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7 of the best translucent powders for banishing unwanted shine

Set it and forget it

By Briar Clark

BEAUTYcrew Beauty Editor / October 14 2021

For those of us prone to oily skin or anyone who’s experienced summer downunder, having a translucent setting powder in your makeup kit is a must.

Great for banishing unwanted shine, absorbing excess oil and adding a soft, blurring effect to the complexion, a quality translucent powder formula can mean the difference between long-lasting makeup and looking like a literal oil spill come lunchtime.

We don’t know about you but we’re always going to pick the former when it comes to our makeup.

We suggest you join our club of flawlessly finished base makeup and do yourself a favour – try these seven top-quality translucent powder picks. You can thank us later.

By Terry Hyaluronic Pressed Hydra-Powder Face Setting Powder

Forget drying setting powders of the past because this hyaluronic acid-infused formula takes its cues from your skin care routine, helping to maintain moisture levels while you wear it. The non-drying formula blurs fine lines and pores, and leaves your makeup looking fresh long after application.

$79 at MECCA

TARTE Shape Tape Setting Powder

This vegan pick can be used to blur, bake and set makeup thanks to a mattifying, oil-absorbing formula that lasts all damn day. A perfect product for any potential photo opps, this purple compact diffuses light to prevent flashback, while imparting skin with a radiant glow and blurring fine lines and imperfections.

$48 at Sephora

Tatcha The Silk Powder

Protect skin against pollutants and blue light with this innovative talc-free setting powder. Silk extracts and powders are responsible for maintaining a hydrated complexion, ensuring makeup longevity and blurred pores, leaving skin with a smooth, radiant, shine-free finish.

$68 at MECCA

ONE/SIZE Ultimate Setting Powder

Super-finely milled, with a no-flashback promise and guaranteed to last for up to 14-hours post-application, this blurring formula imbues skin with a soft matte finish that’s versatile enough for a soft glam moment or a full-beat.

$46 at Sephora

FENTY BEAUTY Invisimatte Blotting Powder

Honestly, we wouldn’t recommend leaving the house this summer unless your handbag is equipped with one of these babies. Boasting a super lightweight, cake-free formula that feels like nothing on the skin, this is our pick for events when you need to be shine-free, poreless and just as photo ready as the bad gal herself.

$46 at Sephora

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Loose Setting Powder

Honestly, if you haven’t seen your favourite beauty YouTuber using this stuff we suggest you check their credentials. Perfect for baking, but lightweight enough to subtly set even the most natural of makeup looks, this silky powder effortlessly blurs fine lines, texture and pores for a smooth, flawless matte finish. Iconic.

$63 at Sephora

Koh Gen Do Pressed Powder

Koh Gen Do may be loved by the likes of Lana Condor for their aqua foundation, but we assure you their pressed powder compact is just as impressive. Featuring a luminous pink-toned powder alongside a translucent formula, this finely-milled powder sets base makeup, controls oil and shine and helps to illuminate sallow-looking skin. Say buh-bye to dullness and hello to the radiant complexion of your dreams.

$74 at Adore Beauty

Now that you’ve got your hands on one of the best translucent powders on offer, it’s time to replenish your foundation stores. These are the best drugstore foundations that cost less than $40.

Main image credit: @melissa.hernandez

Briar Clark

Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).