Face powder: types, products and tips to get your makeup right

One of the most famous items of makeup, face powder is also one of the most doubts when using. That’s because the types of products available are abundant on the market and the possibilities of use also go far beyond the simple elimination of the skin’s shine.

“Face powder is a great way to finish makeup. It is made up of mineral microparticles that fill in skin imperfections, in addition to fixing makeup and neutralizing shine, bringing a velvety look to the skin”, comments Eliete Silva, makeup artist at Studio Eliete, in Rio de Janeiro.

While it looks simple and isn’t meant to create stark contrasts or be immediately noticeable on the face, powder can make all the difference in makeup. For this, the application needs to be done so that it “blends” with the skin, leaving it with a natural look, regardless of the type or purpose of the product.

In this process, it is important to find out which product works best for you. One of the main differences between powder modalities is between pressed powder and loose powder. The compact powder, possibly the best known, is the one that comes compressed in the package, almost in solid format and that gradually comes off in contact with the brush or sponge. This type of product has larger particles and generally offers more coverage.

The loose powder is the one that comes in the package with the consistency of powder. For this reason, the product particles are usually finer, which also generates a smoother coverage on the skin. In addition, the consistency makes it difficult to transport the loose powder – it is easy to end up losing too much of the contents each time the package is loaded and opened in different places. Thus, the most advisable thing is that the compact powder is your daily companion in the bag, being able to help (and a lot!) in touch-ups during the day to renew the look of the makeup.

6 types of powder: when, how and when to use

Different products, different features. Each type of powder plays a role in make-up and will help you to resolve specific points when producing. Check out what it’s for and how to use each one!

1. Mattifying powder

“It is also called opaque or anti-shine and can be applied with a brush in the areas of greatest oiliness, to neutralize the shine”, points out Eliete. This is the product indicated for those who want to give a velvety appearance to the skin, reducing the shine and natural oiliness, especially in the T-zone – chin, nose and forehead.

Compact or loose, this type of powder should be applied in a thin layer to finish the look; ie only after all other products. To ensure the result throughout the day, it’s worth carrying the mattifying powder in your bag and touch up when you feel your skin starting to get oily again.

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2. Translucent powder

The translucent powder should also be applied as a last step in makeup, to give the final touch to the result. Its function is to give an anti-shine finish and a fixative effect to other products, maintaining the color of the makeup. As it does not add coverage, it is common for the translucent powder to be white and adapt well to any skin tone.

3. Primer powder

The primer powder should be the first product when doing makeup, helping to prepare the skin and ensuring a better fixation of the other products. With the skin clean and hydrated, apply the primer on the entire surface of the face and only then go to the next steps, including other types of powder.

“The primer has a moisturizing and protective effect. After application, wait about 5 minutes to continue the process. It closes the pores, reduces the oiliness and prepares the skin to receive the rest of the makeup, with greater fixation”, explains the makeup artist.

4. Powder base

The foundation powder can replace the application of liquid, cream or stick foundations. This product should be applied right after the primer and has the function of homogenizing the skin, adding a greater coverage than other types of powder. Due to its dry consistency, it is a great alternative for those with oily or combination skin.

“It is suitable for normal and mixed skins, as it helps to contain oiliness. On dry and mature skin it can dry out and highlight expression marks, so it is not indicated”, recommends Eliete.

5. Illuminating powder

The illuminating powder can have shades of white, champagne, pink and gold. Its purpose is to brighten the face, adding a “healthy glow” look to the skin. The product can also be used to highlight areas you want to highlight – the cheekbones, the corners of the eyes, for example.

In addition to powder, the highlighter can also be creamy or liquid; being the powder is the most suitable for those who have oily or mixed skin. The application should be done to finish the makeup, after the other skin products.

6. Tanning powder

Bronzing powder is generally more brown in color and can be matte or shimmery. In makeup, bronzer should be applied as a finisher, after skin preparation products. To achieve a natural effect, the essential thing in applying this type of powder is to blend it well with a brush.

“To give a natural tan effect, it should be applied very carefully, only on areas that tan in the sun. It is also used to smooth the angles of the face and disguise imperfections.

The best and most recommended facial powders

When buying a powder, doubts about which product to choose are plentiful. After all, the market has a wide variety of options for brands, types, tones and features. Check out some powder options and what makeup bloggers think about them.

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Maybelline Pure Makeup Compact Powder

This product promises to help remove the oily appearance of the skin, causing a mattifying effect. The coverage is light and the powder is available in four colors. You can find the product in various cosmetics stores, pharmacies, online stores and hypermarkets.

Bloggers opinion:

“I think this powder is a good option to carry inside your bag and use when shine is showing on your face. Using it, the shine takes about 3 hours to appear again”, Sabrina Olivetti, from Coisas de Diva.

“You can apply a few layers of the product to set or touch up your makeup without giving your face that forced dry look (famous brick face). If you don’t have problems with blemishes or dark circles that need makeup with more coverage, you can use the powder alone or with a little concealer”, Marina Smith, from 2beauty.

MAC Blot Powder

Blot Powder is one of MAC’s most famous powders and the darling of many. Indicated for oily skin, the product promises to control oiliness and mattify without adding color or texture to the skin. Available in five colors, Blot can be found at MAC stores or Sephora.

Bloggers opinion:

“It leaves a very natural finish, it doesn’t look like you’re using powder because it’s very thin. I apply it after full makeup to finish when it’s too hot or if I’m going to be wearing makeup for a long time. I also like to carry it in my bag to touch up at the end of the day”, Priscila Paes, from Passando Blush.

“The powder is very fine and hardly adds color. I like to apply it all over my face, not just the T-zone, because another thing I really like is that it avoids accumulating concealer in the fine lines below the eyes. The finish is slightly velvety”, Keetryn Martins, from Beauty Set.

Shiseido Pureness Matifying

Pureness is a high-coverage Shiseido foundation powder. Indicated especially for those with mixed or oily skin, the product is oil-free, has a matte finish and sun protection. You can find the powder in four different shades at Sephora and other big perfumeries and cosmetics stores. The refill and the case are sold separately.

Bloggers opinion:

“The way I like to use this type of product is with a fluffy powder brush. I give half a dozen strokes across the face and that’s it! Skin made. Depending on the day, you can skip to the concealer”, Marina Smith, from 2beauty.

“The cool thing is that you can get from a lighter coverage, to a heavier one. Overall I consider it medium coverage, the powder is not that thin so you can disguise pores and so on. I like to apply it with a sponge and it looks great, I’m using it on all the makeup I want a good and quick coverage”, Claudinha Stoco.

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Tracta HD Illuminator Compact Powder

Tracta’s compact illuminating powder is available in three different colors: clear (with a more golden tone), medium (with a more rosy tone) and bronze. The product’s texture is fine and it can be found in cosmetics stores or at Renner.

Bloggers opinion:

“This highlighter is very beautiful! It leaves a wonderful reflection on the skin (a difficulty of national illuminators) and the pinkish tone is super natural on the skin! The pigmentation is great! The one that you just give a brush stroke and that’s it”, Bianca Andrade, from Boca Rosa.

“It has a beautiful and intense shine, blends easily and has an average duration, throughout the day the shine decreases, but does not disappear completely”, Josy Costa, from Josy de Batom.

Hoola by Benefit

Hoola is a compact bronzer that has a lighter brown tone and a matte finish. As it has no shine particles, the product can be useful both to give the appearance of tanned skin and to contour.

Bloggers opinion:

“I’m in love with many bronzers and I can’t live without them, but Benefit’s Hoola is definitely my favorite, because it’s not too dark and has a matte finish! With it I can contour the way I like”, Camila Coelho, from Super Vaidosa.

“He doesn’t crumble anything! Nothing at all. And the pigmentation is dosable. That is, if you apply one layer it becomes smooth, two layers stronger and so on. But really strong never stays! It’s a sun-kissed bronzer, you know? He tans gently”, Bruna Tavares, from Pausa Para Feminices.

More face powder options

Face powder is a very simple product to find and it’s hard to find a brand that doesn’t have its own version. Check out some more options in our gallery!

8 makeup tips with face powder

The face powder doesn’t have much of a secret to use, but following a few tips guarantees a more finished and natural final effect.

1. Choose the right color for your skin tone

“The right shade of powder is always the skin tone, as it does not act as an accessory, but as a correction. You can vary a tone above the skin when the objective is to soften some region or a tone below when seeking to highlight the strengths. In summer, when the skin is more tanned, one should pay attention to the tone of the moment”, advises Eliete.

2. Moisturize the skin before applying the powder

In order for the powder not to form “scabs” on the skin, it is essential that it is well hydrated before applying makeup. Exfoliation is also a great option to leave the skin smoother and prepared to receive the layer of powder.