The 10 Best Pressed Powders to Control Shine and Smooth Your Complexion

Best Overall

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder

$28 at Sephora $41 at Nordstrom View on Charlottetilbury.com

Shades: 4 | Cruelty-Free: Yes 

This iconic pressed powder from Charlotte Tilbury is truly as good as people say. It’s matte but not thick, heavy, or chalky, so it will help you achieve a smooth and glamorous makeup look without looking cakey. It's so smooth that it creates an airbrushed effect on the skin. There are only four shades, but because it’s a setting powder (as opposed to a powder foundation), they are pretty versatile on a wide range of skin tones. When testing this one out, we enjoyed that the soft and effective formula works nicely on all skin types by controlling shine without looking too dry, thus making it our absolute favorite.

Read Full Review: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Review

Best Budget

Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Pressed Powder

$7 at Amazon $10 at Ulta $6 at Target

Shades: 24 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With an incredibly soft, silky texture that absorbs oil and suppresses shine, this pressed powder from Maybelline is an affordable, effective, and very welcome addition to any makeup kit. It comes in a wide shade range (especially for the drugstore), and the formula isn't too stiff or chalky. The finish is quite matte, making it an excellent choice for people with oily skin, but it's also nice for dry skin if you apply just a light layer to your T-zone using a fluffy powder brush (although, it may be too drying for super dry skin).

Read Full Review: Maybelline New York Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder Review

Best Shade Range

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Soft Matte Longwear Powder Foundation

$40 at Sephora $40 at Ulta View on Fentybeauty.com

Shades: 50 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

It’s hard to beat Fenty Beauty when it comes to shade inclusivity. With 50 shades available across all skin undertones, this light-as-air powder has a soft matte finish for a glamorous, poreless look. Though it was technically designed to be a full-on powder, medium coverage foundation, it's also a nice product to set liquid makeup in place or add even more coverage on top of foundation (aka versatile). A bonus: it comes with a sponge applicator, making it convenient and travel-friendly.

Best for Dry Skin

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder

$44 at Ulta $49 at Walmart $40 at Walmart

Shades: 14 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Those with dry skin often fear that applying powder will exacerbate dryness, but that's not always the case. Take this beloved powder from Mac, for example. It's lightweight, formulated with hydrating ingredients such as jojoba oil, and has a very fine luminosity. The texture is incredibly smooth and sets makeup in place without highlighting dry patches or creating a cakey appearance. Although it's not ideal for controlling excess oil for long periods, it does a nice job of setting makeup in place and creating an even finish that's skin-like. We also love that it comes in 14 shades and offers a bit of sheer coverage.

Best for Oily Skin

NYX Professional Makeup Finishing Powder

$10 at Amazon $12 at Ulta $12 at Walmart

Shades: 3 universal shades | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This ultrafine pressed powder comes in three shades (translucent, banana, and mint green) to set and correct your makeup. While the translucent does a stellar job at suppressing shine, the banana will help to camouflage dark circles, and the mint green will address redness. As for its oil-controlling capabilities, we're seriously impressed. It keeps shine at bay for several hours before needing a touch-up. The texture is so weightless it never looks cakey or heavy on the skin, though it can be a bit drying if you over-apply. However, if you're prone to a greasy T-zone or live in a humid climate, this drugstore buy could be the key to keeping your makeup looking its best.

Best for Sensitive Skin

Kosas Cloud Set Baked Setting & Smoothing Talc-Free Vegan Powder

$18 at Sephora $35 at Nordstrom View on Kosas.com

Shades: 10 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

An editor go-to and a favorite of Vargas, this powder has a super light texture and a natural-looking finish, making it the powder for those who hate powder. "It’s weightless and gets rid of shine but not the glow," says Vargas. "You can reapply it throughout the day and it won’t cake on you." Instead of mattifying, it softens and blurs the skin, reducing shine but keeping radiance intact. It also has a super clean formulation and doesn’t contain any sulfates, parabens, talc, fragrance, or silicones, making it a smart choice for those with sensitive skin.

Best Anti-Aging

Lys Beauty Pressed Setting Powder

$19 at Sephora View on Lysbeauty.com View on Thirteenlune.com

Shades: 6 | Cruelty-Free: No

Formulated with brightening niacinamide, green tea extract, and sodium hyaluronate, this powder promotes a brighter, youthful complexion while cutting shine and locking makeup into place all day. It seriously impressed us when we tested it in our lab. It blurred the appearance of fine lines and pores but still kept the skin hydrated and plump. And even after applying a few layers, it remained lightweight and skin-like while creating a subtle glow. We also appreciate that it's talc-free which is great for those with sensitive skin.

Best for a Luminous Finish

Sephora Collection Microsmooth Multi-Tasking Baked Face Powder

$20 at Sephora

Shades: 15 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

With a luminous finish but long-wearing capabilities, Sephora’s Microsmooth powder is proof that you really can have it all in a setting powder. The baked formula has a subtle shimmer that illuminates the skin, but it still does a great job absorbing excess oil. It's very lightweight and doesn't create a powdery or cakey finish. It also comes in 15 shades that range from fair to dark, though it's worth noting that some online reviewers say it oxidizes (darkens a bit) a few minutes after application. If you're looking for a powder to set makeup and control excess oil without sacrificing your glow, this one's a fantastic choice.

Best for Under Eyes

Pat McGrath Sublime Perfection Blurring Under-Eye Setting Powder

$35 at Sephora $34 at Ulta View on Patmcgrath.com

Shades: 4 | Cruelty-Free: No

Finding a setting powder that won't crease under your eyes or settle into fine lines is challenging. We're happy to say that this pick from Pat McGrath fits the bill—it was specifically formulated to blur and illuminate the under eyes (no drying or cakiness here). With a soft, weightless formula, it works to set concealer in place, prevent creasing, and smooth the appearance of the under-eye area. We just wish the shade range was a little larger (there are currently just five offerings).

"I've been using this powder to set my under-eyes for years, and not much compares to how smooth it makes the area look," says commerce writer Alyssa Kaplan. "I'm prone to creasing and this formula helps keep it at a minimum without creating a dry or cakey finish."

Best With Coverage

Estée Lauder Double Wear Powder Foundation

$52 at Ulta $52 at Dermstore $38 at Walmart

Shades: 30 | Cruelty-Free: No

If you're looking for a multitasking pressed powder that you can set your makeup with or use completely on its own to even out your complexion, we highly recommend this one. We loved how lightweight and buildable this formula was during our test of the best full-coverage foundations. A light layer worked to combat shine and offer a bit of coverage, while a second or third layer provided medium-to-full coverage. Though it does transfer a bit, this wasn't a dealbreaker for us considering how versatile it is, how nice it looks on the skin, and the fact that it comes in 30 shades.