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When it comes to foundation, there are some things that a liquid formula can’t do. Foes of skin with excess oil, liquid picks get sucked down into pores and can end up making them look even bigger. So not your aim for a cover-up.
That’s where powder foundation comes in. Ideal for those with acne, oily skin, or who want something a little more sweat-proof, the benefits of choosing a powder formulation go on and on, but typically range from soaking up moisture to being super convenient for travel.
Delivering matte, buildable coverage, powder foundation is taking over the scene thanks to its superior, long-lasting powers and unmatched blurring effects that get you through tough winters and those sweaty summers.
We’ve put together this Best Powder Foundation 2022 list to introduce you to some power players of the moment. We’ve nominated a brand in 17 different categories to help you zero in on your winning formula.
Why use a powder foundation?
The difference between liquid and powder foundation is night and day. Both are good to have in your makeup bag, but one tends to increase the shine factor tenfold while another erases it. If you’re here reading this Best Powder Foundation 2022 list, we think you know which one’s which.
For those of you that have oily, acne-prone, or combination skin, there’s a good chance you’ve tried a powder foundation before. Though not all built the same, at their core, they offer benefits like oil and shine reduction, less pore clogging, and a more convenient (and much less messy) way of application.
For sweaty days on the go, these silky-smooth babes are a reliable friend to keep in your back pocket.
How to Choose The Best Powder Foundation for Your Skin
The traditional process of finding the Best Powder Foundation simply doesn’t fly anymore. Buying and trying multiple brands until you find the right one is a great way to waste time and money, not to mention the tiny (but vital) pieces of your sanity.
This Best Powder Foundation 2022 list exists to liven up the tired game of shopping for makeup that doesn’t fit. After all, you can’t spell “foundation” without a little f-u-n.
Before we get things started though, check out this list we compiled below. It includes a few things you might want to look out for while shopping:
Brand
Choosing a well-known name isn’t everything when it comes to finding the Best Powder Foundation Brand, but it does come in handy if you’re looking for something specific. For example, Fenty is known for its inclusive shades and cruelty-free formulas — plus, it’s easier to trust a brand when the face behind it is flawless.
We’ve included a versatile mix of brands here. You’ll nod your head at classic names like L’Oreal and Maybelline while discovering newer faves like IT Cosmetics and KVD.
Price
This Best Powder Foundation 2022 list is going to start off with a bang. Our favorite picks are the top in their class, meaning that some come along with a sizable price tag.
If price is something you need to keep in check, you may want to opt for one of the Best Powder Foundation Drugstore selections. Just because they’re from a drugstore and affordable doesn’t mean they’re not effective. Some of the most iconic products are sold at your local corner shop.
Skin Type
Our Best Powder Foundation 2022 list separates the products into categories. This makes it a little easier to browse and find exactly what you need. Though we’re sure you’re already aware of your skin type, be sure to pay attention, as what’s ideal for normal skin may not be what you want if you have oily skin.
Shade
Finding the right shade is perhaps the trickiest part of figuring out what the best powder foundation is for your unique skin tone. Not every single one of the brands mentioned below offers inclusive shades. Some come in darker tones only, some strictly in light, while others have over 50 to choose from.
To find your perfect match, a good tip is to pick a model that is the closest to your skin tone. Powder foundation tends to be darker than it looks in the compact, so if you can help it, don’t go by the color of the powder itself.
Staying Power
Looking for longevity? This Best Powder Foundation 2022 list has tons of options, though some last longer than others. We’ll include all the deets below so you know how our favorites perform.
Finish
Since we all have different skin, the kind of finish we’re looking for differs too. Are you team matte all day every day or do you want something to give you a natural-looking glow? We have both on this Best Powder Foundation 2022 list.
SPF
One of the most important things in the summer is sun protection. As soon as you step out your door and into the sunshine, UVA and UVB rays can cause damage.
Protecting your skin is important, which is why a lot of the names on this list include the helpful element and put the health of your skin first.
At the end, for all you patient readers, we’ll show you our top pick for The Best Powder Foundation With SPF. In the meantime, here’s the list of the best of the best:
- Serge Lutens Long-Lasting Compact Foundation – Matte Finish, $140
- Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Gloss Film Foundation, $67
- Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue, $60
- Cle de Peau Radiant Cream-to-Powder Foundation SPF 24, $69 ($98)
- Bare Minerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15, $32
- L’Oreal Paris Infallible Up to 24-Hour Wear in a Powder, $15
- MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation, $35
- Dior Backstage Face & Body Powder-No-Powder Foundation, $40
- Fenty Filt’r Soft Matte Powder, $36
- Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation, $31
- Maybelline New York Super Stay Full Coverage Powder Foundation – Matte Finish, $10
- IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder, $39
- Armani Neo Nude Compact Powder Foundation, $64
- Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Matte Powder Foundation, $43
- Make Up For Ever Matte Velvet Compact Blurring Powder Foundation, $38
- Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Powder Foundation, $52
- KVD Lock-It Powder Foundation, $22 ($37)
Our Top 17 Picks for Best Powder Foundation
Searching for the Best Powder Foundation can be a daunting task. You spend the money and bring the product home only to find out it’s not right for you or your skin.
Major bummer. In search of the right formula, you head back to the store and repeat the process. This list exists to cut down on steps, disappointment, and wasted money.
Up ahead, we’ll take you through our top 17 picks for the Best Powder Foundation around. To make things even easier, we’ve included specific formulas that are top runners in their unique categories, so keep an eye out for words related to what you’re looking for, i.e. shine control.
#1 – Best Luxury Splurge: Serge Lutens Long-Lasting Compact Foundation – Matte Finish
Serge Lutens is one of the most high-profile names on this Best Powder Foundation 2022 list. The French artist is known for his unique, bold style, working closely with Dior to launch its makeup collection.
If luxury makeup is a must-have in your case, then consider the Long-Lasting Compact Foundation – Matte Finish. More than just a novelty, the foundation is delivered in a sleek, black refillable case, filled with a pressed powder and sponge.
Promising a matte finish and invisible wear, this high-quality powder reduces shine while keeping skin looking fresh and hydrated. Made in 10 light to medium tints, you can get one of the Best Powder Foundation Matte options for $140 (refills are $95).
#2 – Best Cult-Fave That’s Worth the Hype: Koh Gen Go Maifanshi Gloss Film Foundation
With all of the options out there, it’s hard to know what’s worth it and what’s not. The Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Gloss Film Foundation is one of a kind, providing a weightless, natural feel and great coverage.
This Best Powder Foundation Full Coverage pick offers a blurring effect and smooth finish thanks to soft-focus pigments.
As for dry-looking skin? No way. This formula uses tea tree oil, collagen, and hydrolyzed silk to moisturize, soften, and promote stronger, healthier skin.
Long-wearing and water-resistant, this luxurious cruelty-free formula provides sheer to medium coverage in 6 light shades. You can get it for $67 (compact not included).
#3 – Best for Shine Control: Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue
Chanel is known for its fresh-faced models, and the Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue powder foundation helps you attain the same look.
Promising all-day coverage and a natural, luminous finish, it comes in a refillable, simple black compact case accompanied by an applicator sponge.
Tone-correcting, smoothing, and absorbent, this foundation has pigments that repel water and amino acids to help skin look and stay radiant. You’ll find it in 16 light to dark shades for $60.
#4 – Best Cream-to-Powder Formula: Clé de Peau Beauté Radiant Cream-to-Powder Foundation SPF 24
Cle de Peau Beauty translates to “The Key to Beauty”. A Japanese beauty brand, its products were created to help your skin look its best in the most natural way.
That’s certainly seen within the Radiant Cream-to-Powder Foundation SPF 24, and guessing by the name, you can tell it’s got some sun protection in it.
Delivering sheer to medium coverage and a matte finish, the powder absorbs excess oil to give your skin a naturally radiant look.
It’s made with chestnut rose fruit extract to prevent changes in color, giving you vibrant, healthy skin that’s moisturized with the help of super hyaluronic acid.
You can get it in 12 light to medium shades (ivory to deep ochre) for $69, normally $98.
#5 – Best Clean Formula: BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15
BareMinerals is one of our top Best Powder Foundation Clean picks, using just 5 simple, clean ingredients to give you buildable coverage.
The Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15 comes in 30 inclusive light, medium, deep, and dark shades with broad-spectrum SPF 15 protection.
Vegan and cruelty-free, this breathable formula is a great choice for anyone with sensitive skin or breakouts. It’s natural and light, an easy go-to for “no makeup” days. Grab a compact for $32.
#6 – Best Long-Wear Foundation: L’Oreal Paris Infallible Up to 24-Hour Wear in a Powder
L’Oreal Paris is a name that needs no introduction and neither does this powder. It’s gotten a lot of fame as of late for its supreme blurring effect that promises full coverage with a matte finish — the best of both worlds of foundation.
The Infallible Up to 24-Hour Wear in a Powder formula is long-lasting, non-cakey, and best of all, affordable. On top of that, this insane (in the best way possible) powder is waterproof (including sweat) and heatproof, and won’t rub off on your clothes. Go ahead and wear white, this non-clogging star is here to please.
Including 20 shades in its selection, you’ll find everything from pearl to ebony for just $15.
#7 – Best for Selfies: MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
MAC is known for its professional-quality makeup which should tell you a lot about what the Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation is going to be like. Providing you with 12 hours of matte finish, this powder comes in 53 inclusive shades and works overtime to reduce shine.
For a perfect look, all you need is a few swipes of this smoothing star for medium to full coverage.
It won’t budge, cake, or streak for hours, and it’s one of our top picks for the Best Powder Foundation For Acne-Prone Skin. Grab one of MAC’s signature black compacts for $35.
#8 – Best Light Coverage, Matte Finish: Dior Backstage Face & Body Powder-No-Powder Foundation
Not everyone needs tons of coverage. The Dior Backstage Face & Body Powder-No-Powder Foundation has a somewhat confusing name, but it simply means it can deliver a super natural look as if you weren’t wearing anything at all.
Soaking up oil and securing your makeup, the pressed powder isn’t powdery but high performing, providing a matte and blurring effect.
Free from a heap of nasties normally found in powders, you’ll find this foundation in 10 varying shades from light to dark set in a silver compact with a clear lid. Get it for $40.
#9 – Best Shade Range: Fenty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Powder Foundation
Fenty is a celebrity beauty line that we can really get behind. Loved for its wide range of shades and effective formulas, this cruelty-free brand has developed a ton of award-winning and treasured products for the modern makeup lover.
The Filt’r Soft Matte Powder lives up to the brand’s sterling reputation, delivering light, long-lasting wear that’s sweat and humidity-resistant — a must in hot weather climates.
Do you really need another excuse to go on that trip to the Bahamas?
Slightly blurring and buildable, you’ll get light to full coverage from this powder without any of the creasing or crinkles you can from other brands.
Packaged up in a trendy compact worthy of display, you’ll find this treasured formula in 50 shades from light to deep with everything in between. Grab one for $36.
#10 – Best Sheer Formula: Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation
Clinique is a queen in the world of good-for-you skincare, and its Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation is no exception. Free from scents and mineral oil, it’s a great pick for anyone with sensitive skin.
It’s also one of our top choices for Best Powder Foundation For Combination Skin since it absorbs oils like a boss and helps skin stay hydrated at the same time. Matte and sheer, it comes in 13 light to medium-dark shades from invisible to brandy for $31.
#11 – Best Full Coverage Long-Wear Foundation: Maybelline New York Super Stay Full Coverage Powder Foundation – Matte Finish
Another drugstore brand you shouldn’t pass by without reading, Maybelline New York is a classic cosmetics company known for its invisible-looking products.
Helping to disguise imperfections, the Super Stay Full Coverage Powder Foundation – Matte Finish promises full color (no wishy-washy hues) and all-day wear.
The unique formula actually uses color-matching pigments to reach your perfect shade, along with a silky smooth texture that blends like a dream leaving you with matte coverage and no shine.
Offered in 12 light to dark shades from porcelain to java, you can pick up this affordable, thin, and convenient compact for $10.
#12 – Best Airbrush Effect: IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder
IT Cosmetics isn’t super new to the scene but it has grown in popularity in recent years thanks to its products that tackle the needs of modern makeup wearers.
The CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder is super versatile, giving you the choice of sheer or full coverage depending on how much you decide to swipe on.
With a natural-looking finish, this pressed powder is perfect for all skin types, its main mission helping you create even, smooth skin.
In addition to the powder itself, hidden inside is a hefty dose of skincare, including collagen, peptides, and niacin to help your skin in the long run.
Ideal for those with aging skin concerns, this lightweight blurring powder won’t make its way into fine lines. You’ll pick from 7 light to medium-dark shades here, in fair to rich bronze. Set in the brand’s signature silver compact, grab one for $39.
#13 – Best Glowy Powder Foundation: Armani Neo Nude Compact Powder Foundation
No matter what kind of skin you have, a natural-looking glow is a must if you want to retain your youthful appearance. We’re not talking shiny, oily here, we’re talking about a radiant, luminous look like the one your favorite Instagram filter gives.
Known as the most successful Italian designer to ever walk the planet, Armani is synonymous with class, and its Neo Nude Compact Powder Foundation is no exception.
Giving you a coveted glow with translucent coverage, the powder has a buttery, slightly luminous look to it, and is featured in only one shade: Dark with cool undertones.
Gliding over your skin (and never smearing or caking), our pick for the Best Glowy Powder Foundation comes in a shiny black compact for $64.
#14 – Best Versatile Powder Foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Matte Powder Foundation
Unlike liquid foundation, powder tends to stay in place better, but even so, it can be tricky to find one that checks all of your boxes. The Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Matte Powder Foundation builds beautifully for customized wear.
It’s just as effective for touch-ups as it is for full-coverage, absorbing oil and reducing shine. Equipped with a two-sided applicator, you’ll use one for full coverage, the other for medium.
Wet it if you’re looking to show off more of your skin. Just want to set makeup? Use a brush instead.
Matte and made in 41 shades, you can even pick your undertone to make sure it’s the perfect match. Dermatologist-tested, you’ll find it in porcelain to espresso colors for $43.
#15 – Best Blurring Effect: Make Up For Ever Matte Velvet Skin Compact Blurring Powder Foundation
A lot of other names on this Best Powder Foundation 2022 list offer blurring, but Make Up For Ever is definitely the star when it comes to this feature.
Its Matte Velvet Compact Blurring Powder Foundation delivers on coverage and breathability, helping your skin stay comfortable and flawless for up to 12 hours.
It comes in 30 shades, from ivory to dark brown, set in a refillable compact with a two-sided sponge. Along with blurring tech for a filtered effect and using Flexi-Fit Complex to keep things light and spreadable, this formula is a pro at making skin less shiny and pores looking smaller.
Packaged in a thin, rectangular compact, get one for $38.
#16 – Best Weightless Formula: Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Powder Foundation
You want to be covered, but the last thing you need is to feel weighed down by cakey makeup. The Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Powder Foundation is one of our faves for the way it handles your skin. Gliding on smooth and creamy, you’ll get a perfectly smooth finish that makes pores virtually undetectable.
It’s ideal for those with normal and oily skin (not dry) since it’s an oil-free formula that absorbs any that you have going on.
Served up in a black rectangular compact with a sponge applicator, this selection only has three shades left: warm almond, chestnut, and espresso for $52.
#17 – Best Vegan Formula: KVD Beauty Lock-It Powder Foundation
Our final pick is here and it’s for all you vegans out there! KVD Beauty always knocks it out of the park for its highly pigmented makeup and creamy formulas.
The Lock-It Powder Foundation is our top pick that doesn’t use animal testing or products, delivering on amazing coverage and a pore-minimizing effect instead.
It’s long-wearing, slightly blurring, and uses kaolin clay to soak up those oily areas. The result is a matte finish that keeps skin feeling healthy without over-drying.
It’s packaged up in a refillable, vampy black and red compact with a practical black sponge applicator — don’t you hate seeing your white ones turn beige/brown?
This breathable formula comes in 26 shades from fair porcelain to rich deep cocoa. Pick one up for $22 (normally $37).
Which powder foundation is best for dry skin?
Even though powder foundation is great for oily skin, it’s still a smart choice for those with a drier complexion as well. This list included a few picks that include nourishing, hydrating ingredients in their formulas, but watch out, there are quite a few others that don’t.
Our pick for the Best Powder Foundation For Dry Skin would have to be the Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Gloss Film Foundation. With collagen, tea tree oil, and hydrolyzed silk, your skin should feel refreshed, healthy, and moisturized.
Which powder foundation is best for oily skin?
If you’re reading this Best Powder Foundation 2022 list, there’s a good chance you have oily skin. If so, you came to the right place because the majority of the names mentioned here are perfect for oily skin.
To pick just one is tough since they all do a great job, but we suppose if it came to push or shove, we’d select the Fenty Filt’r Soft Matte Powder, and here’s why.
It’s designed to resist sweat, heat, and humidity, as well as soak up excess oil while giving you a blurring effect.
This powder does it all, and it’s one of the top performers for the Best Powder Foundation For Oily Skin.
Which powder foundation is best for combination skin?
Some days your skin is oily, others it’s dry. It can be a headache trying to keep up, but the key is choosing a powder foundation that does the work for you.
Our top picks for combination skin are the Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder Foundation and the IT Cosmetics CC+ Airbrush Perfecting Powder.
Though Clinique is a great all-around pick, we love IT Cosmetics for the way it helps aging skin. As we age, our skin can put us through a lot (oil, dryness, wrinkles, etc.) and that’s why it made the cut.
Which powder foundation is best for sensitive skin?
We have a few names on this Best Powder Foundation list that are ideal for sensitive skin.
The BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15 is a no-brainer for its clean, mineral-based formula, but we’re also loving Clinique for its fragrance and mineral oil-free ingredient list.
Final Thoughts
No matter your skin type, just know that there’s an effective, hardworking powder foundation out there waiting for you. This Best Powder Foundation 2022 list was created to show you your options, and boy, did we pack in some amazing formulas.
From normal to oily to combination skin, the right powder foundation works with your unique skin tone and texture, offering added perks like blurring, all-day wear, buildable coverage, and pore-minimizing.
Whatever your needs, we hope you’ve now found your new favorite addition to your makeup bag.
Need some more inspiration to up your makeup game? We’ve got you covered:
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