Do you set you makeup in place every time you do your makeup? How do you set your makeup? Do you NEED setting powder?
Yes, absolutely! If you don’t set your makeup in place, you need to start right now!
Setting my makeup is a definite must in my makeup routine – it keeps my base makeup from slipping and sliding around and it extends the wear of my foundation tremendously!
Plus, I like my face to be dry to the touch and some foundations never dry down. Putting a powder on top of it takes care of that problem!
Using a setting powder ensures that your foundation will last as long as it can and make your skin dry to the touch. Some powders even smooth out fine lines, and some can add a little bit of extra coverage.
Living in Hawaii where the humidity is super high, applying setting powder totally keeps my makeup from melting off my face – it’s an absolute must!
While you can set your makeup by either swirling a fluffy brush into a pressed powder and applying it all over your face, or by applying a loose powder all over your face, I definitely prefer using a loose setting powder.
There are tons of loose setting powders on the market right now, and I know it can be tough deciding which one to try.
I’ve tried a lot of loose setting powders out there, and guess what? Some of my favorite loose setting powders are from the drugstore and are super affordable!
So, today I will be sharing with you the best loose setting powders under $10!
Today’s post consists of the 5 best cheap loose setting powders you can find and at the end, I’ll be sharing some bonus tips on how to apply loose setting powder!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
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P.S. Before you even start to think about buying one of these powders, be sure to sign up for Ebates!
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Best loose setting powders under $10 – How to apply loose setting powder to your makeup
1. Maybelline – Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder
GUYS. This is totally one of my holy grail loose powders and it’s the one I use to set my makeup every single day.
It’s finely milled, light, never makes my skin look too dry, and it’s a total dupe for the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder.
The only difference is that it comes in shades, whereas the Laura Mercier powder is translucent. I use the shade 05 Fair, for reference.
2. ColourPop – No Filter Loose Setting Powder in Translucent
ColourPop has really done such a great job with their No Filter Complexion range!
For such an affordable price ($9), you get a loose setting powder that feels like it’s luxury.
It’s a lightweight soft-matte powder that makes your makeup last as long as it can. It never makes my makeup look cakey or heavy, and no flashback!
Other shades available: Banana, Translucent Deep
Shop Now: ColourPop
Get $5 off your first purchase from ColourPop here.
3. Coty – Airspun Loose Face Powder in Translucent
This powder is honestly the BEST value you’re going to find anywhere because the container it comes in is huge! (It’s 2.3 oz./65 g)
It’s really great for extending the wear of your foundation and it gives a nice airbrushed matte finish.
It’s slightly heavier than the two powders I mentioned above, so I like to use this powder with a light hand.
Because I have dry skin, this powder can look dry on me if I apply too much. But, if you have oily skin – you are going to love this powder!
It is truly mattifying and long-lasting.
Another note is the smell. I personally don’t like it and it smells like, for lack of better words, “old lady.” LOL I apologize if that offends anyone, I just can’t think of a better way to describe it.
Some people actually like the smell though, so it’s just a matter of personal preference. BUT, the point is that there IS a smell. If you don’t like scented products, it would probably bother you.
Shop Now: Amazon
4. Makeup Revolution – Luxury Baking Powder
This powder is another great setting powder that extends the wear of your foundation and leaves a smooth, soft-matte finish.
Similar to the Coty Airspun powder, in my experience, this powder can be a bit drying on my skin, so I have to apply it with a light hand.
Totally perfect for those with oily skin, though!
A lot of people LOVE the banana shade in this powder because it’s brightening and corrects redness, but I personally like the lace shade as it’s more of a translucent shade.
5. Maybelline – FaceStudio Master Fix Setting + Perfecting Loose Powder
This powder is different than the others on this list as it’s more of an HD powder.
Similar to the OG super popular Make Up For Ever HD Microfinishing Loose Powder, it’s best used as a finishing powder. Which means I would definitely not bake with this powder.
When applied all over the face with a fluffy brush, it totally perfects the texture of your skin and creates a blurring effect.
Warning when using any type of HD finishing powder, there will almost always be flashback!
These powders are made with the intent of being “photo-ready” in the sense of being filmed for a high-resolution video or for an actual photoshoot, NOT in the sense of taking photos in a dark restaurant on your girls’ night out LOL.
If you apply this powder on your entire face then take a photo with low-light and the flash one, you will look like a ghost, no doubt.
How to Use Loose Setting Powders
1. Baking
If you’re not familiar with the term, “baking,” basically, it’s the process of packing on loose powder (I like to use a sponge) and leaving loose setting powder on your face for 5-10 minutes, then dusting off the excess.
This allows the heat from your body, in combination with the powder, to REALLY set your makeup into place, leaving a smooth, flawless finish.
I will only sometimes bake under my eyes, but that can leave your under-eye area looking dry if your skin isn’t well hydrated. And my under-eye is pretty dry right now, so I don’t bake there often.
However, I will ALWAYS bake under my contour. This creates such a cut contour! Makes me lose 10 pounds off my face.
2. Set with a fluffy brush
I’ll pick up a light amount of powder with a fluffy brush and lightly dust loose setting powder all over the rest of my face to lock everything into place.
On my lighter makeup days when I skip the baking, this is the only way I’ll use setting powder. It keeps things light and creates a nice finish.
This would be the best way to set your makeup if you have dry skin and want to avoid looking too powdery.
3. Set with a damp makeup sponge
This is similar to baking as you use a makeup sponge, but instead of packing on a hefty amount, I use a lighter amount and just press the powder into my skin.
Doing this mattifies and extends the wear of foundation more than just setting it with a light dust using a fluffy brush.
I especially use this method on my nose, because that’s totally my problem area when it comes to foundation! My nose is the only place on my entire face that will become oily throughout the day.
By using this method to set the foundation on my nose, the wear of my foundation on my nose is extended tremendously.
I’ll also use this method under my eyes regularly because I apply a LOT of concealer (ya girl has dark under-eye bags). And applying a lot of concealer requires a “heavier set” than just using a fluffy brush, and as I mentioned above, baking makes me look too dry in that area.
And that’s it for this post on the best loose setting powders under $10!
If you’re new to loose setting powders, do you feel like you can conquer them now? If you’re a makeup veteran, do you see any of your favorites in this list?
Be sure to let me know down in the comments! <3
Also, I have to remind you again, to use Ebates any time you shop!
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Thank you so much for reading and until next time! 🙂
P.S. If you like what I do here on lianadesu, it would mean so much to me if you bought me a coffee (support my blog)!
More Drugstore Makeup Posts:
- Drugstore Makeup Holy Grails
- Ultimate List of Drugstore Dupes
- Best Drugstore Foundations in 2019
- New Must-Try Drugstore Makeup – Spring 2019
- Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit for Beginners
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