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Gather round, beauty girlies! Today, we'll be discussing a vital (yet often forgotten) step in our makeup routines—the finishing powder. Okay, now before you get confused, it is absolutely different from a setting powder and powder foundation—more on that later!
A finishing powder is basically designed to be the last step of your makeup routine—aside from your setting spray, ofc! If you want your face to look like you just used the Instagram "Paris" filter IRL, then a finishing powder will be your absolute best friend. Think: a soft-focus, blurred, and absolutely flawless finish.
Ahead, we'll be breaking down everything you need to know about finishing powders, including what they actually do, the difference between finishing powders versus setting powders and powder foundations, and ofc, a shopping list at the end!
Keep on reading to get schooled:
What is a finishing powder?
Think of finishing powder (a.k.a. perfecting powder) as the cherry on top of your makeup routine. It's a finely milled, lightweight powder that typically comes in a more compact form (as opposed to loose setting powders). It's meant to further mattify shine, blur out imperfections, and impart a soft-focus finish that makes all the makeup products you applied beforehand look more natural. It usually comes in translucent or sheer shades—perfect for controlling shine without adding extra coverage.
What's the difference between a finishing powder, setting powder, and powder foundation?
Finishing powder
It's a finely milled powder in a compact form that delivers a blurring, soft-focus finish to your makeup. As the name implies, it's meant to be the final step in your routine—again, aside from your trusty setting spray! *wink* It's also the best product to use out of the three for touching up throughout the day.
Setting powder
A setting powder, on the other hand, is meant to control shine, lock all your cream and liquid makeup products in place, and extend the overall wear time of your beat. It's also finely milled and usually comes loose in a jar and comes with a puff for easier application. Like finishing powder, it also comes in translucent or sheer shades.
Powder foundation
Compared to finishing and setting powders, a powder foundation has a light to medium coverage and helps mattify shine. You can wear it alone or on top of your liquid foundation or skin tint for added coverage.
SHOP: Best finishing powders to try
Ok, here's the best part of the article—the shopping list! In case you want to try out a new one or maybe you don't have one yet in your routine (wyd??), here are some of the best ones you can shop for rn:
1. Absidy Complexion Blur Translucent Perfecting Powder
If you want an all-in-one powder that you can use to set your creams and liquids in place and also give you a soft-focus finish, try this finishing powder from Absidy. It's infused with rice silk powder, squalene, and vitamin E to help mattify and brighten your complexion. It comes in three shades: Milk (universal shade), Oat (fair to medium), and Honey (medium to deep)
Absidy Complexion Blur Translucent Perfecting Powder, P545, Shopee and Lazada
2. Issy True Flex Perfecting Powder
Reduce the appearance of your pores and refine the texture of your skin with this finishing powder from Issy. Its mattifying formula also features a velvety core for a finish that's matte but not flat. It comes in five (!) shades: Very Fair, Fair/Light, Light/Medium, Medium/Tan, and Tan/Deep.
Issy True Flex Perfecting Powder, P499, Shopee and Lazada
3. Lovely Causemetics BEYONDBLUR™ Finishing Powder
We love it when makeup products also contain skin-caring ingredients, so we can look after our skin while still having a sick beat. This finishing powder from Lovely Causemetics contains ingredients like tea tree and chrysanthemum extract that help with reducing redness and inflammation. It comes in four shades: Fair to Light, Light Medium to Medium, Medium to Tan, and Tan to Deep.
Lovely Causemetics BEYONDBLUR™ Finishing Powder, P648, Shopee and Lazada
READ MORE: #BeautyFYP: Everything You Need To Know About The Lovely Causemetics BEYONDBLUR Finishing Powder
4. GRWM Cosmetics Powder Rush Velvet Setting and Finishing Pressed Powder
If you love the airbrushed look—hi, Paris filter—but you find that the "universal" shades of finishing powders still leave you with a white cast, then you'll like this one from GRWM Cosmetics. It comes in 12 (!) shades: Pearl, Oat, Buttermilk, Shell, Buff, Linen, Cameo, Biscuit, Nutmeg, Maple, Cinnamon, and Mocha.
GRWM Cosmetics Powder Rush Velvet Setting and Finishing Pressed Powder, P549, Shopee and Lazada
5. Kiko Milano Universal Veil Finishing Powder
If you want to add a subtle sheen to your skin without the use of a highlighter, go ahead and add this finishing powder from Kiko Milano to your cart real quick. Its formula is infused with diamond powder and reflective micro-spheres that refine your face's texture and give it a low-key glow boost.
Kiko Milano Universal Veil Finishing Powder, P1,170, Shopee and Lazada
6. Strokes Flawless Veil Finishing Powder
This finishing powder from Strokes is loved by the local beauty community due to its ability to impart a silky matte finish that feels like nothing on the face. It doesn't hurt that it's also loaded with skin-soothing ingredients like rosemary leaf extract, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E! It comes in two shades: Vanilla and Banana.
Strokes Flawless Veil Finishing Powder, P498, Shopee and Lazada
7. NARS Soft Matte Advanced Perfecting Powder
If you have a bit more money to spare, treat yourself to this finishing powder from NARS. Aside from smoothing out the texture of your skin, it also claims to control shine and blur imperfections for up to 24 (!) hours. According to them, you can use it as the last step of your makeup routine, or you can also layer it on top of your foundation to help set it in place.
NARS Soft Matte Advanced Perfecting Powder, P2,200, Lazada
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