Best Pressed Powders

Lightweight Flaw Coverage

A gorgeous pressed powder that looks great by itself or for setting your favorite liquid makeup.

Goes on silky smooth and feels lightweight on skin. Contains both moisturizing and light-reflecting ingredients for a beautiful uniform finish. Does a good job blotting oil; doesn't tend to get cakey or settle in fine lines. No sulfates.

Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder

Expensive, and the product doesn't seem to last very long. Available in limited shades.

Best Bang for the Buck

Clinique

Popular Brand

A quality pressed powder by a brand that's been trusted for generations. Available in lots of shades and works well for most users.

Sets itself apart by offering a choice of 16 shades, so finding one to match your skin tone shouldn't be an issue. Delivers a soft matte finish and controls oil. Made without parabens, fragrance, and mineral oil.

Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Pressed Finishing Powder

Comes with a subpar sponge. May require frequent touch-ups, especially if your skin is very oily.

tarte

Made With Minerals

The soft texture and mineral ingredients work well for many consumers, but it may not work for you if you have crepey skin or large pores.

A mineral-based powder that's made with skin-nourishing vitamins. Absorbs oil and sets other makeup products with a lightweight finish. Made without phthalates, parabens, and sulfates. Four shades are suitable for most skin tones.

Some reports of breakouts after using it. Has the tendency to emphasize lines and pores.

Kat Von D

Lock-It Finishing Powder

Best for Absorbing Oil

If you have oily skin, there's a good chance this powder will impress you. You'll enjoy carrying the detail-rich compact, too.

Versatile, as it works well for setting makeup, blotting oil, or by itself. Great for oily skin. Vegan and free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfates. Fans love the pretty compact that it comes in.

Bye Bye Pores Pressed Poreless Finish Airbrush Pressed Powder

Can be challenging to find the best shade – repeat users with fair-to-medium skin tones find the light shade too pale and the medium too dark.

It Cosmetics

Pore Control

While this unique powder won't work for everyone, it has skin-perfecting ingredients that are great for those who can use it.

Offers the brand's award-winning formula, which contains ingredients that blur imperfections, like fine lines and pores. Works well for all types of skin; absorbs oil. Doesn't contain parabens, phthalates, or sulfates.