulta Beauty for $30.

If you prefer to maintain a strictly mineral base, you're definitely already well-versed in all that Bare Minerals has to offer. With the brand's vast collections of mineral products, you can count on it for your needs, and the Mineral Veil Finishing Power is the perfect mineral setting powder. 

The weightless powder can be layered on top of your mineral foundation without ending up with your skin looking too powdery and cakey. The talc-free formula allows this to seamlessly blend onto your skin, setting it in place and mattifying any shine without feeling too heavy. The powder absorbs oil and blurs out any imperfections. It is dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic which makes it perfect for sensitive skin. One Ulta reviewer raves, "The finish on this is extraordinary. Great application. Very minor touchups are needed when this is used. I am a fan."

Purchase Bare Minerals' Mineral Veil Finishing Powder at Ulta Beauty for $30.

If you have seriously oily skin, you already know that sometimes 'mattifying' just doesn't quite cut it. You need some serious shine-fighting power, the kind that only comes with a product that promises to be waterproof. It's rare to find a setting powder that claims to be waterproof, but Urban Decay meant it with the All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder. 

This pressed powder does everything you need a powder to do: sets your makeup in place, extends its wear, and mattifies and smooths out your skin — and it does it all while also being completely waterproof. One Ulta reviewer backs these claims, writing, "This literally SEALS your makeup on, not even ugly crying could have an effect. Please, do yourself a favor and try this. And have a good cry, it's healthy."

Purchase Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder at Ulta Beauty for $35.

If you're a strictly pressed setting powder kind of person, then the investment product for you has to be the infamous Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder. Available in four shades, the pressed powder is ultra-fine and applies seamlessly onto your skin to immediately visibly blur it out for an airbrushed effect. 

It feels super breathable on the skin while still mattifying it and extending the wear of your makeup. The rose wax and almond oil it's formulated with allow it to keep your skin feeling fresh and hydrated. It even contains light-reflecting pearls that give you a glowing-from-within finish without letting things get too shiny. One Sephora reviewer explains just why it's worth the investment: "Unfortunately for my wallet, this powder lives up to the hype. This powder leaves me looking airbrushed and is the only powder I've ever used that doesn't crease terribly underneath my eyes." 

Purchase Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder at Sephora for $46.

It's only right to balance out an investment-priced pressed setting powder with one that you can pick up at the drugstore. Just because the NYX Cosmetics HD Finishing Powder costs a fraction of the previous pick, it doesn't mean you're forgoing quality. 

NYX Cosmetics has been providing professional quality makeup at the drugstore for quite some time now, and the HD Finishing Powder gives you everything your skin is going to need this summer for only $11. Available in translucent, banana, and green color-correcting shades, this silky pressed powder helps to mattify your skin while visibly blurring out your pores. 

It is so finely milled that it is ideal for patting away any potential shine throughout the day without worrying about your makeup budging. A claim one Ulta reviewer definitely agrees with. They wrote, "The powder keeps my makeup in place for hours exactly how it was when I put it on. It also perfectly covers how dry and flaky my skin looks."

Purchase NYX Cosmetics HD Finishing Powder at Ulta Beauty for $11.

It's great that a setting powder can secure your base for the entire day, but what if it could also be your base? Powder foundations, like Estée Lauder's Double Wear Stay-In-Place Matte Powder Foundation, are those kill-two-birds-with-one-stone makeup products. 

Estée Lauder's entire Double Wear collection is infamous for its long-lasting abilities, and the Matte Powder Foundation is no exception. Available in a range of 31 shades, the powder foundation version of the fan-favorite Double Wear Foundation is a full-coverage pressed powder that instantly mattifies your skin for long-lasting wear. 

It is waterproof, sweat-resistant, and humidity-resistant, making it ideal for oily skin types as it will keep your skin shine-free all day long. One Sephora reviewer confirms, "I can wear this to work for 12 hours and my face is only barely more oily at the end of the day vs when I wear foundation, and the coverage is there all day."

Purchase Estée Lauder's Double Wear Stay-In-Place Matte Powder Foundation at Sephora for $48.

You should definitely be using SPF underneath your makeup, but why not add some extra protection with Supergoop!'s (Re)setting 100% Mineral Powder Sunscreen SPF 35 PA+++?

In a handy compact package that comes complete with a brush, this setting powder is ideal for touching up your SPF on the go while blotting away excess shine. The mineral powder provides a matte finish as it sets your makeup in place, while also containing SPF 35. It offers a bit of extra sun protection in the form of zinc oxide, which provides broad-spectrum UV protection. Formulated with coated silica, the powder also helps minimize the appearance of pores and texture. One Ulta reviewer especially loves it for touch-ups, writing, "I have oily skin and this is a great touch-up product to use mid or late in the day for a matte look and extra protection from the sun."

Purchase Supergoop!'s (Re)setting 100% Mineral Powder Sunscreen SPF 35 PA+++ at Ulta Beauty for $35.

It's a given that each and every one of the setting powders mentioned here prolongs the wear of your makeup. However, if there were one pick that exceeds the rest when it comes to locking your makeup in place, it has to be KVD Beauty's Lock-It Setting Powder. 

The Lock-It Setting Powder is guaranteed to not let your base budge. The translucent loose powder uses a unique technology that claims to reduce its weight by 45% compared to other loose setting powders, which makes it feel super lightweight and natural on your skin. 

Using micro-blurring technology, it smooths your pores to create a smooth velvet-matte finish. It is formulated with corn starch which absorbs any excess oil, and jojoba derivatives to keep your skin feeling healthy and happy. It is a definite winner for oily skin types this summer as one Ulta reviewer confirms: "I've tried them all and with my extremely oily skin this one is by far the best one yet!"

Purchase KVD Beauty's Lock-It Setting Powder at Ulta Beauty for $33.

There's a difference between looking like you're glowing from the inside and just looking greasy. If you're looking for the perfect setting powder to absorb your skin's excess oils but still give your skin a healthy glow, then rest assured NARS has made it happen with the Light Reflecting Setting Powder Loose.

The finely milled powder manages to set your makeup and lock it in place all day while using a light-reflecting complex that perfects your skin by visibly fading any fine lines or pores and giving your base a naturally luminous finish. It also uses glycerin and antioxidant-rich vitamin E to keep your skin feeling as healthy as it looks. One Ulta reviewer raves, "This powder is so silky and lightweight. It applies beautifully without feeling or looking heavy. Sets makeup for the day. Looks flawless."

Purchase NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder Loose at Ulta Beauty for $40.

Wanting your makeup to be long-lasting throughout the day is one thing, but need it to photograph well also? That's when you use Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Matte Setting Powder. 

The superfine loose powder promises to extend your makeup wear for up to 24 hours, completely mattifying it with a shine-free finish that even bright studio bulbs can't beat. This setting powder provides a blurring effect that you can immediately see, giving a smooth airbrushed finish that photographs beautifully. Of course, since we're talking cameras, it's worth noting that this is completely flashback-safe, and it is even waterproof, sweat-proof, and smudge-proof. One Sephora reviewer shared a tip, writing, "This is an amazing product! It literally airbrushes your face. It sets everything so nicely and you don't need a lot. I see the best results when I use the puff that comes with it."

Purchase Make Up Forever's Ultra HD Matte Setting Powder at Sephora for $39.

Setting powder is one of those makeup categories that are available in a vast range of formulas. But one category that does not get enough hype is baked setting powders. Lorac POREfection Baked Perfecting Powder is the perfect baked setting powder to keep your makeup in place all summer. 

The powder is finely milled and provides a non-drying formula. It is infused with salicylic acid to give your skin a little extra treatment and help keep those summer breakouts in check. It also contains vitamin E to keep your skin hydrated. It is perfect for oily/acne-prone skin types, and one Ulta reviewer confirms how long-wearing it is, saying, "This is the ONLY powder that has stayed on 8+ hours without touch-ups, isn't patchy. And blurred pores. The only powder I'll ever use from now on." 

Purchase Lorac POREfection Baked Perfecting Powder at Ulta Beauty for $34.

With the right setting powder, you should be able to rely on it to absorb excess oil while still adding a little glow so you aren't the only matte face this summer, and Saie's Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder does just that. 

Saie has recently become a fan-favorite brand for its lightweight and natural formulas, and the Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder gives your skin the perfect weightless natural finish without letting it get too oily. The formula contains squalane which keeps your skin hydrated and healthy throughout the day. But the star of the show is its unique aerated cream technology that manages to set your makeup in place and absorb oil while still giving your skin a radiant finish. This Sephora reviewer confirms its claims, writing, "The best translucent powder – it leaves the skin matte yet luminous. Doesn't look or feel heavy or overdone." 

Purchase Saie's Airset Radiant Loose Setting Powder at Sephora for $30.